Interesting Things as of Late | johnozed

A lazy Sunday. It’s 4:33 in the afternoon and I obviously didn’t go to the beach. I don’t think Stine likes to go to the beach. I’m disappointed. I did have a feeling that a trip to the beach wasn’t going to happen so my hopes were up at all. I was up around 7:30 just in case Julio was going to call. No call. A trip was made to buy rings of dough and some print media. Thats it. Oh and a trip to Shop Rite was the high point of the day. Once again it’s too humid out to do anything. (except to sit under an umbrella in the sand) When I got back from Shop Rite I was drenched. Thunderstorms did not arrive making the atmosphere thicker than before.

Watched Serpico last night. Actually, it was on TV last night but I wasn’t really paying attention. Just hung out and read while the TV provided background noise. Started to drift off while watching SNL Best of the 2006-2007 season.

Shuffle Time!

Ba Ba Boom- The Jamaicans
From the Story of Jamaican Music boxed set. Perfect music for a humid day like today. A jazz cigarette, a ice cold bottle of beer and something to read would be perfect….sand on the beach…Bah!
Old school reggae, or rather, rock steady.

This Is My Story- The Jewels
From the James Brown’s Funky Divas collection. Before James Brown would go on stage, there would be a few acts before him under his aegis, Bobby Byrd, Tammi Terrell and here, The Jewels. I think Tammi Terrell was the only one who made a new for herself, albeit briefly with Marvin Gaye and in life.

This Is Pop- XTC
From BBC Radio One Live cd. I was lucky enough to see them live twice on their Black Sea tour. After that Andy Partridge developed severe stage fright when his then wife threw out his Valium prescription that he was on constantly since he was a teenager. He was fantastic on stage when I saw him at the Capitol theater and the Palladium, always moving and running all over the place. Some people should stay on drugs is the moral of the story.

Monkey Man- The Specials
From the Specials first record. Live track from an album that changed my life on many levels. Black and white, personal politics were all introduced musically to me. They were great and I never got a chance to see the original band. A reconstituted version in the 1990’s but it wasn’t the same thing.
Two live tracks in a row (XTC/Specials).

Maria Novarro- Was (Not Was)
From Are You, Okay? The interesting David Was and Don Was project. A lot of fun to listen to, extremely well produced, perhaps a little too well produced. They have the wit and it could use some grit. Tainted by the fact Steve Saporito turned me onto them.

I Can’t Stop Loving You- Frank Sinatra with the Count Basie Orchestra
From It Might As Well Be Spring cd. A very cool cd to have in case one is feeling loungey. And it’s mandatory that if you want to live in Hoboken you must own at least one Sinatra cd. It’s true, it’s in the Town Charter as well as my lease.

Modern Love- David Bowie
From the Best of Bowie. This was used in the eighties for a commercial supporting the Coffee Growers Association. Bowie drinks coffee, you should too! Originally from the Let’s Dance album, this is the edited single. It’s definitely an upbeat song from the Dame.

Editrix Harpy called last night with some more suggestions that I don’t recall at the moment. Maybe a bagel will jog my memory. Nope. It ain’t happenin’. It’s awfully hot out. 87 degrees and thick as hummus once again. It’s gross out. Hardly anyone on the street. Shade is a commodity outside. Inside too. I suppose I’m in my man cave. It’s relatively dark and musky. No wait, not THAT man cave, I mean the apartment. It’s usually nice with a cross ventilation going on but not right now. It’s a warm breeze that flows through, which is better than no breeze.

I made my errands early before it started scorching and I decided to head over to Governor’s Island to see the ‘In the Pocket’ series, featuring a Bhangra vs. Reggae Inna Sound Clash planned to meet Carla the receptionist and her friend Millie. It was supposed to start at 1:00 so I decided not to do the laundry until later so I could leave the apartment around 11:45. I didn’t know whether or not to take a bus or the train so I made my mind up when I got to Washington Street and went for the bus. Air conditioned and less people.

Here’s selections from today’s notebook.

On the 126 to Manhattan. Going to Governor’s Island to see the Sound Clash that Carla has been talking about. She went to see Camera Obscura last night at the South Street Seaport, and I begged off, because of the pissy mood I was in yesterday, not feeling better until about an hour or so after I wrote last night’s blogarama. Never been to Governor’s Island before so it seems out of the ordinary, not out of the way.

Saw Ally Politkowski riding a bike on Washington Street not wearing a helmet and sweating profusely. We mainly chatted about Steve Fallon. Ally goes down to Rehoboth to visit Steve and Arnold from time to time. Ally is now working for the Associated Press. He’s a nice guy, but I don’t think he’s a writer, or creative like that. I don’t mean that as an insult. He’s a sweetheart.

Got a phone call from Pedro inviting me up to Otisville. Why does he wait until the last minute to invite me? I mentioned next weekend, since I already had plans. Next weekend is Labor Day weekend so that might work though Pedro is not so sure if it will. He’s trying to get as much overtime as possible.

Also got a phone call from Julio who was talking about going to the beach, having loaded up his trunk with beach equipment. When I heard that I was all set to jump off the bus. But I knew deep down that it was too late to go to the beach. It was after 12 noon and most of the beaches would be crazy crowded by the time we would get there. Tomorrow is up in the air, hopefully like a Frisbee.

Saw two children with lousy parents or guardians on the train this afternoon. One kid got hit in the neck accidentally by his one eyed, toothless guardian who told the kid to watch were he was going. The other kid was a few minutes later who was standing up until his father put him down really hard on the train seat making the kid cry. One of the kid’s brothers was trying to calm him down, but the boys teenage mother told her to let him cry, he only wants attention. The little kid just sat there after he was all cried out giving his father the death stare. I just hope these boys don’t wind up in the New York Post.

Here’s some pics of Governor’s Island.
Leaving Manhattan