Thirty-six years ago today, Dan was born. So of course we had to celebrate.
We headed to the World War II Museum for a free lecture given by our friend Pacrac on the early naval battles of the war, and then we passed the time over at Galatoire's, which neither Dan nor I had been to since before we moved to NYC. Good times, good food, good wine, great company.
The WWII Museum, formerly and still the D-Day Museum to da locals, is in a nifty seven-year-old structure, and its orientation room, where the lecture was given, was outfitted with a computer and a projection system that allowed Pacrac to control his PowerPoint presentation with ease. While waiting for Pac to finish schmoozing with some of the folks who came to hear his talk, one of the museum's employees saved his slides and exited the program. He pulled up the "Start" menu from the Windows desktop and I saw an icon I didn't expect to see.
"What's a Second Life icon doing on that menu?" I asked the guy.
Apparently, the folks at the WWII Museum are looking into ways to expand the museum. They're already doing some physical expansion, as evidenced by the demolition of a bunch of buildings across the street to make way for more exhibition halls and such. They are also seriously exploring the possibility of cyber expansion for those who are physically unable to schlep to New Orleans or who need to do research here and are unable to come due to terrorist attacks, unnatural disasters, flooding, or money woes.
So gee, what would be in store for Second Life visitors to the D-Day Museum for an admission fee (which is what I assume they are also looking into, and I'm not talking about Linden Dollars, though that is a possibility)? Something as pedestrian as a virtual tour of the museum facilities?
Or are we talking about virtual re-creation of the Normandy landings? Get to see what the inside of a Japanese submarine is like? Operation Torch, anyone...from Rommel's point of view?
God forbid - Second Life POW camps??????
The possibilities are creeping me out.
Oh, and reading a kid's storybook version of the story of Noah's ark got this round of questioning from the little guy:
"Mom, why'd God flood the world?"
"To get rid of all the evil in it, honey."
We read about how the rainbow became the symbol of God's promise that another great flood like that one would never cover the earth's surface again.
"But, Mom, what about hurricanes?"
Uhhhhh.....
Brain freeze....
"Weeeelll...hurricanes and their storm surges only affect some areas of the earth, not the entire planet. God said there would never be a flood over the whole planet ever again."
"Oh."
I tucked the little guy in, kissed him goodnight, and walked away, feeling like I drew on some kind of perverse technicality in answering his last question.
This world doesn't make much sense, sometimes.
9 comments:
Second Life..yuck
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2005/12/69878
Ummm...ICK on that link, anonymous. My creep-out-o-meter is now in the red...
I've never been to Galatoire's and I'd like very much to go. But my feelings are mixed. It's one of those places that I'm glad to know exists but kind of feel like I might be disappointed in.
In August, Menckles and I went to Clancy's for our anniversary and I just got the feeling that I was eating... I don't know... museum food. It was good in a traditional and fundamental way but not the kind of surprising or inventive spectacle one expects from a high-priced meal these days.
Overall I thought of Clancy's as an example of really good New Orleans fine dining... if this were 1950. It's the kind of fare that now I'd rather just make at home or find at a neighborhood joint for much cheaper. I imagine Galatoire's is probably the same way. Still, I will likely try it out someday. You only live once.
Afterwards, Dan, who had the pompano almondine, told me it was good, but that he liked Mandina's better. Even our pal Pacrac tasted my turtle soup and said that, when Clancy's has it as a soup of the day, it's better than what Galatoire's makes (Pac's biased, though - he LIVES at Clancy's bar, which is his neighborhood jernt). Inspired by your most recent foray into shrimp creole, I had that and it was good - but I think you shoulda been in their kitchen supervising it. My parents have also adopted your attitude about fine dining, though they were kinda forced into it by their being in the Pennsylvania boonies for so long: find a good source of quality ingredients, and you can make most of the stuff the fine restaurants serve up on your own.
Honestly, after four years of great Indian food, Israeli shwarma and salads, and good Italian dishes and ices (I MISS the Lemon Ice King of Corona)in Queens and on Long Island, good Korean barbecue and sushi in Flushing, and great continental food in Brooklyn - not to mention some forays into Manhattan: Bobby Flay's Bolo and Rocco DiSpirito's place for my mother-in-law's benefit (Rocco's mama really DOES make the world's greatest meatballs), among other places - we're a tad pickier and more discerning than we ever have been. Having a kid also has a great deal to do with our choices - why blow a load of dough just for ambience? Makes little sense.
As far as places like Antoine's and
Galatoire's go, it is mostly about the ambience these days. The most daring Antoine's has been recently is having a good Sunday brunch, but I think they started doing that for economic reasons. It still helps to know a waiter at those places, too, and that just doesn't fly much anymore, when people can get good food without the snob attitude.
Heh.. It just so happens that I made Trout Almondine at home last week. No pics this time, though.
Here's another tip:
The best meals I've had out recently have been at Sara's on Dublin St. And from Baru Bistro on Magazine.
Highly highly recommended.
Also the best turtle soup I've has was at K-Paul's which is by far the best "touristy" place in the Quarter, IMO
Hah! I used to work next door to Sara's, when they were still Old Calcutta. My ex-boss took care of loads of cats at the time. Those guys at the restaurant decided to do some outdoor tandoori-style cooking or something, and they had a smoker at the ready, along with lots of ready-to-cook raw chicken spread out on newspaper-topped tables set up right next to our side fence. Suddenly, we saw about five cats standing on the edge of the fence and looking down intently at something. When we looked over the side and realized what the cats' "HEEEEEEEYYY!!!" looks were all about, we had to tell the guys to move their poultry elsewhere before it got snatched away by small paws.
I saw too much crap going on at Old Calcutta to ever eat there myself. I hope they aren't still doing stuff like that.
And I did enjoy K-Paul's when I was there last. Emeril's NOLA was good, too, once we let all convention go and made a meal of their appetizers. Got to try Baru sometime, definitely. That's one's on our list...as is Iris.
I may be the only one but as a student the idea of second life is interesting and a fantastic way to learn. I don't think it will affect admission. They won't risk loosing visitors because of admission price.
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