Hello to you all, as I sit in my room typing this message on the first day of february, I am feeling very frustrated. This is not a funny blog entry, I have no review or critique to write of. However, please stay tuned, those will come in the future, and I think you will want to hear about what I have to say.
I would like to emphasize the importance of unity among the community of people with disabilities. The key word in that sentence was "community", is there one? We must come together to fight the discrimination which is still out there (despite what the Americans with disabilities act might say). I say this for two reasons: First, because I find that people with disabilities tend to be isolated from one another with no real network, either for advocacy or socialization, to bring them together. The second reason deals with the topic which I would like to speak about. This topic of which I speak, of course, is facebook. I'm done with it.
Can you remember the last time you tried to sign up for some online service or some website and before you could registered it said something like "please enter the text in the box"? Well, I sure can, and here is the problem: this text is shown to you in the form of a picture. Therefore, when my speech software tries to read what is on the screen, it skips over the picture because it sees it as not text. There is no way for people who are blind to access this information, and this is why I am done with facebook. Every time I try to send a message or post on someone's wall, it keeps telling me to enter the text in the box, which I can't do. (Ironically, blogspot.com asked me to do the same thing when I signed up for this blog, but I got help for that one instance)
It is time for us to make our needs known. In response to any site that asks for us to enter in text in order to sign up, it is my belief that we should contact them and explain that this represents a lack in accessibility. I am hoping for the day when no site asks for this meaningless piece of information, but I am also realistic so I know that this day may not come so soon. Until then, please contact me directly, comment on this blog, and please be alert to gaps in accessibility.
Dan the man
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
first movie review: Notorious
Hi and welcome to:
My first movie review!
Notorious (Rated R)
3.75 out of 5 stars
Featuring: Jamal Woolard, Derek Luke, Angela Bassett, Anthony Mackie, Antonique Smith, and Naturi Naughton.
Notorious tells the story of murdered rapper Notorious B.I.G, from his beginnings as a Brooklyn crack dealer to an East Coast hip-hop sensation. The movie is narrated by the man himself, who was, along with Tupac Shakur, one of the best rappers of all time. However, this film also depicts the true events of his life, many of which were negative including selling drugs--apparently even to a pregnant woman, doing time in prison, getting women pregnant, cheating on his wife Faith Evans, and getting into a seemingly pointless East Coast/West Coast beef with one-time friend Tupac. That being said, this movie did an excellent job of showing off his unmistakable vocal style. I feel that this movie came out way too late, after all BIG passed away over a decade ago. However, I am still grateful to finally discuss this film and it did not disappoint. It was so well done that I was brought back, in my mind, to that day in march of 1997 when I heard the bad news. It was all over the radio, and I was thoroughly shocked, I just couldn’t wrap my head around what had occurred.
A few have argued that “Notorious” did not accurately describe the life of Notorious B.I.G. There even has been a law suit filed regarding the validity of this movie. Nevertheless, when I listened to this film, I didn’t rate it upon how truthful it was, my opinion is based on its quality and how captivating I found it to be. Newcomer Jamal Woolard carries his screen time well, and although I was disappointed in the beginning of the movie (no one can exactly duplicate B.I.G.’s voice) he won me over about halfway through. He makes notorious feel somewhat approachable which is no easy feat considering the reality that he might not have been the nicest guy when he was alive. I also thought that Naturi Naughton did a fine job as Lil' Kim, and the actors and actresses in this documentary seemed to be well-cast.
The bottom line is that hiphop has not been the same since it lost one of the greatest, BIG of course. I encourage all of you to see this movie, however I would advise you to watch it with an open mind: Put aside any issues you have with how true it is, how certain characters are depicted, and your personal judgments about Notorious B.I.G. (I would never condone selling drugs to a pregnant woman, cheating, ETC) I simply say to you: go to watch this movie for educational purposes, the experience, and to share in the life of a very interesting man. (Note: if you dislike violence, drugs, and/or hiphop, this might not be the right movie for you). If you have seen this film, please let me know how you feel about my first movie review.
Dan
My first movie review!
Notorious (Rated R)
3.75 out of 5 stars
Featuring: Jamal Woolard, Derek Luke, Angela Bassett, Anthony Mackie, Antonique Smith, and Naturi Naughton.
Notorious tells the story of murdered rapper Notorious B.I.G, from his beginnings as a Brooklyn crack dealer to an East Coast hip-hop sensation. The movie is narrated by the man himself, who was, along with Tupac Shakur, one of the best rappers of all time. However, this film also depicts the true events of his life, many of which were negative including selling drugs--apparently even to a pregnant woman, doing time in prison, getting women pregnant, cheating on his wife Faith Evans, and getting into a seemingly pointless East Coast/West Coast beef with one-time friend Tupac. That being said, this movie did an excellent job of showing off his unmistakable vocal style. I feel that this movie came out way too late, after all BIG passed away over a decade ago. However, I am still grateful to finally discuss this film and it did not disappoint. It was so well done that I was brought back, in my mind, to that day in march of 1997 when I heard the bad news. It was all over the radio, and I was thoroughly shocked, I just couldn’t wrap my head around what had occurred.
A few have argued that “Notorious” did not accurately describe the life of Notorious B.I.G. There even has been a law suit filed regarding the validity of this movie. Nevertheless, when I listened to this film, I didn’t rate it upon how truthful it was, my opinion is based on its quality and how captivating I found it to be. Newcomer Jamal Woolard carries his screen time well, and although I was disappointed in the beginning of the movie (no one can exactly duplicate B.I.G.’s voice) he won me over about halfway through. He makes notorious feel somewhat approachable which is no easy feat considering the reality that he might not have been the nicest guy when he was alive. I also thought that Naturi Naughton did a fine job as Lil' Kim, and the actors and actresses in this documentary seemed to be well-cast.
The bottom line is that hiphop has not been the same since it lost one of the greatest, BIG of course. I encourage all of you to see this movie, however I would advise you to watch it with an open mind: Put aside any issues you have with how true it is, how certain characters are depicted, and your personal judgments about Notorious B.I.G. (I would never condone selling drugs to a pregnant woman, cheating, ETC) I simply say to you: go to watch this movie for educational purposes, the experience, and to share in the life of a very interesting man. (Note: if you dislike violence, drugs, and/or hiphop, this might not be the right movie for you). If you have seen this film, please let me know how you feel about my first movie review.
Dan
Friday, January 23, 2009
Keens steakhouse food critique
Hello world and welcome to my inaugural food critique column. Today I will be reviewing:
Keens Steakhouse
72 W. 36th St.
New York NY
Food Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I appreciated the atmosphere of this steakhouse upon arrival, it has been previously described to me as an "old boys club". I started with the Maryland lump crab cake appetizer. This tempting dish was prepared with just enough spices as not to overwhelm the pallet but definitely was an adequate accompaniment to the luscious crabmeat. For my entre, I ordered (of course) the prime filet mignon with a savory mushroom sauce. The texture of the filet was smooth and I easily cut into it with my knife. The sauce which was served with the steak had the flavor of a fine white wine and flavorful mushrooms. In addition, the steak, which I order red medium well done, had a very nice taste which reflects the cooking time as well as the quality of the cut. As a side dishe I enjoyed crispy hash browns which were fresh and delicious. I give Keens Steakhouse a rating of 4 stars because I truly feel that it provided me with an excellent experience. I have been to several steak house establishments and I feel that Keens measures up to some of them, however I have enjoyed slightly better food in other restaurants. That being said, I encourage all of you to try it for yourself and express your opinion in the comments section!
Dan
Keens Steakhouse
72 W. 36th St.
New York NY
Food Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I appreciated the atmosphere of this steakhouse upon arrival, it has been previously described to me as an "old boys club". I started with the Maryland lump crab cake appetizer. This tempting dish was prepared with just enough spices as not to overwhelm the pallet but definitely was an adequate accompaniment to the luscious crabmeat. For my entre, I ordered (of course) the prime filet mignon with a savory mushroom sauce. The texture of the filet was smooth and I easily cut into it with my knife. The sauce which was served with the steak had the flavor of a fine white wine and flavorful mushrooms. In addition, the steak, which I order red medium well done, had a very nice taste which reflects the cooking time as well as the quality of the cut. As a side dishe I enjoyed crispy hash browns which were fresh and delicious. I give Keens Steakhouse a rating of 4 stars because I truly feel that it provided me with an excellent experience. I have been to several steak house establishments and I feel that Keens measures up to some of them, however I have enjoyed slightly better food in other restaurants. That being said, I encourage all of you to try it for yourself and express your opinion in the comments section!
Dan
Sunday, January 11, 2009
first food critic review: Lucali's
Hi everybody, well it occured to me today that it might be a good idea to start posting food critic reviews for the restaurants where I have had excellent meals. Guess what? I have one for you today. Now, I am an aspiring food critic, so this might not necessarily sound professional yet.
Lucali's
573 Henry St.
Brooklyn, Ny
Rating: 4.25 stars (out of 5)
I traveled through the snow to try Lucali's with four of my friends last night. I was initially worried because of all the hype regarding this restaurant; after all it was the number one pizza restaurant in this year's Zagat survey with a rating of 27/30. However, Lucali's did not disappoint. The ambiance was of a much higher quality than in most pizza establishments. Our waitress was quite helpful and she explained our choices in terms of pizza and toppings. I am personally a fan of mushroom pizza, and when it arrived at our table, a mere 25 minutes later, I was impressed. It started out with a thin crust, and very light as far as pizza is concerned. The crust was extremely crispy and melts in your mouth. Lucali's uses a very nice mix of cheese on the pizza which tasted fresh and flavorful. In addition, the sauce had a great flavor with just the right amount of spices and tomatoes. Overall, I really enjoyed this experience. I have been to a few of the city's best pizza restaurants, and this is comparable with any of them. I had a great time and I would really like to return.
Dan
Lucali's
573 Henry St.
Brooklyn, Ny
Rating: 4.25 stars (out of 5)
I traveled through the snow to try Lucali's with four of my friends last night. I was initially worried because of all the hype regarding this restaurant; after all it was the number one pizza restaurant in this year's Zagat survey with a rating of 27/30. However, Lucali's did not disappoint. The ambiance was of a much higher quality than in most pizza establishments. Our waitress was quite helpful and she explained our choices in terms of pizza and toppings. I am personally a fan of mushroom pizza, and when it arrived at our table, a mere 25 minutes later, I was impressed. It started out with a thin crust, and very light as far as pizza is concerned. The crust was extremely crispy and melts in your mouth. Lucali's uses a very nice mix of cheese on the pizza which tasted fresh and flavorful. In addition, the sauce had a great flavor with just the right amount of spices and tomatoes. Overall, I really enjoyed this experience. I have been to a few of the city's best pizza restaurants, and this is comparable with any of them. I had a great time and I would really like to return.
Dan
Saturday, January 3, 2009
cultural competence
Hello everyone, today I wanted to talk about respecting other cultures. As a future social worker, it is very important to me that I am culturally aware and competent. However, as a human, I feel that this is also very necessary. I am not sure why I am bringing this up tonight, perhaps it is due to all of the racism and cultural conflict that is presently taking place in this crazy world, but it is definitely on my mind.
It is my belief that every person is unique, we are all the same in a certain way but on the other hand each culture is different and should be understood as such. People from Spain are different from those from Puerto Rico, who are different from those from Albania or Iran. I am talking idealistically, I know this, and I do understand that there is no such thing as a perfect world.
But I feel that I can still dream of that kind of day.
I am a positive person, but I also try to be realistic, the glass is half full but at the same time I see that either way it only contains 50%.
Dan
It is my belief that every person is unique, we are all the same in a certain way but on the other hand each culture is different and should be understood as such. People from Spain are different from those from Puerto Rico, who are different from those from Albania or Iran. I am talking idealistically, I know this, and I do understand that there is no such thing as a perfect world.
But I feel that I can still dream of that kind of day.
I am a positive person, but I also try to be realistic, the glass is half full but at the same time I see that either way it only contains 50%.
Dan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
