It’s rough going when a town is dependent on one company and it runs into tough times. The NY Times takes a look at Corning, NY where Corning, Inc. was facing a bright future, positioned to capitalize on the fiber optics boom. But although they are still managing to sell fiber, “it is not the high- profit premium kind that was so in demand last year.” They tried to make most of their 5,900 layoffs in locations with other job opportunities, but 1,000 workers were laid off in the town of Corning, population 11,000. Ouch. And that will trickle down quickly, the relationship is too symbiotic. “This is where, a decade later, what had become Corning Glass Works made the first light bulbs for Thomas Edison. This is where Pyrex custard cups were born, where Steuben crystal decanters were blown, where television tubes were shaped and where Corelle plates were proven to be practically unbreakable. This is where scientists were involved in developing products like silicones and fiberglass.”

Got comfort food? Peanut Butter & Co in Greenwich Village specializing in serving peanut butter sandwiches. PB&J;, Fluffernutter, even a BLT (bacon and peanut butter? hmmm). They use their own natural peanut butter, so none of that evil hydrogenated stuff. (via memepool)

In a wedding ceremony, every Thing can take on deep meaning and symbolism. A bride and groom who care about the messages and subtexts being conveyed will research and think about what certain elements of the ceremony mean to them and others. For me, it’s a blessing and a curse to be a musician selecting the music for my own wedding. I know too much. I over-analyze. I don’t want to use what everyone else uses because it has become cliche, to me anyway. And I want what we do pick to be meaningful, or at least carry no stigma.

One somewhat well-known fact is that the popular Wagner “bridal march” is typically not used in Jewish weddings because Wagner is considered by some to be an antisemitist. The few times brave souls (Zubin Mehta was one) have performed Wagner’s works in the Israel Philharmonic, some of the audience tried to shout it down, and others got up and left.

There is a march, not the one everyone knows as the bridal one, that I think would fit well for our processional. (Un)fortunately, I know about this Wagner controversy. And there’s no clear answer there. He wrote some things that are considered antisemetic; the Nazis (Hitler was born after he died, so he wasn’t a Nazi) held up some of his works as anthems and banned others; he had Jewish friends and business associates. Since I can’t pass judgement on this uncertainty, I can’t with conviction say “no, I won’t use his music because he was a bad person.” There are plenty of other composers who did worse than he did (and are not, incidently, banned from the Israel Philharmonic’s repertoire). But Wagner stirs up huge negative emotion in those who believe in his antisemitic leanings. And I don’t want even the faintest tinge of negativity. But do I know if anyone will feel this way? I can’t be sure. And if I do ask and educate (as I am now by publishing this), I am potentially creating some negativity that wouldn’t have been there before. What’s a considerate bride to do? Find something else? Perhaps I shall keep listening.

’tis the season. Obscure Store keeps chiming in with wedding-related links. A couple held an “ethical vegan wedding” in Massachusetts. I didn’t know about “bone char, a byproduct of certain commercial sugars that are ground up with animal bones.” A woman in Connecticut sued a dance floor installer after she fell at a wedding. That was eight years ago. She finally lost the suit last week. And some wedding participants in Wisconsin witnessed a multi-car accident on the way to the reception and stopped to help. The party of bridesmaids and ushers just happened to include two firefighters/EMTs and the daughter of a nurse. They made it to the reception in time for the cake cutting.

Wow, seeing Corelle mentioned at Larkfarm brought back many memories. It is my mom’s everyday dinnerware of choice, because she says it won’t break. I managed to prove her wrong on a few occasions. And when it does break, oy! It can shatter into millions of tiny pieces that go everywhere and are difficult to find and pick up. I remember the first time I broke one. I think it was a bowl and I was abusing it, using it outside on the front steps to mold snow sculptures. I dropped it onto the hard steps with my clumsy mitten hands. And I probably said something to my mom like “But you said that these don’t break!!” Oh, and we had the classic, now discontinued blue cornflower pattern.

Busy busy over here, no time for chat. Here’s a link to SpaceDaily, which pulls in space news from all over the world. It’s good to remember that the U.S. and Russia aren’t the only ones orbiting things around the planet.

Astronauts in space are so shielded from ultraviolet light that their bodies can’t produce enough Vitamin D. A NASA press release tells of a computerized Food Frequency Questionnaire used to help determine the astronauts’ food consumption in relation to health. The countdown has begun for Atlantis to lift off Thursday. IMAX 3D filming is among the mission priorities.

Scary Restoration Hardware finds: Aqua Troll. “Fitted with an industrial-grade sprinkler where he might house a brain, this troll emits a bodacious lawn and garden spray…up to 72′ diam. coverage” Not for me, thank you.

Yogurt update: Wild Oats Market has the full range of Stonyfield nonfat flavors at a surprising 10 cents cheaper than Safeway and 30 cents cheaper than Mollie Stone’s. This is Very Good News!

It was a little surprising to find an article about the area I live in published in the L.A. Times. It’s nice that they have an interest in what’s going on up here. “Asian Indians Remake Silicon Valley” gathers up a lot of facts that any resident has noticed: the proliferation of Indian markets, music stores, films, snack shops, and restaurants that aren’t watered down for American tastebuds. It also relates points that aren’t as easy to see: Sikhs arrested on concealed-weapons charges (the men carry a ceremonial dagger), domestic violence issues (hitting a spouse or child is not as accepted in the U.S.), and the topics covered by the local Indian paper (McDonald’s beef flavoring its french fries, ads from parents seeking spouses for their grown children). The mesh of cultures here is certainly astonishing, especially if you come, like I do, from a community where minorities were truly in the minority.