NYC ; review for Max Beckmann exhibition at Neue Gallery 

We have seen some of Max Beckmann's paintings in different museums, but today's exhibition at Neue Gallery is the most complete. They have brought together all his major works from different periods - expressionism, realism, symbolism. However, one thing is common among all of them, as he stated himself: 'My heart beats more for a raw, average vulgar art, which doesn't live between sleepy fairy-tale moods and poetry but rather concedes a direct entrance to the fearful, commonplace, splendid, and the average grotesque banality in life.' 
Raw art - maybe some of his drawings and paintings might be less interesting, like in the case of any other painter. But what they all have is a sense of boldness, hidden philosophical symbolism, or imaginary dreams- the Raw moments of Life! 
Today, one memorable display consisted of three paintings on the same wall: 'Descent from the Cross,' 'Adam and Eve' in the middle, and 'Christ and the Sinner.' Here, a known biblical quote, 'If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her,' is answered in a very dramatic, bold, and concise message.
There were so many great paintings, but it is impossible to describe them all in a short way. They are all unforgettable because of what and how they communicate to us. 
And, more importantly, the message from the last century is very important to hear and understand today, to reflect on and not repeat the same crucial mistakes by ourselves for the generations yet to be born! Go and see today to not only be an educated person but also a humble and compassionate one.

Photos from the Neue web site Max Beckmann exhibition at Neue Gallery 

We have seen some of Max Beckmann's paintings in different museums, but today's exhibition at Neue Gallery is the most complete. They have brought together all his major works from different periods - expressionism, realism, symbolism. However, one thing is common among all of them, as he stated himself: 'My heart beats more for a raw, average vulgar art, which doesn't live between sleepy fairy-tale moods and poetry but rather concedes a direct entrance to the fearful, commonplace, splendid, and the average grotesque banality in life.' 
Raw art - maybe some of his drawings and paintings might be less interesting, like in the case of any other painter. But what they all have is a sense of boldness, hidden philosophical symbolism, or imaginary dreams- the Raw moments of Life! 
Today, one memorable display consisted of three paintings on the same wall: 'Descent from the Cross,' 'Adam and Eve' in the middle, and 'Christ and the Sinner.' Here, a known biblical quote, 'If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her,' is answered in a very dramatic, bold, and concise message.
There were so many great paintings, but it is impossible to describe them all in a short way. They are all unforgettable because of what and how they communicate to us. 
And, more importantly, the message from the last century is very important to hear and understand today, to reflect on and not repeat the same crucial mistakes by ourselves for the generations yet to be born! Go and see today to not only be an educated person but also a humble and compassionate one. - RG

TED TV SHOW REVIEW

By: Holden K.

(score at bottom)

I remember the first time I saw the Ted movie. I was 13, at a sleepover at my friend Misha’s house. And, as all 13 year olds know, rated R movies are immediately great when you’re 13. I’d say, in fact, that it was one of the defining experiences of my childhood. So, when they announced a Ted TV show, I only had one thought: “Isn’t this like 10 years too late? Who is still freaking thinking about Ted?” But, I was still excited to see what Seth MacFarlane and his team had cooked up, and boy am I glad I did. My brother described it as being similar to Family Guy, but I see it as more American Dad. If you watch the newer episodes of American Dad, they attempt to shove as many jokes into a scene as possible, leading to constant curveballs. This is something Ted attempts to do as well. Scenes will start off somewhat grounded, and then they’ll be one joke, which they add onto with another joke, then pivot to a different joke, then combine the different joke with the first set of jokes. When I say this show prides comedy over character relationships, that’s not a bad thing. When the joke hits, it can be very funny. For example, one of my favorite lines is: “Like Ernest Hemmingway said: I wonder what this gun tastes like.” However, the comedy of the show is also it’s biggest drawback. One of the few benefits of cable television that people seem to ignore is the time constraints. On cable, every show has to be around 21-22 minutes in order to have space for ads, promos, and so on. This forces the teams behind these projects to only keep the best of the best in the episodes. However, with the pivot to streaming, those time requirements are all but gone. For Ted, this is a detriment. The show enjoys constantly building on the same joke. So, if you don’t like the joke about the man wearing adult diapers, you know you have to sit through the bit for another minute and a half, since they didn’t cut anything. This can ruin the jokes, like a little cousin who just repeats the same punchline over and over. But, on the flip side, some of the jokes do work off their slow intensity, such as when Ted and John come up with an incredibly disturbing backstory for why they’re at Friendly’s. Speaking of John, he deserves a shout-out, the kid plays off Ted like he’s actually in the room. In fact, the whole cast did a fine job, despite the lack of character progression. If they decide to do a season two, I only hope that they’ll give the other family members arcs or changes or something to do besides live in the house. Overall, I very much enjoyed Ted: The Show. It’s a weirdly great coming of age story, and one I hope stays around for a bit.

Pros:
The Acting and Comedy were for the most part, very good. Scenes never felt slow, or purposeless.

The Boston references are top-notch. Finally, others will know how to pronounce Worchester.

Best Episode was My Two Dads. Something about turning the bully into a friend always works for me.

Cons: Jokes can go on a bit too long

Characters are flat and one note, which can be a problem should the show continue 

Worst Episode: While none were, in my opinion, terrible, the Halloween episode definitely checking the run time every once in a while. 

Overall Score: 7.8/10

I used to barter, I used to be frugal, but in that moment I let my guard down. I walk over, I start looking around, I pick a few items for my friends and family, I buy them in cash, all good, very nice little carvings and stuff. THEN, I see something I could use for myself. Something I could use on the trip, a wooden turtle ash tray. This thing was solid, heavy, a beast. I said how much, he showed me the screen where I could apple pay because I was now out of cash, and it said 200. I said oh sweet, that’s like 4 bucks in US dollars. I’ll take it. I apple paid and when I saw the notification on my phone, It said 10,000 pesos…

For a second a thought, oh well that isn’t that much more in dollars right? So I put it in my calculator, and it is 200 US dollars. . .

I got swindled harder than anything you’ve ever seen in your entire life.

FOR. A. WOODEN. TURTLE!