Tag Archives: The SImpsons

Black Slacks

Well it’s a pretty cold Thursday. But I enjoyed it. Been an Ian Dury & the Blockheads day. Spent some time wandering around Hoboken and listening to New Boots and Panties on the iPod. Also downloaded a few rockabilly tracks and several disco tracks since if you’re on my gift list, burned CD’s is what you’ll be getting.

It’s been fun. Some Link Wray, Robert Gordon, Bill Justis, Eddie Cochran and Sweet Gene Vincent on the rockabilly side. France Joli, Alicia Bridges, KC & the Sunshine Band and the Trammps on the disco side.

All promising a good time, some songs that I heard the other night at the McSwells Christmas party, some songs that I last heard on WPIX-FM at the end of the 1970’s. I enjoyed playing them all, loud this afternoon.

Last night was quite nice. Warm and cozy. Bill made it home in time to catch the Simpsons episode which featured Lisa on a bus.

Bill is currently driving me crazy since he has a Droid now and is texting like mad while riding the 126 bus.

It was one of my favorite episodes it involved Homer and Lisa breaking into the Isis exhibit at the Springfield Museum. It’s all about taking stupid risks. One of my favorites.

Bill hoped that Lawn Hors d’œuvre would be on but it wasn’t. I decided to show him something that I recorded the other night, Voices of the People with Howard Zinn. Oh it was as good as expected, as powerful too. Bill definitely was into it. Several actors that he admires were in it, Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman, Viggo Mortensen and Jasmine Guy to name but a few.

I recorded it, so it wound up being about 90 minutes rather than the 2 hours originally broadcast. Blip-verts! Bill went to bed soon after that and I of course stayed up and watched most of Craig Ferguson. I also started a Facebook group for Hoboken Daily News. An attempt to bolster their spirits since they’re a bit afraid now that 7 Eleven opened up across the street from them.

Slept soundly after that. Woke up and started the downloading. Walked around listening to Ian Dury, stopped by the Guitar Bar and picked up some mail from Jim for the post office. I was mailing some holiday cards so it was a nice thing to do.

I stopped by Hoboken Daily News and told the proprietor Andy about the Facebook group and he was thrilled even though he didn’t know what Facebook was. I took some more pictures and posted them to the Facebook group. Bought some CD’s at CVS for the burning I continue to do.

Came home and while burning some reggae CD’s for my nephew Earl I decided to watch Synecdoche, New York. It’s written by Charlie Kaufman who also wrote Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. Charlie Kaufman also directed. It’s really quite a movie.

Unnerving and unsettling and also very engrossing.

It’s funny, I’ve been told I look like Phillip Seymour Hoffman and since I also look like by brother Frank quite a bit, it’s safe to say that if A=B, and B=C, then A=C. The funny part and by funny I mean strange, was the fact that so much of the first part of the film reminded me of Frank and his current ailments.

Great cast including Catherine Keener, Dianne Weist, Samantha Morton, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Michelle Williams to name but a few. I definitely intend on seeing it again there is a lot involved in watching it and I probably missed some of it since I was also burning CD’s. It has so many layers involved, I highly recommend it!

12.17.09 Hoboken Daily News 010

Somebody Else’s Guy

Yesterday was definitely a better day than the sturm und drang of the days preceding it. Last night Bill came home from his deep tissue massage therapy and I was clearly in a better mood and happy to see him.

All the worries from the days before were talked about and resolved nicely. We watched some Herbie Hancock on Sundance channel and also enjoyed some Grimaldi’s Pizza. Also watched a documentary on Cary Grant which was very good. Bill once again went to bed earlier than me and I stayed up watching who knows what.

I do remember the Simpsons which was great as usual. After that, it was off to bed for me as well. Bill was up early, rented a Zip Car and drove out to Clifton NJ for a medical exam so he could change his license from New York to New Jersey. Since he’s a professional bus driver there’s a hoop he has to jump through.

I of course slept in. Rainy and gray outside. Bill was picking up the paper and the bagels so there was no need for me to go outside. Eventually I did go outside. I needed a haircut and walked by Mr. L’s. Of course my barber, Tony was busy.

Walked over to the library and dropped off some items. Did not bring and umbrella and I should not have been surprised that when I left it was pouring out. Once again Tony was cutting someone else’s hair.

I came home a little bit soaked. Bill came home from Clifton. Unable to get his exam completed since there were a few people ahead of him and he needed to return the Zip Car to Hoboken by 11:00. He took a nap and I watched a DVD about Beyond the Fringe. It was definitely funny.

Watching Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Jonathan Miller and Alan Bennett in the early 1960’s doing their final performance on the West End. Jonathan Miller and Alan Bennett are still alive perhaps they decided early on that the life of a performer wasn’t for them.

Peter Cook & Dudley Moore obviously thought otherwise and made big names for themselves but both came to untimely ends.

Bill was out on the road once again this afternoon and I sat and watched various clips about Peter Cook. I ventured out into the rain again, this time armed with an umbrella. And since I had an umbrella it didn’t rain.

A trip to the supermarket was in order so I walked by Mr. L’s once again and once again Tony was busy. Dropped off the items in my hallway for a trip to Hoboken Daily News that has milk cheaper than the supermarket.

Walked by Mr. L’s and saw Tony was free. He was happy to see me. Hadn’t sat in his chair since July. No more monthly haircuts since I didn’t have any need for upkeep. Just a trim for me. My hair grows thick and not long so it was a few layers taken off which made everything lighter and cooler.

And a haircut will do me some good in case some job interviews appear on the horizon. Tony did his usual ace job, trimming most of the gray hairs from my goatee. I was growing a beard but shaved it the other day before the interview.

Bill is in Atlantic City leaving at 1:30 or so and coming back to Hoboken around 7:00. I’m laying low as usual. Planning on watching Adventureland and probably some more Beyond the Fringe clips online. It’s going to be a mellow, quiet Saturday night and I am fine with that.