Cultural notes (and then some)

* So far I have to admit to being underwhelmed by the whole "Waterfalls" thing. I can see two of them from the trains going over the Manhattan Bridge, and at least from this angle it leaves me cold, even if it does give me something else to look at than E.'s apartment building. I was expecting something more...I don't know. More like The Gates, which a lot of people have said already. I read somewhere that the artist claims that you have to see them full on via some boat tour to really "get" the display--that's all well and good, but since this is a piece of public art (ostensibly), I think more attention should have been paid to, say, how it looks from the Q train (i.e., to people who actually live in New York and ride the subway) and not just how we can get a bunch of out of towners to spend money to see it from the Circle Line or whatever. So, until I see something that changes my mind, this is mostly just another case of Mike Bloomberg confusing this city with Disney World, without even decent special effects.

* I caught the first twenty minutes of Can't Hardly Wait while on the elliptical machine at Erstwhile Teaching College last night. With ten years in between me and my own high school graduation, I'm able to find the movie a lot funnier. I'm also, at this point, willing to admit that I, too, peeled out of the parking lot on the last day of school blasting Third Eye Blind's "Graduate" from my little red Ford Escort. (Actually, it's kind of fun to know every song in a movie.) On the other hand, the movie was a good reminder of why I don't plan on dating anyone under 35 anytime soon.

* Since the recent slowness of my home internet connection (thanks for nothing, Verizon!) means I still can't watch TV online, I have been indulging in the first season of Grey's Anatomy yet again. Given everything that's happened in the last seven or eight months, it's even harder to watch that last scene in the final episode. This might be contributing to the insomnia / slight heaviness I've been feeling over the last couple of days; nevertheless, my one indulgence in this indigent summer is probably going to be to purchase Season 2. Well, and get my hair cut for the first time since April.

* I have never had the slightest interest in seeing Mamma Mia on Broadway. Nevertheless, the ads for the movie version are oddly compelling. I can't imagine who I'd have to go see it with, though.

* Regina Spektor is doing a show in August at McCarren Pool. Despite the fact that I've already been to one concert by someone I'd never even heard of with The Professor because he didn't want to go alone, he's already rejected this idea. I'm getting close to giving up on this friendship (except for the reading each other's work part, and even that's not seeming particularly worth it lately). Again.

* Right now I'm listening to the set at the top of the Samurai.fm homepage. (Spectral presents Osborne.) Sometimes I miss electronic music, but that was such an Ex thing.

* I'm seeing The Poet tonight for the first time since early June. I'm hoping this will help me feel less like I'm falling apart and imploding with misdirected anger. That part wasn't cultural, of course.