Tag Archives: Esteban

I Never Knew Love Like This Before

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Another new page, or perhaps a new chapter. Who knows? Maybe it’s still being written. Time was spent once again volunteering at the bibliothèque. It went well, the staff wish I could get hired full time, I wish I could get hired full time, but not right now I guess. It’s a good gig, I like them, they like me. Only time will tell. They’re good people, some true Hoboken characters. I spent the time today putting away books and CD’s and DV’s, and also helping out people looking for items which I was able to do since I had just put most of those items away.

As I was putting away some of the audio visual items, I started talking to a young man named Esteban. He had taken out Television- Marquee Moon last week and I checked it out for him last week, Today I asked him what he thought and he was it was too much of a guitar record, which he wasn’t looking for but liked it. I guess he didn’t have a Stan Bogdansky in his life enthusing about Tom Verlaine and company like I did back in the day. I still remember Stan singing Prove It as I waited so we could go to a show.

Esteban did ask me for some suggestions and I asked if he was into something rock and roll, or something more on the chill out side of things. He was interested in the chill out side so I suggested Brian Eno, Another Green World. Half instrumental, half with vocals. He recognized Eno as being the producer of U2 and I told him there was so much more. We talked about Talking Heads and he recognized Remain in Light, having taken it out previously. He knew Once In A Lifetime from a movie.

He almost took out Remain in Light again but found Speaking in Tongues which is good but definitely pales in comparison to Remain in Light. I described it as more of a ‘pop’ record and he sort of looked disdainful. I explained there was nothing wrong with pop music, that the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were considered pop when they started, and perhaps they still are pop 50 years later. He also expressed a fondness for Blonde on Blonde having taken it out a while ago, I Want You being his favorite song.

I made a remark about Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands being 17 minutes long, and he corrected me telling me it was actually 12 minutes. He asked how I knew so much about music and I explained I have friends (Harpy & Juan) and family (Frank & Annemarie) that turn me onto music all the time, plus I suggested getting Mojo and Uncut magazines. He never heard of those and was very excited when I told him that each month the latest issues of those magazines come with free CD samplers. Sometimes new stuff sometimes old stuff on the samplers but almost all of it is very good.

I guess I will have to volunteer next Wednesday at the bibliothèque so I can find out what Esteban thought of my suggestions. He seemed like a nice enough chap. There was another patron who is trying to get every record from Rolling Stone’s issue of the best 500 albums. That seemed a bit much, but then again it Rolling Stone which is better read nowadays for Matt Taibbi’s reporting rather than music coverage. Some of the bibliothèque staff saw a flier for the Hoboken Fair Rent Association benefit on October 25 at Maxwells and wanted to know if that was me listed on the flier. It is.

So right now I am walking a tight rope. The future is uncertain as well as unwritten and out of my hands.




07 Prove It

Three Girl Rhumba

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Still ill. Last night was low key as expected. Just lay about the apartment, Bill came home carrying juice and concerned about me. There are moments when I feel just a little bit out of it, then there are moments when I can’t make sense of anything. Watched TV, avoided O & RM to Bill’s chagrin. Did watch the Daily Show and Colbert Report but wasn’t paying much attention.

Reading the latest Uncut magazine, good article on Bob Dylan, specifically about the albums from Oh Mercy to Love and Theft, his last studio record which came out on September 11, 2001. Talk about bad timing, it’s like the release for Phil Spector’s Christmas Album which came out on November 22, 1963. At least that’s the folklore.

Dylan’s new record in the bootleg series is outtakes from Oh Mercy to Love and Theft, and if you’ve read Dylan’s autobiography, Chronicles Volume One, a portion of that book is about the Oh Mercy sessions in New Orleans. Being in the state that I’m in reading is not as easy since my concentration is not what it usually is.

I did feel somewhat better when I went to sleep and slept fairly well though I did hit Bill once or twice during the night. I really don’t think it’s malicious, he’s just there, in the way of my nocturnal arm swinging. Perhaps I have restless arm syndrome. It is disconcerting.

I woke up at 6:00 and got myself together and went to work. I felt relatively ok. Bus was mighty crowded this morning. Saw Casey who asked the woman sitting next to me to exchange seats which she did. Casey asked how I was doing and I told him I was a bit ill after shaking his hand which made him feel like he was going to be sick. I lent him my bottle of Purel.

We talked about politics which no one on the bus talks about. No one on the bus talks about anything really. On the bus there’s this guy that I used to see with his wife when I worked at a video store on Washington Street years ago.

I know he recognizes me and I certainly recognize him but we don’t say anything to each other since it’s been about 17 years since I worked there and the store is no more. I only brought him up because once Casey and I hit the bus terminal Casey takes the subway across town and I walk, and this morning as I was crossing Park Avenue and 49th street- there was the video store guy, so he takes the subway as well but if he’s at Park Avenue the same time as I am then I make good timing while walking.

It has to be a major event for me to take the subway. Either a massive storm or I am feeling sick will get me underground.

The office was empty when I came in. Greg Stevens came in soon after me and we talked. Apparently Esteban, the last of the stooges was let go yesterday making the head count 4. He’s still going to be on staff some how, any projects that come up, he will be called in on. I had to distribute the payroll, 4 checks.

I checked the paperwork and found that I’m the only one getting paid. The officers of the company Vivek, Greg Stevens and Tom Chin are not. I guess they’re making a living out of investing in the company but there’s not much of a living to be made.

There are deals and contracts that are waiting to be completed but the companies involved aren’t sending any money our way and they’re much like my company- we’re squeezing every last cent we have. It’s not good and from what Greg Stevens told me, we probably won’t be around for 2009.

I chatted briefly with Vinnie from Wanker Banker which was swallowed up by the Big Canadian Financial Institution and he told me they let a lot of people go yesterday. So he’s scared for his job.

It’s like this all over the city, all over the country no doubt, maybe even the world. Still Greg reassured me that I should be alright, even though they still might have to cut my hours which is understandable. Not fun, but understandable nonetheless. It’s better to have some kind of job than no job at all.

But it is weird, like 10 Little Indians. And then there were 4….

PS- Just saw Julio who is sick as well. Turns out this bug is courtesy of Stine! So I guess it should last for another day or two.

Oh yeah, don’t forget the debate tonight!
Here’s a clip courtesy of Rand from the Kirby Museum