![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mojosmomHmm, where to begin.
Okay, last Wednesday I went to see a play called Oedipus Complex, Frank Galati's take on Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Basically, it was Sophocles, framed and interrupted by bits involving Sigmund Freud, his Interpretation of Dreams and the development of his theory of the Oedipus complex. Sounds a bit contrived, I know, but, gosh, it was powerful stuff. I was completely engrossed, on the edge of my seat almost. It occurred to me, in a discussion of "spoilers" in another forum, that in the case of a play like Oedipus the power comes from the fact that the audience knows what's coming and the protagonist doesn't. That's what builds the tension.
Friday was the Newberry Consort concert, music from the court of a couple of the Holy Roman Emperors. Really wonderful stuff, a combining of sacred and secular, with some of my favorite singers, including the glorious soprano of Ellen Hargis. It was Mary Springfels' last concerts as director of the consort, as she is "retiring" and moving to New Mexico where her partner is now working. "Retiring" is in quotes because she will, it is hoped, return for the occasional concert. Peggy and George have bought a house in Albuquerque. They'll use it as a vacation place until she retires, in about five years. We told her to be sure to buy a sofa-bed as we all plan to visit. ;-)
Saturday, I had a board meeting (stuff was actually accomplished!) in the morning, and in the afternoon I went to my friend Fran's for dinner. Fran's younger granddaughter and Cheryl's two girls gave us a fashion show. They raided the closet where the clothes noone wears anymore are kept, but were forbidden to wear Fran's shoes. Fran's older granddaughter did not join us as she was off to prom; I find it hard to believe she's old enough! But she is, and she has turned into a beautiful young woman. I liked that she didn't worry about a date, but decided at the last minute to go with her girl friends. Picture that happening in my day - not!
Yesterday, I thought about going to one of the Silk Road concerts at the Art Institute, but I figured it would be a mob scene downtown what with the Dalai Lama speaking in the part down the street, so instead I decided to go to the Smart Museum to see the Cosmophilia exhibit of Islamic art. After I'd gone through it, I discovered that there was a docent-led tour happening about a half-hour later, so I had a snack and then went through the exhibit again. It really is wonderful. The pieces are exhibited based on the style of ornamentation, and they range from glassware and ceramics to textiles and books. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed, so I can't share my favorites.
Today was a long morning in court. I had a sentencing hearing on a guy who was his own worst enemy. I told him after we lost the motion to suppress statements that he should take the state's offer of 25. But noooo. So he went to trial, lost, had a mandatory minimum of 60 and got 70. Should have listened to me.
Tonight there was a reception and lecture at the Chicago Public Library, in conjunction with the Smithsonian's traveling exhibit, Picturing Words: The Power of Book Illustrations. They had brought some rather wonderful old books, with hand-colored illustrations that were incredibly vibrant.
There was a story on NPR tonight about Herman Leonard, whose work I love and one of whose pieces I own. It's awful - he's in his 80s and when I heard the first couple of sentences I was sure they were going to say he was dead! Fortunately, they didn't. The occasion was a new book and an exhibit of his work in New Orleans.
Came home to find that Pete's hat had returned to me. He'd left it at the restaurant where we'd had lunch when he was here. I picked it up the next day and went straight to the post office to mail it off, priority, but I guess it didn't get to the hotel until after he'd checked out. I suppose this means I'll have to go to the convention in 2009 and deliver it in person . . .
Okay, last Wednesday I went to see a play called Oedipus Complex, Frank Galati's take on Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Basically, it was Sophocles, framed and interrupted by bits involving Sigmund Freud, his Interpretation of Dreams and the development of his theory of the Oedipus complex. Sounds a bit contrived, I know, but, gosh, it was powerful stuff. I was completely engrossed, on the edge of my seat almost. It occurred to me, in a discussion of "spoilers" in another forum, that in the case of a play like Oedipus the power comes from the fact that the audience knows what's coming and the protagonist doesn't. That's what builds the tension.
Friday was the Newberry Consort concert, music from the court of a couple of the Holy Roman Emperors. Really wonderful stuff, a combining of sacred and secular, with some of my favorite singers, including the glorious soprano of Ellen Hargis. It was Mary Springfels' last concerts as director of the consort, as she is "retiring" and moving to New Mexico where her partner is now working. "Retiring" is in quotes because she will, it is hoped, return for the occasional concert. Peggy and George have bought a house in Albuquerque. They'll use it as a vacation place until she retires, in about five years. We told her to be sure to buy a sofa-bed as we all plan to visit. ;-)
Saturday, I had a board meeting (stuff was actually accomplished!) in the morning, and in the afternoon I went to my friend Fran's for dinner. Fran's younger granddaughter and Cheryl's two girls gave us a fashion show. They raided the closet where the clothes noone wears anymore are kept, but were forbidden to wear Fran's shoes. Fran's older granddaughter did not join us as she was off to prom; I find it hard to believe she's old enough! But she is, and she has turned into a beautiful young woman. I liked that she didn't worry about a date, but decided at the last minute to go with her girl friends. Picture that happening in my day - not!
Yesterday, I thought about going to one of the Silk Road concerts at the Art Institute, but I figured it would be a mob scene downtown what with the Dalai Lama speaking in the part down the street, so instead I decided to go to the Smart Museum to see the Cosmophilia exhibit of Islamic art. After I'd gone through it, I discovered that there was a docent-led tour happening about a half-hour later, so I had a snack and then went through the exhibit again. It really is wonderful. The pieces are exhibited based on the style of ornamentation, and they range from glassware and ceramics to textiles and books. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed, so I can't share my favorites.
Today was a long morning in court. I had a sentencing hearing on a guy who was his own worst enemy. I told him after we lost the motion to suppress statements that he should take the state's offer of 25. But noooo. So he went to trial, lost, had a mandatory minimum of 60 and got 70. Should have listened to me.
Tonight there was a reception and lecture at the Chicago Public Library, in conjunction with the Smithsonian's traveling exhibit, Picturing Words: The Power of Book Illustrations. They had brought some rather wonderful old books, with hand-colored illustrations that were incredibly vibrant.
There was a story on NPR tonight about Herman Leonard, whose work I love and one of whose pieces I own. It's awful - he's in his 80s and when I heard the first couple of sentences I was sure they were going to say he was dead! Fortunately, they didn't. The occasion was a new book and an exhibit of his work in New Orleans.
Came home to find that Pete's hat had returned to me. He'd left it at the restaurant where we'd had lunch when he was here. I picked it up the next day and went straight to the post office to mail it off, priority, but I guess it didn't get to the hotel until after he'd checked out. I suppose this means I'll have to go to the convention in 2009 and deliver it in person . . .
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-05-08 09:51 am (UTC)Do you think that Pete left his hat in a subtle attempt to ensure that you came to our part of the world in 2009?
I sure hope you'll be down our way - I'd so love to meet you.
I've just spent an enjoyable time looking through the Smithsonian's travelling exhibit. What a superb lot of items thereon. Thanks so much for that link.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-08 05:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-11 10:12 am (UTC)Of course he should have listened to you.
Anyway, those numbers (60, 70, etc) are years in jail?
Atenea-Nike, whose country's maximum prison time is 30 years
no subject
Date: 2007-05-11 12:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-11 12:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-11 02:35 pm (UTC)Oh, no, I didn't take your comment that way at all!
It's my view that, despite our much-vaunted "leader of the free world" "make the whole world like us" attitude, the U.S. is far behind western Europe in our penal system. Our use of capital punishment, mandatory minimum sentences, and long prison terms, coupled with the lack of serious rehabilitive opportunities for inmates, puts us right up there with countries that our government attacks as abusers of human rights.