When I was a kid I was mostly alone. It wasn’t because I was ugly or anything. It was because I was shy (truly), bookish (fun), into music (alone), did not like getting hurt (not brave) and I was generally afraid of things. I landed in a coma when I was four (truly) and I think I became afraid of the outdoors because of that. I was stung by a bee and there was no way to know I was allergic before the experience and I went into shock. I recovered, obviously. (I am no longer allergic to bee stings.) But I have this hunch that I was traumatized---this thing happened, I had no control over it, I almost died, I was at a violently impressionable age, and well there it is. Of course, deciding the root of undesirable behavior (my fear of the outdoors and tendency toward aloneness) is caused by some trauma could be a bunch of cod wollop, but in my case it feels like truthy cod wollop. And my father, who is not prone to mythologies did say to me recently, “You weren’t the same after the bee sting.”
But I got over it. But not for a long time and because of that I had a strong relationship with self protection and aloneness.
I remember taking extreme mental note-memories of times when I was completely alone---sitting by the Ramapo River in the woods by a muddy bank at a place where a bunch of us used to sit and smoke, but the group had broken up and no one was friends the way they used to be so I was there, alone, remembering it, wishing it would come back, but it did not.
Or sitting on a leather chair in the clubhouse at our place in the Poconos and my parents were talking with some so-and-so and I was bored but I was also excited because there was a fire going. The fire held my attention. It was very natural. I wanted to remember it.
Then there is this that struck me. I remember walking home from elementary school. I would always walk to school with my brother and the neighbor across the street, always. It took about ten minutes. But on the way home I would often walk alone. I do not remember why, but it might have had something to do with, “School’s out, I’m outta here,” for the others, not so much for me. I remember hating walking home because that was the time when other kids would like to bully you. I was not extensively bullied, but others were and I kind of knew I was next.
About five houses from the school was a standard issue development house with railroad ties to hold up the soil. The ties made terraces and it was well planted. Lots of things that we never had. And I used to stop there, alone, and while other kids were passing by, I would stand there and just stare at the plants and the oak tree and the acorns and the coleus and the junipers and the flowers, all of it. I was a bit put off by the railroad ties, thinking it would be so much better if they were something else, but they weren’t so I came to accept them. But it was the plants that I loved. They were alive. I was alive. They knew it (?) and I knew it and we were so happy together. The kids would walk by and maybe they thought I was weird standing there, alone, staring, but for some reason I knew what I was doing was about the best thing you could do. Somehow, I knew it was powerful and brave to take the chance to enjoy nature, even coiffed suburban nature. And because of that, I knew no one would touch me. And they didn’t. I did not feel less alone. I did feel thrilled by the plants. So maybe that gave me some connection. I knew it was the essence of living.
Today, I walked through Astoria to get some exercise. Here is a lovely flowering ornamental fruit tree. The spirit is lifted so high.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
A Renovation
Hello friends. I have had a To Do entry in my calendar for months which had a very low priority. But I have taken this rainy evening to give my Blog a face lift. You know, if you don’t attend to things they tend to molder.
I like it. Forgive the AdSense if you are able to. Or click on the ads as often as possible, as it brings me revenue, so they say. But don't click if clicks make you queasy. They do make me sick. I wouldn't do it.
Which brings me to two suggestions:
1) Always do a complete virus scan at least once each week.
And
2) Clear your cookies! I suggest clearing your cookies every single day. This speeds up your computer. To do this in Internet Explorer, go to Tools>Internet Options>General Tab, then, click the delete button in Browsing history. When the box pops up, make sure all the boxes are checked including, naturally, cookies.
In addition, you will delete the history of all that kiddy porn you’ve been surfing. No sense spending time in jail. Of course, you will need to sweep even deeper than that if you are under surveillance.
I am sure it is similar in other browsers.
But back to the blog-lift. I wanted to add some things, to bring on the ads, to make it current with twitter and facebook, etc.
In ten years, won’t Google, Twitter, Facebook and Blogger just be one big thing?
I like a unifying theory, always have. (In the early years, I never understood why Word, Excel, Outlook and Filemaker Pro weren’t just one big lumpy program.)
Enjoy the blog. Come back often. And for those of you who are on the East Coast, what about this endless rain?
I like it. Forgive the AdSense if you are able to. Or click on the ads as often as possible, as it brings me revenue, so they say. But don't click if clicks make you queasy. They do make me sick. I wouldn't do it.
Which brings me to two suggestions:
1) Always do a complete virus scan at least once each week.
And
2) Clear your cookies! I suggest clearing your cookies every single day. This speeds up your computer. To do this in Internet Explorer, go to Tools>Internet Options>General Tab, then, click the delete button in Browsing history. When the box pops up, make sure all the boxes are checked including, naturally, cookies.
In addition, you will delete the history of all that kiddy porn you’ve been surfing. No sense spending time in jail. Of course, you will need to sweep even deeper than that if you are under surveillance.
I am sure it is similar in other browsers.
But back to the blog-lift. I wanted to add some things, to bring on the ads, to make it current with twitter and facebook, etc.
In ten years, won’t Google, Twitter, Facebook and Blogger just be one big thing?
I like a unifying theory, always have. (In the early years, I never understood why Word, Excel, Outlook and Filemaker Pro weren’t just one big lumpy program.)
Enjoy the blog. Come back often. And for those of you who are on the East Coast, what about this endless rain?
Labels:
Wired
Monday, March 29, 2010
The Golden Age
My seriously talented friend in LA continues to amaze me. He’s young and he’s from New England and he can do all sorts of shit…even the technical stuff. Which is amazing. He wrote this musical mockumentary. And it’s eerie and funny and well shot and, you know, completely creative. So, get with it.
Watch The Trailer.
Read About it.
Become a fan.
Watch The Trailer.
Read About it.
Become a fan.
Labels:
Stage and Screen
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Feeling Time
Lately, I am experiencing time differently. It goes by so quickly, it is hard to imagine that a day is a full day. It feels like fifteen minutes.
When I drove from New York to Boston last week and back, each leg felt like a few minutes.
Your powers of concentration increase as you get older, it seems. Perhaps what makes time seem so interminable when you are young is that you are so bored. And perhaps you are so bored because you have so little control over what you choose to put your attention on.
As an adult, you pretty much choose what you are doing which makes for a deeper form of engagement. Then, of course, time flies.
I think it is wonderful, but I would love to be bored for a few days, truly bored, and feel time crawl at a snail’s pace. I probably should do it in Costa Rica or Iceland. But then, I would get so involved, it would fly by.
So, maybe Lawrence, Kansas is the thing to do. A Motel 6 with a Denny’s nearby.
When I drove from New York to Boston last week and back, each leg felt like a few minutes.
Your powers of concentration increase as you get older, it seems. Perhaps what makes time seem so interminable when you are young is that you are so bored. And perhaps you are so bored because you have so little control over what you choose to put your attention on.
As an adult, you pretty much choose what you are doing which makes for a deeper form of engagement. Then, of course, time flies.
I think it is wonderful, but I would love to be bored for a few days, truly bored, and feel time crawl at a snail’s pace. I probably should do it in Costa Rica or Iceland. But then, I would get so involved, it would fly by.
So, maybe Lawrence, Kansas is the thing to do. A Motel 6 with a Denny’s nearby.
Labels:
Internal Memo
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Exhausted Blogger Changes his Focus
I love a light rain. An early spring rain is hitting the window panes. And why not?!
We deserve it.
Peaceful, really.
I hope you feel great.
We deserve it.
Peaceful, really.
I hope you feel great.
Labels:
Momma Earth
Accept and Adjust
I feel for my friends on the Right. I do. They just feel, in absolute value, like I felt when we invaded Iraq.
But this whole “Repeal and Replace” thing sounds very immature to me. It’s a tantrum.
Why the tantrum?
Move forward. Accept what is happening to you. Like many times before in life, you simply lose. You just do. And then, you pick up from that spot and you adjust.
Why go backward?
This new law is so imperfect. It will not work as it is. It is a starting point and like everything else ON EARTH, it will transmute into something else---like HBO or The Internet.
As I have written, months ago, I do believe this is the thin edge of the wedge that will lead to a single payer system. More and more people will join Medicaid. We will have to increase taxes to pay for it. Eventually, Medicaid will become so large that nothing will be able to compete with it and so there will be a collapse of insurance companies. But is this so bad? All those incredibly savvy business people can then go do something else. The world can always use a bunch of smart, hard working folks in exciting new ventures. Or perhaps one or two insurance companies will end up with most of the market share and they will become the “ATT and Verizon” of healthcare, and well, fine.
The call from the Right, endlessly, is less government. This is no surprise. And I kind of get it. I mean, I would be a libertarian if I were taller, more beautiful, more confident and rich. Then, it would serve me well. But I’m a bit of a stay-at-home, romantic type, easy prey for any strong random enslaver who might come along so I rather not live in a completely free society. The idea of a semi-Nanny-state is appealing to me. It makes me feel cared for, much like I feel when I am on a train and someone else is the conductor and I can just read my book, knowing I will get to my destination with little effort.
I like that.
Why can’t we have some of that in our lives? Must we all be responsible for every single transaction we ever do from now until death? I mean, I really do not mind handing over some of my personal responsibility so that I might be freed up to have a more inward life. This is enjoyable to me.
I like to drive, too. Sometimes, I really like to drive. I like to be in charge. I like to be aggressive. I like to be a frigging wild animal directing my every movement. But when it comes to healthcare? (And what if I am, like, dying? Then, too?)—do I really want to be an aggressive animal around that? Always shopping? Forever haggling? Worrying? Really?
No, I don’t.
Basically, healthcare is a shitty business---your product-service is the care of the human body which is in a state of decay, heading toward death. To turn that into a business has proven to be a horrible thing, especially in the get-rich-or-else atmosphere we've been living in for thirty years. To have the government run it is incredibly burdensome. In the end, fat, uniformed Americans are a losing bunch. This is sad. Is there really any winning with this? It is such a hard call. Something had to give. Pelosi and Reid went hog wild.
I now must suggest to my Republican friends, of which I have many, instead of chanting Repeal and Replace, why not chant Accept and Adjust? Get in on the process. Stop this all-or-nothing Super bowl mentality. Show Democrats some respect for what they have achieved. It is not perfect. Not at all. Yes, taxes will increase, they will. And perhaps government is not the answer. But corporations clearly were not the answer either. (And now, it’s a combo of the two, blech.) I suggest we all exercise a lot, eat very little, stay positive and engaged and meditate on the following idea: "I will be most healthy if I move forward and remain open to new ideas. I trust that we are all moving toward greater wellness."
Stop with the bullying. Calm down with the doomsday paranoia. Get in with the process.
And
Wash your hands.
But this whole “Repeal and Replace” thing sounds very immature to me. It’s a tantrum.
Why the tantrum?
Move forward. Accept what is happening to you. Like many times before in life, you simply lose. You just do. And then, you pick up from that spot and you adjust.
Why go backward?
This new law is so imperfect. It will not work as it is. It is a starting point and like everything else ON EARTH, it will transmute into something else---like HBO or The Internet.
As I have written, months ago, I do believe this is the thin edge of the wedge that will lead to a single payer system. More and more people will join Medicaid. We will have to increase taxes to pay for it. Eventually, Medicaid will become so large that nothing will be able to compete with it and so there will be a collapse of insurance companies. But is this so bad? All those incredibly savvy business people can then go do something else. The world can always use a bunch of smart, hard working folks in exciting new ventures. Or perhaps one or two insurance companies will end up with most of the market share and they will become the “ATT and Verizon” of healthcare, and well, fine.
The call from the Right, endlessly, is less government. This is no surprise. And I kind of get it. I mean, I would be a libertarian if I were taller, more beautiful, more confident and rich. Then, it would serve me well. But I’m a bit of a stay-at-home, romantic type, easy prey for any strong random enslaver who might come along so I rather not live in a completely free society. The idea of a semi-Nanny-state is appealing to me. It makes me feel cared for, much like I feel when I am on a train and someone else is the conductor and I can just read my book, knowing I will get to my destination with little effort.
I like that.
Why can’t we have some of that in our lives? Must we all be responsible for every single transaction we ever do from now until death? I mean, I really do not mind handing over some of my personal responsibility so that I might be freed up to have a more inward life. This is enjoyable to me.
I like to drive, too. Sometimes, I really like to drive. I like to be in charge. I like to be aggressive. I like to be a frigging wild animal directing my every movement. But when it comes to healthcare? (And what if I am, like, dying? Then, too?)—do I really want to be an aggressive animal around that? Always shopping? Forever haggling? Worrying? Really?
No, I don’t.
Basically, healthcare is a shitty business---your product-service is the care of the human body which is in a state of decay, heading toward death. To turn that into a business has proven to be a horrible thing, especially in the get-rich-or-else atmosphere we've been living in for thirty years. To have the government run it is incredibly burdensome. In the end, fat, uniformed Americans are a losing bunch. This is sad. Is there really any winning with this? It is such a hard call. Something had to give. Pelosi and Reid went hog wild.
I now must suggest to my Republican friends, of which I have many, instead of chanting Repeal and Replace, why not chant Accept and Adjust? Get in on the process. Stop this all-or-nothing Super bowl mentality. Show Democrats some respect for what they have achieved. It is not perfect. Not at all. Yes, taxes will increase, they will. And perhaps government is not the answer. But corporations clearly were not the answer either. (And now, it’s a combo of the two, blech.) I suggest we all exercise a lot, eat very little, stay positive and engaged and meditate on the following idea: "I will be most healthy if I move forward and remain open to new ideas. I trust that we are all moving toward greater wellness."
Stop with the bullying. Calm down with the doomsday paranoia. Get in with the process.
And
Wash your hands.
Labels:
Social Studies,
War and Peace
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
My Response to College
I haven’t seen my college in over fifteen years. It was strange to see it again. It looked small and empty. Well, it was empty because it was Spring Break.
I do not think you realize how young you are when you go away to school. You think you’re pretty damn mature. But you’re not. You do wild things. You have wacked sex. You smoke too many cigarettes. You compete with your vocabulary (at least I did).
So there I was on campus on Monday---and since I have not had the emotional memory reinforcement that happens when you see a place quite often, I felt pretty open and almost blank. I had specific fact memories, like, “That building is new…that’s where they used to sell the used records…oh, I lived in that dorm freshman year…” But I did not have any big feelings come up, nothing super cozy. I just felt the general feeling of what it was like to be very young and to be very open to anything that life had to offer. It was a positive feeling. I think, overall, I have a positive feeling about Tufts because I was wide open and it was a place where that was encouraged. A good thing, a liberal arts education. But if I had to do it over again? I would have gone to a larger school in the middle of some giant city. By the time I did the junior year in Paris thing, I was completely ready to blow out of that Boston suburb. It was a romantic time. It was exciting. I moved to New York—went back to Boston to visit a couple of times but really, you just gotta keep moving. You need the new.
Which brings me to my hair. My thinning graying hair. I just had to shave it off tonight.
I do not think you realize how young you are when you go away to school. You think you’re pretty damn mature. But you’re not. You do wild things. You have wacked sex. You smoke too many cigarettes. You compete with your vocabulary (at least I did).
So there I was on campus on Monday---and since I have not had the emotional memory reinforcement that happens when you see a place quite often, I felt pretty open and almost blank. I had specific fact memories, like, “That building is new…that’s where they used to sell the used records…oh, I lived in that dorm freshman year…” But I did not have any big feelings come up, nothing super cozy. I just felt the general feeling of what it was like to be very young and to be very open to anything that life had to offer. It was a positive feeling. I think, overall, I have a positive feeling about Tufts because I was wide open and it was a place where that was encouraged. A good thing, a liberal arts education. But if I had to do it over again? I would have gone to a larger school in the middle of some giant city. By the time I did the junior year in Paris thing, I was completely ready to blow out of that Boston suburb. It was a romantic time. It was exciting. I moved to New York—went back to Boston to visit a couple of times but really, you just gotta keep moving. You need the new.
Which brings me to my hair. My thinning graying hair. I just had to shave it off tonight.
Labels:
Internal Memo
Monday, March 22, 2010
What a List! and Reviews
Friends, this was a big weekend.
1) Healthcare. Love it or hate it---it’s a big deal, a game changer, the thing I have been waiting for (not in this exact form) and, well, we got something through. The Republicans are acting like this is the end of the world. I wonder why Republicans even run for government office since they hate government so much. It’s like--I would never try to get a job in Football. Why do they take jobs in Washington D.C. when they hate the idea of government doing anything? I do not understand it. I am thrilled that Obama got this through. And let’s face it—Nancy Pelosi is a wild animal. All the fears that this is going to hurt the Dems in November are unfounded for two reasons. A) November is a long time away and B) People are going to like this once they get used to the idea. Congratulations. CHANGE has happened. Now the President can focus on jobs. Here he goes.
2)Rain coming.
3)I saw a few things. Here are the small reviews.
Greenberg, a film by Noah Baumbach, is kind of good. I like the LA-ness of it. It shows LA to be a sweet city, which it is. Oddly, LA can be a very tender place. Ben Stiller is enjoyable. This movie isn’t for everyone. You can rent it soon enough, I am sure.
Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris, directed by Pam MacKinnon, is a brilliant play. Too bad it closed today because you really should see it. Smart and hilarious, about the same house in a neighborhood that is turning White to Black in 1959 and now Black to White in 2010. It’s about race, sure, but it’s also about how slow people are to change, ever. Smart smart funny. Two great lines: “Why is a tampon like a White woman? Because they’re both stuck up cunts.” And “What’s long and hard on a black man? The First Grade.” No one comes out unscathed. Bruce Norris, you’re a dog! If this goes to Broadway, or shows up at a regional theater near you, go see it. It’s a satire, certainly, but with a great amount of flesh and blood.
The Temperamentals, by Jon Marans, is a bit of an academic slog through the machinations of The Mattachine Society, the first gay political organization in the United States formed in the late 1940’s. It was interesting, but very presentational—“Then this happened, then that happened, etc.” Never my favorite form for a play. But you have to give it to these guys---they put their necks out there, in Los Angeles, forging the first group for the rights of gay people. So, you know, hats (and sometimes frilly ones at that) off to The Mattachine Society and Jon Marans and everyone involved in the production, especially the very talented and eyeful Michael Urie from Ugly Betty.
4)Heading to Boston tomorrow for an overnighter to show Tufts to one of my oldest friends’ daughter. Okay, we’re old now. Fine. Great school. I enjoyed it. Kind of like if Dartmouth and B.U. had a baby together.
5)People in Los Angeles are not as pushy and greedy as New Yorkers because they are already in a more Garden-of-Eden setting. Why push when you’re already there?
6)New York is covered with daffodils. Lovely.
7)Piss. It warms up in New York and you start to smell the piss.
8)I need a haircut, like a serious one.
9)I haven’t had a drink or any weed in three weeks. It’s incredible. I’ve lost weight and my head is very clear. Once in a while I get a little blue and I think, “Sure wouldn’t mind a drink or something—“ but then, it passes and there I am. Just decided to stop for thirty days. Wanted to hit the reset button. It was a hard winter and wine is cheap in Queens. It’s really not a Lent thing. But maybe it should be even though I don’t care about Lent. Maybe we should do Lent things like two or three times every year. Gives you perspective. Call it Lentil. I love lentils.
10)I wish all my friends a very healthy mind and body. There is going to be so much more attack from the Right about this healthcare thing. I have friends on the Right, oh yes I do. And I keep asking them to calm down. We Lefties got through the Iraq War, they can get through a little bit o’ Health Care for all. It’s all going to be fine. When did the United States of America become such a land-o-drama-queens? The good news for everyone? That pendulum just keeps swinging. As of the last fifty years, the Republicans take care of the wars and the Democrats take care of the domestic issues. This is how we do it and apparently, both things need attention. As for me, I look forward to a world with many fewer wars and many fewer Republicans. Unless, of course, these Republicans are really interesting thinkers, give lots of money to the arts and never vote.
1) Healthcare. Love it or hate it---it’s a big deal, a game changer, the thing I have been waiting for (not in this exact form) and, well, we got something through. The Republicans are acting like this is the end of the world. I wonder why Republicans even run for government office since they hate government so much. It’s like--I would never try to get a job in Football. Why do they take jobs in Washington D.C. when they hate the idea of government doing anything? I do not understand it. I am thrilled that Obama got this through. And let’s face it—Nancy Pelosi is a wild animal. All the fears that this is going to hurt the Dems in November are unfounded for two reasons. A) November is a long time away and B) People are going to like this once they get used to the idea. Congratulations. CHANGE has happened. Now the President can focus on jobs. Here he goes.
2)Rain coming.
3)I saw a few things. Here are the small reviews.
Greenberg, a film by Noah Baumbach, is kind of good. I like the LA-ness of it. It shows LA to be a sweet city, which it is. Oddly, LA can be a very tender place. Ben Stiller is enjoyable. This movie isn’t for everyone. You can rent it soon enough, I am sure.
Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris, directed by Pam MacKinnon, is a brilliant play. Too bad it closed today because you really should see it. Smart and hilarious, about the same house in a neighborhood that is turning White to Black in 1959 and now Black to White in 2010. It’s about race, sure, but it’s also about how slow people are to change, ever. Smart smart funny. Two great lines: “Why is a tampon like a White woman? Because they’re both stuck up cunts.” And “What’s long and hard on a black man? The First Grade.” No one comes out unscathed. Bruce Norris, you’re a dog! If this goes to Broadway, or shows up at a regional theater near you, go see it. It’s a satire, certainly, but with a great amount of flesh and blood.
The Temperamentals, by Jon Marans, is a bit of an academic slog through the machinations of The Mattachine Society, the first gay political organization in the United States formed in the late 1940’s. It was interesting, but very presentational—“Then this happened, then that happened, etc.” Never my favorite form for a play. But you have to give it to these guys---they put their necks out there, in Los Angeles, forging the first group for the rights of gay people. So, you know, hats (and sometimes frilly ones at that) off to The Mattachine Society and Jon Marans and everyone involved in the production, especially the very talented and eyeful Michael Urie from Ugly Betty.
4)Heading to Boston tomorrow for an overnighter to show Tufts to one of my oldest friends’ daughter. Okay, we’re old now. Fine. Great school. I enjoyed it. Kind of like if Dartmouth and B.U. had a baby together.
5)People in Los Angeles are not as pushy and greedy as New Yorkers because they are already in a more Garden-of-Eden setting. Why push when you’re already there?
6)New York is covered with daffodils. Lovely.
7)Piss. It warms up in New York and you start to smell the piss.
8)I need a haircut, like a serious one.
9)I haven’t had a drink or any weed in three weeks. It’s incredible. I’ve lost weight and my head is very clear. Once in a while I get a little blue and I think, “Sure wouldn’t mind a drink or something—“ but then, it passes and there I am. Just decided to stop for thirty days. Wanted to hit the reset button. It was a hard winter and wine is cheap in Queens. It’s really not a Lent thing. But maybe it should be even though I don’t care about Lent. Maybe we should do Lent things like two or three times every year. Gives you perspective. Call it Lentil. I love lentils.
10)I wish all my friends a very healthy mind and body. There is going to be so much more attack from the Right about this healthcare thing. I have friends on the Right, oh yes I do. And I keep asking them to calm down. We Lefties got through the Iraq War, they can get through a little bit o’ Health Care for all. It’s all going to be fine. When did the United States of America become such a land-o-drama-queens? The good news for everyone? That pendulum just keeps swinging. As of the last fifty years, the Republicans take care of the wars and the Democrats take care of the domestic issues. This is how we do it and apparently, both things need attention. As for me, I look forward to a world with many fewer wars and many fewer Republicans. Unless, of course, these Republicans are really interesting thinkers, give lots of money to the arts and never vote.
Labels:
Social Studies,
Stage and Screen
Friday, March 19, 2010
Just Waiting
I want this health care bill to pass. However, I have to NOT focus on it. We must wait.
I am, optimistically, in a state of trust.
And if it passes and we move forward, great.
But if we don’t pass it, that might be fine, too…because so many people will go uninsured, the government will have no choice but to pass universal health care. And maybe that’s the best thing that could happen.
If it does not pass, in order to speed things up I do believe the best thing for everyone to do will be to simply stop paying for health insurance, or to opt out of the plan provided by your employer. To simply say, “No to health care,” as it is. Chances are, we’ll get universal coverage after that.
I am, optimistically, in a state of trust.
And if it passes and we move forward, great.
But if we don’t pass it, that might be fine, too…because so many people will go uninsured, the government will have no choice but to pass universal health care. And maybe that’s the best thing that could happen.
If it does not pass, in order to speed things up I do believe the best thing for everyone to do will be to simply stop paying for health insurance, or to opt out of the plan provided by your employer. To simply say, “No to health care,” as it is. Chances are, we’ll get universal coverage after that.
Labels:
Social Studies
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
I Happened Upon the Parade
Call it the Luck of the Irish, I happened upon the St. Patrick's Day Parade today on Fifth Avenue. I was on the Upper East Side, heading over to the park when, Faith and Begorrah, there it was!
It was almost six o'clock. I found that to be sort of strange. But I guess they do it toward the end of the day if it's during the week. I called me Da and wished him a good one.
This country is loaded with the Irish, we just have to celebrate. And though to look at me you'd never know I was 3/8 Irish, the truth is I am and I love the whole idea.
I especially love the bagpipes. Joyful and sad at once? Yes, that's Ireland.
Hope you had a big dish of corned beef and cabbage. We ate at an Italian restaurant and saw the play A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury. Diverting but not essential.
May the wind always be at your back...etc., etc.
It was almost six o'clock. I found that to be sort of strange. But I guess they do it toward the end of the day if it's during the week. I called me Da and wished him a good one.
This country is loaded with the Irish, we just have to celebrate. And though to look at me you'd never know I was 3/8 Irish, the truth is I am and I love the whole idea.
I especially love the bagpipes. Joyful and sad at once? Yes, that's Ireland.
Hope you had a big dish of corned beef and cabbage. We ate at an Italian restaurant and saw the play A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury. Diverting but not essential.
May the wind always be at your back...etc., etc.
Labels:
New York,
Stage and Screen
Monday, March 15, 2010
Really?
There is a quote, and I will have to paraphrase. It was something Jackie Coogan said after he was cast as Uncle Fester on The Adam's Family. For those who do not know, Jackie Coogan was a child star in the 20's. He had the largest box office draw of the era. Anyway, he was that, and then later on, he was cast as Uncle Fester. And when he got the role, in a state of shamed exasperation he said, "I was the most beautiful child in America. Now, I'm a hideous monster."
I brought this up to Adam, because you know how you get when you're in your forties and you're just feeling fucking puffy-- and he said, "Well, you weren't the cutest child but you also aren't a hideous monster."
Oh, to be in the middle, surrounded by sane people...
And at almost five years old, I could guess my future and all I could say was, "Really?"
I brought this up to Adam, because you know how you get when you're in your forties and you're just feeling fucking puffy-- and he said, "Well, you weren't the cutest child but you also aren't a hideous monster."
Oh, to be in the middle, surrounded by sane people...
And at almost five years old, I could guess my future and all I could say was, "Really?"
Labels:
Journal
Happy 70th Birthday to my Mother
We came to Florida this weekend to celebrate my mother's 70th Birthday. It was completely enjoyable. Janet Rita Porcello Cummings. Born in 1940. Now, 70 years old. Can you imagine? This picture is from before I was born.
Spent the weekend scanning every old picture I could get my hands on, watched the ancient home movies (partially water damaged. Friends---transfer your stuff to DVD today)...and just had a generally enjoyable time in very pleasant weather.
I was talking to Adam and I said, "Life is incredible, but time passing is very sad to me."
He does not have that experience.
Probably because I'm Irish--
Happy Birthday Mom.
Spent the weekend scanning every old picture I could get my hands on, watched the ancient home movies (partially water damaged. Friends---transfer your stuff to DVD today)...and just had a generally enjoyable time in very pleasant weather.
I was talking to Adam and I said, "Life is incredible, but time passing is very sad to me."
He does not have that experience.
Probably because I'm Irish--
Happy Birthday Mom.
Labels:
Home n Hearth,
Journal
Thursday, March 11, 2010
I Remember the Blender
Adam, my Recognized-by-the-State-of-California-Domestic-Partner, and I are traveling to Florida in the morning to spend a longish weekend with my parents for my mother’s 70th birthday.
I remember when my mother turned 29 and we all chipped in and bought her a blender. Chop, liquefy, stir, etc.—those colorful buttons.
I thought it was weird. It felt so impersonal. Like, why would anyone want a blender for their birthday? Also, it was the first blender we ever had, so I was kind of excited. But it did seem like the wrong gift at the wrong time.
We had it for years.
I often think of my mother’s 29th birthday whenever March 14 rolls around. We were all so incredibly young. I was just getting a little bit of life’s understanding into my head.
What probably stuck most of all was how my mother opened the gift and on some level was disappointed but she put on a cheery response so we would not be disappointed. A very generous thing to do.
This year, we’re giving her money.
I remember when my mother turned 29 and we all chipped in and bought her a blender. Chop, liquefy, stir, etc.—those colorful buttons.
I thought it was weird. It felt so impersonal. Like, why would anyone want a blender for their birthday? Also, it was the first blender we ever had, so I was kind of excited. But it did seem like the wrong gift at the wrong time.
We had it for years.
I often think of my mother’s 29th birthday whenever March 14 rolls around. We were all so incredibly young. I was just getting a little bit of life’s understanding into my head.
What probably stuck most of all was how my mother opened the gift and on some level was disappointed but she put on a cheery response so we would not be disappointed. A very generous thing to do.
This year, we’re giving her money.
Labels:
Journal
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Easter Myth?
You see this after three months of hellish winter and you totally begin to believe in the resurrection. There are no atheists in foxholes. There are no nonbelievers in Queens.
Look at gorgeous life slamming through fetid brown death.
I am grateful. Let's rise.
Labels:
Momma Earth
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Inwood Hill Park
I would have loved to have spotted lynx or fox or black bear. But it was mostly squirrels, dogs and people. This park, if you haven't been, is quite something. It's at the northern tip of Manhattan, the only original forest on the island and it's a mountain of a place. This is where the Harlem River meets the majestic Hudson. Across the rail bridge is The Bronx. That's the Amtrak line to Montreal. The Palisades on the other side of the Hudson River, that's the eastern edge of New Jersey.
Why do I post this? Because I like nature, okay? Okay. Fabulous that this huge park exists.
Labels:
Momma Earth,
New York
Monday, March 08, 2010
Veal Oscar
I love the Oscars. I love movies. I am completely unoriginal.
And being a Hollywood person, of sorts, I know some of the people in the audience, and some of the people working there, too. All of it. So it feels like the yearly homecoming, though I admit that is a stretch.
But this year, we watched the broadcast in NEW JERSEY! The damn thing wasn’t over until midnight! How can this be?!
I have memories of my younger days (when they called me Delta Dawn?)—I remember not making it to the end, the best part. You would hear about the winners the next morning. Of course, this was on the east coast, too.
Or is it East Coast?
I have a bit of a German take on Nouns and their Modifiers.
But back to the Oscars. The title of this piece is Veal Oscar because it’s a little bit fun, a non sequitur, certainly (an homage to Steve Martin’s quick wit) and I do eat veal. Sorry, I eat veal, I just do. It’s wrong, but I do it.
Oscars: I don’t care about dresses and things like that. But this event is our American pomp and glamour. It’s our yearly parade of some sort of Royalty. People crave it—something to do with the pecking order. Most of us are Beta dogs and we need the Alphas out there. And in these modern times, since machines are doing most of the work, our Alphas are the graceful, pretty animals who look good doing things. It’s Biology (stop judging it as vapid, you New York Times, you!)—we are doggies.
I do not watch the Grammys or the Emmys. I sometimes catch the Tonys because I like how homespun they are.
But I would never miss the Oscars.
The worst one was when poor Chris Rock hosted a Survivor-style show in 2005, with “contestants” standing on strange far flung platforms and they were basically voted off. Grotesque.
I liked the Oscar shows when they were hosted by Steve Martin, alone, the most.
But tonight, overall, was a fine one. No surprises, really. That strange red-headed producer woman, Elinor Burkett, was a sad case of horrible manners, interrupting the director of the best documentary short. Meds? Low on Meds? Or just plain rough and tumble?
Sandra Bullock, we went to the same acting school, though I think she is a better actor than I ever was. Don’t you? She gave a funny, smart speech. I would give her the award for, “Really a fantastic performance in a movie I don’t think I would ever naturally see unless I was tied down with toothpicks in my eyelids while someone rolled the DVD---unless I had heard how great she was in it and she was and so the Veal Oscar happily goes to spunky, right-on Sandra.”
Oscars---can’t wait ‘til next year.
And being a Hollywood person, of sorts, I know some of the people in the audience, and some of the people working there, too. All of it. So it feels like the yearly homecoming, though I admit that is a stretch.
But this year, we watched the broadcast in NEW JERSEY! The damn thing wasn’t over until midnight! How can this be?!
I have memories of my younger days (when they called me Delta Dawn?)—I remember not making it to the end, the best part. You would hear about the winners the next morning. Of course, this was on the east coast, too.
Or is it East Coast?
I have a bit of a German take on Nouns and their Modifiers.
But back to the Oscars. The title of this piece is Veal Oscar because it’s a little bit fun, a non sequitur, certainly (an homage to Steve Martin’s quick wit) and I do eat veal. Sorry, I eat veal, I just do. It’s wrong, but I do it.
Oscars: I don’t care about dresses and things like that. But this event is our American pomp and glamour. It’s our yearly parade of some sort of Royalty. People crave it—something to do with the pecking order. Most of us are Beta dogs and we need the Alphas out there. And in these modern times, since machines are doing most of the work, our Alphas are the graceful, pretty animals who look good doing things. It’s Biology (stop judging it as vapid, you New York Times, you!)—we are doggies.
I do not watch the Grammys or the Emmys. I sometimes catch the Tonys because I like how homespun they are.
But I would never miss the Oscars.
The worst one was when poor Chris Rock hosted a Survivor-style show in 2005, with “contestants” standing on strange far flung platforms and they were basically voted off. Grotesque.
I liked the Oscar shows when they were hosted by Steve Martin, alone, the most.
But tonight, overall, was a fine one. No surprises, really. That strange red-headed producer woman, Elinor Burkett, was a sad case of horrible manners, interrupting the director of the best documentary short. Meds? Low on Meds? Or just plain rough and tumble?
Sandra Bullock, we went to the same acting school, though I think she is a better actor than I ever was. Don’t you? She gave a funny, smart speech. I would give her the award for, “Really a fantastic performance in a movie I don’t think I would ever naturally see unless I was tied down with toothpicks in my eyelids while someone rolled the DVD---unless I had heard how great she was in it and she was and so the Veal Oscar happily goes to spunky, right-on Sandra.”
Oscars---can’t wait ‘til next year.
Labels:
Stage and Screen
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Wheat and Corn
Change is extremely important and we need it now more than ever.
At one time, there was a need to subsidize farmers so they could get through the lean years. Now, farms are corporate and they do not need help from the government. But the government is slow to change. And the corporate farms act like corporations, naturally, so they only care about the bottom line. And what is cheaper to grow? Rows and rows of Wheat and Corn? Or green, leafy, healthy vegetables?
Okay, there is your answer. And the nation gets fatter and fatter on bread and corn syrup. And the government abets this rotundity. We are basically a nation of hogs eating freshly toasted frozen waffles covered with Log Cabin imitation syrup. The corporations are making money and they are killing us.
Oddly, it’s the worst side of communism. The peasants are being fed by cheap, collective government controlled farms.
But in our case, these government subsidized corporations are keeping people barely alive on grain so they can be enslaved and any extra money the slaves make is used to buy plastic shit from China from which American corporations profit (at least at the retail level) mightily.
Yes, it’s The Matrix.
Vote with your mouth. Stop eating wheat and corn. Steam that spinach. Go for a walk.
At one time, there was a need to subsidize farmers so they could get through the lean years. Now, farms are corporate and they do not need help from the government. But the government is slow to change. And the corporate farms act like corporations, naturally, so they only care about the bottom line. And what is cheaper to grow? Rows and rows of Wheat and Corn? Or green, leafy, healthy vegetables?
Okay, there is your answer. And the nation gets fatter and fatter on bread and corn syrup. And the government abets this rotundity. We are basically a nation of hogs eating freshly toasted frozen waffles covered with Log Cabin imitation syrup. The corporations are making money and they are killing us.
Oddly, it’s the worst side of communism. The peasants are being fed by cheap, collective government controlled farms.
But in our case, these government subsidized corporations are keeping people barely alive on grain so they can be enslaved and any extra money the slaves make is used to buy plastic shit from China from which American corporations profit (at least at the retail level) mightily.
Yes, it’s The Matrix.
Vote with your mouth. Stop eating wheat and corn. Steam that spinach. Go for a walk.
Labels:
Momma Earth,
Social Studies
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Ideas and a mini-Review: The White Ribbon
If you like your German movies oppressive and gorgeous (like I do), you’ll love The White Ribbon. This is the big foreign language movie of the American Oscar Season. It’s a bit heavy handed, but hell, it’s Germany! Just before WWI. Victoriana is giving over to the modern era. The moral code is still based on God and farming, but the modern souls are trying to break out. It’s like Spring Awakening, without the music. The cinematography is outrageously stark. Loved it. Many characters---the baron, the steward, the priest, the doctor, all of them mean. Either they’re berating someone or fingering their daughter. But what has really changed? Lots of weird crimes going on in the town and the adults can’t figure out who the hell is the perpetrator. Could it be the kids?
For my Deutsch Marks, though, I would rent I’m Not Scared. It is also gorgeous, but the story is clearer and the children, yep, they are getting pounded on, too. Plus, it’s Italian. But The White Ribbon is worth seeing if you really love movies that are visually in the top 1% and you have a love for discipline.
On Iraq becoming a democracy: I always thought the Bushies were onto something parading into Iraq for regime change. I mean, sure, have your big wet Neo-con dream. But why lie to us about the WMD in the trucks? It’s still so insulting. Patriarchal monsters, those guys were.
A friend of mine was talking about making cool films, you know, arty shit. I say, fuck arty shit, give me Arty Johnson.
Quote that I want to throw away: I hold onto my disappointment like a lover.
Tea. It’s all about tea right now.
For my Deutsch Marks, though, I would rent I’m Not Scared. It is also gorgeous, but the story is clearer and the children, yep, they are getting pounded on, too. Plus, it’s Italian. But The White Ribbon is worth seeing if you really love movies that are visually in the top 1% and you have a love for discipline.
On Iraq becoming a democracy: I always thought the Bushies were onto something parading into Iraq for regime change. I mean, sure, have your big wet Neo-con dream. But why lie to us about the WMD in the trucks? It’s still so insulting. Patriarchal monsters, those guys were.
A friend of mine was talking about making cool films, you know, arty shit. I say, fuck arty shit, give me Arty Johnson.
Quote that I want to throw away: I hold onto my disappointment like a lover.
Tea. It’s all about tea right now.
Labels:
Internal Memo,
Stage and Screen
List of Spring
1. There have been well over 125,000 flights canceled so far this year. YAY! Isn’t this Mother Nature’s way of setting things a little bit straight? Less flights, less pollution, less global warming. It’s a homeostasis thing. Momma Nature lives! (Slow Down people. Look at each other.)
2. Google is taking over the planet. Let it. WiFi from Google, coming to you soon.
3. I drink too much. I stopped. I don’t want to think I’m an alcoholic, but if I am, well, I wouldn’t be the first. Imagine that? A writer-drunk. How original. But, I have to say, not drinking is easy, too. It’s the damn pot and cigarettes I start to grab after the wine. Where there’s no wine, there’s no smoke. And healthy feelings reign. Clear head. Good memory. Light on the hill. Less bloat. More natural feelings. Truth is---the real deal is---I’m probably on the cusp of something bad, but I have pulled back. Let’s see if I can be adult about this.
4. New York City is loaded with financiers, bankers, etc. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, really doesn’t matter. I just don’t get ‘em. I mean, I like numbers and all. But I imagine these people pulling levers all day long (okay, pressing buttons…okay, I don’t know how they do it)—and they get a new sofa or car while some kid dies in a diamond mine. It seems that simple to me. They have that trout-on-ice look, too. What’s wrong with being middle class and having it be supported by local living? And isn’t it strange that the little island of Manhattan (below 86th Street) is perfectly small so it creates incredible competition? What a geographical manifestation.
5. How about that bury-able toilet bag someone invented? It’s good for fertilizer. I was shocked to learn that 40% of the world’s population has no access to a toilet. Luckily, the same 40% cannot afford Mexican food. Ba dump bump. We’re here all week. How’s your fajitas?
6. I need a dog. But I don’t have to have one.
7. Blogging is better than many other things.
8. I still think Valerie Harper needs more viewers. Go see LOOPED.
9. I need new shoes. I have plenty of money to go buy them. Why don’t I? Am I waiting for my feet to get bigger? Or smaller? What is it with shoes and me? In fact, why do I hate to shop for clothes so much? I am just a total guy about this. I feel so not-gay when it comes to clothes and shoes. But I do feel better in nice, working clothes. I need a push.
10. #10 is for you. What is it?
This blog entry, and others like it, is from www.opentrench.blogspot.com
2. Google is taking over the planet. Let it. WiFi from Google, coming to you soon.
3. I drink too much. I stopped. I don’t want to think I’m an alcoholic, but if I am, well, I wouldn’t be the first. Imagine that? A writer-drunk. How original. But, I have to say, not drinking is easy, too. It’s the damn pot and cigarettes I start to grab after the wine. Where there’s no wine, there’s no smoke. And healthy feelings reign. Clear head. Good memory. Light on the hill. Less bloat. More natural feelings. Truth is---the real deal is---I’m probably on the cusp of something bad, but I have pulled back. Let’s see if I can be adult about this.
4. New York City is loaded with financiers, bankers, etc. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, really doesn’t matter. I just don’t get ‘em. I mean, I like numbers and all. But I imagine these people pulling levers all day long (okay, pressing buttons…okay, I don’t know how they do it)—and they get a new sofa or car while some kid dies in a diamond mine. It seems that simple to me. They have that trout-on-ice look, too. What’s wrong with being middle class and having it be supported by local living? And isn’t it strange that the little island of Manhattan (below 86th Street) is perfectly small so it creates incredible competition? What a geographical manifestation.
5. How about that bury-able toilet bag someone invented? It’s good for fertilizer. I was shocked to learn that 40% of the world’s population has no access to a toilet. Luckily, the same 40% cannot afford Mexican food. Ba dump bump. We’re here all week. How’s your fajitas?
6. I need a dog. But I don’t have to have one.
7. Blogging is better than many other things.
8. I still think Valerie Harper needs more viewers. Go see LOOPED.
9. I need new shoes. I have plenty of money to go buy them. Why don’t I? Am I waiting for my feet to get bigger? Or smaller? What is it with shoes and me? In fact, why do I hate to shop for clothes so much? I am just a total guy about this. I feel so not-gay when it comes to clothes and shoes. But I do feel better in nice, working clothes. I need a push.
10. #10 is for you. What is it?
This blog entry, and others like it, is from www.opentrench.blogspot.com
Labels:
Internal Memo
Monday, March 01, 2010
Los Angeles It's Rough
Friends--early March in New York here. And I bring you:
Labels:
Travel
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