Monday, January 31, 2011

Ice, ice, baby

St. Charles Street between 15th and 16th streets

MetroBus shelter at 14th and Washington

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

KMOV field trip


The view across the studio from the news set

Do not use this sink.

This morning, I went along with my friend and colleague Evan for his appearance on "Great Day St. Louis" at KMOV. I was his celebrity handler, which means I shlepped his gear into the studio and made sure he powdered his face.

It had been years since I'd been in a TV studio, though, so I mostly just observed the process. Notable:

• KMOV's three studio camera are unmanned. Except for one handheld camera, they're remote controlled by a guy sitting at a desk.

• Everything on TV looks huge. In reality, the set is tiny. The "Great Day" set can't be more than 40 feet wide. Across the room is the news set; the robotic cameras roll between the two.

• Also, many set pieces are faux and/or covered in Scotch tape, apparently not visible on TV.

• Dull colors photograph brilliantly, and dim light becomes bright light. It's magic, I tell you.

• The kitchen is fully functional except for the sink. Do not use the sink. No!

• I had an overwhelming urge to clean the stainless steel and dust the cabinets.

See the rest of my exciting behind-the-scenes photos here.

Monday, January 24, 2011

A very Bravo birthday

Thanks, @BravoAndy!
My super-awesome birthday gift from Gail Pennington and Andy Cohen.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Review: Stylish 'Dralion' has plenty of Cirque du Soleil substance

Cirque du Soleil is known for infusing circus acts with a healthy dose of theatrics and storytelling, and "Dralion," at Chaifetz Arena through Sunday, is a spectacular display of the company's artistic talents.

The premise of this show: Air, water, fire and earth take on human forms, and cultures from around the world harmoniously blend with nature. There's no narrative or storyline — though two vocalists frequently sing falsetto in a made-up language — so it's easy to focus on the talented performers.

And there's a lot of talent.

In an energetic feat that was a highlight of Act 1, six aerialists bounce back and forth on two trampolines, using a futuristic, metal wall for diving and landing. At times, they even seem to be walking on the wall.

Contortionist Han Yuzen twists her limber body in an elegant balancing sequence performed atop a rotating post in the center of the stage.

A beautiful routine called "Aerial Pas de Deux" showcases the strength and flexibility of two equally beautiful aerialists (Amanda Orozco and Lorant Markocsany), who intertwine and glide through the air on a piece of blue fabric.

An African-inspired hoop-diving sequence features 10 performers who dive through a series of tiny hoops, some of which rotate.

And in an upbeat Act 1 finale, we meet the show's namesake, the Dralion, a hybrid of the traditional Chinese dragon and lion characters. Tumblers inside Dralion costumes dance to country-style music and balance effortlessly on large, wooden balls.

"Dralion" has a few issues with pacing. The momentum established by high-energy acts is brought to a halt repeatedly by a trio of French-speaking clowns whose presence in this show is inexplicable. While they get laughs, their belabored bits rely heavily on participation from an audience member (we've seen enough circuses to know what's up) who is brought on stage several times.

A moving musical score, which includes sounds and instruments from around the world, is performed by five musicians, mostly obscured behind the set.

In true Cirque du Soleil style, "Dralion" is a technically complicated spectacle, with lights and moving parts everywhere. But it also has plenty of substance to delight and entertain.

By Gabe Hartwig • ©2011 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, STLtoday.com • Published 01.20.11

Monday, January 17, 2011

I am a sentimental man

Cake!

My nearest and dearest organized a completely amazing 30th birthday surprise party for me last night. Yes, I was surprised.

The cake was my favorite part. On it was an enlargement of the business card (Dad's) that Mom wrote my name, weight and such on for my grandma when I was born. Grandma had kept it in her wallet all these years and gave it to me a few weeks ago.

It was a fantastic birthday. Thanks to all who made it so special!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Theater review: Metro Theater brings young-adult favorite 'The Giver' to life

Mitchell List as Jonas (left) and Nicholas Kryah as the Giver in Metro
Theater Company's production of "The Giver" (Photo by Dunsi Dai)

The inhabitants of the futuristic community in "The Giver" are fortunate to live without the things we hope never to endure: war, poverty, hunger, pain. But they also lack the things that make us who we are: choices, differences, memories, love.

In this world, everyone wears the same gray uniform. Children, one boy and one girl, are issued to each set of parents; spouses are assigned. Climate control has made sunlight and snow obsolete. And careers are given to children when they turn 12.

Young Jonas finds out his job assignment: He will train to become the new Receiver of Memory, a respected position that will expose him to things he's been shielded from all his life. The current Receiver of Memory, whom Jonas refers to as the Giver, holds the memories of life before Sameness began. Without him, memories of the past would return to the community members.

Young-adult author Lois Lowry created this dystopian world in 1994, and playwright Eric Coble adapted her Newbery Medal-winning book for the stage. It's presented by Metro Theater Company and the Edison Theatre.

Coble's adaptation is true to Lowry's story, and at just over an hour, it's easy for young audiences to digest. But older audience members may yearn for more explanation and development, especially as Jonas plans a daring escape from the life that's been chosen for him.

Carol North's direction of the troupe, which includes double casting in the children's roles (an energetic and delightful Christian Probst was Jonas in Saturday's performance), is flawless. Scenic design by Dunsi Dai is simple yet stylish, and lights by John Wylie bring the Giver's memories to life and fill the gray stage with color. Props are kept to a minimum, but creative sound design by Rusty Wandall and effects by Lance Garger give dimension to the actors' frequently pantomimed actions.

Metro veteran Nicholas Kryah makes the Giver warm and lovable, and Stephanie Strohman and David Wassilak are Jonas' eternally cheerful mother and father.

Issues with the actors' microphones, which seem unnecessary in a house the size of the Edison Theatre, plagued the show on Saturday evening, but "The Giver" is otherwise a compelling and thought-provoking piece of family theater.

And it will do what good theater should: Give you something to talk about.

By Gabe Hartwig • ©2011 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, STLtoday.com • Published 01.14.11

New section of Tucker closes for demo

Closed.
Today, workers barricaded the segment of North Tucker Boulevard from Convention to MLK. (In fact, they did so as I was walking to work, and I became briefly trapped in the fenced-in area.)

Also, here's a story by colleague Tim Bryant about what the construction means for downtown.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Girl, you lost your weave

Gross.

Also gross.
Last night, some morons played beauty parlor in our building's community room, complete with a salon hair dryer. Today, the carpet is covered in hair clippings. We just can't have nice things up in here.

I'm quickly becoming That Old Guy Who Complains About His Neighbors All The Time. Only because I'm surrounded by idiots, though.

Styrofoam — not snow

Looking north at North Tucker Boulevard. At right, the Post-Dispatch.
In the distance, with the satellite dishes on its roof, is KDNL.
In the foreground is a chain-link fence to protect us
from falling into the big hole.

Here's the scene on North Tucker Boulevard: A layer of Styrofoam blocks is down, and dirt is going in at the western side of that. I want to go walk on it, but I'm not sure why. This video by my colleague Huy Mach explains a bit of the process and includes some explanation of why this project is necessary.

Also, this just in from our HR department:

Jan. 14: Barriers and fencing will be placed at the south corner of Tucker and MLK and at Tucker and Convention Plaza. Detour signs will also be placed.


Jan. 17: Demolition of Tucker from the south MLK corner to St. Patrick Center will begin. MLK will remain open to traffic.


Jan. 14: A dirt ramp will be built from Interco Plaza to the tunnel under Tucker. Parking on Hadley will not be affected, but there will be increased truck traffic.

Q&A: Cirque magic also happens in the orchestra pit

When "Cirque du Soleil: Dralion" swoops into Chaifetz Arena, it will boast some spectacular performances — in the air and in the orchestra pit. We chatted with Anthony Cooperwood, who's been a musician with Cirque du Soleil since 2001, about life with the circus.

• You're from Kansas City, but where do you call home when you're not on the road? When I'm not working, I'm living in Montreal.

• You've toured around the world. What are some highlights from your travels? I'd say that some of my favorite places to play have actually been with the circus. We've been performing all over the world, and Spain has been one of my favorite places — Barcelona, especially, and Malaga and Valencia were quite special. We were in those places for a total of about a year. Touring through western Europe was nice. ... When we're not performing, we have the opportunity to stay in these areas for about a month at a time, so we had an opportunity to really visit and get to know the cities and the countries. Getting a better knowledge of Europe was great.

• How long have you been with Cirque du Soleil? I've been with Cirque off and on since about 2001, so almost seven years.

• What are some of the challenges of performing for live theater versus just performing music? It's the fluidity of the show. ... When we have a live show, we have a band, so the actual editing takes place on the spot. We do a lot of the shows kinda flying by the seat of our pants. We've got a great band, and we've got some talented musicians, and we kind of evolve with the show as it's going. We can't say that any particular show is exactly like another because it constantly changes. Of course, there's blocking and rehearsals, and people usually hit their marks on time and things like that, but you never know when an artist is gonna fall or miss a jump or something. So we sometimes might have to solo a little bit longer, we might have to cut an area shorter, we might have to jump over an entire section. By doing this — by maintaining the fluidity of the music with the show — the audience will never know that anything is amiss.

• You've conducted the orchestra, so what's that like, getting to make some of those calls? I've done that in the past ... but I'm not the backup conductor on this show. If the main conductor gets sick, then I would actually take his place and call the show - and I would play my parts. I'm the keyboard player and the bass player for the show, then there's also the conductor. He plays keyboards also, but he mainly triggers the various sequences, and he acts as the liason between the band and the stage management. The stage manager, in the front of the house, actually calls the show. He'll get information from the conductor, who will relay that information to us. In a case where I would actually have to call the show, I would have to do my parts — the keyboard 2 parts — as well as the keyboard 1 parts, as well as trigger the sequences, and be the liason between stage management and the show as the action unfolds onstage.

• Is the orchestra in a pit or backstage? Can you see the show as it unfolds? Absolutely — we're in a pit, and we're watching the show as it's running. Because the music is such an integral part of the show, we're the glue that holds the entire show together, so it's important that we see everything that happens onstage. We're integrated into the stage in a pit area. If you know where to look for us, you will see us; if you don't know, you really won't notice us. It's really subtle. ... For things that we can't see that well, we also have video monitors that come from a camera located in the front of the house.

• I haven't yet said the name of the show because I'm not sure how to pronounce it. Help me. I pronounce it Drah-lee-on. It's a combination of the word "dragon" and "lion," and that's the concept of the show. East meets West.

• Tell me about some of the sounds we'll hear in "Dralion." The score for the show is extremely diverse — there are didgeridoos (Australian wind instruments), there are French horns, there are strings, there are whistles and flutes from the Far East. I do a lot of the weather effects — thunder to go along with the lighting that comes from the lighting department. ... The percussionists have percussion instruments literally from all around the world. Our percussionist is from Australia, and our drummer is from Brazil. He brings some of his Brazilian influences into the drumkit for the show. We have a violinist, an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar. I play upright electric bass, as well as five-string bass and fretless bass, as well as keyboards and piano. There's country-type music, there's Irish-type music — it's really a mix of so much different world music.

• Do you have a favorite act in the show? I do. In the second half of the show, there's a ballet between two people. ... It's an aerial dance between two artists, a male and a female. It's a very romantic moment in the show — a very uplifting and very etherial kind of thing.

• Have you ever been tempted to hop onstage and try any stunts? No! Not at all! So many of us have so many different talents, and we kind of stick to what we do. But that's onstage. Behind the stage, we can have all sorts of fun! Backstage, when we're in rehearsals or after the show or before the show, we have lots of fun on the various apparatus — learning to do backflips and juggle. The juggler teaches a lot of people to juggle, and it's really neat. A lot of the people behind the scenes are sharing their art with other people. ... We have a trampoline back there, so some people are learning to do some exercises on that. It's really kind of cool — this big sharing of knowledge. And then a lot of the acrobatic artists want to learn musical instruments, so some people will bring a guitar, and our guitar player will give guitar lessons. And there's also languages — we're teaching each other languages. Some of the people who speak English are teaching some of the Chinese to speak English, and some of the people who speak Chinese are teaching some of the English people how to speak Chinese.

• So, anything you've picked up that you're ready to take on the road? Actually, when I first started playing in this show, I was only a keyboard player, and I was playing the bass on the left hand — I was doing left-hand keyboard bass. But there were so many bass parts that it just made sense to learn the instrument. So I actually did learn the bass instrument on the road, and we put that into the show. Before I learned bass instruments, I learned how to play the Chapman Stick (a two-handed fretboard instrument) to cover some of the bass parts and then put that into the show. So some of the things that I learned on the fly did go into the show.

• Finally, what's in heavy rotation on your iPod right now? I was just listening to the Foo Fighters earlier today as I was working out at the gym. And I've got some songs by Sting that I really like. I'm listening to some jazz, as well — Oscar Peterson's always great.

By Gabe Hartwig • ©2011 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, STLtoday.com • Published 01.13.11

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Dear sir/lady

From: "CHUN BAO"
Subject: Supply dry porcini, dry shiitake and dry champignons 

CHUN BAO FOODSTUFFS SHENZHEN CO.,LTD

Dear Sir/Lady,

This is Feng Lin writing from Chun Bao Foodstuffs (Shenzhen) Co.Ltd to ask whether you need dry boletus edulis and other dry mushrooms.

Our company, Chunbao Foodstuffs (Shenzhen) Co.Ltd, has our own factories across the mainland of China. From its foundation more than 30 years ago, we are specialized in providing series of quality dried mushroom products, which are mainly sold to countries of Europe and Japan. Now we can supply a series of dried Boletus edulis slice and dried mushroom products, with different specifications. Part of current available products list as follows:

S.N.CategoryClassSpecificationOrigin

1Dry Sliced Boletus Edulis (porcini)A N/AYunnan, China

2Dry Sliced Boletus Edulis (Porcini)A1 N/AYunnan, China

3Dry Sliced Boletus Edulis (porcini)B N/AYunnan, China

4Dry Sliced Boletus Edulis (porcini)C N/AYunnan, China

5Dry Sliced Boletus Edulis (porcini)A2 Small SlicesYunnan, China

6Dry Sliced Boletus Edulis (porcini)T Small HatsYunnan, China

7Dry Sliced Shiitake MushroomA 4.0 UPFujian, China

8Dry Sliced Champignons Washed1 1.0 UPFujian, China

We also sell dry shiitake whole, sawdust or log cultivated. Our product specification is more than 100. If you need a complete product list, we welcome your enquiry.

Based in Province Yunnan, Shanxi, Henan, Fujian, and Zhejiang of China, our company would sincerely like to build a corporation relationship with your business, and supply you with the very products and prices you just need.

If you are interested in us, please feel free to contact either through E-mail or telephone or fax we provide below. We can send your further information in the forms of brochure and CD disc of product photos. If you want to know more about our products, there are three ways we can offer: 1. posting CD disc of product photos to your physical address 2. posting sample products to your physical address 3. you are also very welcome to our factory in Shenzhen, which is located in Southern China, to have a field look, with the introduction of our specialists.

Our contact way:

1. Telephone
UK: Feng Lin +44-7867602040 or +86-13410882004 (currently in China and thus available)
China: Zikun Lin 00-86-755-25535139
Japan: Yan Lin 00-81-90-3621-1026

2. E-mail
chunbaofoodstuffs@gmail.com

3. Fax
China: 00-86-75525625219

4. Factory address
West, Floor 7, Building 2
Shuibei Shihua Industrial Zone
Cuizhu North Road, Luohu District
Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
P.R. China 518000

Best regards!
Sincerely yours,
Feng Lin

Monday, January 10, 2011

White stuff, wintry mix, etc.

Snow angels

Mystery tracks in the snow

Snow Angels (above) and Mystery Tracks In The Snow (you just walk through the snow).
Bonus points if you can name the retro-TV origins.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Girl, you lost your bra

Like school on Sunday
Our loft building, which used to be a little bit fabulous, has quickly become quite pedestrian. You can't swing a cat up in here without hitting someone's underwear discarded in a common area.

Reach the exploding teen girl

It seems in poor taste to include lunch, music and dancing.

This, children, is why line breaks and hyphenation matter.

Meatloaf!

Campbell's Best Ever Meatloaf recipe, modified 
This is the first meatloaf I officially can declare a success. Next time, though, I shall use real breadcrumbs instead of canned.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Saturday, January 1, 2011