Archive: Arts & Entertainment

SMART TALK

by Dr. "Gabby" Macron




FUTURE PLANS: Last week, I got curious about what went on at The Safe Haven Chapel of the Perfect Ideal here in Underbelly, Texas. A place with two redundancies in its name should be interesting, and perhaps concerning, to us at the Center for English as a First Language. So I showed up Wednesday night to check it out.

I became concerned right away. The pastor, Elder Cyle Crisco, kept asking us, "what are your future plans?" and shouting at us to give some prayerful thought to our future plans.

My prayerful thoughts were to keep me from leaping to my feet and screaming, "Future plans? Future plans?? As if you could have plans for the past? Can't you just say plans and stop insulting us?"

I stayed in my seat, and the evening passed without incident. The only somewhat bright spot was the syrupy music, provided by a guest group, the TreacleTones.

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I-100 is about to rock the art world with the first “I-100 Classic Rock Art Show & Sale”, Friday, July 27th through Sunday, July 29th, 2012 at the Shops at Ithaca Mall, (formerly Kirkland’s), 40 Catherwood Road in Ithaca from 10:00 a.m.  – 9:00 p.m. (11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Sunday).  The Rock Art show, sponsored by The Royal Auto Group, is free and open to the public.  Every piece of art is also available to purchase.

The “I-100 Classic Rock Art Show & Sale” showcases an amazing collection of works featuring musicians such as Paul McCartney,  Jerry Garcia, John Entwistle (The Who), Jimi Hendrix, Ron Wood (Rolling Stones), Bob Dylan, Carlos Santana, Robby Krieger (The Doors), Tony Bennett, The Police, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jon Anderson (Yes), John Lennon, Ringo Starr, U2 and dozens more plus rock photographs from sessions including Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bon Jovi, Johnny Cash and more.

The Ithaca Shakespeare Company (ISC) and Cornell Plantations celebrate 10-years of Shakespeare with two of the Bard’s best known plays performed in Plantations’ F.R. Newman Arboretum. The ISC will be performing Love Hurts: “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Romeo and Juliet” in rotating repertoire beginning July 12 through July 29, 2012.

For ten years, the beauty of Cornell Plantations has provided the perfect setting for the Ithaca Shakespeare Company’s productions.  In this 10th year of partnership, the ISC will transform Plantations’ Jackson Grove into a playhouse that would have made Shakespeare proud and that audiences have enjoyed for a decade.

SMART TALK

by Dr. Saber S. Poder




ONE LESS: Around here, people often say this, as in "one less thing to do," or "That's one less person at the table." This from people who claim English as their first language. They mock the poor English of immigrants when they can't speak it well themselves.

"Less" describes amount, as in "It needs less sugar," or "I have less energy than I had yesterday." We measure the amounts of sugar and energy; we don't count them.

"Fewer" describes number, as in "one thing fewer to do," or "That's one person fewer at the table." We count things and people to arrive at numbers.

So we'd say that with fewer cars on the road and better bus and train service, we'd use less fuel. That is, we'd say that if we wanted to make that point clearly.

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Honoring the 100th Anniversary of the legendary maritime event, the Hangar presents a striking new production of TITANIC: The Musical. Winner of five Tony awards in 1997 - including Best Musical - the Hangar's Titanic will feature several members of the original Broadway cast, playing July 13 - July 28.

The story of the 'unsinkable' ship TITANIC remains the landmark disaster of the last century. The events of the early hours of April 15, 1912, continue to intrigue, disturb, and fascinate the public to this day.With a Tony-winning book by Peter Stone (1776, The Will Rogers Follies, Woman of the Year), Titanic is based on the true stories of the officers, crew, and passengers onboard that ill-fated night.

Art in the Heart of the City Brings Fifteen New Sculptures to Downtown Ithaca (Ithaca, NY)  Fifteen new public art pieces will be introduced to Downtown Ithaca on Friday, July 6th at 5:00 PM as Art in the Heart of the City returns for the thirteenth year.

The opening ceremony kicks off in the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Commons with featured guests Mayor Svante Myrick; Downtown Ithaca Alliance Executive Director Gary Ferguson; Community Arts Partnership Executive Director Brett Bossard; City of Ithaca Director of Planning and Development JoAnn Cornish; and a representative from the Public Arts Commission. Refreshments and a walking tour of the art pieces will follow the introductory remarks.

SMART TALK

by Dr. Manda Rynne




FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS: Any disease can be more easily cured if detected early. At the Center for English as a First Language, we try to nip any incipient presentation of Insidious Englishism Syndrome. We prefer American English here.

Adding an S to forward, backward, toward, and even upward and downward is an early symptom.

Saying towards may seem like nothing to get your knickers in a twist about - and those Brits should say into a twist - but sufferers - pardon me: survivors - often descend far too quickly to early on for early and try and for try to.

Insidious Englishism Syndrome can get veddy serious indeed.

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The Ithaca College Suzuki Institute will host a performance by “Zvonky-Praha”, an international prizewinning girls choir from the Czech Republic, on Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 7 p.m. at Ford Hall, Ithaca College.

“Zvonky-Praha”, which means “Prague Bells”, is touring the U.S. to participate in the 7th World Choir Games 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Choir Olympic: Serenade 2012 in Washington, D.C. In 2011, at the World Choir Championships in Graz, Austria, the group received three gold medals and two Grand Prix awards, making it the most successful choir in the competition.

SMART TALK

by Dr. Weiss N. Heimer




FROM THE DESK OF: Here in Underbelly, Texas, the Hotel Inn was having some legal trouble. They couldn't get the carpet manufacturer to honor their guarantee. Clayton Johnson, the constable, suggested the legal firm we use at the Center for English as a First Language.

So Howard Johnson, the hotel owner, wrote to Makem, Payette, & Hurt. Why fool around?

Trouble is, the Hotel Inn stationery has a cute armadillo at the top, followed by From the desk of... Might that blunt the impression of seriousness? I wondered.

Apparently not. Mr. Harlan Payette, being humorlessly logical, opened his reply with "Dear Desk," and went on to give excellent service.

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