Things That Are On My Mind
Les Misérables
I cannot wait for the movie Les Misérables to hit theaters. I heard a story that at the first New York screening on the day after Thanksgiving, there was a standing ovation at the end of the film. The music from the Broadway version of Les Misérables has been part of my life for as long as I can recall. I have memories of listening to the soundtrack during eighth grade while at Springs school, of playing “One Day More” while sailing in high school, of quoting lyrics with a friend on the crew team at Northeastern. Thank God for Hollywood—it’s films like this that remind me of how great it is to go to the movies and how, no matter what, the movies will always be a place for magnificent art.
Mind-Control Helicopter
I just found out that you can purchase a mind-controlled helicopter at Target. The toy comes with a headset that you strap on and then, if you think certain thoughts, the chopper comes to life. It’s crazy, but I am getting this copter. I need to know what the deal is. Wouldn’t it be crazy if in our lifetime we could start controlling all kinds of things with our minds? Can you imagine being able to just stare at your car and unlock it (or maybe can you do that already)? I have a strange feeling that one of these days I will be able to simply think the words that I am typing right now and they will appear on my computer monitor.
Speaking of Christmas Presents
Lillian King must be a bit annoyed right now. Back in 1992 the East Hampton resident was perusing a local potato field with a metal detector and she discovered a rare, silver Colonial Massachusetts coin that is one of eight such coins to exist in the world. She was excited and sold the coin for $35,000, a nice sum of money for a stroll through a potato field.
Now we find out that the man who bought the coin from King has re-sold it for $430,000. That’s right, nearly half-a-million dollars. Dang. It turns out the coin was a sixpence from 1652, and it went for four times as much as auction officials expected at the Colonial Coin Collectors Club in Baltimore.
Half a million for a coin.
HALF A MILLION FOR A COIN! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! That coin better give back rubs or something! Now I need to go and get myself a metal detector.
Lisa de Kooning
On a serious note, I was shaken by the news that Willem de Kooning’s only daughter, Lisa de Kooning, died at just 56 years of age while in the U.S. Virgin Islands last Friday. Lisa lived in Springs and was very well known around town, as were her three children. For the daughter of such a famous man to grow up in Manhattan and yet truly become a Springs local is a rare thing indeed; Bonackers can be a tough group to get along with if you’re not from there.
Funeral services for Lisa will be private, but I know for a fact that a great many people in Springs, and in Southampton for that matter, are going to be grieving. Lisa was the type of person who lit up a room and beamed with positive energy, and for her light to go out at such a young age is deeply saddening. My deepest sympathies go out to her family and friends.