After her illustrious career as a soprano, Beverly Sills turned around The New York City Opera as its General Director. In 1994 she took on an even greater challenge as the head of Lincoln Center Inc., an umbrella organization for the center’s 12 resident groups. The current negotiations for a redevelopment plan have revealed the differing hopes and needs of the groups, putting Sills in the middle of the feuds and maneuverings that turn the backstage world of the performing arts into any other business with its share of politics. The NY Times Magazine speculates that Sills, now 72, would like to retire (in fact, she said in a Horizon Magazine article “I don’t intend to do nothing when I’m past 70”) but that she wants to leave on her requisite high note. Unfortunately, the internal squabbling and City Opera’s hopes for a better theatre (as they sing on stage muffled for dancers’ feet) has added years to her tenure, and the article also mentions her need for an escape valve from a home life full of family health problems. But she may leave as soon as a new president is found (the last was either asked to leave or resigned), and perhaps then she can finally enjoy life from the audience in front of the stage instead.

With the changeover to 2002 out of the way, it’s not too early to make plans for Chinese New Year.

A devoted Babylon 5 fan volunteered to have her car (license plate: ANLASHK) “wrapped” to promote the upcoming “Legend of the Rangers“. Documentation of the car’s tour of Philadelphia has been posted, including a photo of it illegally parked next to the Rocky statue.

Although I admit I was half serious when I claimed to be leaving my hair long because Sarah Michelle Gellar was too, it is the complete and total truth that I had no idea when I chopped 9 inches off last week that she had taken scissors to hers also. While my hair length is, of course, not newsworthy, tales of the Buffster’s new hairstyle have popped up on all the fluff news sites. Creating controversy out of thin (h)air, these “news” writers are doing compare/contrast exercises between Buffy’s chop and Felicity’s surprise crop that almost killed that show. Silly people. It was more news that Sarah had grown hers out and I didn’t see any commentary on that. Her hair is nowhere near shorn. However, this new cut may bring back the plentiful requests for Buffy-like hairdos from the 1998 era. (P.S. Minor spoiler: Joss says a certain ex-boyfriend is coming back.)

Fun butter facts abound in this article about butter’s big comeback. Americans consume 4.3 pounds of butter per person a year, and the rate has been growing at 6% a year since our lean, mean 1980’s. But years ago, when we actually worked it off in the fields, it was 16 pounds per person, which is one pound less than New Zealanders consume nowadays. Land O Lakes is the only national butter brand. We’re eating more cheese, cream cheese, and ice cream. And butter prices are rising with the demand.

Stefan Landsberger has a thorough collection of Chinese Propaganda Posters which cover diverse topics, some that are of surprising concern their government, such as hygiene and the environment. Taken as a whole, these are fascinating visual aids to chronicle a country that has had to mobilize a huge population to create forward movement. From the People’s Republic founding in 1949 to the Cultural Revolution, Mao, and more recent less homogenized campaigns, the rocky history of a nation’s hopes can be read through the rose-colored lenses of its propaganda artists. (via Kathryn)

Two fatal auto accidents I’ve read about recently (one yesterday) included good samaritans who pulled over to assist the original victims and were then hit by cars themselves. Consider assessing your own safety and perhaps setting up road flares before helping victims. Since there was already an accident, other drivers are likely to have the same problems (poor visibility, road conditions) that caused the first one. Taking precautions to reduce further damage may be more helpful than rushing to assist someone who should not be moved anyway. Of course, situations vary and lives can be saved by speedy first aid, but I will keep this in mind (and hopefully never have to make use of it). On a related note: are matches and warning flares bad things to have in your car if it is searched at airports, government parking lots, etc? I suppose they can simply confiscate them.

Paganini left his Guarneri violin to the city of Genoa and they have since guarded “Paganini’s Cannon” as a royal family would the crown jewels. The violin is only allowed to come out and play with top soloists and winners of the Paganini competition and, until the other day, only for a classical repertoire. But, as a gesture of friendship between Genoa and New York City, jazz violinist Regina Carter gave a concert on the instrument (NY Times link), despite criticism from certain elitists who complained that “jazz profanation would ‘debase the image of the instrument.'” Carter‘s response: “Paganini was an extraordinary improviser and an innovator. If he were alive today he probably would have said, ‘About time!’ “

My holidays in a roasted chestnut shell:

Books read: Half Magic and Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager, The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress by Debra Ginsberg, Iron and Silk by Mark Salzman. All good.

Corning Museum of Glass, an excellent balance of the creation, science, and art of glass.

Making pot stickers by hand from scratch… semi-cheating on half of them and dragging out the hand-crank pasta roller.

Gifts: Holly Yashi earrings, chef’s coat, mandolin slicer, mortar & pestle, kitty cat coasters.

I’m enjoying the holidays and I hope you are too. Updates will be intermittent until 2002. Have a peaceful New Year.