The last two days, I saw a movie and a play. The movie was an advanced screening of "Up in the Air" which is not out yet, so I will wait on review there, but the play I saw was "God Bless You Mister Scrooge", a Christmas Carol story done from a pro-Scrooge viewpoint.

The play itself was in La Tea Theater on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, an area that has a gritty, but realistic atmosphere, though there were roving gangs of hipsters about, and they can threaten both authenticity of a neighborhood and affordable prices.

You can reach the theater by taking the F train to the Delancey-Essex stop, and once at the corner you walk on Delancey for two blocks and take a left at Suffolk. The address is 107 Suffolk St. and it is on the second floor of the building, an old public school.

The play itself is a serious play, but it also has some very funny moments, especially when you catch the subtle variations with A Christmas Carol. It is a defense of Ebeneezer Scrooge as an honest free market individual. While it shows him to be anti-social and lacking merriment, it also says, "So what?" He does a job that people value, which is how he became wealthy. He is not a merry or generous soul, but an honest bookkeeper, who makes his payments on time and also expects his money on time as well.

The ghostly visits are the same, only Scrooge learns differently from them, and while he does not become a generous and kindly figure, he takes on a different path,but you will need to see the play to see that :) I will try to avoid spoilers.

For Manhattan, where radicalism has become a safe and trendy brand, this play is truly radical. I am not the ardent and absolute free marketeer I used to be, but I do love the philosophy, and believe that before any wealth can be redistributed, it must be created first.

Scrooge may have been a grouch, which was his right, but he never lobbied Parliament or the Crown to make and expand his fortune. He may not have Bob Cratchit a "living wage", but he paid him what he earned. Instead, a kinder approach is to allow Cratchit opportunities to use and his improve his skills to be more productive and earn a greater wage.

The playwright Janet Hopf made a very good play. Her program explains her exact message, and such can be seen at her production. I will plug the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/New-York-NY/God-Bless-You-Mister-Scrooge/204506835782?ref=ts>facebook link</a>and give some detail to any NYC readers of mine. "If I could see it, I'm sure I'd love it!" Ayn R. Tickets available at theatermania.com or by calling 866-811-4111 First performance is Saturday night for an off-off-Broadway treat. I received free tickets to a final dress rehearsal courtesy of the USO, so I also want to thank Janet Hopf for inviting the troops to a free showing.

Tags: libertarianism, military, play review
Current Mood: thankful

I need to start posting again. For now, I wish Kathy Pogge a happy belated birthday.

So Joe Trippi, Howard Dean's advisor claims Republicans are gunning for Obama. Well, duh! The party in opposition will always be after the incumbent. Howard Dean did that as DNC Chair, and was successful. Yaar!!

President Obama won hands sown, but some changes he does at his own risk. Remember, you were elected, because McCain blew it and people are pissed at Bush. Heath care cost Clinton his majority in 1994. Maybe times have chnaged, but history is a good teacher.

Now, as for Van Jones, good riddance to him, but I'm disappointed at Obama's lack of creativity. Ron Brown causes potential scandal and dies in a plane crash. You're a Chicago politician. Didn't they teach you about convenient accidents when you were an Illinois Senator :)

Current Mood: mischievous

Well, the CDC may recommend circumcision for all male babies, now. This is excellent. I do think a study should be done if a mohel is less painful than medical circumcision. I also think medicaid should cover male circumcision. In fact, I'd review custody of any parent who had a problem with circumcising their son. The foreskin almost seems designed to be cut off.

Those who want to protest circumcision are small minded savages. The fact that so many developed nations leave their males uncircumcised is a massive tragedy and seems so horribly unsanitary.

I applaud President Obama if he is behind the CDC's decision, and I'll still disagree with him on plenty of issues, plus I am at best tepid of a public option, but I am all for male circumcision. It ranks up there with immunizations.

Now, CDC what are you waiting for? If one male in America is uncircumcised, that is one too many, IMO. Will it cause promiscuity? I doubt it.

It feels a bit anti-climatic. Ever since I was politically aware, I loved to bash Ted Kennedy, but I don't feel any great malicious joy at his death. Potshots yes, but that is about it.This change for the state of Massachusetts I can't give President Obama credit for :)

My prediction on successor will be his widow, Barney Frank, or in a weird twist of fate, Mitt Romney. The tragedy of the Kennedy could be best looked at in The Godfather. Imagine what would become of the Corleone family if Fredo became the Don, because that is what happened to Camelot.

He also had forty more years of life than Mary Jo Kopecne.

I figured this would be a much more mean-spirited post, filled with a lot more malice, but I can now avoid all the tributes bandied about, but I hope Jon Stewart gives a tribute in his snarkiest manner.

Tags: anti-ted kennedy potshot, drunk driving, politics
Current Mood: indifferent
Current Music: Billy Joel -- Onlythe good Die Young

The US Supreme Court will soon be down to one WASP, dinosaur Justcie John Paul Stevens, as Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed by the Senate 68-31.

To be honest, I didn't find anything extremely activist about her, though she would probably be well to the left of me, but so are lots of people. She also replaces David Souter, so it will be no shift in Court rulings, unless she proves to be a Felix Frankfurter.

Ted Kennedy didn't vote, and him unable to vote is always a good thing.

Now, the question is when does John Paul Stevens retire? Why is he waiting? Will President Obama appoint Robert Byrd, just so he can make a third appointment in his first term :)

Now who are the unique GOP Senators who voted for Sotomayor?

Lamar Alexander (TN), Kit Bond (MO), Susan Collins (ME), Lindsey Graham (SC), Judd Gregg (NH), Richard Lugar (IN), Mel Martinez (FL), Olympia Snowe (ME) and George Voinovich (OH).

Is this good or bad? Let' see what decision she'll make. As for her leadership on the Court, she's the most junior member, though the most senior Court member is likely to be the next one to step down. This is definitely a New York Court. Scalia from Queens, Ginsberg from Brooklyn, and now Sotomayor from Da Bronx. I guess you could count Alito from New Jersey as well.

Even though I was too young to really appreciate certain 80s movies, I re-watched them in my mid twenties and I must say that I will miss him, and will later watch one of the ultimate compliments to his work, Not Another Teen Movie.

Tags: 80s rule, icon death
Current Music: Ready for the 80s- The Village People

I am 32; now where's my cane? Maybe I've reached the age where I can flirt like Happosai and it's considered cute, sort of like how old Reverend Attila hit on every girl in the TGS CR.

Tags: old age

I met a freelance writer during Purim and she's pretty funny. She has written a few things both funny and serious, but without further ado, I'll plug some of her works:

Aliza "La Jewminicana" Hausman

http://www.alizahausman.net/
http://www.aish.com/jw/s/50930757.html

First Philadelphia pool denies access to black children who paid to use their pool. Dr. Henry Gates is arrested by Boston's finest, and now Carolyn Maloney uses racial slurs.

NY Daily News gives her such an unflattering picture, and the n-word is not normally a slur aimed at Puerto Ricans, it is aimed at black people. Hopefully someone less WASPy will take her House Seat. Buh bye you Orange hag.

Tags: dee dee dee, politics