He Ain’t Give You None

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Today has turned out to be quite a nice day. 62 degrees said the thermometer on Washington Street. A bit windy but that was OK by me. Had a nice walk around Hoboken, visited that socialist institution and dropped off some DVD’s.

One of the DVD’s, Sleeper- turned out to be unplayable thanks to some cracks in the center of the disc. I seem to be the one who discovers things wrong with the DVD’s at the bibliothèque. No one else seems to even after they return them.

Maybe they’re the ones who break the discs and don’t say anything for fear of having to buy a new one. I’ve never been accused and then again I’ve never broken a CD or DVD from the library.

Yesterday I took out Taking Woodstock and Hippie, a book by Barry Miles. I watched Taking Woodstock last night. It was cute, it was fun. Wasn’t the worst movie I saw and not the greatest Ang Lee movie but it wasn’t as bad as the critics made it out to be.

No footage from the Woodstock movie, but some of the same techniques were used. No music from the movie either, probably kept costs down. A version of Going Out to the Country which may or may not have been by Canned Heat was the only song I can remember being in the both movies.

I enjoyed it. Demitri Martin was good and I could have sworn Andy Samberg was in it, but it turned out to be Jonathan Groff. So it wasn’t by the book as some Woodstock memoirs would have it, but it was still enjoyable.

I didn’t watch the extras since I have quite an extensive waiting list at the bibliothèque and I needed a copy of The Scottish Play for this Sunday’s Open Reading of Shakespeare at McSwells this Sunday. I do like the Scottish Play, having read it in high school.

After the library I wandered over to the river and read the January 25 issue of the New Yorker. Man I am behind. Since I’m not commuting anymore I don’t read it as often as I did, I’ve fallen behind. And my behind might have gotten a bit bigger since I’m not walking all over Manhattan like I used to.

Been a gray and wet couple of months so I’ve mainly been inside. I hope to change that soon enough now that the weather is getting better.

Stopped by the local record store, Tunes just to see if there was anything special about the latest album by The Bird & the Bee, their tribute to Hall & Oates. They didn’t have it in stock, claiming they sold it out. I doubt if they even ordered it since it came out yesterday. They said it should be in on Friday.

Instead I was able to snag Bang Masters by Van Morrison. A collection of his tracks for Bang Records from 1967. It was a used copy at $2.99 and since it had T.B. Sheets on it, a song that I’ve been playing once a day lately I had to have it. It should make for a nice burned CD for someone in August.

I’ve also become friends with Chris Frantz and Pat Irwin on Facebook. Chris Frantz was the drummer for Talking Heads, as well as for the Tom Tom Club and married to one of my favorite bass players, Tina Weymouth.

And Pat Irwin was in the Raybeats on guitar, keys and saxophone and also played guitar and keys for the B-52’s. A nice guy, I met him by the rock outside of Summerstage a few years ago. Answered my questions about the Raybeats and the B-52’s.

Chris Frantz is supposed to be a nice guy as well. I saw him at a Television show at the Academy theater in the 1990’s but was too nervous to go up to him and say anything.

I guess Facebook is the way to go then.
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I Blew Up The United States

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Here we are on a Tuesday. Another gray day. Not as rainy as yesterday but still it’s misty. I made it outside though. Nice for a walk. Last night I filled out the Census form while Bill slept.

Checked off the Puerto Rican and Black boxes for Bill. Went Albino Chinese for myself. Just to tweak the system you see. A little fun, a little socialist skulduggery never hurt anyone, or never put anyone in front of a death panel.

After I filled out the Census I played guitar. Eight Days a Week actually. Fun to play. My friend Lois offered to busk with me sometime, she playing the violin and perhaps accompanying me on vocals.

Sounds like a plan and it sounds like I should get a solid repertoire of maybe 10 songs I can play solidly. All My Loving, Please Please Me and So It Goes are just a few. And Hercules by Elton John. That makes 5 songs. 6 including The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

There is also Surrender by Cheap Trick, Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues by Bob Dylan (Boob to his friends) and Tracks of My Tears by the Miracles need some tightening up. I’m sure I can write one or two other songs myself just so that I can have some originals going on.

I watched Lolita and of course it was very good. Peter Sellers, oh Peter Sellers. Such a genius, such a troubled man. The whole movie is great but really gets kicked up a notch when Sellers is on screen.

I returned Lolita to the socialist institution and took out Taking Woodstock by Ang Lee. That got terrible reviews. I want to see what’s so terrible about it since Ang Lee generally makes top notch movies.

Also Sleeper by Woody Allen. That piqued my interest after reading an article on cryogenics in the New Yorker. Also to see if the song ‘Rebels are we, born to be free/Just like the fish that swim in the sea’ is sung. It’s also in Bananas and I’m pretty sure it is, but I just want to make sure.

I also picked up Doubt, starring Phillip whatshisname and Meryl Streep. I heard it was a laugh riot, the feel good film of the year and the car chases are supposed to be excellent.

I keep trying to get Black Dynamite but as BCCLS keeps telling me it’s too new. And only 2 libraries have it, Englewood and Upper Saddle River. Perhaps by next year I’ll get a chance. And here in NJ as well as around the country I’m sure, the libraries are in danger of closing.

Right now in Hoboken the library is open 7 days a week. Perhaps if they closed on Sundays they could save some money. But closing the library beyond that would be a big mistake. I am there almost every day and I have seen traffic increase week after week.

I plan on writing a letter to the Hoboken Reporter and letting them know what I think.

I wrote that shaking my fist to the sky.

Just had a very good dinner. Some pasta and a meat sauce made by Stine. She gave me the sauce a week or so ago, and it was frozen like a brick. Now it’s thawed out and edible. Quite good, but then again Stine is one of the best cooks who’s food I have ever eaten.

Can’t wait for the weather to improve. Looking forward to bringing my guitar out and playing and also just to walk around Hoboken and enjoy a cigar.

And very happy birthday wishes to my niece Meghan who is 29 today! Woo hoo!

Meghan and her husband Rob.

Meghan and her husband Rob.