just entered a post....

on the Cornelia Street cafe facebook page, in regard to its sad closing in a few days. I know (or think I know) that Robin, the proprietor, really did not want to end his stay there---but with no commercial rent control in place---well, it just gets worse and worse. It strikes me as "odd" that all the people who have eaten there in the past couple of years, and payed around  30.00 for their meal plus wine or whatever, can't muster enough anger to picket or do some kind of action to either save the cafe or let elected officials know that the closing of the cafe is repugnant to them. But, as far as I can see, this is not happening. Why are people so passive in the face of such "cruelty" (for want of a better word) and why am I part of this group of people. Even with my commitment to BAN, I feel I have not been "trained" to think as a protester. So what is to be done. Just figure out what will be the next movie I see, in this movie crazy city? I should make one more visit to the cafe---at this point I am not sure that they are even serving food or coffee--just to pay my respects and to make a statement. I will try to get myself to do that sometime this weekend.
Yesterday, had a nice talk with an actor-playwright named Charley---referred him to a theater company where he could work with other playwrights---and then made the decision to get at ticket to the Met's performance of Otello that evening. I stayed for the first two acts---was thrilled by Dudamel's conducting, but the production seemed sterile to me, and the two male leads, though maybe undone by the passive staging, really did not hold up. And one other reason why I left. I find the power that destroys the life of Desdemona really frightening, and I didn't want to process it. This is a testament to Verdi's genius---and the genius of this opera in  general which cuts through every cliche and strips away everything inconsequential and just gets to the murderous heart of Otello's downfall. It is really too brilliant in its frightening, cutting vision.
  When I left, wanted a beer, so I went for the first time to the bar across the street--upscale, I had stayed out of it because of its high prices, but I sat at the bar and had a beer---decent atmosphere, no being rushed or anything like that. No real conversations, but it was interesting enough so that I might be comfortable returning there. Staff pretty nice.
  That's it---I am meeting friend Kim and Clint in Williamsburg later this afternoon for what I think will be a long cup of coffee. They are south fourth people, and I want to find out what is happening to them. After that...? Will report soon.