Category Archives: Cool Cold Reality

Where it is and what it came from. The end-all, be-all, and all-for-a-dollar.

Positively 4th Street

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What a day, again.

Thanks to Rand for upgrading Word Press and enabling me to finally post some pics. But first, last night.

Last night was the first enjoyable night I’ve had in a while, thanks to Juan. It was great having him stop by last night. Just good to have someone here to talk to and laugh with.

He insisted on watching Summer Heights High on HBO which I had written off after watching the first episode. With Juan’s prodding we watched episodes 2 and 3 and it wasn’t as bad as I thought.

A begrudging laugh emanated from my lips which is more than what happened the first time around. I needed the company and I needed a laugh and Juan delivered on both counts.

Bill phoned midway through a story I was telling about Zed which definitely ruined the flow of the story. Still it was good to know that Bill was eating soup. He’s been feeling rather lethargic lately and I told him to eat more fruit, some salads, maybe even have some meat.

It could be the change in temperature, one day it’s in the 60’s, the next day it’s in the 20’s. Or it could just be the change of seasons. Whatever, he was eating soup.

Juan didn’t seem to notice the break in the flow, so entranced he is with his magic phone. Juan left and I was in bed a little after midnight which made waking up this morning a bit of a chore.

Still I was in the office by 8:30. The day was somewhat busy. There was the usual aggravation, of course from Tom Chin. I called him at lunch and asked about some papers that a messenger was picking up, I had them but wasn’t sure if they were all there.

They were there and he asked if anyone had ever called me a Space Cadet before. That’s what I get for making sure things are running correctly and checking in.

As aggravating as that was, what really aggravated me was the fact that the author of the Purpose Driven Life, the resident ‘pastor’ of one of those box store, or mega-churches, someone who equates same sex marriage to pedophilia and incest will be saying those magic words, the invocation, at Barack Obama’s inauguration.

I can’t help but feel disgust and betrayal at this. I had volunteered my time and donated money (that I probably shouldn’t have) to the Obama campaign and his people pick someone like that to say his hocus pocus.

I can tell you that the LGBT community is up in arms on this issue. Whatever idea or plan I may have had for attending the inauguration is over.

Like Clinton, Obama actively courted the gay vote and gay money which he received in kind. And like Clinton, he soon threw the LGBT community under the bus.

Is Rick Warren, truly the only clergy in the United States to deliver the magic words? Could there be no one else? Or are they just going for the marquee name of Rick Warren who has written best sellers?

Clinton waited until he was in office to throw LGBT people under the bus, Obama didn’t even wait for that. The bloom, it is now off the rose.

I think it really is a shame and I did not expect to be feeling such disgust at this charlatan pick of Rick Warren, a real scumbag. I guess betrayal is the ‘proper’ word.

Just spent the past half hour trying to log into Word Press. This almost went out as individual emails.

Thanks to Jeremy at GoodAsYou.com and Jim Burroway at BoxTurtleBulletin.com (both listed in the blogroll on the right side of this blog) for the info on the heinous choice of Rick Warren.

Both of these blogs are worth looking at for more info on this matter.

This is one of those rare occasions where I use a song title that I’ve used previously. It seemed most apt.

http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2008/12/mcclurkin-20.html?cid=142975806#comments
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/12/17/7428

written an hour or so later:
I can get so fired up. I know, it’s politics. Still the Rev. Peter Gomes from Harvard would have been a MUCH better choice. I saw him on television a while ago and found him to be so intelligent and well spoken and open minded. It would have been a perfect fit! He has done the invocations for Reagan and Bush I, and he’s a celibate gay man.

Everyone wins! But Nooooooooo…..

Empty Landscape

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Well today is quite cold. Last night was when the temperature started to drop. I was safe and sound in the apartment. Watched O & RM, then the Daily Show which had Darryl Hall and John Oates on the show backed with T Bone Wolk on acoustic bass singing a song about Allen Colmes leaving Hannity & Colmes, sung to the tune of She’s Gone. Very funny, Jon Stewart looked genuinely thrilled to have them there.

They were followed by my ersatz doppleganger Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I don’t care what anyone says, I do not look like him. He’s a good actor, that’s a given, but he’s a lot rounder in the midsection than I am despite Vivek mentioning my gut the other day at work.

Yeah I’m a bit sensitive about that.

A few years ago when Bill and I started going out, we went to the Lure in the Meatpacking district, (before it became boutique central) for some sort of party. Lot’s of heavyset guys there, some were pretty fat I thought to myself, when Bill walks up and tells me all these guys reminded him of me.

My first thought- he’s saying that I was fat. That’s what I was thinking while mingling around the heavyweight set. I was horrified, and Bill was totally innocent since he had no idea what I was thinking. I still chuckle about that years later.

After the Daily Show I watched The Colbert Report, once again very funny. He has Michael Phelps on and it was a very funny interview.

I also watched the Office which was surprisingly downbeat. It had some funny moments but overall it was one of their odder episodes. 30 Rock was way funnier with Elaine Stritch playing Alec Baldwin’s mother.

After that I went to bed around 1:00AM. Woke up around 8:30, got bagels and whatnot. Saw Julio, Stine and Kal-El for a little while. They were getting ready to go out and I was getting hungry. Had a nice breakfast, read the news and did some laundry, all finished by 11:00.

Watched It Came From Beneath the Sea, a 1950’s sci-fi movie about a giant octopus that attacks San Francisco. I saw it a few times in my childhood. Never really heard a certain line from the movie until today when one male character says to another about how today’s woman (in the 1950’s) isn’t afraid and is quite courageous, and able to do a lot of things men can do. Of course this is said right before the octopus attacks the Golden Gate Bridge so it was quickly forgotten.

I decided to head into the city and check out some art galleries. I waited for the bus and I ran into Meghan Taylor Mastro with her daughter Ruby who has sprouted up quite a bit since I last saw her during the summer. Quick plans to meet up when Ann Louise Boyles comes to the area next week.

I decided on Chelsea since there’s a lot of galleries all within walking distance. I started out at the Cindy Sherman show but I wasn’t too impressed. I guess I have to be in the mood for her.

I was impressed by Eric Fischl’s sculpture show. That was very good and very powerful. A few more shows which were ranging from fun to okay. I do enjoy art when it makes me laugh or smile.

I called up Rita after leaving the Eric Fischl show remembering she liked him way back when. Just a quick word telling her to check out the show before it closes this Friday. If she’s into it, maybe I’ll leave work early on Friday and we can check it out.

After that I had a La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero that I had extinguished before heading into the galleries. Walked over to the Path and started reading last week’s New Yorker.

Walking up Washington Street I noticed about 30 Santa’s heading downtown. Apparently it’s Dress As Santa day and lot’s of guys were in the pubs and bars dressed like Kris Kringle with their girlfriends dressed as Mrs. Claus or elves and reindeer.

It reminded me of dreams that I used to have when I was actually killed by Santa Claus. Basically the dream was with me playing in my parent’s driveway and looking up to see his sleigh landing on top of me much like the house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East in The Wizard of Oz. It was one of those dreams that I used to have frequently when I was growing up.

Other dreams featured a large box, designed as a book that my mother used to have photographs in. In that dream I was told never to open that book/box but of course I did, unleashing a river of blood that Jesus would surf on, never helping me as I drowned.

It was the same Jesus who’s picture hung on the wall above my parents bed next to a picture of his mother Mary, both with their sacred hearts out of their chests.

Then there was the Black Ghost, a shroud reminiscent of the ghost of Christmas Future from a Christmas Carol. The Black Ghost would appear down the block in front of the Crist’s house and summon me towards him despite my resistance.

Then we would go flying over Lodi. In retrospect, the Black Ghost treated me better than Jesus or Santa.

There was also the Red Devil (who looked like the bad guy/wolf from Underdog) who used to make hot dogs in my backyard and threatened me with eternal damnation.

The Black Ghost and Red Devil eventually faded away when I had a dream in which I overheard my sister Annemarie and my brother Brian discussing who was going to be the Black Ghost and who was going to be the Red Devil that night.

I took a few pics this afternoon, but being on Bill’s Mac I can’t upload them. I’ll try later in the week.

Right now, It’s A Wonderful Life is on in the other room. I can hear Old Man Gower wailing on George’s ear. Ouch! ‘Please Mr. Gower, I know you’re sad, it’s not your fault’ Smack! Smack! ‘Don’t hit my sore ear again!’