papertowel.org [lj version]

She may not be a mongrel, but she looks like a Mongol.

My resolution, as always, is to not make any resolutions. Ash is going to try giving up soda for the whole year, which I think will be very difficult. John's doing the same thing, but he's done it before (and he really loves iced tea), so I think it'll be easier for him. Ash and I are also going to try eating at home more often, to save money. It's arguable, in New York City, whether this actually saves any money. We just paid $156 for a week's worth of groceries because nothing is ever on sale at the supermarkets in this city. I remember when I lived in California, they'd scan your groceries, and it'd show you the total. Then they'd scan your club card, and you'd see it drop 30-50%. Here, they scan your groceries, and it shows you the total. Then they scan your club card, and the total does not change. Seriously.

Happy Hanukkah everyone! Remember to say all three blessings because it's the first night.

Why do they have to keep the soup in the cafeteria at atomic levels of heat? I mean, sure, if I needed to get my soup in the cafeteria and then walk with it to Nebraska and eat it there, it might be good to serve it at this temperature so that it'll still be piping hot when I finally eat my lunch. But considering the fact that it's a cafeteria, and that people purchase food there for immediate consumption, it might be nice to keep it at an edible temperature, or maybe a temperature slightly higher than edible, instead of a temperature used for melting steel.

Technically it dipped down below freezing sometime earlier this week, but I think this is the first day that it's been below freezing, and it's significantly below freezing. It was 19°F at ten o'clock this morning, which is quite cold for New York City. Usually our lowest low for the winter is around 10°F, so the temperature this morning was pretty close. And we usually only have a few days total that go down into the teens. So yeah, it's officially cold.

The new Broadway musical Spring Awakening is based on an 1891 German play about teenagers discovering their sexuality in a strict, prudish German town. The adults are unwilling to be straightforward and honest with the teenagers about the changes they're experiencing, and the children are victimized and hurt as a direct result.

The play has essentially been translated verbatim, but songs have been added and both characters and plot points have been fleshed out. The play still takes place in 1890's Germany (apparent in the costumes and minimal set pieces), but the songs are full-on modern rock.

It actually works remarkably well. The songs generally happen as inner monologues, or as expressions of emotion when words aren't enough. And it makes sense that in these teenagers' heads, they hear something akin to rock music. Because rock music has always represented youth, and how youth is misunderstood by the adult world around it.

The show is edgy, unexpected, and full of captivating, addictive tunes. It's satirical in both comedic and dramatic ways, and it tells its story very well. It also helps that the cast of young actors (plus the two adult actors who play all of the adult characters) are superb, easily attacking both the rock music and the antiquated dialogue with great conviction.

I don't want to say too much about the content of the show, because you need to see it for yourself. A limited number of $25 student tickets are available at the box office beginning at ten o'clock daily, and there are always seats on stage available for $36 if you're not squeamish about that sort of thing.