Monthly Archives: February 2008

Philadelphia Freedom

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Well it’s getting better, waking up on time that is. I went to bed a little bit earlier than the night before and I was able to wake up on time this morning, no hustle, no stress and a decent seat on a not too crowded bus which is always a good way to start the day. I even took a chance and changed the radio station that I wake up to, from WCBS FM to WRXP FM. Not a big deal for most, but for me it’s risky. If I wake up to the wrong song oh the day is basically shot to hell.

Well not really but it can put a damper on my usual chipper and rosy outlook on life. It was formerly WPIX back in the day. From 1978 to 1980 it was a commercial punk rock/new wave station and it was a lifeline for a record buying hound like myself back then. All the other stations were all about Led Zeppelin and Boston to name but a few, whereas WPIX would play Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Devo, Talking Heads, The Clash and a whole lot of other things that wouldn’t be played on non college stations. Live concerts featuring the Specials or XTC at different clubs around Manhattan were featured as well.

But it didn’t last too long above ground though, much like punk rock and new wave. The format changed and it wasn’t for the better. It was probably the last radio station that I listened to regularly, and by regularly I mean everyday. So I went to sleep listening to Train In Vain by the Clash, waking up to Oliver’s Army by Elvis Costello at 6:00 this morning. No 1967 Buick Skylark in the driveway to warm up, I take the bus now.

On my way to the bus this morning, I played Philadelphia Freedom, definitely one of my top ten desert island discs. Then one of the headphones that Julio and Stine got me for the holidays crapped out. That sucked. I had no working headphones after that, and Julio spent quite a sum of money for the headphones. Luckily they were still under warranty and after speaking with Tara in customer service I got a return authorization number and sent it back to Irvine, CA to be replaced. I still have the pair of headphones I bought a week before I got those so it’s not the end of the world.

Last night, watched TV! I know, how different. Get this, I watched Law and Order, both Criminal Investigation and the regular one. Both good, both with very downbeat endings with the good guys losing. I guess they can’t win them all. That Vincent D’Onofrio is really a compelling actor, though anyone who saw Full Metal Jacket twenty years ago could tell you the same, and then there is that Homicide: Life on the Street Episode where he played a man who fell between the subway platform and the train. Painful, poignant and haunting. I forgot all about Homicide until I looked up on Wikipedia to see how to spell D’Onofrio correctly.

And Mitt Willard Romney dropped out of the race, which makes one less lying psychopath aiming for the White House. Still got the two psychopaths in there now, until next January.

Let Me Roll It

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It certainly is very strange, the weather is. I left the apartment it was 50 degrees and promised to get warmer. Still I wore my overcoat, which meant I would be drenched with sweat by the time I got to the office. It was a 3 t-shirt day. It had gotten so muggy that even walking around midtown, running errands wearing a suit jacket and I was sweating. It was 68 degrees at that point. Crazy I tell you, crazy! Things in the office have been ok. I’ve taken to calling Tom Chin, the old lady. I ask Lydia where the old lady is and she laughs.

Now at 6:40PM I sit next to an open window, enjoying something that resembles a breeze. Last night it was warm as I watched the telly. The usual, Scrubs, A Daily Show, and The Colbert Report. There was a running theme throughout both shows and crossing over into Late Night with Conan O’Brien. That was pretty funny though I watched it out of sequence since I first saw the Conan clip online in the afternoon. It was supposed to be the last, but still it was very funny. All three of them beating each other up. Quite silly I thought.

Caught Futurama and a series on Soul Music on VH1. All pretty good, Futurama hilarious, Soul Music, soulful. Watched the 3rd DVD of the McCartney Years. This one featured live performances from the Wings Over America movie, Rock Show, some songs from McCartney Unplugged from MTV and part of the big Glastonbury festival from 2004. The audience eating it all up each time. And why not? Macca is quite the consummate professional, and it was cute to see Paul on stage in 1976 so chubby cheeked and with a shag haircut yet.

He certainly gives the audience what they want to hear. I know this to be true because on October 4, 2005 I was screaming my lungs out for Macca at Madison Square Garden, tears streaming down my face, quite unexpectedly during Maybe I’m Amazed. Julio and I have a pact to see Macca again should he come rolling around these parts again.

Can’t seem to wake up on time the past couple of days. I’ve even taken to going to bed a little bit earlier (hence not watching the rest of Macca at Glastonbury) but still I can barely hear the alarm clock when it goes off. If I didn’t have to pee I’m sure I would keep sleeping. Not too much of a problem, I was only 5 minutes late at work and no one was in yet so I’ll just say I was in 5 minutes early.

Bill’s dad goes to the VA home tomorrow, and his mother can also stay there since she needs to be attended to all the time, not being able to be on her own as the Alzheimer’s continues. I haven’t seen Bill in a week which is odd. We chat online and talk on the phone, but haven’t seen each other. That’s really about all I have to say.