For the first time, a federal court has ordered a state prison system to provide gender reassignment surgery for a transgender inmate. Chief District Judge Mark Wolf of the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts issued an order on September 4 directing Commissioner Luis S. Spencer to "take forthwith all of the actions reasonably necessary to provide [Michelle] Kosilek sex reassignment surgery as promptly as possible." Judge Wolf found that denial of the surgery violated Kosilek's right as a prisoner … <Read More>
New York Trial Court finds NYC Adult Zoning Ordinance Violates 1st Amendment
New York Supreme Court Justice Louis B. York ruled on August 30 that the 2001 amendments to New York City's zoning law dealing with adult businesses violates the 1st Amendment rights of those businesses. Changing course from some prior rulings he had issued in the case, Justice York found that the City failed to show that the additional restrictions on adult businesses enacted in 2001 to supplement the restrictions first enacted in 1995 were supported … <Read More>
Joshua Bell’s Brahms Violin Concerto at Mostly Mozart
I just heard a very satisying performance of Johannes Brahms' Violin Concerto by Joshua Bell, Louis Langree and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, the first of two presentations of this program, which began with Mozart's Symphony No. 1 and Schubert's Symphony No. 4. I understand that the Saturday performance is sold out, and deservedly so.
Joshua Bell is a definite favorite with New York audiences, so it is not surprising that both performances sold out … <Read More>
Spectacular Mozart/Beethoven/Schubert Evening at Mostly Mozart
Last night I attended the Mostly Mozart Festival concert conducted by Osmo Vanska, music director of the Minnesota Orchestra. They performed Mozart's brief Symphony No. 32, K. 318 (1779), Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 37 (1800-03) — with Rudolph Buchbinder as soloist — and Schubert's Symphony in C Major (1825-28), usually referred to these days as the Symphony No. 9. I thought this concert qualified to be called "spectacular" at several points, particularly in … <Read More>
The Latest Developments in the Miller-Jenkins Child Custody Dispute
On August 14, a federal jury in Burlington, Vermont, convicted Kenneth Miller of aiding and abetting kidnapping, in connection with the 2009 disappearance of Lisa Miller (no relation to Kenneth) and Isabella Miller-Jenkins, her seven year old daughter. At the time of the disappearance, Lisa Miller was under a court order to allow resumed visitation between Isabella and her other mother, Janet Jenkins.
The back-story to this saga is by now well known. Lisa Miller … <Read More>
My Weekend at 2012 Glimmerglass Opera Festival
I spent the past weekend at the Glimmerglass Opera Festival, on the shores of spectacular Otsego Lake north of Cooperstown, New York. I am gradually becoming a Glimmerglass addict. Two summers ago, my concert-going companion and I had conceived a musical crush on the brilliant young countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, after hearing him sing Handel at NY City Opera and Ligeti with the NY Philharmonic, so we got tickets to hear him since a different … <Read More>
Buying Classical Recordings in New York – the Shrinking of J&R
I know that the world is shifting towards electronic commerce for buying classical recordings — or, in some cases, just access to classical recordings for streaming — but I'm "old fashioned" – I like the physical product and higher fidelity of physical compact discs, and I like to be able to browse, look at album covers, compare available recordings, etc.. For which one really needs a physical store.
When I first moved to NYC in … <Read More>
Cultural Updates: Some Summer Films & Some Mostly-Mozart
While visiting Mom in Florida, I saw two of the current crop of summer movies: "Ted" and "Total Recall."
"Ted" is the saga of a teddy bear that comes to life and ultimately wreaks havoc in the life of the little boy to whom he is given as a Christmas present. It seems to have had a wildly popular few weeks upon its release, probably because people love the foul-mouthed, raunchy teddy bear, who gets … <Read More>
Federal Court Rejects Hawaii Marriage Challenge
Senior U.S. District Judge Alan C. Kay ruled on August 8 that Hawaii's law excluding same-sex couples from marriage does not violate the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Ruling in Jackson v. Abercrombie, 2012 WL 3255201, Judge Kay granted a motion for summary judgment filed by Loretta J. Fuddy, Director of Health for the State of Hawaii, who defended the statute along with an intervenor, the Hawaii Family Forum. Lead defendant Governor Neil S. Abercrombie agreed with the … <Read More>
California Court of Appeal Rules for Lesbian Second Parent
Marking a slight extension of California precedent concerning lesbian second-parent status, a panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal ruled in L.M. v. M.G., 2012 WL 3125123 (August 2, 2012), that the former same-sex partner of an adoptive parent may seek joint custody and visitation rights with the child. Applying the Uniform Parentage Act, the court held that the paternity provisions apply, and that the original single-parent adoption decree does not detract from … <Read More>