Category Archives: Wonderful World Beautiful People

Give Me An Inch

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It’s a Saturday. Nice to sleep in. Slept really well until around 8:30 when construction started two buildings down. I was asleep a little after 12:00, very much heavy lidded over red eyes. Nice. I obviously much prefer it to drinking. I think I am getting overloaded by the convention coverage. Just way to much info, it’s worse when I’m alone.

When Bill or Juan is here it feels like the information is dissipated, at least it can start a conversation. Flying solo, it’s all input, no output. I’ve been toying with the idea of not watching Olbermann and Rachel Maddow (O & RM) this week, just some time off. I guess we’ll ultimately see how that works out. Didn’t do much last night, read some magazines while O & RM followed by the Daily Show and The Colbert Report played on before I watched Bill Maher.

You see what I mean? Even though it’s entertaining it’s just a barrage of information which while enlightening is generally preaching to the choir. Bill watched his cousins kids last night and is doing it again tonight so he’ll be in Stuyvesant Town. I have 3 Netflix discs Baby Mama, Stardust and a DVD of two Alan Bennett teleplays.

I think I’ll definitely watch Baby Mama tonight. Stardust is the movie that came out with Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfieffer last year to some pretty bad reviews. The bookkeeper at work recommended it and for some reason I listened so we’ll see where that goes.

Right now I’m listening to the Roches. I’ve always liked them a lot. I’ve only seen them twice, once with the Caroling Carolers at the Bottom Line and once at Town Hall, and also as part of the Songs from Liquid Days by Phillip Glass at Lincoln Center. I

have only a few of their records, but my favorite is probably Keep on Doing which is on right now, with an a capella version of the Hallelujah Chorus. This album and their first, The Roches were produced by Robert Fripp which makes it stand out from their other records. I wouldn’t mind hearing the Roches produced by Fripp again.

For some reason I’ve always liked Maggie Roche the most. She wrote some outstanding songs and seems to be the balance between Terre and Suzzy. They’re playing in Tarrytown in December with Loudon Wainwright. Suzzy had a fling with Loudon which produced Lucy Wainwright, the half sister of Rufus and Martha.

Lucy sings and tours with the Wainwrights. And the Roches are from Park Ridge. I reckon the fling between Loudon and Suzzy caused his marriage to Kate McGarrigle to cease. Oh those folkies!

So it’s been that kind of day.

I spoke with Harpy last night who was raving about iTunes Genius program. I took his advice and downloaded it and for the past 6 hours it’s been ‘gathering information on my library’ which is over 14,000 tracks. The progress bar hasn’t moved past the ‘i’ in information message. It had better be worth it, or Harpy gets it!

My niece Meghan and her husband Rob ran in the Baltimore marathon today. They ran 26 miles which is impressive. They’re both coaches as well as teachers at 2 high schools. Meghan ran it in 3:17:09 and Rob ran in 3:24:38.

So congratulations to both of them on their fleet feet feat!

It’s October 11! National Coming Out Day!
Come out come out whomever you are!

Alien Jam

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Last night was cool, mellow. Watched Olbermann and Rachel Maddow which was as good as usual. Taped Heroes which had it’s season premier last night. I of course, being a former comic book geek was hooked anew. But it was a two hour episode or rather two one hour episodes shown back to back. I watched Rachel Maddow and taped Heroes and watched the first hour.

Still don’t know how the second episode went, but I have a week to watch it. Bill was in bed fast asleep when I joined him and before I knew it he was kissing me goodbye once again. I got out of bed and showered. Forgot to shave but then again it takes a few days to notice, though I can feel it growing.

Last night I bought two songs from iTunes by Konk!, one of my favorite bands from the 1980’s. I was surprised to see it on iTunes, but there it was. I bought them, and loaded it into my iPod, making a playlist so I could find it fast or so I thought. I was disappointed to not find it this morning. I got over it and wound up listening to solo songs by the Fabs instead, which was great of course, but not that pseudo Latin dance stuff from the East Village that I was looking forward to.

On the bus I got a video message from Bill, being silly and screaming and shouting that he loved me which was fun to get on a crowded bus. Then I got a phone call. It was Bill and not as silly as he was a minute before. He told me his mother had a stroke last night and he was on the way to the hospital.

To say that sucked would be an understatement. He was understandably stressed and continued to be so throughout the day when he would phone with updates. It was thought it was a seizure but seems to be a stroke, slight paralysis on one side of his other’s face among other symptoms. I couldn’t get away from work and even if I could what could I do?

Work itself was intense, not so much for what was going on inside the office, but rather from what was going on outside. Bush was in town, staying at the Waldorf Astoria right around the block from my office and most of the neighborhood was on lock down.

Total street closures, snipers on rooftops, helicopters flying low over head and quite a fleet of vehicles one of which was the dummy vehicle, with the rest being decoys. Cops everywhere and Secret Service, some of them dressed oh so nicely.

Work was quiet again, the only thing I heard was Vivek indignant yet laughing at the way the Senate was questioning Paulson. Vivek thinks Paulson should get all the money to do what he will. Vivek is the managing director of the company and of course he wants his company to stay afloat, which puts me in a weird position, I want to work and I want oversight on this bail out. Questions asked.

Then around 2:00 Vivek and Greg Stevens went out saying they probably wouldn’t be back, leaving me all alone in the office. Esteban, the lone stooge, left early after a doctor’s appointment and Tom Chin never came in after saying he would be in by noon. I stayed until 4:30 and walked across town enjoying a Padron listening Radiohead, In Rainbows. Haven’t played it in a while.

Got the bus back, picked up a ticket at Tunes for my brother Frank’s friend for The Bird and The Bee at McSwells in a week or so. Then I ran into Thaler who is really sweet. I’ve known Thaler for a long time and we have a few mutual friends. And she and her husband Tom who’s equally nice used to live next to Chaz and Kathe when they were together and living in Hoboken.

She’s a lot more political minded than I am and has been a vocal supporter for women’s rights. She looked really good as well and we had a really good talk about the current political scene. She has some good insight on a lot of things that I’m too tired to get into right now.

I started tonight’s entry on my own computer which crapped out again, low wireless connection. Finished on Bill’s laptop which has a good wireless connection. Also didn’t want a cranky call from he who must not be named about ‘why is the blog so late tonight?’