johnozed

Yes it’s Monday again. As if you didn’t know that already. Granted maybe you’ve just stumbled into this blog and if that’s the case, please take your shoes off and leave them in the hallway. I know everyone else has their shoes on, but they were here first and it’s a new rule. Oh don’t give me that look. It’s not like it’s Ciara’s birthday. Who’s Ciara? You got me. Just pulled it out of a hat. Maybe Ciara is just bait, or better yet, chum. We’ll see about that soon enough. But it’s Monday like I said, big whoop.

Last night Bill was here. He was exhausted and thought he was coming down with something. He plopped on the couch and after an hour he went from a sniffle to being a full blown head of mucous. Poor thing didn’t last too long after that. Not even the brownies I baked for him could keep him awake and you know he tried by eating half the pan. I didn’t like them and I figured out it wasn’t the eggs last time, it wasn’t the mixing bowl, made in China, which I threw out. No, it’s either the cooking spray I used, or quite possibly the Pillsbury brownie mix. Bill liked them enough, and like I said I didn’t.

I watched Curb Your Enthusiasm and of course felt Larry David is an asshole. A funny asshole, but an asshole nonetheless. Certainly makes me uncomfortable to watch yet I do watch every chance I can. It is like watching an R rated Seinfeld episode sometimes. Then I watched a bit of a documentary on World War 2 again. There really was nothing else on. I was waiting for the news at 11:00 and that was not worth waiting for. Not at all.

I woke up next to Bill, who’s forehead was quite warm. He wasn’t going to work today, and he sounded terrible. I had to go to work and I did my thing. Soon I was bending over the bed, checking Bill’s temperature once again, still warm. I gave him a peck on the cheek and then I was on the street recovering the building’s garbage cans which were scattered up and down the block. I don’t know if anyone would have done it if I didn’t. I do it most days anyhow and never tried to find out. Perhaps tomorrow I will.

Got into the city in no time and spotted a replica of the Taj Mahal in Bryant Park. The next few days are Indian cultural days hence the replica. I made my way to the office passing many police on most corners and big bodyguards in suits outside the various hotels I walked by. I would have taken some pictures but they were fairly intimidating. I do plan to take some tomorrow if I have the nerve. All over the east side of midtown there were police, guards and protesters.

Yellow school buses parked in front of my office building unloading hundreds of yarmulke wearing boys and girls wearing clothes that covered most of their bodies. They were all headed to Dag Hammarskjold park to protest the president of Iran coming to town and to state that Israel was not going anywhere. Forget about the displaced Palestinians, fuck them in fact. No, Israel having been set up almost 60 years ago has earned the right to bully and squash anyone who disagrees with them.

There were a few other protesters lounging about, having screamed what they wanted to say, like ’10 out of 10 terrorists recommend voting for the democrats’. Fat fucking Faux news watchers I call them. What do you call them, Ciara?

Here’s some pics.

The Taj Mahal replica

street scene 50th and Lexington

NYPD Watch tower and antennae 50th and Park

Handsome guy

Here Come the police

another cute dude

Guardian Angles (Curtis Sliwa is at the front waving to people who aren’t waving to him)

Vietnamese protestors

Buddhist monk next to a christian for Israel

The terrorist’s favorite pollster

The first place I worked at in Manhattan 25 years ago, loading dock for 757 Third Avenue

Sunday Sunday Sunday. No churchy la femme for me. A beautiful day though. Comfortable, around 70 degrees, blue cloudless sky. It almost makes me think somethings going to happen. Perhaps that a hangover from 9/11. Nice days mean trouble. Low flying planes mean trouble. That guy on the street over there means trouble. I go looking for trouble and I just have to open my eyes. Nah, it’s not that bad. So far today has been a trouble free day. Of course I haven’t turned on the news, but it’s a day of sports so the news might not be on at 6:00.

Last night I did very little. I watched Jesus Camp, which I rented through Netflix. I forgot it was in my queue and I watched it. It was pretty creepy this woman out in the Midwest preparing young children to start a christian jihad and to praise a cardboard cut out (at least I think it was. Who can tell?) of the chimp in charge. Oh these kids, towing the line, speaking in tongues. I was relatively religious when I was a kid, going to catholic school and all, but obviously I grew out of that, thanks to my catholic schooling. One year in high school I had to write a paper on the Lutheran religion. And I found myself agreeing with a lot of what Martin Luther had written. That threw my catholicism headed towards doubt. Then as I went through life, thinking for myself and meeting different people with different ideas and backgrounds made me wonder if none of us were right.

Jesus Camp is worth seeing if only to see Ted Haggard, famed for his Monday morning phone calls with the chimp in charge as well as buying crystal methamphetamine and soliciting a male escort. It’s the creepiest!

I wound up watching Nature on PBS. It was about Hippos in Africa, as if they would be anywhere else. Interesting show, had no idea that hippos were so aggressive, and not the pink dancing hippos doing ballet in tu tu’s. They can run and spend a lot of time under water. They are impressive creatures and I would get out of they’re way should a pod of them come headed in your direction.

Then I got sucked into watching How The Earth Was Made on the History Channel. I never watch the history channel so I guess I’m bound to repeat it. Narrated by Edward Herrman, I was totally taken in. Of course, me being skeptical I kept in mind that it’s all guess work, and by guess work it’s theory. To describe something happening 1.5 Billion years ago, how this happened and what that as like, in this day and age with the equipment we have now, we don’t really know. I believe it more than creationism (duh) but geological history from way way way way way etc back then, I don’t think we could really know.

It’s the same thing with the Universe. We don’t know. Our tiny minds on this planet, guessing what’s going on many light years away, we don’t have a clue. The theories are better than nothing but subject to change. I do believe that everything is connected, every thing, every one, everywhere is related. From rocks to plants to animals to air to space to planets, it flows on within you and without you. Oh so groovy like.

It’s funny, watching the Earth show on the History Channel that when they go from something occurring 1 billion years ago to something 100 Million years ago, I think ‘oh that was so recent.’ Like it was last year or so.

Here’s is a link for Keith Olbermann, who sometimes I can’t take. I do think he’s right on the money on this one though (he usually is on the money, but his delivery can be so Keith Olbermann). It has a video and a transcript of the video.
Cut n’ paste

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20896378/

Today is the first day of Autumn.

Saturday. It seems I write that a lot. Can’t say it’s been a lazy Saturday because it hasn’t been. Been busy. Up at 9:00 and out at 9:30 to help Bill out with something at the post office, though in retrospect he could have done it by himself. But being retrospective is so overrated sometimes that it’s not worth a mention, but now it’s too late since I’ve mentioned it already. Bill and I parted ways outside the post office, he headed into the city, me back to the apartment after one or two stops.

Last night I was just chilling at home, watching TV. Wound up watching the Song Remains The Same. The Led Zeppelin In Concert movie with dreadful flights of fancy for each member of the band. Robert Plant as a knight of sorts, Jimmy Page as a wizard. No wait an old man. No wait. Cheesy effects definitely aimed at a midnight movie crowd tripping on acid. Bill came home towards the end and was amazed at the size of the outline of Robert Plant’s cock. When life gives you lemons, squeeze the lemon till the juice drips down your leg. Or make lemonade. One or the other. Or both.

Bill Maher was on after that and it was entertaining somewhat. Bill Maher did score points with me describing his atheism as rationalism. I think it was around the results of a poll this week about a certain percentage of eligible voters would not vote for a candidate that didn’t believe in a higher power, aka god. Maher flipped it and said how can you vote for a candidate that believes in this invisible mythical being? If one believes in judgment day should they be put in a position to actually bring about judgment day? After all that thinking I was tired and went to bed.

I came home after parting ways with Bill, had some breakfast and started doing some chores, laundry and getting the ladder from Julio. I went downstairs and talked to Stine for a few minutes and came back with a ladder. Soon enough I was on top of that ladder trying to figure out how to open the light fixture. Normally Julio would be watching initially then fed up with my ineptitude, would yell at me, telling me to get off the ladder while he did the work. Alas, there was no Julio, just sweaty me. I finally figured out how to get the fixture open only to find, not 4 fluorescent bulbs to be changed, but 2. 2 U shaped light bulbs about 2 feet long.

I did what Julio mentioned last night, about taking the lights from the fixture that works and using them in the other one to see if it’s the lights or the fixture that needs changing. I had to do that a could of times, not that I mixed up what light bulbs worked or not, just to give myself some peace of mind. It suddenly started to rain outside so I just waited for it to rain before I headed to the hardware store. I was smart enough to write down what I needed since my mind usually gets erased when I go to hardware stores. I didn’t see the bulbs on the floor or on display so I had to ask for them. Very hush hush cold war stuff which is timely since that’s the mindset of this country these days.

It took awhile but I got the job done and didn’t fall off the ladder once. So it was the lights that needed changing, the fixture is fine. I also learned that one light won’t work by itself, you need two. Is that a metaphor?

And now we know the answer to the question. One.

It’s Friday! It’s Yom Kippur! Atone for your sins! Do it now, I can wait! Done yet? Jeezy Creezy, you got a lot on your chest, of this I am sure. It was a good day, though here was tremendous difficulty waking up this morning. Just felt so good to be sleeping and aware that I was sleeping. But I had to get up and I woke up to a great song, Kiss on My List by Hall and Oates. A great pop song, gets it’s happiness across quite nicely. Ok hopefully you are done with your atoning, but if you were actually observing Yom Kippur, you wouldn’t be reading this until tomorrow. I think you’d be sitting in the dark because that is what god wants you to do. That is when god is not telling you what to eat, what to wear, who to sleep with, you know crap like that. Stuff that deities fill their days with, such busy bodies they be.

Last night, had a fun phone call from Harpy, editor emeritus. I’m serious, out of all five readers, Harpy really is the only one who comes through with ideas and suggestions. You can blame Harpy for not reading about my bagel intake anymore. Not that I wrote about it often, bagel eating that is. But Harpy did what he does best, he harped on it and I followed his lead, hence no more reading about bagels, though maybe over the weekend, since that’s when I get my bagels generally. Yes I still eat ‘em, I just don’t write about ‘em.

Got to work, only one in though Carla was in a half hour early. Half the office was out once again and it wasn’t for the holiday. I didn’t mind and neither did Carla. There was some work to be done and once again I was done with my tasks by 11:30. One of the tasks was to get some signs made for our elevator lobby, to let people know what company is on that floor. You know, stupid stuff. Since it is a financial company, it has to have some class and professionalism and that meant no glitter. It was a drag but thems the rules.

They didn’t say anything about elbow macaroni spray painted gold with cotton balls framing the edges. I figured Popsicle sticks would have been too over the top so I didn’t go that route. I made some dummy copies which were roundly rejected by anyone with half a brain. Dejected and rejected I searched online for a professional sign maker. I found one with a nice website in Chelsea and plotted the rest of my day.

I called first to make sure they were open and not closed for this the holiest day, and they were open. I decided to leave the office at 3:00 and head down to Chelsea, not returning to the office until Monday. The whole thing, including the subway ride took about 30 minutes and I was back in Hoboken at 4:00, not a bad way to start the weekend.

That’s about it for today. No really. Glad I was able to write this before sundown, aren’t you?

Here’s a video from Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon professor who just gave his final lecture, as he is dying of pancreatic cancer at age 46. His life lessons.

If you enjoyed Part One, follow the links to the following parts.

Thursday. Nothing special. Nothing really happened today. But you knew that since you are one of the five that reads this blog semi regularly. If only this was a hard copy you could read it on the toilet, but it’s not and that’s disgusting. Last night was cool, seeing Nick Lowe, seeing Linda again. I was reminded she can be a bit loopy sometimes, but aren’t we all? Say yes. Also took forever last night to post 2 youtube videos of ol’ Nick Lowe, so I posted one of Nick singing 7 Nights to Rock last night, posted What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace Love and Understanding this morning. I gave up since I was tired and coming down like helter skelter after only three pints of Guinness. At my age indeed. That’s the name of Nick Lowe’s last record.

Slept like a rock last night, and woke up refreshed, minimal internal voice whining about not wanting to go. I’m pretty sure my mood can be attributed to the change of seasons. This time of year you know. I never can seem to shake this sinking feeling so I just hold my breath as I go under again. Just a bit nerve wracked. Last night Greg Stevens hosted a meeting for some big wigs and I had to set up a conference call, but messed up. There were two passwords and I entered the wrong one. It may have made Greg look bad. I also messed up an earlier meeting for Greg when I got lunch for 5 a little too late. Like ’15 minutes before the meeting ended’ late. He would have every reason to be pissed off, or even angry since Greg Stevens isn’t the type to get pissed off. But he let it slide, letting me know next time to order the food earlier and let it sit if need be. Nice guy that Greg. His feathers don’t get ruffled too easily. He accepted my apology.

It’s was quite a warm day and being a few blocks away from the United Nations building the streets are getting tightened up, more control. The president of Iran wants to visit the World Trade Center site and lay a wreath in memoriam for the victims. Flash point! So many people are against it, I say let him go, just keep a close eye on him. And then there’s the bullshit about the MoveOn.org advert calling General Petraeus a liar. Oh the right wing are up in arms about that. So much shit going on and they’re afraid that mere words would harm a four star general. These fucking distractions.

And then there is Kathy Griffin who I am fairly ambivalent about, but found her Suck It Jesus comment after winning an Emmy award to be hilarious. And the religious right are greatly upset, spending $90,000 on an ad in USA Today complaining that once again christianity was under attack. Oh they’re on the ropes those christians. I expect them to be totally converted to atheism any day now. Forget about helping the poor and the sick and the homeless, because Jesus would have totally spent that money on an advert after being dissed by Kathy Griffin.

I think the world would be a much better place if all four Beatles were alive.

here’s a blast from the past.
I loved this when I was a kid. Totally bananas and surreal.
The Kid From Borneo

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Wednesday night. Just got home. Saw Nick Lowe at 7 World Trade Center. Last of the summer time concerts downtown. It’s been a crazy kind of day. Not bad crazy, no one wishing me a painful death or anything like that. Just busy, but it was more manageable than it was yesterday since Carla the receptionist came back from North Carolina today, looking somewhat refreshed and somewhat tan. A few meetings going on, signaling that the summer season for investment banking is over, and things are slowly picking up steam. I don’t mind. I have more things to do, more things than what I have had since I started working in April.

Last night, after I posted, bemoaning my fate, singing Bobby Vinton’s Mr. Lonely, Harpy called with words of support. Harpy reads the blog. Julio came by also, and he doesn’t read the blog. It was good to hear from Harpy and good to see Julio. Julio is going to lend me a ladder so I could fix a light fixture. That means, Julio will bring a ladder upstairs and he will fix whatever the problem is since he loves to do that sort of thing and knows I’m all thumbs when it comes to things like fixing stuff.

I had the foresight last week to remind myself that Nick Lowe was doing a free show tonight. For some reason I thought of Linda from McMann and Tate and sent her an email asking her if she would like to join me. To my surprise she replied and said she would love to join me. I hadn’t seen her since the holiday party so I was looking forward to it. Today seemed to be a day of faces from the past. At one point this afternoon I had to go to the bank and as I was crossing Park Avenue I ran into Brenda who I worked with at Wanker Banker and had cocktails with her a few weeks ago. That was a pleasant surprise and we chatted and strolled around for a few minutes.

Greg Stevens had a major big wig pow wow this evening at 5:00 so I stayed a little bit late to help set up, leaving before it ended so Carla could get some overtime and I could head downtown. Trains were messed up as usual so I was a little late. Somehow I was able to get phone reception at the Spring Street station and I called Linda to let her know I was running a bit late. We met up and she mentioned a few things about McMann and Tate, specifically that Mina Theta was asking for me. I told Linda she must have me confused with someone else since I never had more than three minutes of conversation with her, and that was at the holiday party right before I left. Linda got upset with my unhappy memory and decided to change the subject to nothing. I had to carry the rest of the conversation.

After a few pints we walked two blocks to 7 World Trade Center where the Holmes Brothers were finishing up their set. We walked around, Linda and I trying to find an unobstructed view. Found one that turned out to be right next to Dana Penny and Kathleen Kenney. Yes, those are their real names. They’ve been together for about twenty years or so. Old Hoboken heads from another life. It was a brief chat, introductions all around, then Nick Lowe started his set and they shut up.

Nick did a good set. I do miss him playing with a band but he did just fine on his own. A short set and I was home a little after 9:00. As I was getting my stuff together, I saw a familiar face, once bearded, now just a moustache. I figured if I was wrong, I would be wrong, so I took a chance and said, Doug Schwartz. It was Doug Schwartz who seemed surprised to see me, especially in a suit and tie. He looked good and we parted ways, Linda walking to her uptown train, me headed to the Path.

Bill at his folks, me at home, coming down from three pints of Guinness. Not so lonely after all.

Pics?

Linda and Me

Nick Lowe

NYC

hidden bonus vid

What’s So Funny (About Peace Love and Understanding?)