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Last night, we had a Shabbabaque at Temple (“Shabbat” + “Barbeque”). There was a bunch of food leftover, and so I brought some home — the sliced tomatoes and roasted zucchini — and threw it into a crockpot. That’s a great thing to do with leftovers: make a stew (and I intend to suggest formalizing that next year*). Just like at the Shabbabaque, I’ve got loads of leftovers — onsies and twosies of news articles — that don’t make a coherent dish. Perhaps they’ll make a good stew. What do you think?

Jewish Summer Camp

• LGBTQ and Jewish Summer Camp. Two articles related to this subject. The first looks at how one camp is trying to rework the Hebrew language, so transgendered kids fit in. The second explores the ways that Jewish summer camp helps LGBTQ fit in, and the ways that they don’t.
• Ga-Ga. One more camp related article: If you’ve been to a Jewish summer camp, you’ve likely seeing that an octagonal court and an odd game of dodgeball called ga-ga. Ever wonder where it came from? Hint: It wasn’t Israel.

Food and Eating

• Turmeric. My wife has recently been turning to turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties.  Users of the herb should note that a number of formulations have been recalled due to possible lead contamination.
• Rotisserie Chicken. We’ve all heard that rotisserie chicken is cheaper than uncooked chicken, because markets are trying to get rid of the chickens before they spoil, and some profit is better than none. Someone actually investigated. In most cases (i.e., Costco), it is still cheaper to cook it yourself.

Local Returns and Departures

• Returning: Labels Table. According to this article, Labels Table has returned to Tarzana. The problem is: I don’t remember it being here in the first place (although my wife says that it was, and that it was pffffft).
• Ports O’Call. It appears that the demolition order has been issued for the old Ports O’Call in San Pedro. Replacing it: A hipsters revisioning called “San Pedro Public Market”.
• The Music Center. Supposedly being reinvented is the plaza at the Music Center.  Spend 30 million, and let’s see if you can make this hulk of concrete friendly. I’ll believe it when I see it. The structure is massive and above ground due to the parking, and that may just be an incurable.

The Body

• Smell. The sense of smell may be found all over — outside and inside — the body.  It turns out there may be a good reason. Think of smell and taste not as an odor detector, but a general purpose chemical sensor.
• Vocal Fry. We’re supposedly in an epidemic of vocal fry and uptalking.  But the real complaint may not be the vocal characteristic, but the fact that it is women doing the talking.

History

• Right Hand Over Your Heart. Did you ever wonder why we put our hands over our heart for the national anthem and the pledge? Or why we have the pledge in the first place? Wonder no more. Hint: The former is so that we don’t look like Nazis, and the latter is to unify a nation of immigrants.
• Grinning Ghosts. Here’s the true history of the Haunted Mansion, and why it couldn’t be built until Disney died.
• Pinball. I bet you thought the only Pinball Museum was in Las Vegas. Think again.

What’s Left

• TV Musicals. The Flash and Supergirl are doing a musical crossover episode.
• Passings of Note: Fyvush Finkel, a major force in Yiddish Theatre and a builder of Picket Fences. Jack Riley, the voice of Stu Pickles and Elliot Carlin on Bob Newhart.
• Theatre Briefs. Fun Home tour casting announced, including Kate Shindle, the Prez. of AEA. One wonders if she really wants to come to LA (#pro99). CSULB is doing two lesser known musicals: Stop the World, and Bubbly Black Girl. Dear World is coming to VPAC, and Parade to Thousand Oaks. Oh, and Allan Sherman is coming to Temple Ahavat Shalom — get your tickets now.

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Before I start writing up this week’s Fringe shows, let me clear out a bit of news chum. Here are a bunch of articles, all related to Los Angeles (the city I love) and its environs:

• Interchange Transformance: “A Simple Change Transformed One of LA’s Busiest Intersections Into One of its Safest“. At one intersection in Hollywood, LADOT made a simple change and dramatically transformed the intersection’s safety profile. What did they do? They changed Hollywood and Highland into a scramble-crosswalk interchange.
• Finding Food in the City: “Urban Foraging: Unearthing The Wildcrafted Flavors Of Los Angeles“. One wouldn’t think you could find food growing wild in Los Angeles. You can… if you just know where to look.
• Bar-be-que Yum Yum: “12 Smoky Barbecue Destinations in the San Fernando Valley“. What’s most interesting is that I don’t know most of these, and they omitted a number of my favorites. I still think their first item is overrated. In general, their choices for the west, central, and east valley are just bad or non-existent.  What places do I think of? I wrote a bunch up in a February post, although it looks like Roger’s may have succumbed to the Pho-King Curse of Kenny Rogers. Related to the main BBQ article is this list of “Four New School Barbecue Options to Try Right Now in LA“
• Lovin’ the Valley: “70 Things to Love About the Valley“. Ah, the valley. Where it is going to reach over 115 this week! But the valley is still a great place to live, and the article demonstrates why.
• Burmese Food: “New Silver Lake Restaurant Finally Brings Burmese Food To Los Angeles“. While we were in Berkeley, our daughter took us to a Burmese restaurant. Interesting food. One just opened in LA; we’ll have to give it a try.
• Development the First: North Hollywood / “Here Are the Two Possibilities for Huge Transit Hub Development“. They are talking about doing some massive development in and around the North Hollywood Red Line station. It is just going to be miserable while they do it, and I’m not sure I’ll like the results.
• Development the Second: Westchester / “340 Acres Near LAX Getting Total Overhaul“. Over near the airport, the community of Westchester may also see new development: this time, it is the space that is between the residential neighborhood and the runways.
• Development the Third: Burbank / “Revealed: Big Plans to Redevelop the Burbank Ikea Site“. There is a massive overhaul coming up to the Burbank Mall and the soon to be former Ikea facility. There’s going to be the new-style residential/business mix (first major residential push in Burbank in a while). There will also be an attempt to re-think and re-work the mall.
• LA Theatre News: Two theatre related items. In the first, LA Stage Alliance has announced an Allies program for those that aren’t member theatres. I’ve signed up for it; hopefully you will as well.  Second, it has been announced that Hamilton’s Phillipa Soo will be the lead in the upcoming Broadway version of Amalie. Why is this LA news? Amalie will be getting a pre-Broadway tryout in Los Angeles with Soo.
• For CSUN Lovers: Lastly, seen on Facebook: A Sweatshirt that says “Never underestimate an old woman that went to CSUN“. I’d get one for my wife, but she’s not old.

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This has been a busy weekend, what with theater, working on the highway pages, cleaning the house, and hunting for a replacement car after my accident. But I do accumulate links, and they need to be cleared out periodically. Before we do, please take a moment and remember those who have given their lives so that we may have the freedoms we have in this country. Despite our flawed political candidates, the flawed presidential selection process, and the divisions created by entrenched political parties, we still have more freedoms in this country than many elsewhere in the world; many have given their lives to protect those freedoms, and to ensure others are free as well.

(pauses for a moment)

Here are the news chum links I’ve accumulated since my last news chum post:

• “How to get rid of hum and eliminate other noises from your audio and video systems“. An interesting reference post exploring what causes audio hum and the ways to reduce or eliminate it.
• “L.A.’s First Subway Terminal Is Being Resurrected As A Shopping Center“. An area of interest for me is the Pacific Electric. The Subway terminal downtown has never been used to its potential since the first, short, subway went away. Now there is a proposal to make it a shopping mall, incorporating memories of the PE.
• “Soon, feds will snoop on your social networks before granting security clearance“. This should be of interest to anyone who currently has a clearance or may need one in the future. Think carefully about what you are putting out there in public posts.
• “New method of producing random numbers could improve cybersecurity“. Random numbers are at the heart of most of our cryptographic systems. This article talks about an interesting new method. If proven out, it could drastically improve our security.
• “Tape recording was introduced 70 years ago“. I grew up with recording tape, and with making my own tapes of my music. Tapes are still important; just listen to the latest 99% Invisible for a good idea why.
• “This guidebook helped African Americans find a hotel along segregation-era Route 66“. Another article on the Green Book and its role in African-American history, and how LA may be preserving its role in that history.
• “Confusion over those ‘best by’ dates means lots of wasted food“. If you think that date on your food as an expiration date, think again. Dates on food can have many different meanings; often, they are just suggestions or ploys to make you throw the food away and buy more.
• “Green light found to ease the pain of migraine“. I have no idea if this is true, or why. Still, it is intriguing and worthy of exploration.
• “Official advice on low-fat diet and cholesterol is wrong, says health charity“. We are learning more and more about how humans works, and why what seems to be common sense isn’t always right. One of those notions was “Eat fat, get fat”. We’re now finding that low fat diets may not help, and avoiding cholesterol might not be the way to prevent heart attacks.
• “The Bechdel test, the Ellen Willis test, ALL THE TESTS: or, a handy guide to feminist critiques of narrative” An interesting guide to all those tests out there to determine if what appears diverse really is.
• “Psoriasis is a Real (Migraine) Headache“. A very interesting post on the connection between Migraines and various other auto-immune disorders.
• “Why scientists are fighting about the origins of Yiddish – and the Jews“. An exploration of the origins of Yiddish, as well as that old canard about Jews originating in Eastern Europe.
• “‘Totaled’ Car: Let’s Get This Straight“. A fifteen year old post recently brought to my attention in light of my situation. It explores the options you have, and what you should do, when your insurer says your car is totaled.

Lastly, (a) remember to read and comment on my potential replacement cars (remember the car is for me and how I live, not how you think I should live); (b) remember that the Hollywood Fringe Festival starts Tuesday, and you should pick your shows now; (c) that tickets are now on save for November’s new Faire: Nottingham Festival (no word on Tumbleweed Township tickets yet); and (d) you have the ability to help Spring Awakening be on the Tony Awards.

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Our life is a litany of interesting news articles, of news chum, ripe for the discussion. Shall I enumerate? I shall.

• A is for Apple. Apple turned 40 this week. Amongst the various articles out there commemorating the occasion was this one, which explored why the iPod was Apple’s definitive invention.
• B is for Bagel. LAist attempted to list the 11 best bagels in Los Angeles. They were smart enough to include my favorite on the list, Western Bagel.
• C is for Cabrillo. Here’s the first part of an interview with Lewis Wilkenfeld, the Executive and Artistic Director of Cabrillo Music Theatre, which just announced it is closing down at the end of the season. What’s interesting are the reasons for the demise: a shrinking large donor base, lack of broad community support, and problems with the attitude and management at the Civic Arts Plaza. There was one telling line: the large donors didn’t want to feel that they were the only ones supporting Cabrillo. That echos what I’ve heard at shul. Hence, I’ll emphasize the importance of giving — even if it is only $5 — to those groups you believe in. They need to know the community is there for them. Here’s the second part of the interview.
• D is for Downtown. In this case, downtown San Diego, and an interesting article on wayfinding signage. The notion is that people should look up and feel comfortable that they’re going in the right direction and have the sense that they can explore and experience the city (without looking down at a map or a phone).
• E is for Education. Here’s a map of 169 preschools that are (supposedly) too close to a freeway. This list concerned me, as our synagogue pre-school was one the list (we’re next to a freeway), and that could have an impact on the opening of the infant toddler center. First the Porter Ranch gas leak, and now this.
• F is for Frugal, as in Frugal Cooking. Here are a list of 10 Frugal Cooking Blogs: blogs that help you cook on a budget.
• G is for Gun. Here’s the stupid (or, I guess, brilliant) idea of the day: Let’s invent a gun that looks like a cell phone. Just what we need: an easier way for people to bring weaponry into inappropriate places.
• I is for Ivory. When I first went to Hawaii as a teen, I picked up some small pieces of scrimshaw, a traditional Hawaiian whaling art. But thanks to the misuse and crimes in the acquisition of ivory, scrimshaw may become an endangered art. There are plans to prohibit the sale of any ivory, even that acquired when it was legal. I’m sure it will be possible to have a synthetic substitute, but what about the existing items?
• J is for Jumping Ship, as a number  of people have threatened to do if Trump (Clinton) wins. Here’s an article that shows why that is a bad idea, from the viewpoint of an American living abroad.
• L is for Los Angeles, and an exploration of how Los Angeles can shape politics. In this case, it is how Los Angeles shaped the politics of folksinger Woody Guthrie.
• M is for Money, specifically in the form of Student Loans. Here’s are some suggestions of what to do when paying your student loans is difficult.
• N is for Nipper, as in Little Nipper, the mascot of RCA. Nipper, famously, listened to “his master’s voice” on the records and radio. The article explores that history, as well as how voice commanding as moved to applications like Siri.
• P is for Park-ing. Two items here: First, how the city of LA wants to use giant paper airplanes to shade downtown’s Grand Park. Before you go WTF?, it is actually an interesting artistic idea. The second concerns the other end of the MetroRail from downtown: the various lots such as North Hollywood, which will soon no longer have free parking.  Good idea, but they could have done the execution better (such as just tap and go (or take a ticket) when you enter, and when tap and go when you leave).
• R is for Radio. AM and FM radio is collapsing, thanks to folks like me who listen to their iPods, and folks like you who listen to streaming music. iHeartMedia is on the verge of collapse, and radio in San Francisco is undergoing a bloodbath with the decimation of the news team at KGO. [ETA: And the other shoe has dropped in San Francisco, with KFOG’s evisceration on the FM dial by the same owners. (h/t to Gary Cohn from camp for the link)]
• S is for Solar. For years, I’ve been getting talks to convince me to put in solar; just got one 10 minutes ago. I’ve generally felt it was a rip-off, due to the problems with the lease terms and the power companies. However, one of my credit unions had an interesting offer; might be worth exploring.
• T is for Theater. StageLA has an interesting exploration of the problems facing the mid and large theaters in Southern California. Actors Equity believes that their approach of making it economically impossible for the intimate theatre to survive will make mid and large theaters grow. Will it happen? Not when such theatre are dying on their own due to lack of support.
• U is for Underwear. Here’s an interesting exploration of how new underwear companies are trying to find a niche between granny panties and thongs. I find this an interesting economic and stylistic exploration.
• V is for Vegas. Plans have been announced for the implosion of the Riviera. Perhaps I should say two implosions,  as they are doing it in two pieces. In a related note, a historic sign collector (not the Neon Museum) plans to restore the Riv’s spectacular neon (or at least some of it)
• W is for White Rage. Lastly, a very interesting article on der Trumpster. Trump has created an outlet for pent up “white rage”: the rage of the former powerful and privileged, or at least socially supported, majority in this country, who have been increasingly rankled at the ascendance of minority power and attempts to do away with privilege inherent in the system. They’ve turned to Trump, who has bluntly expressed their views. Where will that rage go when (note I don’t say “if”) Trump does not win? It may not be pretty; the civil war didn’t end at Appomattox.
• Y is for Year, as in Ugly Political Year (or You Can’t Win). In related news: Donald Trump is now the least popular politician in three decades.  Less popular than Obama (who actually is at peak popularity), less popular the GW Bush, less popular than Chaney, less popular than Clinton (either), and probably less popular than even Nixon or Carter. Mind you, this is not likely to significantly change to “popular” before November, and this is that man that the Republicans will likely nominate for November. Further, if they somehow don’t nominate him, there is likely to be a party split, as he and his followers are unlikely to unite behind whomever the RNC chooses.  Given that you’ve got similar splitting between Sanders and Clinton supporters, and the presumptive nominee Clinton doesn’t have strong popularity either, this is going to be an ugly ugly political year.

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Over lunch, I’d like to share with you some thoughts on some recent LA-centric items in the news:

Former Teacher Michelle King Named First Black Woman to Head LAUSD

Before I explain why I’m so pleased with this selection, a bit of bio from the article:

According to the district, King attended Century Park and Windsor Hills elementary schools and Palms Junior High School. She graduated from Palisades High School and attended UCLA.

She began her teaching career at Porter Middle School in Granada Hills, teaching math and science, before becoming the math, science and aerospace coordinator at Wright Middle School in Westchester. She later served as assistant principal and principal at Hamilton High School in Cheviot Hills.

She served as Cortines’ chief of staff during his previous administration, then as a deputy under Superintendent John Deasy and again under Cortines following Deasy’s departure.

First, I’ll note that King and I went to the same high school, and we even went at the same time (I was class of ’77; she was Michelle Brewster in the class of ’79). I don’t believe I knew her, alas, but I’ve got the feeling that a number of my friends did (including the sister of one of my best friends). She also taught at the Junior High I attended (for 7th grade): Wright in Westchester. She’s also a UCLA grad!

Further, note what she taught: math and science, and then coordinated math, science, and aerospace. This means she is a technical woman, and knows the value of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). She also taught at Hamilton High, which has a performing arts magnet — meaning she likely understands the value of the arts as well. STEAM, in one package.

Next, note that she taught in both the valley and in the city, meaning the needs of the valley will be understood. She doesn’t appear to have experience in the inner city (the set of schools at which she attended or taught are mostly middle-class), but you can’t have it all.

She’s a product of the glory days of LAUSD (at least defined by when I went there), and knows what LAUSD is capable of.

Most importantly, she’s a great face for diversity and success. She’s a black woman leader, and I know from working at a company with a similar leader the value that such leadership can have in inspiring young woman today, and making the statement that with hard work, anything is possible.

Ms. King — best of luck in making LAUSD the best district in the nation.

NFL will return to Los Angeles for 2016 season

Now, I’m not a person who follows professional sports, or who even watches football, baseball, basketball, or hockey games with any frequency, or even at all. But the return of the Rams to Los Angeles just feels right. After starting in Cleveland in 1936, the Rams moved to Los Angeles in 1946, becoming the first NFL team to play in Los Angeles. They also became the first integrated professional football team during their first year in Los Angeles, when they signed Kenny Washington on March 21, 1946. (As a side note: Kenny Washington was one of four black players on the 1939 UCLA Football Team … another being Jackie Robinson, the man responsible for integrating professional baseball with a team that would later move to Los Angeles).

The Rams played in Los Angeles until 1980 (34 years), and I remember well driving past their headquarters on Pico Blvd in West LA. They then moved to Anaheim in 1980, and then departed for St. Louis in 1994. That’s a total of 48 years in Southern California. They were in St. Louis for only 20 years. Much as I love St. Louis, the Rams are really LA’s team.

Further, they are getting a new stadium without any public financing, and a stadium that will also be able to house NFL West Coast operations. I may not care about football, but I do care about Southern California — and that will be a significant economic driver for Inglewood and the surrounding communities both in year-round employment, support operations, and tourist dollars.

As for the other teams in the deal: I’m glad the Raiders are on the bottom. I remember them during their years here. They really didn’t have civic loyalty, and they projected an image that I wasn’t crazy about. More importantly, just like the Rams were never really STL, the Raiders were never really LA. The Raiders were born in Oakland (1960), came to LA in 1982 and left back for Oakland in 1996. That’s 14 years in LA, vs. almost 42 years in Oakland. They are an Oakland team, and their home should be Oakland.  Hopefully, their owner can figure out a way to reconcile with the city and get a new stadium there; if not, I hear St. Louis wants to build a stadium. Musical teams, anyone?

With respect to the Chargers: although they started in LA in 1960, they’ve been in San Diego since 1961. Ideally, the approval to be the second team plus the 100 million from the NFL might help San Diego get off its collective tush and build them a suitable stadium. They are a great draw for Orange County and San Diego. If not, well the new Inglewood stadium has room for two.

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I’m going to try clearing off my news chum links the old way for a while: a post a day. Today’s post groups together three links about Los Angeles:

• Los Angeles in Maps. My daughter unearthed this one: a link about an online exhibition from the Library of Congress with maps of Los Angeles. From the description: “The Library of Congress/Ira Gershwin Gallery presents historical maps of Los Angeles from the collections of the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division. These diverse works of craftsmanship, precision, and imagination provide a guide to some of the most remarkable stories of the city’s history: its discovery, its growth, and its industries, as seen by explorers, engineers, artists, residents, and boosters.”
• The The Tar Tar Pits. If you live in Los Angeles, you’ve been by the Department of Redundancy Department, that is, the La Brea Tar Pits. Did you ever wonder about those fiberglass sculptures in the middle of the tar, and how they got there? Wonder no more.
• Erasing Names. Maps are interesting creatures. Some people want to have the map as accurate as possible. Others want to intentionally hide information. In Los Angeles, the people living in Hollywood are fighting a battle with Google to keep the Hollywood Sign off of Google maps. Specifically, they want to erase the directions to the sign to keep people out of their neighborhoods. Here’s the little bit more: It’s not just Los Angeles. In Washington and Oregon, they are scrubbing maps of any offensive place names.

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Many people say that LA has no history, but here are some recent articles touching upon LA history:

• Saved from the Wrecking Ball. If you have ever driven down the 5 freeway past Sun Valley (excuse me, 5 past Sun Valley), you’ve seen a set of golden arches in an automobile wrecking yard (and no, they aren’t the golden arches you are thinking of). These golden arches once stood above the car wash and Tiny Naylor’s coffee shop on Laurel Canyon at Ventura Blvd. in Studio City, and look roughly like a trio of gigantic boomerangs. They were built in the early 1960s, and may have been inspired by the “boomerangs” that adorn the Cathedral of Brasilia, designed by Futurist architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1958. They rose 86 feet from ground level through the roof of the car wash and were originally painted white. After the car wash was torn down, they were moved to the Aadlen Brothers Auto Wrecking (FB) yard. Today, it was announced that the Aadlen Brothers yard is closing.  The final day for the 53-year old, 26-acre yard in Sun Valley is New Year’s Eve, and  there will be a big sale beforehand. Some pieces, however, are not for sale: they have been donated to the Valley Relics Museum.  This includes an early 1930s Helms Bakery twin-coach, an amazing mid-century car that has been modified to look like a shoe, and the aforementioned arches. As I drive to the Colony Theatre in 2016, I’ll miss seeing those arches…
• A Different Type of Shipping. If you went to UCLA in the 1980s or before, you’ll remember a little restaurant on Westwood Blvd called Ships. Ships Coffee Shop (FB) was open 24 hours (great for students), had wonderful breakfasts, and had a toaster on every table. There was one in Westwood, one in Culver City and one in West LA. Alison Martino, of Vintage Los Angeles, has a wonderful remembrance of Ships in Los Angeles Magazine. Ships was a model for Googie architecture. The first two Ships (run by Emmett Shipman) (Culver City and Westwood) were designed by Architect Martin Stern, Jr.; the third Ships at La Cienega and Olympic was designed by the architecture firm Armet & Davis. Armet and Davis also designed… you guessed it…  the arches just saved at Aadlen Brothers.
• A True Ghost Town. I grew up in Westchester, a bedroom suburb just outside of the LA International Airport (LAX). When Westchester started, the airport was nothing. But soon the jets came, and soon the jet noise came — 707s and 727s were noisy. This led to the death of a number of communities: the portion of Westchester S of 92nd Street (we lived on 90th), and the community of Surfridge, on the bluffs you fly over when you take off from LA. I had numerous friends that lived in Surfridge when I was young (among them, Paul Jones, the brother of Anissa Jones from Family Affair). All those families were bought out and relocated by the airport. Luckily, Tres Bohemes has a wonderful look back at Surfridge, and the elite that once lived there, in the days before the Airport and the El Segundo Blue Butterfly. (…tying things back to the Googie theme, Westchester was also the home of the Loyola Theatre which had a wonderful neon sign out front, and the famous Googie Panns Coffee Shop, which is still there and operating)
• Three Scoops for 15¢. If you grew up in Los Angeles, you remember Thrifty Drug Store, and you probably remember them for their ice cream, which was (for the longest time) 1 scoop for 5¢. I particularly enjoyed their chocolate chip and rocky road. All that is left of Thrifty is their ice cream brand, which was preserved by Rite Aid when they bought Thrifty in 1996. (coincidentally, the same year that the last Ships closed). Today, news came out that Walgreens is buying Rite-Aid, and the question on every Angelino’s lips was… what will happen to Thrifty ice cream. For now, it’s safe: Walgreens spokesman Phil Caruso said Rite Aid products will be available while the drugstore continues to initially operate under its own name and that other decisions on product lines will be made later. Evidently, the question has social media (especially Twitter) in an uproar. (… and, to tie things back to Ships and Aadlen, the Thrifty at La Brea and Rodeo in Baldwin Hills had a 52′ Trilon (which is still standing), similar to the car wash arches)

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Continuing the process of cleaning out the accumulated links, as themed link three-sets form like hurricanes in the Central Pacific…. This collection all relates to upcoming theatre productions that don’t leave me with a good anticipatory feeling:

• Jordanian Adaptation of Oliver!. Lionel Bart’s musical, Oliver!, is a well known adaptation of Charles Dicken’s “Oliver Twist“. One of the more problematic features of Oliver Twist (a story I happen to like) is the potentially antisemitic portray of Fagin, the old man who runs the gang of thieves. The musical version made a distinct attempt to tone down the antisemitism (especially when it came to Broadway — if you contrast the original version from the West End). So naturally, hearing that this show will be done in an Arab country — an area where antisemitism isn’t only common but encouraged — doesn’t bode well.  Adding to the fear is the following note from the article: “Working with a local community center in the Jordanian capital, the story has been updated to a modern Arab city.” Let’s see: Lovable Jewish merchants running a gang of thieves in a modern Arab city. What could possibly go wrong?
• K-Pop Adaption of In The Heights. Lin Manual Miranda’s musical In The Heights, was a hit when it reached Broadway in 2008. It brought a hispanic flavor to inner-city hip-hop with a language that theatre hasn’t seen before. Theatremania is reporting that the show is soon to open in Seoul Korea, with some footage already available. The musical will play the Blue Square Samsung Card Hall in Hannam-dong beginning September 4, with a cast led by several K-pop stars including Key of SHINee and Jang Dong-woo of INFINITE sharing the role of Usnavi. Mixing K-Pop stars and hip-hop. What could possibly go wrong?
• I Can’t Hear You. There are loads and loads of shows planning to open on Broadway., from Andrew Lloyd Weber’s School of Rock to a musical version of American Psycho. But the mind boggles when it hears about another production planning for the Great White Way: The SpongeBox SquarePants Musical. Yup, and no, this isn’t a kids theatre show.  Nickelodeon will make its Broadway debut as a producer on the musical, with a score provided by a mixture of classic and contemporary rockers. The full list of composers was announced Aug. 31:  Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of the band Aerosmith, Tony winner Cyndi Lauper, They Might Be Giants, Jonathan Coulton, Dirty Projectors, The Flaming Lips, John Legend, Lady Antebellum, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, and T.I., with an additional song by David Bowie and additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton. The plot is as follows: “The end is near. Only one sponge can save the day. But he’s going to need help from some of the greatest songwriters in rock and pop music history.” Again, what could possibly go wrong?

P.S.: I can’t resist adding a non-theatre item that also strikes fear in my heart. In Los Angeles, Metrolink has indicated they are purchasing some state-of-the-art locomotives to replace their well worn engines. These Tier 4 locomotives are powerful, fuel-efficient vehicles designed to slash potentially harmful releases of nitrogen oxide and fine particles of diesel exhaust. They also have never been used in passenger service — and heavy service — before.  Metrolink officials say the Tier 4 engines have up to 1,700 more horsepower, use less fuel, have longer service lives and are more reliable than rebuilt engines.  However, Paul Dyson, president of the Rail Passenger Assn. of California, was concerned the new engines could have “plenty of teething problems” as they go into service, as they are so new they don’t have any service history for passenger use. Some Tier 4 engines are being tested for freight service at Union Pacific Corp. and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co., two of the nation’s largest carriers. Lena Kent, a spokesperson for BNSF, said the railroad’s prototypes have “experienced operating issues,” but she declined to elaborate.

Here’s where I get worried. McCarthy, Metrolink’s deputy chief, disagreed with Dyson, saying all Tier 4 components have been tested successfully. “We are not concerned,” he added. “It’s a tried-and-true locomotive.” This reminds me of the High Assurance Brake Job; in particular, the process people. They may never have done a brake job before, but: “Well, no, but we’ve done other mechanic-type work before, and our processes are designed to be adaptable to all situations. We’ve got processes for making sure bolts and stuff are loosened and then tightened later. We’ve got processes to check that we don’t have left over parts when we’re done with the job. We got processes for…”

They’ve never run the locomotive in passenger service before, but all the components have been tested successfully. What could possibly go wrong?

P.P.S.: If you haven’t read the High Assurance Brake Job, you really must. It’s a classic (PDF).

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It’s Saturday, and it’s been a busy couple of weeks. Time to clean out the accumulated links. Before I do, however, here’s a reminder link: If you are a Windows user and comtemplating upgrading to Windows 10, you should read my summary post about why I’m waiting, and what I want to remember when I finally do. On to the stew:

• Theatre Etiquette. Every since Patti LuPone went into the audience and grabbed a cell phone, how to behave in the theatre has been in the news. In fact, Ms. LuPone has posted an interesting article on her five rules of theatre etiquette — all of which I agree with. There’s also been an interesting article on the prevalence of smart phones in the theatre, which raises the question of why you come to the theatre anyway. The debate goes on and on. Lastly, and I don’t have an article on this one, there’s been a growing discussion on whether Ms. LuPone was right or wrong in what she did: that is, should an actor confront a patron who is using a cell phone? A growing number of people are pointing out that doing that is not the job of the actor — it is the job of the house manager or management-on-site. The actor should pass the word to management to get the situation corrected. I agree with this. P.S.: Just remember this: you are much safer going to live theatre than you are going to a movie (unless you’re an actor). The last time there was an active shooter in a live theatre was 1865. What? Too soon?
• Let The Sun Shine In. Back in the 1980s, when I saw Ain’t Misbehavin’, I saw it at the Aquarius Theatre. The building, now Nicolodeon Studios, has a truly fascinating history.
• A Birthday Song. You’ve probably wondered about my “list of birthday songs“. That started because I got tired of the traditional “Happy Birthday to You”. Additionally, there was always the question of copyright. It appears the battle is still going on, and it is starting to look like it may not be copyrighted after all.  Then again, the copyright might still be there. It’s up to a judge to decide now.
• Psychology and the Drought. The drought in California has brought to light some interesting psychology. For the longest times, utilities out here have offered rebates to switch to low-flow toilets and to rip out lawns. The former hasn’t been successful, but recently, the latter has been overly successful. The why is what is interesting: Ripping out your lawn is visible, and we like to keep up with the Joneses. In other words: even though ripping out a lawn saves less water than replacing your toilet, it is a visible advertisement to your neighbors that you are doing something about the drought. They don’t see your toilet or your washing machine. Appearance is everything.
• Fat Heads / Fat on the Mind. A few fat related articles. First, have you ever wondered what “fat” taste likes. No, get your mind out of the gutter, I mean the food fat. It turns out fat is a sixth basic taste, up there with sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. In fact, humans may be programmed to like fats and dislike fatty acids. Next are two articles related to which fat is the best to cook with. The answer is: it depends on what you’re doing with the fat. Speaking of sweet fat, here’s a list of 14 LA area ice cream parlors everyone should try.
• Nigerian Spammers. We’re working on getting the program together for ACSAC, and I’m pleased to announce that our conference dinner will feature a performance of The Nigerian Spam Scam Scam. But Nigerian spammers are doing things much worse. In particular, they are buying exploit kits to defraud Asian businesses. To carry out the scam, the group often uses the Microsoft Word Intruder exploit kit. The kit can be used to create malicious Word documents that are then sent over email. If opened, the victim’s computer will be infected with a keylogger.The group buys the tools from experienced malicious software coders, paying for remote access tools, keyloggers and exploit kits.
• Android Attacks. If you have an Android phone, hopefully by now you’ve heard of Stagefright, an attack on Android phones that involved sending a crafted MMS text message that can trigger remote code execution. You don’t even have to open the message; the attack occurs as part of downloading the message. Until a fix comes across, you should go into your text application and disable automatic downloading of MMS messages. Oh, and Motorola has announced the new Moto X and Moto G phones.
• Science Podcasts. Lastly, here’s an article with a list of good science podcasts, although they did leave off my favorite, Quirks and Quarks from the CBC. Some of them look interesting, but I’m getting pretty backed up on podcasts. Certainly Radiolab and Gastropod sound good, but there’s only so much commuting I can do.

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It’s Saturday, and that means it’s time to clean out the accumulated links.  As I’ve got about an hour before I jump into the Fringe, let’s get going:

• Saving a Dying Jewish Language. No, I don’t mean Yiddish. I mean Ladino. Here’s a neat article on how a Turkish newspaper is working to save Ladino.
• Kill the Lawn One of the big pushes here is LA is to get rid of the lawn. But what is really involved? Here’s a first-person account of an adventure in grass removal.
• Just Keep Building. Here’s an interesting article of local interest: 188 more homes are planned for Porter Ranch.
• I’ll Have it On Ice. If you know me, you know I primarily drink two things: water, and iced tea. Here’s an article about how iced tea became a thing.
• Just Cram It In. Airlines are a great example of an organization that doesn’t fully think out their problems… or perhaps they do. They want more revenue. So they institute check in bag charges. As a result, people start carrying on more, slowing boarding and not leaving enough space. Their proposal: make the carry-on bags smaller. This will force people to pay for checked luggage (which is what they wanted in the first place).
• Don’t Put It In The Fridge. A really interesting article on what fruit you should refrigerate and what fruit you shouldn’t.
• Travel Tips. One last piece from the Times: Why you should carry two wallets when you travel abroad.
• Pen-is Envy. Get your mind out of the gutter: it is pronounced pen-iss, for I’m envious of this: Levenger’s L-Tech 3.0 Stealth, a serious fountain pen.
• I’m Free. I’m Free. No, I’m not. Lastly, Twitter will be lifting the 140 character limit (yay), but for messages, not tweets (boo)

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along The Road (on cahighways.org) as this entry by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link below; you can sign in with your LJ, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. There are currently comments on the Wordpress blog. PS: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

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