Monthly Archives: March 2010

Way Down in the Hole

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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

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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: