January 2015 New York Blizzard - Stop Kvetching

Photo: Theodore Parisienne for The New York Daily News.
Copyright © 2015 Theodore Parisienne & The New York Daily News. All Rights Reserved.

I don't know why I'm weighing in on this, but... So many people are "kvetching" about the apparent, so far, under-prediction of snow/the effects of what, yesterday and today (January 26/27, 2015), could have been an historic blizzard, specifically on New York City (all boroughs). We are not taking into account the fact that our fellow New Yorkers on Long Island got hit pretty terribly by the storm, and that the storm started "moving" last night -- all of the forecasters were talking about it -- and it dumped a lot more snow, and created severe wind conditions in other parts of the Northeast US. (E.g. Boston was slammed, with very high snow accumulations.)

We're also not taking into account that New York, New Jersey and Connecticut state and local agencies addressed the forecast with a decisive, smooth, well-communicated plan for keeping the people, the residences, the vehicles, the businesses and other institutions, etc., safe in and around our/those locations. Was it an "overreaction?" Were "politics" involved? Did forecasters even, possibly, "spin" -- no pun intended -- the weather as is the current lot of "news-vo-tainment?" Probably, to a degree. Are our big, New York (especially) egos "hurt" (boo $%^&!#$ hoo!) that "they" -- whomever "they" are -- supposedly "lied" to us about the weather and curtailed our personal and professional activities and plans? Yes.

I've lived in New York City (Manhattan), in the same neighborhood, on the same block, for five decades. "Tough New Yorkers" (and New Jersey and Connecticut -ers) always have/will always be right to both very much trust and very much distrust all of the forces involved in predicting, and responding to, potentially severe weather conditions. But, I confess, the smart-@$$ed comments, even from thoughtful people, about preparedness for situations like this, often infuriate me. For elderly and infirmed people -- some of whom DO NOT have "help" from more able people to address their living needs -- snowfall and accumulations, and wind and cold, of the current, less-than-expected proportions are already dangerous. For young children heading to school -- not everyone (families--parents/guardians, children) in the boroughs or surrounding areas have/has easy access to transportation, and, again, just the lower-predicted snow/other related weather conditions can be/are challenging for them. ("Oh, any kid can get on a bus, a subway, a school bus, or their families can escort, or drive, them to school or other needed programs." NO, not true. It sounds like what Bloomberg said during the NY blackout -- "oh, they can ride bicycles." Well, before Citi Bike, were you going to BUY THEM a bicycle, Mr. evil $%^& former (super-billionaire) Mayor, were YOU going to supply them to all adults and children? Were YOU going to ensure training for everyone on riding a bicycle in time for them to safely -- in the $%^&!@# dark! -- travel the streets of New York, or in the other Boroughs? Were YOU going to get disabled, or otherwise infirmed, parents/guardians and children safely to school, to the doctor's/nurse's office, to other appointments, on their bicycles?????? PLEASE!)

I remember a friend having posted on Facebook that he was "sitting on his fire escape" just before Hurricane Sandy hit the area, "waiting for this fake-@$$ storm to start. It better start, or $%^& you to these weather people and officials!" Then, the storm came, and he got what he wished for--the entire lower Manhattan power grid down for several days, and catastrophic destruction to the area of historic proportions.

Someone on FB wrote yesterday something to the effect of (I'm paraphrasing) "I was here for the Blizzard of 2010, this is nothing." Followed by another, typical rant about the ineffectiveness of the reporting/forecasting/administration's (probable over-) planning. Well, not to sound personally egotistical, but just providing historic perspective, I was here, in Manhattan, for the 2010 Blizzard, the 2006 Blizzard, the big 2003 Storm, the 1996 Blizzard, the 1993 "Storm of the Century," the 1978 Blizzard, other devastating weather conditions, Hurricane Sandy, etc., etc. I've witnessed over and under-reporting, over and under-preparedness, and the effects to human beings, to homes, to businesses, and to everything else in the area, of all of the above.

Frankly, I don't care if these people over-predict and over report. Yes, I also know the devastating effects of doing these things--e.g. families/guardians of children having to lose work days (some of them critical/essential on every level, from providing essential services to other human beings, infrastructure, etc., to lost income for those truly struggling to make ends meet), people being forced, even when near/actual "martial law" is declared, to find a way to get outside and to specific destinations with reduced access to resources (transportation, power, safety, etc.). BUT, being more prepared and attentive is, in my (genuinely) humble opinion more important than fearing the reaction of many who "disapprove" of those choices.

The 50 Coldest Cities in America - From The Huffington Post

The Huffington Post published an article today listing "The 50 Coldest Cities in America," with this based upon, according to the article, "the 30-year average monthly low temperatures for December through March, as reported by NOAA." Remind me never to visit any of these cities during those months...

Read the Article Here (it contains a slideshow)

From 22 Words - Photos of New York City Storefronts Taken 10 Years Apart

The wonderful Blog, 22 Words, posted great New York City photos last April (2014), taken 10 years apart in the exact same spots. This view is very touching. An example is the NW corner of Bleecker St. and Carmine St., just before 6th Avenue in the image above.

See the full post and the rest of the images by clicking here.

Foxcatcher Review

I was alone for most of the winter holiday period -- with one, significant, and wonderful, exception at Christmas, wherein I even ended up being photographed by The New York Times -- and it gave me a chance to see several of the "Oscar race" films in theaters. Most recently, on Friday (1/2), I finally saw director Bennett Miller's (of Capote fame's) brilliant 2014 film, Foxcatcher--the film was released in Nov. 2014, but I saw it 2 months after it came out.

Don't "Hate On" Fitness Resolutioners

From the age of approximately 12 years old, through my late 20s, I went from being a "skinny kid" to morbidly obese, with my weight topping out at, undoubtedly, around 300lbs. (I never weighed myself at the time, but I was 275 when I finally checked my weight after having gone down 3 pant sizes, so 300lbs. is my estimate.) I was around my highest weight on the right in the photo above.

December 2014 Movie Reviews - Recap

A lot of friends asked for reviews of the films, new for 2014, that I saw in theaters in December. I posted these reviews on Facebook, but I'm going to begin now, in 2015 -- as part of my overall set of life changes this year -- to convert to providing content that I write that is more substantive to my blog instead of directly to Social Media channels.

2015 - A Year of Renewal

I look forward to a 2015 of significant change--for me, personally, to reboot many important components of my own life.

This includes my overall physical and emotional health; my relationships with family, friends, acquaintances, business associates, social media connections and more; my creativity; my business/work and my potential for increased long-term financial security; and, in relation to all of the above, to my overall use of time.

Luise Rainer - Happy Advance 102nd Birthday

Luise Rainer, the German-born, Hollywood legend who was the first to win two Academy Awards(r) for Best Actress, and to win them consecutively (1936 and 1937), will turn 102 tomorrow--she was born in Dusseldorf, Germany on January 12, 1910.

Happy Birthday, great lady!

Dear Anthony Amato 1920 - 2011 Rest in Peace

(Photo Copyright © 2013 Harald Schrader. All Rights Reserved.)

On a very busy work day, I have to pause for one moment to acknowledge personally devastating news. I just learned of the passing of the one-and-only, Anthony "Tony" Amato, of his now legendary New York opera company, AMATO OPERA. Founded in New York by Tony, and his late, beyond-beloved wife, Sally, Amato in 1948, the "small, but oh, so grand" company -- which was first housed in the basement theater of Our Lady of Pompeii Church on Bleecker Street, followed by other locations, then a long-term home at 159 Bleecker Street, then its longer, final home at 319 Bowery -- gave thousands of performances over nearly 60 years, and an equal amount of aspiring singers (some who ended up at the MET and other great companies) the opportunity to learn operatic roles, stage craft, and the magic that was Tony and Sally.

Frank Ufert World Trade Center Survivor

 

The photo above depicts the hard hat given to my late father, Frank Ufert, by his final employer, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), of the U.S. Department of Labor, following the 9-11 Tragedy. All of us in the United States and throughout the globe have personal recollections of that world-changing day. However, only a few of us, and by "few," I mean tens of thousands out of billions of humans on Earth, lost someone or were, or knew, a survivor to whom we were related or were and are connected first-hand. My dad was one of those survivors.

Happy 50th Birthday President Barack Obama

I want to wish a very Happy 50th Birthday to our great President, Barack Obama.

I continue to deeply admire this strong leader, who methodically, quietly, and brilliantly, handles each of the challenging situations that he faces as an American President. Additionally, he continues to be forced to contend with the most conspicuous greed ever in history from the party/"parties" of his opposition -- and even blatant bigotry from those who would typically support him politically -- and does this with the greatest of dignity.

We are also fellow August Leos--both born in the 1960s. Rrroarrrrrr, President Obama!

Please celebrate with our President by continuing to support him and his work with citizen pressure to the U.S. Congress to be more responsible, and less avaricious, than they've been in recent months/weeks, with your votes, and with your donations to President Obama's 2012 Presidential Campaign.

Bernard Herrmann Postscript

I just learned that the great composer, Bernard Herrmann, was born 100 years ago in Lying-In Hospital in Gramercy Park, Manhattan. Lo and behold, 53 years later, I was born in the SAME HOSPITAL (then called Manhattan General Hospital).

My connections to this towering figure are many. Fascinating...

Bernard Herrmann Centennial

On June 29, we celebrate the Centennial of the birth of the late Bernard Herrmann, (arguably) my all-time favorite cinematic composer. Herrmann was the composer of reference of my entire youth, and the reason that I fell in love with classical music, opera and learned to have equal passion for, and better understand, the work of other cinematic music composers. While other great film composers are Herrmann's equals in my mind, by an inch I most personally relate to my love for Herrmann's scores.

The Death of Osama Bin-Laden: Reflections from a Great Writer and from Me

A brilliantly-written article by Chris Hedges, who was, "nearly two decades a foreign correspondent for 'The New York Times'," on CommonDreams.org (Hedges,  "made these remarks about Osama bin Laden’s death at a Truthdig fundraising event in Los Angeles on Sunday evening"):

On Osama Bin Laden’s Death | Common Dreams

My own (Karl Ufert's) thoughts about the announcement of the death of Osama Bin-Laden--I posted an abridged version of the following to Facebook last night, after the President spoke:

Connect For Real

“When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another - and ourselves." ~ Jack Kornfield, Ph.D. (Theravada Buddhist scholar and teacher)

I own a small business focused on digital communications. I love this space. I love its nearly miraculous ability to connect and reconnect. The great minds of W3C bring the promise of a future (and even current) amalgamation of digital content shared over the Internet to solve problems--with "1s" and "0s" as part of the make up of some of the problems and their solutions. This, the extensibility of the "channel" that is now called "social media," and much more, has connected us in ways previously unimaginable. This is remarkable... and beautiful.

In Memorium: Bruce Lee the Greatest on the 70th Anniversary of His Birth

There were and are great martial artists. There were and are great action stars of world cinema. Then, there was the one and only, Bruce Lee (李小龍). Unmatched.

He was born in San Francisco, California, 70 years ago (on November 27, 1940) as Lee Jun-fan/Li Zhen-fan (李振藩), to parents of Chinese and Chinese/German heritage. I won't provide a bio or filmography in this post--there are more than enough out there written by experts and commentators with far more experience and insight than me. The temporal world lost him on July 20, 1973, when I was soon to turn 9 years old. Too soon. (A gross understatement.) Despite his only 32 years in this life, we lost him after his nearly life-long career on screen--though he only made seven major films, he was in countless films in cameo parts since he was a child, and appeared in numerous television programs.

Sir Run Run Shaw Happy 103rd Birthday

A very happy birthday to living legend, Sir Run Run Shaw (邵逸夫), co-founder (with his brothers) of the Shaw Brothers Studios, and of TVB. The official date of his birthday, November 23 (the auspicious date of the 14th day of the 10th month of the Chinese calendar in 2007) may or may not be exact, but this remarkable man's birth year is confirmed by all sources as having taken place in 1907.

Dame Gwyneth Jones Happy 74th Birthday

A very Happy Birthday to Dame Gwyneth Jones (born November 7, 1936), one of the greatest ladies of opera and one of my all-time favorite singers. This beautiful, elegant Welsh soprano had, in the heyday of her career, one of the largest hochdramatisch voices in memory. Out of this slim and lovely woman came sounds so huge that she could capsize the world's largest aircraft carrier! Yet, in roles like the Marschallin in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, she could be tender and gentle.

Don't Forget to Vote November 2

I want to remind everyone to get out and vote tomorrow, Tuesday, November 4. I often express that, imho, votes don't count; that we are not really part of the political process because everything is theater. However, I will always qualify that by saying that there are some candidates for office who are not just bad for the country, but horrible for specific personal liberties. One of the many of them is running for Governor of New York (my lifelong home state). That person's name will not be used here.

Cesare Siepi 1923 to 2010 - The KING Is Gone

I just learned about the passing yesterday, in Atlanta, of the opera singer who many called the greatest of them all in the post-WWII era, Grande Italian Basso Cantante, Cesare Siepi.

I never had the privilege of hearing this legend live. On recordings, I have heard his approximate equal of eras past (and just a small handful of singers of later days), but never anyone to surpass him. The range, the smoothness, the elegance, the gorgeous color, the power,  and the idiomatic style of the voice in Verdi, Mozart, Puccini, French Grand Opera and more, was absolute perfection.