Posts Tagged ‘Mojo’

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In the Midnight Hour

Saturday, August 16th, 2008

It’s Saturday and so far it’s been a good day. Last night was pretty good too. Hung out with Bill who was non stop last night. Non stop talking. He was getting worked up on everything on TV. The Daily Show, Colbert Report, Olbermann with Rachel Maddow, the the Olympics, when he started talking ghetto which is quite a sight coming from Bill.

For those that don’t know, Bill is not from the ghetto and he doesn’t talk like that at all. It’s a running joke among me and some of his friends about how ‘non-ghetto’ Bill is. After a while though I needed to ask him to tone it down. It was getting tiring and by that I mean I was getting tired listening to him.

Eventually I started reading the latest Mojo Magazine wand tuned him out somewhat. After watching Michael Phelps win his 7th Gold Medal Bill went to bed. I stayed up for a while reading and watching a little bit of Oceans 13. I didn’t see Oceans 12 so I wasn’t sure if I missed anything. It didn’t really matter since I started watching this edition midway through and eventually I could not keep my eyes open.

Fell right asleep as my head hit the pillow. Woke up to Bill kissing me good bye for the day and him wishing me an enjoyable bike ride. I said it depended on the weather. He wished me a good bike ride again, leaving me to believe he checked the weather report before leaving. I soon got out of bed and was out on the streets getting ready for my day.

Ran into Linda who was my favorite cashier at the supermarket. She suddenly wasn’t there anymore and was replaced by several incompetents. I thought the worst, but here she was. She had taken an early retirement and was living on her late husband’s pension.

I was glad she was still alive as I thought she might have passed away. She’s an older woman who reminds my sister of our grandmother. I’ll have to take Annemarie’s word for it since I don’t remember my mother’s mother.

I was back in the apartment in no time, having a nice breakfast and reading the papers. Around 1:00 I decided to go for the bike ride that Bill suggested. Rode over to the Light Rail station on 9th street under the Palisades and took the elevator to Congress Street.

A beautiful day as I rode down Palisades Avenue, turning onto Hudson and through my old neighborhood. I saw Hector who runs Five Corners Liquor around the block from where I lived with William Charas for 11 years.

I always though Hector was so handsome and macho and had a crush on him for a long time. His hair is white now but he’s still a sexy guy. Woof! In a minute! After that lustful escapade in my mind, I was soon on Hudson Avenue heading to North Hudson County Park.

The hills were definitely a lot easier this time around. Last time I rode was three weeks ago and it really wasn’t difficult heading up to the George Washington Bridge through Cliffside Park and Fort Lee. I crossed the bridge with no problem, even stopped and took some snaps as the bridge bounced up and down under my Airwalks.

In Washington Heights, I took some more pictures on the bike path underneath the bridge. When I ride I tend to see other riders, in fact the whole environment as aquatic. There were a lot of bicyclists, more than usual and some were riding in groups like schools of fish.

Cars were sharks, trucks were whales, pedestrians were all different types of fish. Then there’s individual fish like myself cycling past various schools of fish. Just something that I entertain myself with while cycling.

Pics taken while riding with no hands! Look ma!

Under Riverside Drive

Ahead

Behind

Battles were playing Summerstage so I rode over to the rock and had a sandwich. Stayed for Black Dice who were noisy and fun. They had a beat going somewhat and I enjoyed them very much. I saw Battles last year at the Seaport and they were ok, but I didn’t feel like staying for them especially since I enjoyed what I had heard from Black Dice.

Went over to the skate circle and wasn’t too impressed with the day’s DJ, so I rode out of the park determined to avoid any confrontations with Eastern European Ped-Cab drivers. Back to the bike path on the river, riding past the Tibetan protesters across the street from the Chinese embassy, and the ludicrously overpriced ferry winding my way down to the World Trade Center and the Path train to Exchange Place.

At Exchange Place in Jersey City there was a Puerto Rican festival which I took in for a little while. Woof all around. A pleasant ride back to Hoboken followed. A shower, a nice dinner and now this.

Whatever

All in all approximately 40 miles today.

Tomorrow I plan on going to Summerstage for the final show of the season, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings headlining. No bike, I’m going shanks mare.

RIP Jerry Wexler

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Posted in Wonderful World Beautiful People | 6 Comments »

I’ll Follow The Sun

Saturday, August 9th, 2008

Well I just got back a couple of hours ago from Ship Bottom, Long Beach Island. All is well. The ocean was like bathwater, it was that warm. A few jellyfish but that’s sort of expected in August down the shore. There were reports of lots of jellyfish off the coasts of NJ and Long Island, but it wasn’t too bad at least in Ship Bottom.

Thursday morning Bill was off to work after a nice dinner with Casey and his wife. It was at McSwells and it was a bit on the loud side. I don’t recall Steve Fallon allowing music that loud to be played in the restaurant, but these tattooed kids today…

Roda was managing and we saw him for a spell before heading home, Bill went right to bed and I soon after, after realizing that I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Plus I had the trip down the shore the next morning. Bill was gone after a nice kiss and I was up getting things together.

Made sure the iPod was charged, had plenty to read and headed off to the bus having decided to avoid the stress of the morning rush hour which I deal with every day. Why should I have to deal with thousands of people on my day off? It was a lot less crowded and I was able to walk outside to see if the latests Mojo and Uncut magazines were on the stand yet.

They weren’t, and I still had the New Yorker and Rip It Up by Simon Reynolds. Got on the bus to Toms River where I would have to transfer. Listened to Scritti Politti and read the sad article about the gay soldier killed in Iraq. Then some of Rip It Up and soon I was asleep, waking up just outside of Toms River.

The Toms River sky

About 20 minutes later the transfer bus shows up and I’m on that heading down the back streets of Highway 9. Contacted my sister in law Elaine and let her know I would soon be in Manahawkin. I was unfamiliar with the route and the map on the schedule was no help at all.

The bus driver told me she would drop me off at the Manahawkin library but I got out a before that at Lake Manhawkin, walked 100 yards and found Elaine with her friend Irene. Got to Ship Bottom where Frank was on the couch watching TV, much like he does on Garfield. But it’s his vacation and he’s entitled to do whatever he wants to do.

Elaine and I walked over to the beach around 4PM. Still hot and bright out and the water must have been in the 70 degree range. Elaine’s not one to play in the ocean so I floated around and got beaten up a bit by the waves, which I definitely enjoy, though it’s always more fun if there’s someone else with you getting knocked around by the tide.



Frank and Elaine

After an hour or so of that we headed back home, Frank in a different position on the couch, Irene on the porch reading a book. I showered and alternated sitting outside with the women and sitting inside with my brother. We microwaved some vittles and watched some TV, Frank and I going for a ride in his car, looking for some place featuring a Grateful Dead cover band the next night.

Thankfully we couldn’t find it. No Deadhead me, whereas Frank used to be and still is somewhat. We talked about music and somehow Pat Boone came up. We also talked about how he is trying to be more positive and stop being negative which in an amazing coincidence for someone who looks a lot like Frank, I am trying to do the same.

I had gotten an email before I left from Casey who said he had a good time and that Bill was one of the most positive people he’s ever met. And it’s true Bill is so damn positive and I’m not. Sometimes a conversation between Bill and myself goes,
Bill: Isn’t it great that so and so had this happen to them?
Me: No. No it isn’t.

So to hear Frank talk about trying to be positive was a weird thing to hear.

I took a walk by myself when I came home, to the beach where I was a bit intimidated by the vastness of the ocean, at night, seeing a boat far away in the darkness. Looking north I could watch a lightning storm miles away, all the while amazed by the hundreds of suns far away in the universe, some dying, some dead with the light just reaching us now.

The beach at night

I am always in awe of just looking up in the sky and seeing all that, but you really can’t see it in Hoboken due to the light pollution of New York City. I came home to Elaine and Irene soon going to their bedrooms and I stayed up with Frank watching some of the Colbert Report but the waves beating me up in the afternoon took it’s toll and soon I was asleep in bed.

And that’s where I had this odd dream about Pat Boone coming onto me, wanting to get a threesome going with Scott from Stevens Tech, unseen in the next room. In the dream Pat Boone was really hung. I woke up just then, and no I didn’t try to go back to sleep.

Got out of bed, and went and got coffee for the coffee drinkers. Went to the beach around 10:00. Not too crowded save for a group of Christianists praying in the sand. A youth group actually repeating whatever it is they were told. There were about 50 kids ranging from about 8 to 16, led by slightly older teenagers, cheerleaders for god.

Took a while for the water to warm up again, Elaine, Irene and myself enjoyed ourselves, the two of them collecting shells. After getting lunch for everyone I jumped in the water. We were sitting in the surfing area so I had to walk about 100 feet north. By that time there were a lot of people on the beach, a lot of families.

When I would go to the beach with Julio and Stine, we would make a point to get as far away from people as possible. It was impossible to do that at Ship Bottom but I made the most of it.



Elaine and Irene left around 2:00, I stayed until about 5:00, going back in the water and occasionally silently freaking out when my hand would brush a dead jellyfish. Dinner was Italian take out which was mediocre.

Just sat around and watched TV with Frank and drank sangria with Elaine on the porch. Since I was beaten up by the ocean so much more in the afternoon I wound up falling asleep at 9:00.

This time I dreamt I was driving the brown Ford Econoline from my HBJ days, driving in Manhattan with Zed my late cat and the namesake of this blog. Like I used to do, in the dream I was driving through Central Park and heading for Farfetched which was now located in a glitzy store in Times Square.

It seemed to be quite a success, enough so that neither Susan nor Lois, not even Harpy were working. I had to pick up something behind the counter and though I didn’t know the girl behind the register, she knew me. Zed and I were back heading through Central Park when I woke up and took a picture.

Then went back to sleep, waking up a little while later, Elaine and Irene cleaning up since we needed to be out by 11:00AM. I went out and got coffee and helped clean up when I got back. Took a walk on the beach, just a handful of people, fishermen and surfers out so early.

We were on the road in two cars, Elaine and Irene in one car, Frank and myself in his. Had a nice ride home talking about familiar subjects in every sense of the word. Now I am home and ready for a nap. Tonight’s plan, dinner with Julio and hanging out with Juan. So perhaps a disco nap is in order.

No nap, second wind, more pics…

Irene

♫ everybody’s working for the weekend ♪

Elaine!

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Posted in Yesterday's News Tomorrow | 7 Comments »

Who Has Seen the Wind?

Thursday, June 12th, 2008

Oh what a weird bus ride home. First off, the bus was crawling back to Hoboken through the Lincoln Tunnel. I thought we were going to breakdown. It was like the driver had the emergency brake on. There was also a priest on the bus and I should have sat next to him, if only I had a Christopher Hitchens/Sam Harris/Richard Dawkins book on me. They wrote books in the past year or so in favor of atheism. I could have engaged the priest in a discussion on the existence of god.

It might have been fun, but no, I took an empty seat behind a cat lady with one of her cats, a white cat with hair all over the place. The cat or the cat lady was heavily medicated, you can smell it. Oh it was a nasty pharmaceutical odor. It started to turn my stomach, enough that I almost got off the bus at the first opportunity.

I have nothing against cat people or people on medications, this was just a foul odor. I’m glad I’m not allergic to cats since there was cat hair all over the seats. And there was another cat person on the bus but she had her cat in a carrier, whereas cat lady had her white cat in a duffel bag that she alternately murmured to and cursed at. I did get off the bus at the usual stop.

Work once again was dreadfully slow. Just three of us in the office out of eight. Greg Stevens one of the three, left the office at 12:00 to head out to the Hamptons. Then Marty Allen left at 3:00, leaving me solo. I stayed until 4:30. I’m taking off tomorrow to get my crap ready for the gate sale on Saturday. Bought some dot stickers so I could price things properly.

Some things were gifts from friends and family that I have absolutely no use for, and I could use the money. I would rather sell these items rather than lugging them back up five flights of stairs. If you’re in the neighborhood, I’ll be out from 10:00-4:00. In theory that is. If nothing is happening and it gets too hot then I might just quit early and call it a day. Who knows? Maybe I’ll sell everything really quick. That would be nice.

I just got an invitation to a wedding party in Walton NY. My friend Lois just married her guy, Fred. They’ve been going out for more than twenty years, so I guess the time is right. The party is August 2, which may be doable, but I am also trying to finagle an invitation to go down the Jersey Shore and stay with my brother Frank and his family. I was invited last year and couldn’t go, so this year might be possible. I’ll find out more this weekend when I see the Garfield contingent on Sunday.

I can still smell the meds from the bus ride. I also got the latest Mojo Magazine with the Sex Pistols on the cover, looking their age, fifty something and Uncut Magazine with CSNY on the cover not looking their age with a snapshot from 1969. I guess if it was a shot of CSNY today, people might get confused and think they were picking up an issue from AARP. I really shouldn’t talk. In five years I’ll be eligible for a subscription to AARP.

Just got back from an errand. Went to the library and picked up ‘We All Shine On: The Stories Behind Every John Lennon song from 1970-1980′ by Paul Du Noyer, a Mojo/Uncut writer. Also picked up ‘Tweaked’ by Nic Sheff, the son of David Sheff, who wrote the last book I read, ‘Beautiful Boy’ about his son’s methamphetamine addiction. This is the son’s side of the story. And 2 slices of pizza at $3.00 per slice. It’s that price all over Hoboken, blaming the cost of shipping flour.

There’s no escape.

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Don’t Play That Song

Friday, May 9th, 2008

Well it’s an early posting today, so far at least. It also a rainy wet day. Nothing but rain. No mater how you dressed you were going to get wet. Last night I watched Daily Show and Colbert Report. Daily Show had Hank Hill’s father on it, Cotton Hill. No wait, that was John McCrazy. I couldn’t watch it so I played music while the old coot rambled on and on about what a nice guy he is. We know he’s a nutter and not trustworthy. And by we, I am including or incriminating you, dear reader.
C

So far I’ve missed three weeks of My Name is Earl and Scrubs. I have them recorded so there’s not much to worry about in that department, if worry is the right word to use. I did watch The Office which hit the degree of being uncomfortable that it used to. That humor which is funny yet makes you squirm. Job fairs and golfing were the themes, with Michael making one’s skin crawl accordingly.

30 Rock was near madcap brilliance of course and that was due to Alec Baldwin once again with support from Matthew Broderick as well as Dean Winters playing Liz Lemon’s low rent on again off again boyfriend. No one can play sleaze quite like Dean Winters. And good old Kenneth trying to get to the Beijing Olympics with help from Jenna was cute.

After that was Lost which was pretty good, minimal Jack which is usually a good thing. Too convoluted a plot line to get involved with here, so I recommend you go to the Entertainment Weekly website for recaps and theories about the episode. Way too myriad for me. Went to bed, woke up not wanting to get out of bed but since I arranged for Lydia to have the day off so she can spend time with her Japanese Brazilian boyfriend, I had to go in.

For the first hour it seemed that I would be solo but as the morning progressed one or two people trickled in. A total of 5 people came in out of 10. Around noon, Vivek made an appearance, saying that I could go home around 2PM. I stayed until 3PM. I asked him about the receptionist position and he said yes, we would need one for the summer.

Then I told him what Greg Stevens had to say about it yesterday and he effectively turned the matter over to Tom Chin who once again doesn’t know what the fuck he is talking about. So the ball is still up in the air vis a vis Juan working for me during the summer. Sorry Juan, no definite answer yet.

So I left at 3PM, hopped on the E train to the bus terminal where I got in the queue for the bus which was surprising to see so many people who had also left work early. Luckily I got a seat, unluckily I almost got an eye poked out by a umbrella with a jerk attached to it talking to his friend about the most mundane topics. Perhaps if the subject were more interesting I wouldn’t mind getting stabbed in the eye.

He was so annoying that I got off the bus a stop early just to get away from him. I didn’t mind walking in the rain and I noticed he got out at the next stop. I could see his gigantic red and white umbrella in the distance as he tried to mange walking with an umbrella and talking on a cell phone at the same time. I easily overtook him as he fumbled. Made it home, dried myself off and here I am. That’s about it for now.

No one except for dear Harpy commented on the MOJO letter, he being just as confused by the header as I was. I emailed MOJO about it this afternoon, no reply as of yet.

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Ego Tripping Out

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

It’s Thursday though last night I could have sworn it was Thursday which would make today Friday but it isn’t, it’s Thursday and that’s a drag. It happens from time to time, getting a little ahead of myself on occasion. Today was a day of fiasco’s. Bill asked me to drop off a power supply for his laptop at his office on my way to work this morning. That was no problem. The actual problem was I brought the wrong power supply. I thought he needed the one with the Apple logo on it but no. So I have to bring the one Bill actually needs which is no big deal, not even a hassle since it’s on the way.

I watched two documentaries on PBS last night, the first was a new documentary on Marvin Gaye. Great story, deserved more than an hour, though I guess that is where Jesse Martin comes in with his bio-pic of Marvin in the works. Should be an interesting scene of Marvin on the beach in Hawaii trying to kill himself by snorting many grams of cocaine. A troubled life for the trouble man. Great clips throughout the show of Marvin in his uneasy prime. What a sexy guy he was but couldn’t dance for shit.

The other documentary was about Aretha Franklin which had even better clips from the sixties, but it was a documentary from the late eighties it seemed. Keith Richards was in it for a minute or two and he looked still alive. Still there were some clips of Aretha live that sent chills up my spine. A friend of mine and I had a plan a few years ago to drive to Detroit just to hear Aretha sing in her church. Obviously it never came to fruition, never making it to Motown.

Work was ok. Nothing much to report. The bookkeeper was back after a bout with cancer which seems to be in remission and that was good to hear. She’s a buffer of sorts between me and Tom Chin. I was planning on trying to get Juan a summer job in my office, but as usual communication is up to me. A month ago I mentioned that there might not be a need for a receptionist and Vivek said there would be.

Today I mentioned it to Greg Stevens and he said there would be no need. So I figure I have to get a definite answer so in case it doesn’t go well Juan could figure out something else to do. Greg cited the cost, but it wouldn’t be much of a cost since it’s the same as we are paying Lydia presently. I’ll find out more about that tomorrow.

I also dealt with the insurance company and NYU dental school, who didn’t have me in their records. At least the first of several numbers I had dialed. Then the same thing with the insurance company. It turns out they did send a check for the scaling and planing they had done on my left side of my mouth. But they sent it to NYU and not me.

NYU does the work and collects money from me. That’s it. All insurance paperwork has to be done my me, not the dental school. They’ve already gotten my money, and now my check covering a little bit more than 50% of what I paid which is better than nothing.

Serenity now!

Oh forgot this nice little bit. I had a letter published in Mojo Magazine. It was actually the second time they’ve published a letter, or rather email that I’ve sent. This month’s issue, #175 with Slash on the cover. I don’t like Slash. In the UK it was Paul Weller on the cover. My letter was about the previous month’s switch of covers for a US readership. Instead of a great picture of one of my all time favorite bands ever, The Specials, they had Neil Young. Great songs, but let’s face it, he’s a geezer. The Specials, interracial, young and handsome with a great political slant are much more easy on the eyes.

My letter is under the heading “We thought you were inferior” and the letter goes as follows:

“I love you MOJO, I really do. I buy your magazine every month. I was driving the newsagents crazy insisting MOJO 174 had the Specials on the cover. Then I saw Neil Young instead. I like Neil Young, but I got so much more from my beloved Specials. Just disappointed in the switch. I know you have to do it in the US since Neil is more famous that Jerry, Terry and co. And I still love you.”

What do you think about that? I had to admit, I thought it was great as I laughed out loud.
But that headline…
What do you think it means?

Please check out this link from the wonderful Dan Savage. Cut n’ paste:

http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/hello_straight_people

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Posted in Mood Mambo | 5 Comments »

Faithless

Wednesday, April 9th, 2008

Last night was very quiet. Watched Nirvana Unplugged DVD. Very good. Almost got it for my nephew last year for the holidays but apparently Earl isn’t that into Nirvana these days. It was an enjoyable concert, would have loved to have been there. I did see Nirvana inadvertently when they played McSwells on a likely Thursday night before they made it super big. I wasn’t into them, too loud for my tastes at that time, and they looked like carnival workers. I was more than likely wearing my rock snob hat at the time as well. The DVD didn’t hold much in the way of extras. Just a look at rehearsals, nothing more than that.

Channel surfed after that, while watching a George Harrison interview with Dick Cavett on YouTube and reading the latest Mojo magazine. In the UK the magazine had the Specials on the cover. In the US, it’s Neil Young. I like Neil, but the Specials had my heart. And the Specials would have made a better cover. Wound up watching Biography on TV. All about Happy Days, followed by Backstage Stories about Laverne and Shirley and Cheers. It was definitely low brow but provided the right amount of background noise to carry me through to the News followed by bedtime.

Slept really well, woke up earlier than I’ve been waking up lately. Got to the office, no one in yet. I made coffee and did my thing. Lydia the receptionist texted me, telling me she was still ill. I expected that so I was prepared. What I was not prepared for was staring into the abyss. Yes, the abyss stared back. I was caught in the middle of some struggle in the office. Actually what has the makings of a struggle. But the two parties haven’t communicated with each other yet, at least not about the issue that I’m involved with.

I haven’t done anything wrong, forwarded the right paperwork, but red flags have gone up at one end, and the other end doesn’t know. It has the potential to be ugly, that much I know. And like I said, even though I’ve done nothing wrong, there was that sinking feeling, a feeling of worthlessness and stupidity. Two feelings I have dealt with before and am way to acquainted with. I called Bill as I stood outside my building. It was a nice afternoon as Bill did his best to talk me in off the ledge. Of course in my moment of despondency, on the phone with Bill I get surrounded by a few hot hunky men in suits. Nice, but I really wasn’t in the mood. Especially the worked out hunk in a a very nice navy pinstriped suit.

Obviously I paid attention. Bill was great though and I was glad to be able to turn to him in my hour of need. It wasn’t long after that when I went home, having a Padron and listening to the third set of earphones. For the holidays, Julio and Stine got me a pricey pair, and I used them for a while when one earphone crapped out. It was under warranty so I returned them and a few weeks later got a new pair. Then a few weeks after that, those too crapped out. Once again, made arrangements to return for a new set. Today they came in and they sound great once again.

My friend Martha is having a party for her newest Badly Drawn Comix and she asked me to supply the music, iPod style. So I’ve made a playlist which is now almost 7 hours long. Can’t wait to break it out. Of course I keep hearing in the back of my mind, “they’re going to hate it.” Came home and I knew there was nothing to eat so I went to the supermarket where I ran into Andrea Kenny, someone I used to know.

She’s looking for a job and I tried to give her some suggestions while she just gabbed and gabbed about everything under the sun. I started to think we looked like 2 old ladies in the supermarket talking about this and that. That gave me the idea to flee Andrea Kenny. Wished her good luck and made a beeline to the cashier. Now I’m home, feeling better having eaten. I think I need a vacation. No, I know I need a vacation.

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Posted in WTF | 2 Comments »

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