Archive for March, 2010

In the Pines

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Another day. Another Wednesday. Right now, the sun is shining. It hasn’t rained today. At least not since I’ve been awake. It was a pleasure to get out of the apartment without an umbrella. Last night was a monsoon though.

I stayed in and watched Lost which while good, was not as good as the previous week which was all about Richard Alpert and not Baba Ram Dass. It was enjoyable. I think Jack will become Jacob and Locke will be the Smoke Monster.

It certainly isn’t a comfortable show, not that it ever was, but with Sayid being an automaton, Sawyer double dealing, Kate hanging with the wrong crew, the Professor & Mary Ann getting it on, it seems a bit much.

6 more episodes left so I guess things should bet getting tied up soon enough. I did read somewhere, the Jacob and the Smoke Monster could be Cain & Abel. Or Thor & Loki. Or some other mythological characters.

After that instead of watching what I’ve usually been watching I watched Lawn Hors d’œuvre Criminal Malcontent. That was odd since Bill wasn’t around when it started at 10PM. It was one of the last episodes with Katheryn Erbe and Vincent D’onofrio.

Quite a surprising turn of events as well. I’d love to write about them here but I don’t want to be a spoiler. For once. Bill came home when there was 15 minutes left. Surprisingly though, Bill did not know that D’onofrio and Erbe would only be on for a few episodes this season, then it’s adios for them.

Off to bed for Bill and I joined him after watching Craig Ferguson. It was cold last night and I had to turn on the heater. We’ve been trying to keep things down. Slept better once it warmed up.

Bill was adorable as he kissed me good bye. I think he asked me what I was doing and all I could say was ‘sleeping’. In other words, ‘I love you but you had better leave me alone right now.’ I did get up a short while later and though the skies were gray I knew it would get better.

I walked around Hoboken, stopped by the Guitar Bar and made some arrangements with Jim to officiate the vows that we will do, more than likely on Saturday morning. In the Guitar Bar. I don’t have anything written and I don’t know if Bill does.

If need be I will have to wing it. Perhaps a belt of Irish whiskey will loosen my tongue beforehand. I could be like my Grandfather and just pour it in my coffee in the morning. Bill’s friend Tom will be our witness and maybe Tom’s wife.

After the Guitar Bar I walked along the riverfront and ran into Tariq, who was playing guitar. We talked for a while, and when he ran off to the bathroom I played his guitar, strumming quick versions of Please Please Me, All My Loving and So It Goes. Tariq was impressed.

I told him since tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day I might bring my guitar out there. He was going to be busking in Central Park with his pal, Steve who was the guy who was singing Sweet Melissa a few weeks ago. They make good money at 59th and Fifth.

Nice tourist spot and with the salt & pepper musicians, the Euro tourists will more than likely drop some cash on them.

I also heard from Pedro today. Always good to hear from him. He was complaining about his hillbilly neighbors and the fact that since he’s been on disability he has cabin fever. I thought I had it bad, but at least I’m in an area where if I needed to or wanted to I could head into the city for whatever.

He’s out there in the sticks and with the weather being what it was the past week or so, he was climbing the walls. So he’s going back to Riker’s Island just to get out of the house.

I think I figured out that when I see guys going home in the mid-afternoon, dressed in a suit & tie, they;re probably coming back from an interview.

Tariq

Tariq


Construction, a few building down the street

Construction, a few building down the street


Half A Person

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Tuesday. All is wet. I suppose Lodi is under water. I’ve read a few reports from Pravda, I mean Facebook that their homes and backyards are under water. I have a lot of sympathy for them and for my relatives who might find themselves in the same boat, no pun intended.

And it’s been raining hard today, coming down in sheets. I did make it outside twice. Once to the Guitar Bar where Jim was off so that was a wasted trip, but I was glad to make it outside. I enjoyed a cigar on my stroll. Not too many people out and about and I didn’t mind.

I also stopped by the bibliothèque where I was told something I had ordered was in but they couldn’t find it. I looked at the list online and it was listed as ‘fiction’ which is something I don’t really read. On closer inspection it turned out to be a VI Warshawski book and I’m not a reader of detective stories.

And I didn’t reserve it either so it’s just as well that it wasn’t there.

The past 24 hours have been a good time to be online, at least for me. The Ricky Martin coming out story has had me defending Ricky Martin, which I didn’t mind doing. A lot of gay guys were as usual catty about it, saying things like ‘as if we didn’t know’ and things along those lines.

I found myself on the Huffington Post replying to some person who wrote, ‘Should straight people get a press conference for their sexuality’. It was like a red flag to a bull.

I had to write back, “Why would a press conference for a straight person be necessary? It’s a straight world. Straight ads, movies and TV shows are everywhere. Coming out is not an easy thing to do and people do it in their own time, in their own way. Ricky Martin’s coming out is probably a dinner table discussion and someone somewhere is more than likely mustering up the courage to come out to their friends and/or families.”

Of course it didn’t end there. I re-posted the Huffington Post link onto my Facebook page and got a few responses. One friend, a nice guy, a right winger from Long Island who I know through some Facebook cigar groups had some problems with the whole Ricky Martin story.

Pete is the bloke’s name and we generally butt heads on some issues, but he’s a nice guy with good taste in cigars. He wrote that Ricky Martin was a flash in the pan and here in the US he might have been a one hit wonder, everywhere else in the world he was pretty much top of the pops.

Pete thought George Michael had the right idea, keep making music and not say anything about his sexuality until he was caught soliciting an undercover police officer in a restroom in Hollywood.

Pete replied, “I can respect that. But RM holding a press conference over it makes it seem like he just wanted the attention. Maybe I just see it in a different light because I never really cared about a person’s sexual orientation, only their character as a person. Is it one of those gay things that I wouldn’t understand?”

I had to set Pete straight, no pun intended again. Here is my full reply. Sorry if you read it on Facebook, but not everyone who reads this here blog is on Facebook.

I wrote: He didn’t have a press conference, he published an open letter in 2 newspapers. I think Ricky Martin’s way of coming out is a lot better than getting caught propositioning a police officer in the loo.

And yeah Pete, it is something that most straight people don’t ‘get’. Coming out for most gay people is a terrifying ordeal. I myself was outed at work and the next day, half of my friends were no longer my friend, even though I was still the same guy.

Another friend who is straight, back then was upset that I didn’t trust him enough to tell him directly. It’s a strange position to find yourself in, and with someone with a name like Ricky Martin, it can only help.

Picture a group of friends discussing RM, and one person says something disparaging, and another getting fed up and saying ‘You know what? I’m Gay etc.’ or maybe saying ‘You know what? My brother/sister etc is gay and that’s not cool.’

A similar situation happened to me, but I won’t get into that here.

Ricky Martin puts a friendly face (albeit an extremely handsome face) on being gay, and you know that can’t be bad.

To grow up and realizing you are gay when it flies in the face of this straight world we all reside in creates a feeling of total isolation. It is a reason why there are gay teen suicides. They can’t handle it.

I myself grew up hearing Faggot/Homo jokes around the dining room table, and when I realized what I was it was scary. Was I this freak, this horrible type that my family ridiculed and damned?

I had to live a double life from the age of 14 until I was 22. The terror of being found out forced me to live a lie. Lying to my family and to my friends achieved nothing but loathing and distrust.

I think I got my point across since Pete wrote back:
“Thanks for explaining it to me John. Maybe I won’t ever truly “get it” but I appreciate you giving me a really good explanation and I’m sorry that people that were your friend stopped being your friend over you being gay…that’s sad on their part. After all, as you said, you were the same person the day you were outed as you were the day before.

If it’s any consolation, I’d be more than honored to share a smoke and a drink with you if you’re ever on long island.”

I don’t plan on being on Long Island anytime soon but I like to think I got this one guy to think a little bit differently. So yes, Ricky Martin coming out of the closet is a good thing. A very good thing.

And also to quote Sinead O’Connor- FIGHT THE REAL ENEMY!

NOT THE REAL ENEMY

NOT THE REAL ENEMY


March 30 2010 Photo-0064

She Bang

Monday, March 29th, 2010

It’s a Monday and if you’re lucky enough to be employed you’re probably not happy about it. I remember when I was working, how I dreaded Mondays. Now all the days blend into one another and you can tell when it’s Monday when there are less people around. The usual downcast faces appear, coming in from the fog.

Just giving myself some poetic license.

It’s not foggy, but it has been rainy. I did go out a few times today, to the post office, to the Guitar Bar, the supermarket, as well as the bibliothèque twice.

Once to return Macbeth the DVD, the play and the Cliff Notes, the other time, just a few minutes ago to return Auntie Mame which I couldn’t watch since someone who may reside in Old Tappan might have scratched the disc. Right during the Christmas scene.

Jerry Herman would have pitched a fit! I need a little Christmas, right this very minute goddamn it! The candles are in the window and the spinet is in the shop but I’m sure we could use one of Bill’s keyboards.

I did get in return from the bibliothèque, Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. Never saw it but my curiosity was piqued when I saw that it was Brian Eno’s favorite movie. And Kubrick was a master filmmaker.

I have even put Eyes Wide Shut in my queue at the bibliothèque. I saw that in the theater but wasn’t that impressed, but it does deserve another look. I also caught a little bit of the ending of Rat Race this afternoon.

That was a date movie with Bill when we started going out. Silly little movie, John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg and quite a few other people. It’s ‘It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World’ for the 21st century just in case you thought this century was lacking one of those. We saw it when it came out in August 2001. It’s a goof.

Bill and I have been debating whether or not we’ve been together for 9 or 10 years. I say 9 and will be 10 in September. Bill says 10 now. We met in September 2000 you see.

And Thursday is the day we’re having Jim Mastro say those magic words for the sake of saying those magic words. The license office here in Hoboken needed a date and when I said July they said it had to be within 30 days.

So it’s just for the fact that we have to do it for the sake of the government.

I suppose in July, that is when we will actually have some vows written and said. I myself am leaning towards ‘A Whomp Bomp a Loo Bop, a Whomp Bam Boom’. I think it sums up our relationship quite nicely. I don’t know what Bill has to say on the matter or if he has anything to say regarding it.

I would like Maxwells to be the spot for our party. A Sunday afternoon, 12-4PM. Ideally it would be cool if Todd gave us the room for free. Cash bar out front, to discourage drunk driving and dancing, music and food in the back room.

That’s how I’m envisioning it. And I’m really hoping for it so much that I’ve written Maxwells instead of McSwells. I am going to have to talk to Todd soon, hat in hat and with humility.

And this just over the wire, Ricky Martin is out of the closet. Yes he’s admitted that he’s a fortunate homosexual. That’s nice. Can’t say I’m a fan of his music (though when he blew up the Grammys 12 years ago that was a thrill) but he certainly is someone easy on the eyes.

Well good luck to Ricky Martin, Salud!

Sorry Girls, He's Gay.

Sorry Girls, He's Gay.


Moving out in Hoboken. Police investigate.

Moving out in Hoboken. Police investigate.

I’ve Seen That Movie Too

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

This the second attempt at writing is underway. It’s been a day where things are a bit off. Bill rented a Zip Car since it’s the last day of the play Pecong and couldn’t find the key card which is usually in his wallet. I have have to confess my relief at not having anything to do with the missing card.

I did see the play last night, Pecong and it was an enjoyable show. Based on Medea and set in the West Indies. A few members of the audience did not know about Medea and so were surprised by the way things turned out.

A very good cast, wonderful lighting and an amusing and sometimes funny script kept the tragic events unfolding hidden from the eyes of the audience. Bill was a most able stage manager and from what I gathered was well regarded by the cast and crew. And it was a good turnout as well, nearly all the seats were filled.

Bill being the stage manager had to make sure everyone was out of the theater space since it gets used as a church on Sunday mornings. I mingled with the cast and crew and soon Bill and I were on a local 3 train downtown to 34th Street.

We walked through Penn Station and up to the street level. As we headed down the stairs to the Path train I spied some guy checking Bill out. When Bill tells me some guy is checking me out I continue on with my usual obliviousness. When I tell Bill the same thing, Bill scans the area.

It turns out he knew the other guy, a bloke named Richie from Bill’s old church. The stood and started chatting to each other as I turned and saw the 12:30 train about to leave the station. Of course by the time Bill was done the train had left the station and I didn’t have many kind words at all to say about Richie, though it wasn’t his fault.

I dreaded having to wait another hour for the next train but as we stood on the platform another train arrived about 15 minutes later. Not a comfortable ride though. For Bill and myself it was but a smallish woman and her oafish boyfriend sat next to Bill.

The smallish woman kept making faces at the size of Bill. I pointed it out to Bill and he didn’t care. As we left the train in Hoboken the woman was throwing knives with her eyes. Bill turned and started to say something but I advised him not to since the moment had passed.

And it was chilly as we walked home, Bill went to bed almost immediately and I followed soon thereafter. Finally I slept really well and probably would have continued sleeping if it weren’t for the fact that today was the Last Sunday of the Month Shakespeare Reading at McSwells.

And today the play scheduled was Macbeth, which happens to be my favorite Shakespeare play. I was up and out to get bagels and the paper and a little while after that I was walking up to McSwells. Bill had left and came back when he realized he couldn’t find his Zip Car key.

I would have helped him look for it but I was pressed for time and not one to favor being late.

On the way there I got a phone call from Lois who was wondering if I was coming. Most of the participants usually have brunch at McSwells, I eat at home. As I walked in there were Lois and five others eating brunch, not even close to being finished.

I sat in the fishbowl in the front room of McSwells and pulled out my notebook, waiting for the others to finish. They eventually joined in the fishbowl, Lois filling a bag with roles for the Scottish play.

As luck would have it, I pulled out the plum role of Macbeth. 685 lines. I also pulled out a few other roles since we only had five other readers and multiple parts are needed. I opted to read Macbeth in what I approximated to be a Scottish burr. By the end my throat was shot.

Still it was a fun time and once again I was glad that I did it. Next month I believe is The Tempest. Lois would love to have other readers to join in, no skills beside a reading comprehension is needed.

So if you find yourself in Hoboken on the last Sunday of the month and it’s around noon and you’re around McSwells, do stop in and join us. Extra copies are generally handy and you never know, you could be Prospero next month.

I just watched the BBC production of Macbeth by the Royal Shakespeare Company starring Ian McKellan and Judi Dench, and not for nothing, we had a better time this afternoon at McSwells.

The National Black Theater

The National Black Theater


3.28.10 Pecong vs Shakepeare reading 003
Bill and some cast members and a fan

Bill and some cast members and a fan


Today's Shakespeare readers

Today's Shakespeare readers


A nonplussed Macbeth

A nonplussed Macbeth

Oh and the head of the RC crutch feels that any connection of him to child rape is merely gossip.

Way Down in the Hole

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

And now we find ourselves on A Saturday. Still quite cold out.41 degrees. Last week it was in the 70′s. 35 years ago I was in the 70′s. Now here I am a bit nippy, high beams and all. Watched Doubt this afternoon.

Reminded me of my first visit to St. Francis de Sales before I started school. The first time I saw a nun, probably the principal Sister Antonia Marie, was terrifying. Who were these things dressed head to toe all in black, looking like they were hovering above the floor like ghosts?

All that was visible was their faces and hands. This must have been the first half of 1967. The smell of Father Lennon’s cigars wafting through the corridors.

I’ve written before about Sister Mary Octavian who used to spank me and make me stand behind the television set until the kindergarten teacher, Mrs Burson arrived. Sister Mary Octavian had problems with my brother Brian and I’m sure she took out her frustrations with him out on me.

No it was not an environment for me. I’m sure public school wouldn’t have been the answer and any way that was out of the question.

Great acting by all in Doubt though. Of course Meryl Streep is compelling as the old school nun, my doppelganger Philip Seymour Hoffman conveys the right mix of sympathy and compassion. Amy Adams and Viola Davis were quite good as well.

Most of these catechisms were discarded after 1968′s Vatican II conference, a way of bringing the Catholic crutch up to date, relatively speaking.

And nowadays we have the head of the crutch implicated in a child molestation scandal. I say child molestation since that is basically what has been going on throughout the world and is only being reported lately.

The crutch tried to say a few years ago that it was only an American phenomenon but as things are coming to light the phenomenon has been occurring in Ireland and Germany and Brazil for decades and covered up by the crutch so that the police wouldn’t find out, though in Ireland it’s been reported that the government had a hand in the cover up.

In Germany the head of the crutch and his brother have their fingerprints on memos designed to hide the truth and merely move the pedophile priest from one parish to another despite the warnings and alarms brought up by psychologists.

Now the Vatican is claiming that this is all an attempt to smear the pope.

A predator priest in Wisconsin has been reported of molesting over 200 deaf boys and though there had been warning about this monster priest, he was still allowed to be buried in his magical frocks and vestments.

And once again Herr Ratzinger was informed of these crimes and his response was to protect the crutch, not the children.

I don’t see how anyone can still believe in these charlatans, these child molesting men and their systems which are designed to protect and enable these beasts to continue performing such heinous acts.

Oh there I go again, slandering Papa Ratzi.

I’m just staying in this afternoon, avoiding the crutch and killing time before I head out to see Pecong, the play that Bill has been stage managing. The show is at 8:00 and Bill has a comped pass for me and a plus one but I can’t think of anyone who might want to go.

Just went through my phone book on my cellphone but came up empty handed and empty headed. Just as well and just as I planned on going. I only found out about the plus one this morning and that’s too late for anyone I know to make plans to join me.

I just have to get up to Fifth Avenue and 125th Street by 7:45, and it’s almost 4:00 now.

Goof

Goof

Come See About Me

Friday, March 26th, 2010

It’s Friday and it’s considerably cooler than it’s been the past couple of days. It’s drier than it’s been but about 20 degrees lower. It’s been a busy day though. Laundry, library and some food shopping basically.

I had hoped to go see Pecong tonight. That’s the play that Bill has been stage managing for the past month. I know I told him the 26th when he offered me a ticket for last Friday, the 19th. That was when I went to see the Street Corner Mourners and opted for the following week.

Bill didn’t hear it, or forgot about it and focused on Saturday instead. It’s no big thing, I’m still seeing the show but I was also thinking about seeing Chris Repella and her band Glass Trees in Jersey City tomorrow night.

I’m not sweating it, I’m sure I can catch Chris and her band play another time. Plus Bill’s been a victim of allergies and a bit stressed so he gets a pass. Sunday is the Last Sunday of the Month Shakespeare Reading at McSwells, this month, the Scottish Play aka Macbeth.

I picked up 2 copies from the library, one of them being a Cliff Notes version. Today at the bibliothèque I also picked up Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood which for those playing at home, is his take on Macbeth. I also picked up Ian McKellan and Judi Dench in a BBC production of the Scottish Play.

The librarians were all a bit out of it due to some painting being done in the basement. They were a little loopy. It was cute though.

I told them about my writing a letter to the Hoboken Reporter with regards to Governor Christie’s plan to cut the budget and close the libraries. I wrote a letter a few years ago praising the library and it was my pleasure to write one again after going to the bibliothèque almost every day and seeing how busy it is and how helpful they are to the community.

Christie is also planning cuts in education, so much so that some schools will not have any sports programs after school. Not that I am a sports enthusiast but I do recognize the need for such activities for the young folk these days.

Of course Christie plans on tax cuts for people making over $400,000 a year. Scum bag? Bastard? Fat Fuck? All labels apply here.

I also got from the bibliothèque Tom Waits- Glitter and Doom Live, Van Morrison’s Greatest Hits, A collection of the Supremes and Spoon- Transference. Also on DVD Joni Mitchell- Painting with Words & Music and Auntie Mame.

I requested Auntie Mame after watching on YouTube, Steve Hayes ‘Tired Old Queen at the Movies’. Steve Hayes is a NY resident and old school movie queen. He posts one review a week, usually about 3 minutes long about different movies from the golden age of Hollywood.

Last week was Auntie Mame, starring Rosalind Russell and it was such a fun review I thought I’d watch it again.

I did watch it once before when in 1990 I wound up at Uncle Charlie’s in the Village with my then boyfriend Gus Mackenzie. I think it was the night before Thanksgiving and it was Gus’ idea.

He was just coming out of the closet and wanted to go to all the gay places that he had read about in the closet. I was infatuated with him enough to go along with it. As time went on to show, Gus was a frigging idiot and a liar and we broke up a month or so later.

No regrets and after seeing him once a year or so later, I have no idea where he is now. I do hope he’s alright though.

And here’s Steve Hayes, the Tired Old Queen at the Movies: