Haul

The aroma of a Fairway haul that made me self-conscious in the subway train: basil (roots coated with dirt), scallions, freshly ground coffee, and everything bagels. May be too pungent for others, but so earthy to me.

The Great Influenza

"The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History" by John M. Barry (2004)

"It's only influenza" is a line oft-repeated in the book about the 1918 Pandemic that decimated millions.
Served as a microbiology review for me. Remember Koch's postulates? Antigen shift and drift?
Others may like the "CSI" stuff in the book: how the virus kills, oozing blood, cyanotic bodies. More fascinating to me were the historical accounts of the inceptions of "The Hopkins" and Rockefeller Institute, the images of old New York (blood-letting horses in 68th and York!), and nurses being kidnapped in order to take care of sick patients.
Where the world went wrong was fear (misinformation or lack thereof) and poor infrastructure for managing an epidemic.
And we haven't come that far. We are still woefully unprepared.
Reminds me of that time in Micro when a classmate turned to me and said, "It's a scary time to be a nurse. We have these new diseases. SARS. Bird Flu."
That's why I don't work in the E.R.

El Norte

EL NORTE (dir. Gregory Nava, 1983)

Siblings migrate from Guatemala to L.A. (or "El Norte").
I favor its formal compositions. An indie free of grainy stock and shaky camera moves.
Divided into three sections, each with a distinct spirit: a mystical first part, an adventure story in the middle, and a verite style in the last.
The more indelible images involve nature: the Chiapas landscape, moths, and rats.
Even more topical now than its initial release. The movie makes a strong case for their departure, but I still side on the letter of the law involving immigration.
Despite that, I strongly identify with the characters' feeling of displacement. No matter how long I've been here, the definition of home never gets any clearer.

IV Junkie

How to start an IV with a junkie?
Ask him which vein he used to shoot up.
Perhaps the easiest time I ever had inserting a line.
Some things nursing school never taught us ...

MILK or The Gay "I Am Sam"

If you're still smarting from the pain of Prop 8’s passing, then console yourself with this movie. For those who felt left behind or felt like s/he was told to take the backseat for now, let us content ourselves with Harvey Milk’s victories in the past.

A Horse in the Year of the Earth Ox

A forecast for my Chinese zodiac sign this year:

Horse Ratings
32% (4 neutral and 8 unfavorable months)
The Horse may have a challenging year ahead. You may become frustrated with the lack of progress in your career, but you will have to be patient to see the results of your hard work. Beware of your energy levels, as you tend to swing in accordance to your success. You will have to work hard to steer yourself out of ruts with healthy activities and other projects that keep you active. Take comfort in your loved ones and friends who will provide support for you in times of need. Be open to try new things and heed the advice of others in the year of the Ox.

Sounds like it's going to be a down year for me. According to them, not a month in my favor. Will evaluate this at the end of the year and see if it lows true.

The Noms

Skimming the list of nominees made me feel like I hardly set foot in a movie house this year.
Only saw one of the five best picture finalists so far.
Other thoughts:

• An objection to seating “WALL-E” at the kids’ table. On par with “Bolt” and “Kung Fu Panda”? (This Best Animated Feature category needs to go. Seriously. It’s restrictive and patronizing.)
• For “The Reader” to muscle its way in, the Weinsteins must be up to their old tricks again.
• Where’s Sally Hawkins? Too brilliant to be nominated.

Not that anyone cares about this, really. Until Feb 22 rolls around. When "Slumdog Millionaire" won't need a lifeline to win that statue.

Pantone

The dress served as the sole suspense in yesterday's Inauguration.
Upon spotting Michelle Obama’s dress, Pantone came to mind. Think of that purple dress she wore during the campaign – a speck away from Blue Iris, Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2008. And now, a golden gown to usher Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2009: Mimosa, which “embodies hopefulness and reassurance in a climate of change.” Is she a trendsetter? Or trend seller?

Hmmm. Nancy Drew sniffs a money trail …

'Burb Angst

On "Revolutionary Road" (2008, dir. Sam Mendes):
Disappointing in its totality, but with admirable parts. Liked Roger Deakins’ coolly detached and clinical cinematography. Kate Winslet deserves her Globe for an astutely calibrated performance. She makes you feel what she’s going through, while Leonardo DiCaprio only manages to show you. Kathy Bates and Michael Shannon as mother and son make their mark in fewer scenes than it takes Sam Mendes to show us that suburbia numbs and crushes your soul.

Starting out on a shrill pitch (with a roadside spat) only leads us to more of the same. Each time Thomas Newman’s music comes on, a sledgehammer might as well have played that score. ("Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" starts out in the same pitch but takes us to further and varied grotesqueries).

5 Suburban Dramas Superior to "Revolutionary Road":

1. "Little Children" (2006, dir. Todd Field) Kate Winslet trapped in suburbia and in a hotter sex scene.
2. "American Beauty" (1999, dir. Sam Mendes) Mendes did it before and better.
3. "Happiness" (1998, dir. Todd Solondz) Dark and brutally funny.
4. "The Ice Storm" (1997, dir. Ang Lee) So chilly it will frost your screen.
5. "Bigger than Life" (1956, Nicholas Ray) Let’s shake up conformity with a little cortisol.

Sea Kittens

From NPR: PETA Attempts To Make Fish More Adorable by Anne Hillman

A new acme in ridiculous re-branding to brainwash children not to eat fish. Qualifies PETA as a perpetrator of intolerable cruelty to intelligent human beings. I will still enjoy my sea kittens, raw - with a hint of wasabi and dipped in soy sauce.

For responsible "sea kitten" consumption, consult Seafood Watch instead.

Light

Fragment from 2009's vision board.
So that drafting the itinerary will be less than a chore,
letting Adam Guettel's melodies waft and swirl.

In Firenze, I WILL enact that scene with the flying hat!

• Statues and Stories
• Passegiata