Tag Archives: Bill

Union City Blue

Yesterday was Mother’s Day, a day that I am probably at my most low key. True I did see some of my family in the morning, but other than that I kept to myself mainly. Not in the doldrums and not resenting other people who’s mothers are still alive like the first couple of years after my mother passed away. Didn’t do much of anything and right now I can’t think of anything that I might have done.

I did watch Alec Baldwin on 60 Minutes, then watched the Simpsons where to my surprise, Homer’s mother Mona passed away, on Mother’s Day. Don’t know if it was Mother’s Day in Springfield, but it was the day they broadcast it. Homer mourned and fulfilled his mother’s final wishes, dismantling a missile silo inadvertently with his mother’s ashes. King of the Hill was also very good and funny. It’s rare that I watch King of the Hill on it’s own, it’s almost always after watching the Simpsons.

Then I watched Ratatouille, which took me by surprise. It’s was very good and the animation was great. A cute little story. Who knew that rats could be so adorable and not ridden with disease and parasites? I was just glad they didn’t have the rats talking to the people and vice versa. The human, named Linguine did speak but it wasn’t like there was a conversation between him and Remy the rat. Recommended.

After that, then the news. Lots of tornadoes in the Midwest as well as in the south. If I were to use the meteorological and theological skills of John McCrazy’s friend, Pastor John Hagee I would wonder why god hates all of these people in the United States? His rationale for Katrina was the big gay Southern Decadence party scheduled for the week that Katrina hit and god was so angry about that it nearly wiped out New Orleans.

I don’t think many gay people were killed or left homeless so this avenging god just fucked up the lives of those who passionately believe in it, with the pieces still scattered since these oh so pious christians spend more time demonizing LGBT people and not helping the poor and less fortunate that Jesus did and suggested his followers do. So I blame god for these disasters, courtesy of Pastor John Hagee. You use god to explain one catastrophe, why not use the god for all catastrophes? Myanmar and China were simply believing in the wrong god.

Woke up this morning to the sounds of an extremely heavy rain storm, heavy enough for me to send an email saying that I wouldn’t be in. I then went back to bed after texting Lydia that I wouldn’t be in. An hour or so later I felt bad that I wasn’t going in so I contacted Lydia and told her that I might be in if they could ‘finish fixing my ceiling which was leaking’. That was the excuse. I used it once before when working at Wolff Olins or rather, McMann and Tate.

So I was able to take my time and get ready for work at my own pace. I made it into the office a little after 11:00. Most everyone had leaky ceiling stories so they all chimed in with their versions. I told them that the repairs were started pretty much after I sent the initial email and that my really nice neighbors were overseeing the clean up. Still it was a crappy morning, strong winds turning umbrellas inside out.

I took the subway to the office, and it seemed like I was the go to guy for people who didn’t know how to get to where they wanted to go. 3 different people in 5 minutes. Got to the office and surprised everyone which made me look good, coming to work while repairs were being done on my apartment. Today was the day that postage stamps went up a penny so I took it upon myself to get to the post office to get them.

It wasn’t raining when I walked up Third Avenue. I passed this guy who seemed glad to see me. He said his name was Mike and we had some friends in common. A black woman that I am good friends with is his sister. All I could think of was Margaret, Bill’s friend. He rattled on and on about Margaret, how ill she’s gotten. I was surprised at how much he knew, or claimed to know while maintaining a healthy skepticism.

He said he goes to Hunter College and bought a car but the gas guage was broken and he needed some money to get some gas. Like $8.00. I gave him $3.00 and walked away. I called up Bill and asked if Margaret had a brother and it turns out she didn’t. It was a scam, a well played scam, worth $3.00, no more no less.

New Tom Waits video, posted today! Lie To Me.

Ego Tripping Out

It’s Thursday though last night I could have sworn it was Thursday which would make today Friday but it isn’t, it’s Thursday and that’s a drag. It happens from time to time, getting a little ahead of myself on occasion. Today was a day of fiasco’s. Bill asked me to drop off a power supply for his laptop at his office on my way to work this morning. That was no problem. The actual problem was I brought the wrong power supply. I thought he needed the one with the Apple logo on it but no. So I have to bring the one Bill actually needs which is no big deal, not even a hassle since it’s on the way.

I watched two documentaries on PBS last night, the first was a new documentary on Marvin Gaye. Great story, deserved more than an hour, though I guess that is where Jesse Martin comes in with his bio-pic of Marvin in the works. Should be an interesting scene of Marvin on the beach in Hawaii trying to kill himself by snorting many grams of cocaine. A troubled life for the trouble man. Great clips throughout the show of Marvin in his uneasy prime. What a sexy guy he was but couldn’t dance for shit.

The other documentary was about Aretha Franklin which had even better clips from the sixties, but it was a documentary from the late eighties it seemed. Keith Richards was in it for a minute or two and he looked still alive. Still there were some clips of Aretha live that sent chills up my spine. A friend of mine and I had a plan a few years ago to drive to Detroit just to hear Aretha sing in her church. Obviously it never came to fruition, never making it to Motown.

Work was ok. Nothing much to report. The bookkeeper was back after a bout with cancer which seems to be in remission and that was good to hear. She’s a buffer of sorts between me and Tom Chin. I was planning on trying to get Juan a summer job in my office, but as usual communication is up to me. A month ago I mentioned that there might not be a need for a receptionist and Vivek said there would be.

Today I mentioned it to Greg Stevens and he said there would be no need. So I figure I have to get a definite answer so in case it doesn’t go well Juan could figure out something else to do. Greg cited the cost, but it wouldn’t be much of a cost since it’s the same as we are paying Lydia presently. I’ll find out more about that tomorrow.

I also dealt with the insurance company and NYU dental school, who didn’t have me in their records. At least the first of several numbers I had dialed. Then the same thing with the insurance company. It turns out they did send a check for the scaling and planing they had done on my left side of my mouth. But they sent it to NYU and not me.

NYU does the work and collects money from me. That’s it. All insurance paperwork has to be done my me, not the dental school. They’ve already gotten my money, and now my check covering a little bit more than 50% of what I paid which is better than nothing.

Serenity now!

Oh forgot this nice little bit. I had a letter published in Mojo Magazine. It was actually the second time they’ve published a letter, or rather email that I’ve sent. This month’s issue, #175 with Slash on the cover. I don’t like Slash. In the UK it was Paul Weller on the cover. My letter was about the previous month’s switch of covers for a US readership. Instead of a great picture of one of my all time favorite bands ever, The Specials, they had Neil Young. Great songs, but let’s face it, he’s a geezer. The Specials, interracial, young and handsome with a great political slant are much more easy on the eyes.

My letter is under the heading “We thought you were inferior” and the letter goes as follows:

I love you MOJO, I really do. I buy your magazine every month. I was driving the newsagents crazy insisting MOJO 174 had the Specials on the cover. Then I saw Neil Young instead. I like Neil Young, but I got so much more from my beloved Specials. Just disappointed in the switch. I know you have to do it in the US since Neil is more famous that Jerry, Terry and co. And I still love you.

What do you think about that? I had to admit, I thought it was great as I laughed out loud.
But that headline…
What do you think it means?

Please check out this link from the wonderful Dan Savage. Cut n’ paste:
http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/hello_straight_people