Tag Archives: Song

El Cuarto de Tula

“People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power. “ Bill Clinton said that last night. Bill and I watched the convention again. A rousing speech by Clinton & John Kerry. But Beau Biden introducing his father was touching as was the embrace by Joe Biden when he came out for his speech.

Really a beautiful moment. I don’t recall my father ever hugging me like that, then again I don’t recall my father hugging me at all.

I sincerely hope that Barack Obama wins the election in November. I can’t afford to be optimistic but I can be hopeful. One of the most depressing days in my life was when John Kerry lost the election in 2004. I certainly don’t want to go through that again. But watching Obama come out after Joe Biden’s speech was electrifying.

I just think it would be phenomenal if he would win. A black man as President of the United States was something I thought I would see in my lifetime, just didn’t expect it so soon, and now that it’s a distinct possibility it really gives me a hopeful feeling. And whatever ambivalent feelings I may have towards Joe Biden have fallen by the wayside.

I didn’t know his story before and now that I do I am impressed. I stayed up and watched the entire convention last night. We’ve been watching it on CSPAN, rather than MSNBC. Occasionally we catch it on PBS, but CSPAN doesn’t have commentators, just a nonstop camera on the stage. No talking heads there. No advertisements. And it’s up to us to make up our own minds thank you very much.

Woke up around 8:00 which was pleasant. Went out got the papers, went to the supermarket. Did laundry, talked with Angry Juan who was very angry. Not at me, but rather mad at the world. It’s a good thing they have a cooling off period when buying firearms. Not that he bought firearms.

But if he did…

I went into the city, saw Bill, saw my friend Jesse and watched a building on fire, or rather watched a fire being put out on top of a building. I was going to head down to Farfetched and came close to jumping on the subway but wandered around midtown instead and went back home.

I had other things to do, co-edit the other blog and see if my sister got the Mets souvenir visor I bought at Shea Stadium on her birthday. Heard from Song who was asking me if I wanted to have dinner with him and Ray in the city, but since I was mere feet away from the bus terminal I passed.

I had hoped to meet up with Song and Ray when they were in town but things being what they are, it didn’t work out. I found out Raphael Saadiq was playing the South Street Seaport tomorrow night and I am definitely going to that. I saw Raphael Saadiq last in 2000 on tour in Lucy Pearl.

He was so magnetic on stage and when he smiled I could have sworn he was smiling right at me. Who knows? Maybe he was. I was smiling at him thats for sure. Anyway, that’s where I will be tomorrow night. Last show of the season at the Seaport, featuring Raphael Saadiq.

Do youself a favor and check out his website: http://www.raphaelsaadiq.com/ I just love his voice, ever since hearing him sing with his cousin and brother in Tony Toni Tone. Good for the soul. I’m psyched!

Here are some pics!

This afternoon’s fire

wrist bone

This perhaps, did not end well

I Don’t Need No Doctor

Last night was a wee bit intense. Juan came by after going head to head and toe to toe with both his mother and his father. He was fairly livid when he came by and I did my best to chill him out. Ninety minutes of Weeds and a half hour with a London call girl did the trick or at least that is what I had hoped.

He also used the computer and I was silently amazed at how fast he can type. Then again he was basically raised with a computer keyboard underneath his fingers. His words per minute skills must be close to triple digits. Impressive. I did have to kick his ass out so that I could get ready to go to sleep. He understood, he’s good like that.

Also chatted for a bit with Song in Sydney. He got his visa and should be back in the states next month. It would be good to see him and Ray again. Been a while. Last time they were in town I fell ill.

Slept really well, good old air conditioner humming along as I slept. I didn’t want to get out of bed, but of course that is what I had to do. I was out the door before 7:00 again and got on a soon to be crowded bus.

I sat in my usual spot and read An Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett, author of The History Boys among others. He’s a favorite author lately. This is about the Queen taking up reading which she never had time for before. That description doesn’t do it justice, but it’s not much more complicated than that. It’s an entertaining novella and after starting it yesterday I am almost finished with it. I’m so lucky to have the library just down the street.

Oh what an idiot day I’ve had. Work was busy, Tom Chin out of the office and John could you do this, John can you do that all day long. Not that I minded, not at all. It makes the day go faster and makes me feel somewhat needed. Vivek, the managing director and Greg Stevens the president of the company were getting a letter together to send out and I had to rewrite it an proof it a few times.

Unlike this blog where I sometimes post without fully checking for errors, I sometimes go back and make the necessary corrections after it’s been published. Today with Greg and Vivek I looked like a buffoon. They’d make edits, I’d work them into what I was writing and occasionally I’d omit something that they would point out after I printed out the letter.

I did my best and tomorrow is the day they go out so I’ll be bringing a fine toothed comb to the office.

But the thing that was the most idiotic was truly my fault. I’ve had some problems with the eyeglasses I got in November of last year. I had them fixed, then there was a problem with the lenses. So I brought them back after Evan, the nice guy who may or may not have a ‘thing’ for me was going to have a new pair made.

The lenses came in last week and he told me to bring in the frames. I said that I didn’t have the frames, that I left them with him. He looked and looked but they weren’t there in the shop. I wound up getting a whole new pair of glasses which I got today.

They look great, better than the old pair. As I was dealing with Greg and Vivek, I was cleaning up my desk getting ready to go home. I open a drawer and find an eyeglass case. I open it and what do I find, but the eyeglasses I said I left with Evan.

Oh I laughed through my horror, my idiocy. I guess I have to do the right thing and bring back the old pair that was missing and tell him it was all my fault.

I’m an idiot.

Tonight, I’m going to McSwells again. What is this? The eighties? I’m meeting with my friend Lois to discuss music since I am DJ’ing at her wedding party at the Rainbow Lodge in Walton NY on August 2. Then I’m meeting my brother Frank to see the Individuals reunion.

Oh but tomorrow, going back to Evan, humble and apologetic. Years ago, I would have had the ‘get over’ attitude, nowadays, I just want to do what is right.

And that means eating humble pie.