OMG I MISSED IT

flash. bang. wow. That's just the way it is. Things will never be the same. You live here, start going out every weekday, every weekend...catch as much of the magic as you can, but still it's gonna happen.

Recap on February; some very cool things went down. The Syracuse Opera had an opera karaoke night at Opus Restaurant in Armory. They brought the pianist and the public brought Attitude with a high A. The Syracuse Crunch Hockey team was doing their thing on ice with a game nearly every day. I watched a near-win by the Crunch vs. the Binghamton Senators. Our boys were up, and then they were down. It was a rough game, made a little rougher by my startled realization that I'm scared to death of "Al" the snow gorilla mascot. Snow gorilla, my tush. He's a yeti. And he has orange eyes. Creepy...I haven't felt this kind of fear since watching Arachnophobia at far too impressionable an age.

Syracuse's Drama Department performed a short run of a highly erotic play based on Lysistrata with as much subtlety to the theme of sexual warfare as only the under 22-year-old set can muster. Considering the cast size, I estimate I paid $1.25 per actor to see two hours of mostly-nude 18 year-old's masturbate on stage. Perhaps that shouldn't go in the 'very cool' category.

Rabbi Brad Hirschfeld spoke at Hendricks Chapel and Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas. The title of his discussion was, “How Big Is Your God? Religious Pluralism in an Age of Increasing Extremism”. He's a BFD, folks. President of Clal—The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, which is a think tank and resource center committed to religious pluralism. Newsweek magazine lists him as one of America’s “50 Most Influential Rabbis” and Beliefnet.com has him on the shortlist of the nation’s leading “Preachers and Teachers”. Not that I trust those online crazies, but still, he's something.

Major things not to miss in March, in date order:
0) Women Rockin' the World Benefit Concert, March 12, 2011 7-10:00 pm
FEATURING: emma’s revolution & Colleen Kattau, at May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society (3800 E. Genesee Street, Syracuse). ArtRage is celebrating the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day & our exhibition of women’s art with this ROCKIN’ CONCERT to benefit the gallery. Tix $15.
1) Permeable Pavement in Cold Climates, with expert presentations on green infrastructure, green jobs, and green funding in Onondaga County. This day-long event will not keep you from your St. Patty's Day drinks and is being held at our sustainably-minded zoo (mere steps away from Tipperary Hill and Armory Square for post-green green drinking)
2) The Regional Chamber Business Show on March 24th, at the Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY. This promises to be the most interactive event yet to feature businesses from across Central Upstate NY. And Dinosaur BBQ will be there!
3) The We Live NY Summit March 25th in Ithaca, NY. If you do nothing else this year (and you're under 40) git yourself to Ithaca for this one day.
4) Career Connections at Carousel Mall's Sky Deck on March 30th. For the unemployed or underemployed, this free full day of resume workshops, panels, speakers, and employers can provide a world of information toward effective job searching. Help yourself.

Oh, and the "Ah-hah! So that's what they're up to" moment for those of you wondering what was happening on the E. Genesee Street portion of the Connective Corridor near Phoebe's and Syracuse Stage: here.