Blind Prophecy

• I can’t tell you how much I adored Natasha Richardson’s performances in the 1998 revival of Cabaret (or, her performance on the CD, anyway, since I never saw it live). I’m a fan of Liza with a Z as much as any theatre queer, but I doubt I’d have really paid this musical much attention had it not been for a truly fresh revival with Ms. Richardson, Liam Neeson and Alan Cumming. With a family pedigree that qualifies her for royalty status in the acting world, I never once watched one of her movies or got the impression that she didn’t deserve every role and award that came her way. Although news of her medical condition is still uncertain (I first heard a report that she is “brain dead” – although this is unconfirmed as yet), I’m heartbroken to hear that she is in serious condition after a fall during a ski trip.
  UPDATE: Ms. Richardson has passed on.
• Closer to home, I’m cautiously excited to hear that another of my sisters is expecting. Cautious because it’s early and she’s been through a lot lately, but I may have two new nieces or nephews by the end of the year and that’s exciting enough.
• Started teaching job, officially, last night. I’ve got 7–maybe 8–bright students in my class and I’m really looking forward to this. I’ll forgive them for seeming less thrilled about 7 weeks of intense study for a standardized test than I am.
• Now that financial aid details are coming in from my law school acceptances, I’m getting closer to making a decision. At this point, it looks like I’ll be choosing between option #1 (risky with high debt, but better flexibility and opportunity after graduation if all goes well with the economy), option #2 (safer with relatively small debt, decent career opportunities but less so in a long-term bad economy) and option #3 (safest with least debt, and-comparatively-fewest career choices after graduation regardless of the economy). Although there are ways to mitigate the pros and cons of each choice, it comes down to this: how much am I willing to gamble my future on the economy in 3-4 years? and how much do I value short-term and long-term flexibility in my life (both in terms of career focus and location)? I’m *cough*29ish*cough* and still don’t know whether I’m a spirited risk-taker or a careful pragmatist at heart. I have been both, but I’m not sure which I will be in this situation.



• I’ve hit a patch of gay-themed movies on Netflix the last few weeks. Among the movies I’ve watched recently are Regarding Billy, Poster Boy, Just a Question of Love, Save Me, and the logo series “Can’t Get a Date.” I especially liked Save Me and “Can’t Get a Date” but the real surprise was Get Real. I added it to the queue thinking it was a movie I had seen about a decade ago. I was wrong. I was thinking of Beautiful Thing (which is coming next), but Get Real is a different story of British schoolboys in love without the Hollywood happy ending. Give me the complex and satisfying resolution over the happy big kiss finale any day (or at least most days).
• Barry is hoping to draw attention to a little reported crime at the University of Cincinnati which may have been a hate crime had Ohio passed a law to recognize felony assault as a hate crime (or if the Cincinnati bias crime penalty for misdemeanor assault were applicable) or something. The news organizations who are claiming “neither have been charged with a hate crime, and, therefore, reporting it as such would be illegal” are full of shit. No one had a problem reporting on Matthew Shepard’s murder as a hate crime even though Wyoming had no such provisions in state law. It’s very simple, “Police are investigating an assault on two local college students, an assault that some say should qualify as a hate crime… [begin discussion of the incident, follow-up with information about how Ohio state law (not to mention federal law) doesn't recognize hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity].” It’s a time-honored formula for the media and an opportunity for them to create more false balance by placing a random board member from Equality Cincinnati on the air next to a raving lunatic from CCV for a “debate.” It’s controversial and ratings gold!

Filed under: Cincinnati, Mi Familia, movies, personal, theatregeekery by Jere Keys