Tag Archives: Bill

El Cuarto de Tula

“People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power. “ Bill Clinton said that last night. Bill and I watched the convention again. A rousing speech by Clinton & John Kerry. But Beau Biden introducing his father was touching as was the embrace by Joe Biden when he came out for his speech.

Really a beautiful moment. I don’t recall my father ever hugging me like that, then again I don’t recall my father hugging me at all.

I sincerely hope that Barack Obama wins the election in November. I can’t afford to be optimistic but I can be hopeful. One of the most depressing days in my life was when John Kerry lost the election in 2004. I certainly don’t want to go through that again. But watching Obama come out after Joe Biden’s speech was electrifying.

I just think it would be phenomenal if he would win. A black man as President of the United States was something I thought I would see in my lifetime, just didn’t expect it so soon, and now that it’s a distinct possibility it really gives me a hopeful feeling. And whatever ambivalent feelings I may have towards Joe Biden have fallen by the wayside.

I didn’t know his story before and now that I do I am impressed. I stayed up and watched the entire convention last night. We’ve been watching it on CSPAN, rather than MSNBC. Occasionally we catch it on PBS, but CSPAN doesn’t have commentators, just a nonstop camera on the stage. No talking heads there. No advertisements. And it’s up to us to make up our own minds thank you very much.

Woke up around 8:00 which was pleasant. Went out got the papers, went to the supermarket. Did laundry, talked with Angry Juan who was very angry. Not at me, but rather mad at the world. It’s a good thing they have a cooling off period when buying firearms. Not that he bought firearms.

But if he did…

I went into the city, saw Bill, saw my friend Jesse and watched a building on fire, or rather watched a fire being put out on top of a building. I was going to head down to Farfetched and came close to jumping on the subway but wandered around midtown instead and went back home.

I had other things to do, co-edit the other blog and see if my sister got the Mets souvenir visor I bought at Shea Stadium on her birthday. Heard from Song who was asking me if I wanted to have dinner with him and Ray in the city, but since I was mere feet away from the bus terminal I passed.

I had hoped to meet up with Song and Ray when they were in town but things being what they are, it didn’t work out. I found out Raphael Saadiq was playing the South Street Seaport tomorrow night and I am definitely going to that. I saw Raphael Saadiq last in 2000 on tour in Lucy Pearl.

He was so magnetic on stage and when he smiled I could have sworn he was smiling right at me. Who knows? Maybe he was. I was smiling at him thats for sure. Anyway, that’s where I will be tomorrow night. Last show of the season at the Seaport, featuring Raphael Saadiq.

Do youself a favor and check out his website: http://www.raphaelsaadiq.com/ I just love his voice, ever since hearing him sing with his cousin and brother in Tony Toni Tone. Good for the soul. I’m psyched!

Here are some pics!

This afternoon’s fire

wrist bone

This perhaps, did not end well

Ya Ya

Well back to work, back to normal. The nap helped yesterday afternoon. Still out of it somewhat last night. Bill was also out of it. The weather has gotten considerably cooler so perhaps thats why we were both fatigued. It’s the only explanation I could think of and the idea was placed in my mind from Chaz and a co-worker.

Though I was plenty tired last night, the nap didn’t help with sleeping though. Bill went to sleep around 9:00, I hung in there until after Hillary Clinton spoke at the convention. That didn’t get me fired up not did it tire me out. It was just there. Juan wanted to come by, but things being what they were it was better off that he didn’t. Tonight would have been fine though.

Bill was up and out by 6:00 this morning, I dragged my ass out of bed and got myself ready. On the bus again, no Casey. Read the New Yorker, all about Myanmar/Burma/Rangoon. A definite totalitarian regime, military rulers not allowing aid to come in after the disaster there earlier this year.

The rulers don’t care about what the rest of the world thinks and they don’t care (in every sense of the word) for their own people. Of course since we created the Iraq fiasco, the US credibility is totally shot so if we have anything to say about anything, who would want to listen to us?

Like a few weeks ago, the US stamping it’s feet about Russia going into Georgia, US saying ‘You can’t invade a sovereign nation!’ and the world taking note of that and remembering that, that was exactly what we did when we went into Iraq.

I guess Afghanistan was necessary, sort of going after the Taliban who was fingered as being behind the attacks on 9/11. But you knew all this already.

Meanwhile back in the island off the coast of America called Manhattan, tourists are everywhere, most workers and residents have taken off this last unofficial week of summer. The office wasn’t doing much.

A few more people in, but for me it was like crossing paths since I have taken off tomorrow and Friday. I made a point to write down instructions on how to use the coffee pot. They will have to put their own paper in the printers, and I expect my desk to be covered with mail that arrived when I was out. Not that big of a deal, at least I know what I’m headed towards, come Tuesday.

I saw Chaz after work. He asked me to take his picture in front of the Robert Indiana LOVE sculpture on west 55th street and 6th avenue. So after work I walked over there and took 2 pics. The whole thing took less than 30 seconds.

Afterwards we walked down 6th avneue, just shooting the breeze. He was going to the Virgin Mega Store, and I was headed to the bus terminal. I could have walked over to Times Square with Chaz but if there were hundreds of tourists on 6th avenue, there were more than likely thousands in Times Square and I was not going to walk through that.

No line for the bus and I nabbed a seat in the back, reading some more of Alan Bennett, who’s mother has Alzheimers in the 1970’s. Not the fun, witty stories I envisioned when I took the book out of the library, but I’ll hang in there. He’s bound to eventually get to Oxford and then Beyond the Fringe with Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Jonathan Miller.

More of the convention on the schedule for tonight. Bill’s home and he’ll probably go to bed soon. I’m off until Tuesday so who knows? I may stay up until midnight and watch the day begin.

and on today’s streets

Rest in Peace Del Martin
Lesbian rights pioneer Del Martin died Wednesday. She was 87. She and her partner Phyllis Lyon were the first to be legally married in the state of California.