He’s not the kind of guy, in other words, who would give The New York Times interviews detailing his insecurities about his working-class background. He’s not the kind of guy who would also tell The Times that to get things done in an opera house, you sometimes have to act operatically. Both of those insights came from his predecessor, Joseph Volpe, who started at the Met as a carpenter, rose over the course of three decades to the house’s leadership and left in 2006; and whom Mr. Gelb hired last week to lead upcoming contract negotiations with the company’s three major unions. The hire, an uncharacteristic and surprising move, reveals more about Mr. Gelb, and about the state of his company, than any other moment since he came to the Met.

It seems to be the very opposite of what Peter Gelb would do. He may be quiet and unprepossessing, but he clearly revels in exercising his power, and he has an inflexible, almost messianic sense of his mission, telling the New York Post last November, regarding opera fans displeased with the Met’s offerings, “If they still hate what we’re doing, I’m going to be trying my hardest to continue to do what I am doing, because I believe it’s the only way to go.”

Power-sharing wouldn’t seem to come easily to him, particularly not when Mr. Volpe is involved. The transition from one administration to the other, in 2005 and 2006, was a rocky one. Mr. Volpe bristled when Mr. Gelb described the Met he was inheriting as “coasting,” and Mr. Gelb, then and since, has seemed uninterested in reaching out to Mr. Volpe for advice.

read rest here

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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

With each book, I cross my fingers and hold my breath as I wait for the influential Publishers Weekly review. I'm delighted to report that 212 has PW's stamp of approval:

Burke’s third white-knuckle thriller finds NYPD Det. Ellie Hatcher (after Angel’s Tip) and her partner, J.J. Rogan, investigating the murder of NYU student Megan Gunther, who’s the target of threatening posts on a college gossip Web site. The death of bodyguard Robert “Robo” Mancini, whose bullet-ridden corpse turns up in a swanky new building, the 212, built by Sam Sparks, the high-powered Manhattan real-estate developer Robo worked for, ups the ante. When Sam makes it clear that the police won’t have access to any company records, Ellie’s interest is piqued. As she and J.J. try to piece together Megan’s life, they discover a link between the student and a recently murdered real estate agent. With her usual tenacity, Ellie pursues leads that put both her career and her life at risk. Burke expertly weaves real-life headlines into her plot—particularly the Craig’s List Killer and the slew of recent political scandals—without ever sacrificing originality.

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Super Bowl is most watched TV show ever

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Veteran British actor Ian Carmichael, seen in films including I'm All Right Jack, has died at the age of 89. 

He died peacefully on Friday at his home in the Esk Valley on the North York Moors.

He made his name in films for the Boulting Brothers including Private's Progress (1956) and I'm All Right Jack (1959) alongside Peter Sellers.  During the 1960s and 1970s, he was successful in parts where he was cast as a loveable buffoon.  On television, his role as Bertie Wooster was particularly popular with audiences.

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We are trav'ling in the footsteps

Of those who've gone before,

And we'll all be reunited,

On a new and sunlit shore,

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the saints go marching in

And when the sun refuse to shine

And when the sun refuse to shine

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the sun refuse to shine

And when the moon turns red with blood

And when the moon turns red with blood

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the moon turns red with blood

Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call

Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the trumpet sounds its call

Some say this world of trouble,

Is the only one we need,

But I'm waiting for that morning,

When the new world is revealed.

Oh When the new world is revealed

Oh When the new world is revealed

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the new world is revealed

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the saints go marching in

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Keep Calm and Carry Yarn poster 12 x 18 red by jenniegee on Etsy.

Author J.D. Salinger dies at age 91 - USATODAY.com.

the saints game on Sunday – wow, first, i never watch pro football (actually never watch football) and yet how could i not with NO being a big part of my life (i am from South Louisiana) and Katrina (sister and cousins live/d in NO) and well, its a great story – to win the first one after 43 years and with the fifth year anniversary coming up.  it was actually an exciting game – i thought each team played very well – too bad for favre with that intercepted pass which put the Saints in possession and that was it.. after that it was a tidal wave to the end with that amazing field goal !  who dat? indeed!

knitting – still working on finishing up xmas and dec/jan bday presents.  unfortunately between the beg of dec to the mid of jan i have a BIL bday, Channukah for two nephews, Christmas (four sisters, two bil, one parent, one nephew), a sister bday, and three nephews bdays (dec, and jan – one day apart)  WHEW – next year i really need to start planning and knitting earlier – or maybe i will have more money and can buy presents.  however this year that was not an option as cash is scarce right now.

so the current WIPs include hats for three nephews (one done, one almost done, one to do), scarf for BIL (about 1/4 done), hat for one sister (not started), bday/xmas present for another sister (90 percent done) and two bday sweaters for two nephews and a bday vest for the third nephew

and then there is valentine’s day coming up..  yikes!

not to mention my own projects (a couple of sweaters) which are stewing away.

health – of course last week i was thinking how great it had been that i had not been sick for months – and wham!  i think i picked up a cold at a pizza/games place where my nephew’s bday party was held – all those games and all those hands including little ones handling everything.. even tho i am religious about washing my hands.  but by the weekend a full blown cold had settled in – and then something really weird happened on Sunday – i was cooking some sausages in one of my small cast iron skillets – and didn’t pay attention to the fact that they were almost done – so the drippings started to smoke really badly. 

now i have to backtrack to add that about two weeks ago i sealed (with caulk and insulating tape) all the ancient drafty double-hung full-of-cracks windows in the apt (except the bathroom window which is newish and efficient) and while i could tell the difference i hadn't realized that it was that airtight… until all the smoke from the pan started filling up the kitchen – i quickly opened the bathroom window (its next to the kitchen – the apt is a converted cold water flat) and then the back door – but it must have permeated the apt much faster than i thought – in about an hour or two i had the worst asthma attack i have had in years.  (there is NO vent over the stove, its an old apt).

i kept going outside to get clean air (it was a bit chilly and felt good but i couldn't stay out for long as it was rainy, drizzly and chilly) and took bronchaid (my go to for helping with attacks) i ended up taking a second dose four hours later .  however this attack went on thru the night until 6 am the next morning.  i eventually had to open the bathroom window all the way and turn on the fan in the den and sleep on the sofa with the fan blowing. 

i found an article on the web that talks about cooking fumes and asthma:

When it comes to cooking with asthma, the key is to keep cooking fumes at low levels. “Any kind of combustion produces gases and particles that can provoke respiratory disease, including asthma,” says Gregory Diette, MD, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology, Center for Global Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Md. “Cooking is just one of many forms of combustion. The particles that are small enough to make it down into the airways and into the lungs and some of the gases, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), can also trigger asthma symptoms.”

Cooking With Asthma Control in Mind

and then on Monday, i woke up with a deep hacking cough and that is still with me – along with a bit of sinus infection.  i am hoping it is not turning into bronchitis… yuck.   needed a nap yesterday and today .

(Roger Federer just changed shirts after a bathroom break after losing the first set – oh that was a nice shot!)

well, off to try to sleep with this hacking and will watch the rest of the match later (don’t tell me who wins!) and then next post will share about my poor cat and his accident (and no, its not Emil).

"We are proud to announce that the two biggest stars in our firmament, Kay's dog Olive and and Ann's cat Kermit, have joined forces to raise money for Haiti."

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