Wednesday, December 29, 2010
a heist.... a caper.......
A few months back Stephen Cannell, prolific writer and TV producer passed away. Way back when, he created the show "The Rockford Files" which , of course, followed the adventures of Jim Rockford a less than heroic hero, played memorably by the great James Garner.
Cannell created dozens of shows, wrote hundreds of scripts and most recently had turned to novels. The current TV show "Castle" , which I didn't care for at first, but has since grown on me, features the character of Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) a successful mystery writer who helps out the NYPD. On a few of the early episodes there were some scenes that took place at a poker game. A weekly game played by some very successful mystery writers, Castle and playing themselves Cannell and James Patterson and.....someone else I don't remember. It was a neat little bit of business, lotsa fun.
The week that Cannell died , at the very end of the show they played the little "Tag" that appeared at the end of his shows , just a few seconds long, He's sitting at his typewriter and pulls out another finished page of script and tosses it in the air. A very thoughtful tip of the hat.
In an interview once Cannell said that he wasn't an artist, that he was a craftsman. He sat down everyday and wrote, didn't wait for inspiration or to be visited by his muse , he just wrote. If he was a carpenter he would have been making a picnic table but he was a writer so he sat down and wrote stories.
One of my favorite "craftsman" died a year or so back, Donald Westlake. There might have been a more prolific writer, but I can't think of who that might be- Westlake made Stephen King look like JD Salinger.
Fiction. non fiction, short stories, film scripts (he won an Oscar for "The Grifters"), and most impressively to me, he wrote not one, but two of the greatest mystery series of all time. The "Dortmunder" books, which followed a group of career criminals, journey men, or craftsmen, if you please, as they pull off a heist. In each book the original crime is somehow bungled and leads to a series of escalating crimes to finally resolve the first. A number of films have been made from this series, but none of them capture the hangdog tone of everyday criminals like the books. John Dortmunder has been played by everyone from Robert Redford to Martin Lawrence, quite a stretch.
Hmmmm this leads me, unexpectedly to the thought of who I would cast. I'll think about it.
He also wrote, under the name, Richard Stark, The "Parker" series, a whole different style of character. The Dortmunder books are wryly comic seemingly written with a shrug of the shoulders, While the Parker books are lean and mean and nasty. Both look at crimes committed by lifelong criminals but exist in two different worlds.
There have been a few Parker films as well, more successfully. Lee Marvin and Mel Gibson have both had a crack at Parker and did a convincing job bringing that nasty bastid to life.
Good stories , good storytelling, filled with details, you read them and think "I could pull a heist". you get so much info. The Parker books in particular are filled with realistic feeling details about how a crime is planned and committed.
I get a kick out of the Dortmunder books and a few of his comic novels because some of the action takes place on Long Island, he seems to have particular affection for Bay Shore and the Fire Island beaches.
In the past few weeks I've read his final two books (well until someone opens a drawer somewhere and finds 10 more) The final Dortmunder book; GET REAL, which pits Dortmunder and his crew against a reality TV show. Great fun , but bittersweet knowing that the old gang won't be meeting again.
And his final book, a stand alone novel called , MEMORY. this is published as an original paperback by, the publisher Hard Case Crime, a wonderful "label" which releases new and vintage "noir" style fiction every month. Oh dear god in heaven, this book is a masterpiece, i said it, you heard me. It has a simple premise; a man gets into a fight , gets hurt, and loses his memory, I can hear you shaking your head from hear, "Amnesia? Please!" This ain't your run of the mill amnesia story.
I will just tempt you with this, with barely any clues , Paul, has to try to put his life back together. A glimmer of hope! He was an actor, maybe he can go back to New York and get work, but what kind of role can an actor with no memory play. Day by day, page by page, the defeats and the dread pile on- I can't remember another book where I had such a physical reaction as I was reading it, It was horrifying (in a fascinating way) and I found it impossible to get ahead of the story, I had NO idea where this thing was going. And that's very entertaining.
Read Westlake, you can thank me later. And by all means track down MEMORY, for that one you might not thank me.
oh! who could play Dortmunder? Has to be a good strong character actor who seems to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, he's not flashy or overly assertive , but he is without question, the leader. The kind of guy that people under estimate, at some point in every story some one makes the mistake of thinking that they can take advantage of Dortmunder. Beware.
Here's an idea, Ricky Jay, about ten years younger than he is now. Don't know Ricky? Ask your ol' pal Google.
ps no producer would greenlight a movie with Ricky Jay as the lead, but I can dream can't I?
Cannell created dozens of shows, wrote hundreds of scripts and most recently had turned to novels. The current TV show "Castle" , which I didn't care for at first, but has since grown on me, features the character of Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) a successful mystery writer who helps out the NYPD. On a few of the early episodes there were some scenes that took place at a poker game. A weekly game played by some very successful mystery writers, Castle and playing themselves Cannell and James Patterson and.....someone else I don't remember. It was a neat little bit of business, lotsa fun.
The week that Cannell died , at the very end of the show they played the little "Tag" that appeared at the end of his shows , just a few seconds long, He's sitting at his typewriter and pulls out another finished page of script and tosses it in the air. A very thoughtful tip of the hat.
In an interview once Cannell said that he wasn't an artist, that he was a craftsman. He sat down everyday and wrote, didn't wait for inspiration or to be visited by his muse , he just wrote. If he was a carpenter he would have been making a picnic table but he was a writer so he sat down and wrote stories.
One of my favorite "craftsman" died a year or so back, Donald Westlake. There might have been a more prolific writer, but I can't think of who that might be- Westlake made Stephen King look like JD Salinger.
Fiction. non fiction, short stories, film scripts (he won an Oscar for "The Grifters"), and most impressively to me, he wrote not one, but two of the greatest mystery series of all time. The "Dortmunder" books, which followed a group of career criminals, journey men, or craftsmen, if you please, as they pull off a heist. In each book the original crime is somehow bungled and leads to a series of escalating crimes to finally resolve the first. A number of films have been made from this series, but none of them capture the hangdog tone of everyday criminals like the books. John Dortmunder has been played by everyone from Robert Redford to Martin Lawrence, quite a stretch.
Hmmmm this leads me, unexpectedly to the thought of who I would cast. I'll think about it.
He also wrote, under the name, Richard Stark, The "Parker" series, a whole different style of character. The Dortmunder books are wryly comic seemingly written with a shrug of the shoulders, While the Parker books are lean and mean and nasty. Both look at crimes committed by lifelong criminals but exist in two different worlds.
There have been a few Parker films as well, more successfully. Lee Marvin and Mel Gibson have both had a crack at Parker and did a convincing job bringing that nasty bastid to life.
Good stories , good storytelling, filled with details, you read them and think "I could pull a heist". you get so much info. The Parker books in particular are filled with realistic feeling details about how a crime is planned and committed.
I get a kick out of the Dortmunder books and a few of his comic novels because some of the action takes place on Long Island, he seems to have particular affection for Bay Shore and the Fire Island beaches.
In the past few weeks I've read his final two books (well until someone opens a drawer somewhere and finds 10 more) The final Dortmunder book; GET REAL, which pits Dortmunder and his crew against a reality TV show. Great fun , but bittersweet knowing that the old gang won't be meeting again.
And his final book, a stand alone novel called , MEMORY. this is published as an original paperback by, the publisher Hard Case Crime, a wonderful "label" which releases new and vintage "noir" style fiction every month. Oh dear god in heaven, this book is a masterpiece, i said it, you heard me. It has a simple premise; a man gets into a fight , gets hurt, and loses his memory, I can hear you shaking your head from hear, "Amnesia? Please!" This ain't your run of the mill amnesia story.
I will just tempt you with this, with barely any clues , Paul, has to try to put his life back together. A glimmer of hope! He was an actor, maybe he can go back to New York and get work, but what kind of role can an actor with no memory play. Day by day, page by page, the defeats and the dread pile on- I can't remember another book where I had such a physical reaction as I was reading it, It was horrifying (in a fascinating way) and I found it impossible to get ahead of the story, I had NO idea where this thing was going. And that's very entertaining.
Read Westlake, you can thank me later. And by all means track down MEMORY, for that one you might not thank me.
oh! who could play Dortmunder? Has to be a good strong character actor who seems to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, he's not flashy or overly assertive , but he is without question, the leader. The kind of guy that people under estimate, at some point in every story some one makes the mistake of thinking that they can take advantage of Dortmunder. Beware.
Here's an idea, Ricky Jay, about ten years younger than he is now. Don't know Ricky? Ask your ol' pal Google.
ps no producer would greenlight a movie with Ricky Jay as the lead, but I can dream can't I?
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
The ghost of Christmas just passed........
Christmas flew under my radar this year.
I am astonished that it has already been and gone. For the years I worked at the late (as of today, when the doors closed for the last time) lamented Airport Playhouse, the holidays were the busiest time of year. The childrens show would be running three performances a day from Thanksgiving on. At night whatever extravaganza was on the main stage was extravaganzing- many times this was a musical revue constructed in house. All the while we were preparing for new years eve , putting together Two shows (!) for that one night. A comedy that would run early in the evening and then the after midnight cabaret. Believe me, during those years I knew it was Christmas time.
Before my days on the wicked stage- I would spend my December immersed in preparations for midnight mass, rehearsing new material for the Mass as well as the pre- mass cabaret, oops, concert. Again, you knew it was Christmas.
In my family we used to buy gifts for everyone- adults , kids, pets. As the family grew so did the list and the cost. Now we do a " not so secret Santa" thing- at Thanksgiving, everybody over 21 picks a name out of a hat and you get that person a gift.
I used to enjoy shopping for the masses, I was known for the odd, eccentric, gifts thoughtfully chosen for each person. Lots of fun, but time consuming and at times daunting- everyone wanted a unique gift, no socks and underwear.. Now , just the one.
I got my shopping done in one day- so that was the extent of my exposure to the outside world and Christmas.
I did watch one holiday special, Charlie Brown... of course. what a perfect show, and unabashedly religious.
I suspect that the real reason my radar did not blip Christmas is that I have lost contact with Linus' message. The true meaning of Christmas.
Like many middle aged Irish Catholics, i would have to check the "lapsed" box on the "What kind of Catholic are you questionnaire" As a matter of fact years ago I was filling in the personal info section on an on-line dating website (don't ask) and came upon the religion question. Hmmm , Catholic? Well not really, I'm not even a Christmas/Easter Catholic anymore. I'm more of a Wedding/funeral Catholic. Atheist? Oh, no, too certain. Agnostic? Always seemed kinda wimpy to me.
What the Hell/heck am I? Earlier today it dawned on me- my religion had atrophied, shrivelled from lack of use. When I go to a wedding/funeral all the prayers and responses trip off my tongue, they're all in there, just not used all that often. Atrophied.
So perhaps I should create a new label- I AM AN "ATROPH"
Here is an example of why I cannot totally discount the existence of a God. This will perhaps sound flip, but I am serious.
When you look around you constantly see evidence of a sense of humor in the world, a cosmic joke, an over riding sense of absurdity. You need an intelligence to see it and to create it.
Example: It took me two days to dig the house and car out of the snow- exhausting , back breaking labor. Then finally, done! So, now I walk back to the garage to put away the shovel and the second I reach the door a huge plow drives down the street and pushes two feet of snow back into the driveway.
A joke, right? On Me? Yes! By who?........
I'm serious.
There is another bit of proof which is grace; which can act as a sanctuary during trying times.
Someday, maybe, I'll write about grace and me.
ps I was at the theater a bit today as the seats were being removed and the curtains taken down- what a terrible loss. Heartbreaking.
I am astonished that it has already been and gone. For the years I worked at the late (as of today, when the doors closed for the last time) lamented Airport Playhouse, the holidays were the busiest time of year. The childrens show would be running three performances a day from Thanksgiving on. At night whatever extravaganza was on the main stage was extravaganzing- many times this was a musical revue constructed in house. All the while we were preparing for new years eve , putting together Two shows (!) for that one night. A comedy that would run early in the evening and then the after midnight cabaret. Believe me, during those years I knew it was Christmas time.
Before my days on the wicked stage- I would spend my December immersed in preparations for midnight mass, rehearsing new material for the Mass as well as the pre- mass cabaret, oops, concert. Again, you knew it was Christmas.
In my family we used to buy gifts for everyone- adults , kids, pets. As the family grew so did the list and the cost. Now we do a " not so secret Santa" thing- at Thanksgiving, everybody over 21 picks a name out of a hat and you get that person a gift.
I used to enjoy shopping for the masses, I was known for the odd, eccentric, gifts thoughtfully chosen for each person. Lots of fun, but time consuming and at times daunting- everyone wanted a unique gift, no socks and underwear.. Now , just the one.
I got my shopping done in one day- so that was the extent of my exposure to the outside world and Christmas.
I did watch one holiday special, Charlie Brown... of course. what a perfect show, and unabashedly religious.
I suspect that the real reason my radar did not blip Christmas is that I have lost contact with Linus' message. The true meaning of Christmas.
Like many middle aged Irish Catholics, i would have to check the "lapsed" box on the "What kind of Catholic are you questionnaire" As a matter of fact years ago I was filling in the personal info section on an on-line dating website (don't ask) and came upon the religion question. Hmmm , Catholic? Well not really, I'm not even a Christmas/Easter Catholic anymore. I'm more of a Wedding/funeral Catholic. Atheist? Oh, no, too certain. Agnostic? Always seemed kinda wimpy to me.
What the Hell/heck am I? Earlier today it dawned on me- my religion had atrophied, shrivelled from lack of use. When I go to a wedding/funeral all the prayers and responses trip off my tongue, they're all in there, just not used all that often. Atrophied.
So perhaps I should create a new label- I AM AN "ATROPH"
Here is an example of why I cannot totally discount the existence of a God. This will perhaps sound flip, but I am serious.
When you look around you constantly see evidence of a sense of humor in the world, a cosmic joke, an over riding sense of absurdity. You need an intelligence to see it and to create it.
Example: It took me two days to dig the house and car out of the snow- exhausting , back breaking labor. Then finally, done! So, now I walk back to the garage to put away the shovel and the second I reach the door a huge plow drives down the street and pushes two feet of snow back into the driveway.
A joke, right? On Me? Yes! By who?........
I'm serious.
There is another bit of proof which is grace; which can act as a sanctuary during trying times.
Someday, maybe, I'll write about grace and me.
ps I was at the theater a bit today as the seats were being removed and the curtains taken down- what a terrible loss. Heartbreaking.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
your new favorite song......
I'm a lucky guy, I have lots and lots of incredibly gifted friends. Writers, singers, actors, painters, composers, musicians and on and on. Here is a bit of a song written by a friend of mine. I love this song. I love this performance. I think lots of people need to hear this. Give it a listen- there is also a finished version on facebook if you want to hear more.
what is the definition of insanity....?
Blizzard.
I like when things tap into that primal/cave man part of your brain, right now the snow continues to fall as it has all day, the wind is howling, I have a fire going in the fireplace (the best place to have a fire, by the way)- I went to the store earlier , so I am well stocked with provisions and I am experiencing a great feeling of security and contentment. I have bested the elements (so far)
Of course, there are still some lessons that need to be learned. Last year during a big snow storm I thought-I'll go out every few hours and shovel the walk and the driveway, That way I'll just be doing small amounts ,no big accumulation. I think I might have heard someone suggest that on the radio. Well..... it doesn't work! If anything ,I feel like I did four times as much shovelling.
This afternoon I started again- shovel every few hours. Dope! Between the falling snow and the drifting snow , I made no progress at all.
I think I'll just go sit in front of the fire and commune with my caveman brain- Urrrrrr, Fire! Good!
I like when things tap into that primal/cave man part of your brain, right now the snow continues to fall as it has all day, the wind is howling, I have a fire going in the fireplace (the best place to have a fire, by the way)- I went to the store earlier , so I am well stocked with provisions and I am experiencing a great feeling of security and contentment. I have bested the elements (so far)
Of course, there are still some lessons that need to be learned. Last year during a big snow storm I thought-I'll go out every few hours and shovel the walk and the driveway, That way I'll just be doing small amounts ,no big accumulation. I think I might have heard someone suggest that on the radio. Well..... it doesn't work! If anything ,I feel like I did four times as much shovelling.
This afternoon I started again- shovel every few hours. Dope! Between the falling snow and the drifting snow , I made no progress at all.
I think I'll just go sit in front of the fire and commune with my caveman brain- Urrrrrr, Fire! Good!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
behold!
"I was leadin' the life of Riley, then Riley came home."
my favorite joke
I'm usually the only one laughing
my favorite joke
I'm usually the only one laughing
turn the page......
The unexamined life is not worth living.....
Socrates
As I turn a clear eye towards myself I can see that I have become a guy who spends , more time than I ever imagined I would , on the computer. In the morning , I'll check my e mail , all three accounts, then scoot over to twitter to see if Roger Ebert has gotten any sleep in the last 24 hours. (obviously not- the man tweets constantly, god bless him). Then some news, NYT, Huffingtonpost, Dailybeast, Dlisted (okay gossip, but the guy who writes it is wonderfully snarky) and whatever links they lead me to.
What used to be 15 minutes is now an hour (and getting longer) I try not to go on during the day without a reason, but reason and the interweb seem to dwell in different worlds.
oh! I forgot all about the narcotic that is Facebook. When I joined that soul sucker 2 years ago (thanks to my "friend" Bradlee) I had no idea what the hell it's for. Two years later, I still don't know what it's for, but I check it 10 times a day. That's not good.
It is a labyrinth, You start and then you follow crumbs and you end up in "Where the Hell am I?" To quote my second favorite philosopher, "I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way" Stymie.
Case in point- I read a story about a heavily bosomed young lady who was driving and texting (c'mon now!) and totaled her car. So now she doesn't have a car , can't get to work, and she is facing Jail time if she doesn't pay a fine and do community service.
Well the community service is no problem, but how to pay the fine? Where can she raise the money? Good questions. Hmmmmm, Oh, did I mention that she was heavily bosomed with cleavage not unlike that fabled Canyon out west?
This leads me to her face book page, which now leads to a web site , where, (i am not making this up) Young ladies will offer chats and photos and videos for a price. A price that is decided between those who are members of the site and the young ladies. So there she is asking for donations to pay her fine so that she won't, "get raped in jail"
Other young ladies are very direct as they ask for money to pay bills or for cosmetic surgery or just for "retail therapy" . Incredible
Yeah, I am spending waaaaay too much time on the computer. In my defense I will say that my computer is in a room that is filled from floor to ceiling with books. All four walls are covered, the floor has stacks of books all over, I need to climb over a stack of books to get to the computer. I take some solace in that- often a web search will lead me to my books. I feel much better surrounded by open books than by a screen filled with open tabs. Love books, ever since i was a wee little kid. Loved the text, the content, but just as much I love the object.
There is an article in New York Magazine this week about a girl who works in the library of the Museum Of Modern Art. They have 300,000 books in their collection- about six months ago during her lunch hour she started a project, she would open a book and smell it and then keep a journal about her impressions of each book. She's done about 150 so far. Each book has a unique aroma, not all pleasant- one of the books got this assessment, "armpit".
Like most book devotees ( I was going to say, bookies, but that didn't seem right) I have spent time taking a good inhale of a favorite book. That sense of smell is very transportive, a good whiff of a book, an inexpensive paperback in particular, will take me right back to my misspent youth , when I would spend hours in a little book store in Sayville, just looking at book after book. (Diana, help me out, what was the name of that store on south main st.?)
Now you're going to think I'm making this up, but I was in Borders once and two young ladies were walking by and one turns to the other and says "I hate the smell of books."
I will not be having lunch with those girls- if you need me I'll be having a peanut butter and jelly on rye at MOMA, I'll be with the young lady in the corner enjoying lunch and a good book
Socrates
As I turn a clear eye towards myself I can see that I have become a guy who spends , more time than I ever imagined I would , on the computer. In the morning , I'll check my e mail , all three accounts, then scoot over to twitter to see if Roger Ebert has gotten any sleep in the last 24 hours. (obviously not- the man tweets constantly, god bless him). Then some news, NYT, Huffingtonpost, Dailybeast, Dlisted (okay gossip, but the guy who writes it is wonderfully snarky) and whatever links they lead me to.
What used to be 15 minutes is now an hour (and getting longer) I try not to go on during the day without a reason, but reason and the interweb seem to dwell in different worlds.
oh! I forgot all about the narcotic that is Facebook. When I joined that soul sucker 2 years ago (thanks to my "friend" Bradlee) I had no idea what the hell it's for. Two years later, I still don't know what it's for, but I check it 10 times a day. That's not good.
It is a labyrinth, You start and then you follow crumbs and you end up in "Where the Hell am I?" To quote my second favorite philosopher, "I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way" Stymie.
Case in point- I read a story about a heavily bosomed young lady who was driving and texting (c'mon now!) and totaled her car. So now she doesn't have a car , can't get to work, and she is facing Jail time if she doesn't pay a fine and do community service.
Well the community service is no problem, but how to pay the fine? Where can she raise the money? Good questions. Hmmmmm, Oh, did I mention that she was heavily bosomed with cleavage not unlike that fabled Canyon out west?
This leads me to her face book page, which now leads to a web site , where, (i am not making this up) Young ladies will offer chats and photos and videos for a price. A price that is decided between those who are members of the site and the young ladies. So there she is asking for donations to pay her fine so that she won't, "get raped in jail"
Other young ladies are very direct as they ask for money to pay bills or for cosmetic surgery or just for "retail therapy" . Incredible
Yeah, I am spending waaaaay too much time on the computer. In my defense I will say that my computer is in a room that is filled from floor to ceiling with books. All four walls are covered, the floor has stacks of books all over, I need to climb over a stack of books to get to the computer. I take some solace in that- often a web search will lead me to my books. I feel much better surrounded by open books than by a screen filled with open tabs. Love books, ever since i was a wee little kid. Loved the text, the content, but just as much I love the object.
There is an article in New York Magazine this week about a girl who works in the library of the Museum Of Modern Art. They have 300,000 books in their collection- about six months ago during her lunch hour she started a project, she would open a book and smell it and then keep a journal about her impressions of each book. She's done about 150 so far. Each book has a unique aroma, not all pleasant- one of the books got this assessment, "armpit".
Like most book devotees ( I was going to say, bookies, but that didn't seem right) I have spent time taking a good inhale of a favorite book. That sense of smell is very transportive, a good whiff of a book, an inexpensive paperback in particular, will take me right back to my misspent youth , when I would spend hours in a little book store in Sayville, just looking at book after book. (Diana, help me out, what was the name of that store on south main st.?)
Now you're going to think I'm making this up, but I was in Borders once and two young ladies were walking by and one turns to the other and says "I hate the smell of books."
I will not be having lunch with those girls- if you need me I'll be having a peanut butter and jelly on rye at MOMA, I'll be with the young lady in the corner enjoying lunch and a good book
Monday, December 20, 2010
..and the poorer for it
I have seen many things in my day.
Here is something I have never seen, someone wearing a monocle.
Oh, in photos and in the motion pictures I have seen countless monocle wearers.
Live and in person? never.
pity.
Here is something I have never seen, someone wearing a monocle.
Oh, in photos and in the motion pictures I have seen countless monocle wearers.
Live and in person? never.
pity.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
where's the love?
I am a big magazine fan. Always have been. General interest or something esoteric, love 'em all. At one point I think I was subscribing to about 25 magazines! Yeah , too many. Way too many. Especially when you add to that the fact ,that when it comes to books and magazines ,I am a bit of a pack rat. I used to live in a lovely little cottage down by the beach and every square foot that wasn't filled by me ,was filled by something printed.
I have reformed, promise. Right now I have 4 subscriptions and when I finish reading, boom!, right into the garbage. (unless there is an article or a photo I need, then I'll just clip those out and.. put them... in a pile ...on the table. No, really I'm better now I swear.)
So, I'm looking through a magazine today and I come across an ad for a Broadway Show. It's not necessary to name the show (it rhymes with Mom Ah Me Ah) , but a big full page , color ad. Here's the Tag line- "You Already Know You're Gonna Love It" ......okay.
You're gonna love it because you've heard every song a zillion times and you probably saw the movie. You love the songs, you love the movie , so odds are, you are gonna love the show.
I understand, going to see a show these days is a big commitment, lots of time and money involved. If you are going to go, doesn't it make sense to know you're going to like it going in? sure!
I get it. I understand, but are we all happy with this? Do we have to LOVE everything? Does every show we see have to get a standing ovation? Isn't it alright to be disappointed every once in a while? We need to be challenged a bit, don't we? We should step out of our comfort zone every once in a while , right?
I was thinking about this last week during the whole Steve Martin at the 92nd St Y, donnybrook. Basically, he was being interviewed about his new novel, which is set in the Art World. The conversation (logically?) was mostly about the art world, the setting of the book, and a culture that Martin himself has been involved in for years.
Some people in the audience wanted the conversation to be about his career in comedy, a subject he has dealt with at length in the past, as a matter of fact, his last book was about that very subject. So. a note is passed to a "Y" person who gives the note to another "Y" person who then walks on stage to deliver the message that the audience isn't happy.
Tough. As far as I'm concerned, sit back and listen to the talk, If you don't like it, whine about it later while you're having coffee and pie. You're bored? Tough. He's not talking about what you want to hear? Invite him over to your house and you can talk about whatever you want. The guy wrote a book about art and he wants to talk about art, sounds reasonable to me.
A few years back my nephew and I went to see Brian Wilson at Jones Beach. The idea of the show was that Brian and his band were going to play the "Smile" album in it's entirety, from start to finish. That's how the concert was billed, "Brian Wilson Plays Smile" pretty straightforward if you ask me.
The show starts, he plays a full set of Beach Boy hits, sounds incredible, his touring band is awesome. They take a break and now they come back to play "Smile", without question one of the most legendary albums in rock history, finally finished after almost forty years! Thrilling!
After about 15 minutes people start to leave, not just a few, a lot of people are leaving. What the..? Where are you going? Why did you come? Is the music unfamiliar? Challenging? Wait a few minutes for god sakes, Heroes and Villains , Surf's Up and Good Vibrations are all part of Smile. Here is a piece of music thought to be lost being played, brilliantly, live by a legend and you re leaving? sheesh.
What does a guy have to do to get some respect? IT'S BRIAN WILSON, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! You can't give him a few minutes to listen to something you might not already know? He already played 45 minutes of hits! He's gonna come back and do 30 more minutes of hits. Boy oh boy, I'm all worked up now.
A few more years back my pal Tony and I went to see Neil Diamond at the Coliseum. Now on my own I would have never gone, but Tony convinced me it would be fun. You knew every song, the crowd was singing along having a grand time. Even I, not a fan, was amazed at all the songs he wrote, "OH! I forgot about this one! OH , he wrote that?!!!" For me the highlight of the night was when he played , "Red, Red, Wine" (yes , he wrote that) but he used the UB40 arrangement, genius. About three quarters of the way thru the show he announced, "Now, we're going to play three songs from the new Album." At which point half the audience left to go to the bathroom, oh they came back, and the three new songs gave everyone enough time to go and come back for more hits. Some stayed though and listened, hey he's Neil Diamond, he deserves a chance.
So make a deal with your self, for every three things you go see ,knowing that you are going to love them, go see one you're not sure about.
it's okay to be bored, gives you something to talk about over coffee and pie
I have reformed, promise. Right now I have 4 subscriptions and when I finish reading, boom!, right into the garbage. (unless there is an article or a photo I need, then I'll just clip those out and.. put them... in a pile ...on the table. No, really I'm better now I swear.)
So, I'm looking through a magazine today and I come across an ad for a Broadway Show. It's not necessary to name the show (it rhymes with Mom Ah Me Ah) , but a big full page , color ad. Here's the Tag line- "You Already Know You're Gonna Love It" ......okay.
You're gonna love it because you've heard every song a zillion times and you probably saw the movie. You love the songs, you love the movie , so odds are, you are gonna love the show.
I understand, going to see a show these days is a big commitment, lots of time and money involved. If you are going to go, doesn't it make sense to know you're going to like it going in? sure!
I get it. I understand, but are we all happy with this? Do we have to LOVE everything? Does every show we see have to get a standing ovation? Isn't it alright to be disappointed every once in a while? We need to be challenged a bit, don't we? We should step out of our comfort zone every once in a while , right?
I was thinking about this last week during the whole Steve Martin at the 92nd St Y, donnybrook. Basically, he was being interviewed about his new novel, which is set in the Art World. The conversation (logically?) was mostly about the art world, the setting of the book, and a culture that Martin himself has been involved in for years.
Some people in the audience wanted the conversation to be about his career in comedy, a subject he has dealt with at length in the past, as a matter of fact, his last book was about that very subject. So. a note is passed to a "Y" person who gives the note to another "Y" person who then walks on stage to deliver the message that the audience isn't happy.
Tough. As far as I'm concerned, sit back and listen to the talk, If you don't like it, whine about it later while you're having coffee and pie. You're bored? Tough. He's not talking about what you want to hear? Invite him over to your house and you can talk about whatever you want. The guy wrote a book about art and he wants to talk about art, sounds reasonable to me.
A few years back my nephew and I went to see Brian Wilson at Jones Beach. The idea of the show was that Brian and his band were going to play the "Smile" album in it's entirety, from start to finish. That's how the concert was billed, "Brian Wilson Plays Smile" pretty straightforward if you ask me.
The show starts, he plays a full set of Beach Boy hits, sounds incredible, his touring band is awesome. They take a break and now they come back to play "Smile", without question one of the most legendary albums in rock history, finally finished after almost forty years! Thrilling!
After about 15 minutes people start to leave, not just a few, a lot of people are leaving. What the..? Where are you going? Why did you come? Is the music unfamiliar? Challenging? Wait a few minutes for god sakes, Heroes and Villains , Surf's Up and Good Vibrations are all part of Smile. Here is a piece of music thought to be lost being played, brilliantly, live by a legend and you re leaving? sheesh.
What does a guy have to do to get some respect? IT'S BRIAN WILSON, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! You can't give him a few minutes to listen to something you might not already know? He already played 45 minutes of hits! He's gonna come back and do 30 more minutes of hits. Boy oh boy, I'm all worked up now.
A few more years back my pal Tony and I went to see Neil Diamond at the Coliseum. Now on my own I would have never gone, but Tony convinced me it would be fun. You knew every song, the crowd was singing along having a grand time. Even I, not a fan, was amazed at all the songs he wrote, "OH! I forgot about this one! OH , he wrote that?!!!" For me the highlight of the night was when he played , "Red, Red, Wine" (yes , he wrote that) but he used the UB40 arrangement, genius. About three quarters of the way thru the show he announced, "Now, we're going to play three songs from the new Album." At which point half the audience left to go to the bathroom, oh they came back, and the three new songs gave everyone enough time to go and come back for more hits. Some stayed though and listened, hey he's Neil Diamond, he deserves a chance.
So make a deal with your self, for every three things you go see ,knowing that you are going to love them, go see one you're not sure about.
it's okay to be bored, gives you something to talk about over coffee and pie
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
the glamorous life....
Thanks to my good pal TIVO, I have watched the Stephen Sondheim 80th Birthday celebration a whole buncha times. It was a wonderful evening to say the least with a star studded array of performers, Hosted ,quite winningly, by David Hyde Pierce.
the performances were all delightful and at times breathtakingly beautiful.
some random thoughts:
I love the quartet from Follies , You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through- I found myself singing it for days after. It stands on it's own as a number and in the musical it perfectly sets the youthful optimism of the characters. And one of the singers, Jenn Collela, stole my heart- what a presence on stage, what an expressive face, what a low cut blue gown! The star tattoo on her right arm is a bit silly (sez me, but what do I know?) The Girl is a star.
Chip Zien and Joanna Gleason sang , It Takes Two, from Into The Woods. The affection the Broadway Crowd has for her is lovely - the crowd roars when she first appears, and any time her name comes up among Broadway types ,they sing her praises. Nice.
John McMartin, from the original cast, of Follies sang The Road You Didn't Take and I felt it was stunning, I had tears in my lil' eyes. As he walked off I felt the reaction of the audience was a bit subdued- not everything has to be huge and big and passionate, folks. Sondheim often says
that McMartin's performance in the original Follies was one of the best he ever saw.
Mandy Patinkin brought huge and big and passionate to the stage with two numbers from Sunday In The Park...) Finishing The Hat, and with Bernadette Peters , Move On. Brings the house down, He's a very intense guy that Mandy.
David Hyde Pierce sings, Beautiful Girls and introduces (all dressed in red!) The Ladies- Bernadette Peters, Audra McDonald, Patti Lupone, Marin Mazzie, Donna Murphy, and Elaine Stritch- oh yeah, we ain't kiddin' around now. The crowd roars, and as they do chairs are brought out and the ladies sit. They are going to get up , one by one, and give a master class in what it means to be a Broadway Star, While the others are sitting and watching!!! In full view of the audience!!!!! When I first saw it, I found it ....odd. I've watched it about a dozen times and I still find it odd. It works and I guess it's very nice, but it's odd. As I watch I always think, did any one have to be convinced that this would work. Now, I know what you're saying, "sexist pig! All women are divas, right? They can't share a stage?" Not at all , all women, all men, a mix, to me....still odd.
In that setting, Patti Lupone became my hero. She goes first, "I'd like to propose a toast." The audience roars it's approval, a shot of Sondheim in his seat as he bursts into laughter. Now she sings, The Ladies Who Lunch, with Elaine Stritch sitting six feet away. The woman who introduced the song, hell it was written for her (not just her character , but her) If anybody "owns" a song Stritch owns this one. Patti Lupone takes this song and brings it to a whole 'nother world, she crafts each and every word , every syllable ( listen to her sing the words "..The Best", extraordinary, an acting lesson in two words. find it and listen) I like Lupone, I'm not a huge fan, but after that I'll become recording secretary of The Patti Lupone Appreciation Society, (I'm too busy or else I would be president)
At the end they bring out, basically everybody who was appearing on Broadway when they filmed the concert and sing a hushed ,reverent , magical, version of "Sunday" From .......With George. Goosebumps. a shot of Sondheim , who begins to cry. still more goosebumps.
a great night
I had another great Night with "Steve "at Lincoln Center a few years back when I attended one of the conversations he does periodically with Frank Rich. Sondheim is the perfect interview subject, you ask a question or make a comment and he's off - with anecdotes and comparisons and opinions and bits of backstage gossip, a born storyteller. Two favorite memories of that night: He doesn't care for South Pacific, he likes the love story, but doesn't believe the sailors for a minute. Also he saw , The Wiz, about seven times on Broadway, he loved it. He'll be the first to tell you that it has some problems, but he was entertained everytime.
He spoke to Terry Gross on NPR a few weeks back about his new book, Finishing The Hat, a collection of lyrics and observations from the first half of his career, soon to be followed by a book that brings us up to the present. Again, great interview, I went out the next day to get it (had to special order it!!!!) This book is essential reading for any one interested at all in Broadway, or composing, or song writing or just creativity in general. For years to come this book will be indispensable- it is a treasure.
A must have, That said, I will also say it is one of the ugliest books I have seen in years. I couldn't believe it, this thing should have a design that is equal to the content, but it is horrible. It looks like a cheesy textbook from the 70's. The cover has promise, but it's all downhill from there. The text nearly fades into the page, it's like grey on grey. And the photos! they look like they were copied at Kinkos (with apologies to the good people at Kinkos).
Just terrible. I also recently got the book about the National Lampoon, Drunk, Stoned, Brilliant, Dead. Now granted, this is a book that features a lot of full color art work and bold use of typeface, but to me, this is what a tribute book should be- a celebration.
here's hoping that Volume Two is a bit more....celebratory.
the performances were all delightful and at times breathtakingly beautiful.
some random thoughts:
I love the quartet from Follies , You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through- I found myself singing it for days after. It stands on it's own as a number and in the musical it perfectly sets the youthful optimism of the characters. And one of the singers, Jenn Collela, stole my heart- what a presence on stage, what an expressive face, what a low cut blue gown! The star tattoo on her right arm is a bit silly (sez me, but what do I know?) The Girl is a star.
Chip Zien and Joanna Gleason sang , It Takes Two, from Into The Woods. The affection the Broadway Crowd has for her is lovely - the crowd roars when she first appears, and any time her name comes up among Broadway types ,they sing her praises. Nice.
John McMartin, from the original cast, of Follies sang The Road You Didn't Take and I felt it was stunning, I had tears in my lil' eyes. As he walked off I felt the reaction of the audience was a bit subdued- not everything has to be huge and big and passionate, folks. Sondheim often says
that McMartin's performance in the original Follies was one of the best he ever saw.
Mandy Patinkin brought huge and big and passionate to the stage with two numbers from Sunday In The Park...) Finishing The Hat, and with Bernadette Peters , Move On. Brings the house down, He's a very intense guy that Mandy.
David Hyde Pierce sings, Beautiful Girls and introduces (all dressed in red!) The Ladies- Bernadette Peters, Audra McDonald, Patti Lupone, Marin Mazzie, Donna Murphy, and Elaine Stritch- oh yeah, we ain't kiddin' around now. The crowd roars, and as they do chairs are brought out and the ladies sit. They are going to get up , one by one, and give a master class in what it means to be a Broadway Star, While the others are sitting and watching!!! In full view of the audience!!!!! When I first saw it, I found it ....odd. I've watched it about a dozen times and I still find it odd. It works and I guess it's very nice, but it's odd. As I watch I always think, did any one have to be convinced that this would work. Now, I know what you're saying, "sexist pig! All women are divas, right? They can't share a stage?" Not at all , all women, all men, a mix, to me....still odd.
In that setting, Patti Lupone became my hero. She goes first, "I'd like to propose a toast." The audience roars it's approval, a shot of Sondheim in his seat as he bursts into laughter. Now she sings, The Ladies Who Lunch, with Elaine Stritch sitting six feet away. The woman who introduced the song, hell it was written for her (not just her character , but her) If anybody "owns" a song Stritch owns this one. Patti Lupone takes this song and brings it to a whole 'nother world, she crafts each and every word , every syllable ( listen to her sing the words "..The Best", extraordinary, an acting lesson in two words. find it and listen) I like Lupone, I'm not a huge fan, but after that I'll become recording secretary of The Patti Lupone Appreciation Society, (I'm too busy or else I would be president)
At the end they bring out, basically everybody who was appearing on Broadway when they filmed the concert and sing a hushed ,reverent , magical, version of "Sunday" From .......With George. Goosebumps. a shot of Sondheim , who begins to cry. still more goosebumps.
a great night
I had another great Night with "Steve "at Lincoln Center a few years back when I attended one of the conversations he does periodically with Frank Rich. Sondheim is the perfect interview subject, you ask a question or make a comment and he's off - with anecdotes and comparisons and opinions and bits of backstage gossip, a born storyteller. Two favorite memories of that night: He doesn't care for South Pacific, he likes the love story, but doesn't believe the sailors for a minute. Also he saw , The Wiz, about seven times on Broadway, he loved it. He'll be the first to tell you that it has some problems, but he was entertained everytime.
He spoke to Terry Gross on NPR a few weeks back about his new book, Finishing The Hat, a collection of lyrics and observations from the first half of his career, soon to be followed by a book that brings us up to the present. Again, great interview, I went out the next day to get it (had to special order it!!!!) This book is essential reading for any one interested at all in Broadway, or composing, or song writing or just creativity in general. For years to come this book will be indispensable- it is a treasure.
A must have, That said, I will also say it is one of the ugliest books I have seen in years. I couldn't believe it, this thing should have a design that is equal to the content, but it is horrible. It looks like a cheesy textbook from the 70's. The cover has promise, but it's all downhill from there. The text nearly fades into the page, it's like grey on grey. And the photos! they look like they were copied at Kinkos (with apologies to the good people at Kinkos).
Just terrible. I also recently got the book about the National Lampoon, Drunk, Stoned, Brilliant, Dead. Now granted, this is a book that features a lot of full color art work and bold use of typeface, but to me, this is what a tribute book should be- a celebration.
here's hoping that Volume Two is a bit more....celebratory.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
a cold wind..change is in the air....
Stay with me.....
For your 12th birthday you get a gift, your favorite gift, a knife. Not a pocketknife, what would you call it? A bowie knife? A hunting knife? Any way a good all purpose knife. You treat it with respect, after all ,this is a gift that demands attention and respect, a chance to show the grown ups that yes ,you can take care of things, you can be responsible, you can take a step into adultworld.
Years go by, let's say 15, the knife has been a good companion, you've gone camping and hiking together, been around. The blade has a nick , a chunk , about half way down- since you are responsible , and you love your knife, you give no thought to getting a new one, you find some one who can replace the blade.
More years go by, 8, the handle, which you love, has cracked. Looks crummy and to be honest it pinches your palm when you use it. Hey! The knife guy is still in business, he replaces the handle with an exact copy, good as new.
You and your knife still together after all these years.
question- is it the same knife you were given at 12? You've always had it, right there in your tool box. You use it every summer. Over the years you made repairs- in fact you replaced the entire knife.
so, is it the same knife? hmmmmmmmm. No.
But me, being me, will say.........yes. Or more accurately yes and no.
stay with me...
I have enjoyed the Yankees since I was a little kid. Loved Mantle, Loved Horace Clarke, loved Scott Brosius, Bernie....... I don't live and die by the team ,but I follow them.
God knows the current Yankees bear no resemblance to the "Bronx Zoo" days and they don't even play in the same stadium, but they are still Yankees, no make that they still are "THE Yankees"
Something to be said for constancy, for tradition
My mind has been circumlocuting around this idea for the past few weeks. The Theater that I invested a huge chunk of my life in, is closing down after 33 years. For nearly 20 of those years I was there 7 days a week, Acting, directing, writing, laughing ,crying ,cleaning toilets (the cause of most of the tears)
Ups, downs , highs ,lows- loved it all.
When the announcement was made, my e mail, face book, twitter, etc, was flooded with comments and questions and memories. As I read them all I noticed that the people from 30 years ago have no idea what had been going on in the theater recently. The people who have been performing there in the past few years have no idea about the original owners or the people who worked there twenty years ago.
What they all shared was the memory of "Their" Airport Playhouse. It was important to all these different people, It was a place of discovery and a place of challenge and a place for artistic expression and a place to meet new friends and a place for carnal knowledge in the parking lot . Different decades, different owners, different philosophies. Hundreds of people, hell, thousands.
Different, but the same
For your 12th birthday you get a gift, your favorite gift, a knife. Not a pocketknife, what would you call it? A bowie knife? A hunting knife? Any way a good all purpose knife. You treat it with respect, after all ,this is a gift that demands attention and respect, a chance to show the grown ups that yes ,you can take care of things, you can be responsible, you can take a step into adultworld.
Years go by, let's say 15, the knife has been a good companion, you've gone camping and hiking together, been around. The blade has a nick , a chunk , about half way down- since you are responsible , and you love your knife, you give no thought to getting a new one, you find some one who can replace the blade.
More years go by, 8, the handle, which you love, has cracked. Looks crummy and to be honest it pinches your palm when you use it. Hey! The knife guy is still in business, he replaces the handle with an exact copy, good as new.
You and your knife still together after all these years.
question- is it the same knife you were given at 12? You've always had it, right there in your tool box. You use it every summer. Over the years you made repairs- in fact you replaced the entire knife.
so, is it the same knife? hmmmmmmmm. No.
But me, being me, will say.........yes. Or more accurately yes and no.
stay with me...
I have enjoyed the Yankees since I was a little kid. Loved Mantle, Loved Horace Clarke, loved Scott Brosius, Bernie....... I don't live and die by the team ,but I follow them.
God knows the current Yankees bear no resemblance to the "Bronx Zoo" days and they don't even play in the same stadium, but they are still Yankees, no make that they still are "THE Yankees"
Something to be said for constancy, for tradition
My mind has been circumlocuting around this idea for the past few weeks. The Theater that I invested a huge chunk of my life in, is closing down after 33 years. For nearly 20 of those years I was there 7 days a week, Acting, directing, writing, laughing ,crying ,cleaning toilets (the cause of most of the tears)
Ups, downs , highs ,lows- loved it all.
When the announcement was made, my e mail, face book, twitter, etc, was flooded with comments and questions and memories. As I read them all I noticed that the people from 30 years ago have no idea what had been going on in the theater recently. The people who have been performing there in the past few years have no idea about the original owners or the people who worked there twenty years ago.
What they all shared was the memory of "Their" Airport Playhouse. It was important to all these different people, It was a place of discovery and a place of challenge and a place for artistic expression and a place to meet new friends and a place for carnal knowledge in the parking lot . Different decades, different owners, different philosophies. Hundreds of people, hell, thousands.
Different, but the same
Sunday, December 12, 2010
touche
okay, viacom, take away the Grace Potter song I posted, thereby blunting the well reasoned observations contained in the post (also robbing me of minute 2:41, Grace in full grind) . You also made my page look unattractive with your "Ha-Ha we took away the video" notice. In response I will post this - Grace and the Nocturnals playing the same song in a different setting.
so there
so there
Friday, December 10, 2010
oui
I first heard this band about three years ago- great classic rock sound and Grace's voice is just amazingly soulful. She just lets it rip. I saw a video of a live show they did and just fell in love with the passion and joy that poured off that stage. Grace is charming and funny and plays the guitar and one of my favorite (now almost forgotten) rock instruments, The Hammond B3. Any self respecting band in the 70's had to have a B3. I played in a band, we had a B3, it was great. Of course the drag is we had to move that mutha everynight. It was like moving a real heavy piece of furniture EVERYNIGHT. Think full size pull out sleeper couch, Castro convertible. Okay I'm getting off topic.
So the Nocturnals, for a while they have been percolating under the radar. lots of "You gotta hear this band" talk and then the other day I heard they were playing the VH1 Diva show. So I watched and was blown away. At first the crowd was a bit laid back, but as they hit the chorus-bam!- 20,000 people jumpin up and down singin along. It was great to see.
Oh, and when I first got to know them they had a kinda t shirt and jeans hippie vibe working (they are from Vermont) Well, the other night, "Heidi Klum" was leading the band, what a transformation. I was gobsmacked. I can't off hand think of a rock band where the front woman was drop dead glam. On the show the played with Heart, which seems like a precedent, but somehow doesn't feel the same to me.
I love bands like this and hope these guys break big or at least continue playing and making great music. I kick myself because last Jan, they played a Midnight Ramble at Levon Helms' studio. An intimate gig for about 100 people at Levon's in Woodstock. and I didn't go... dope.
Keep an eye out for an episode of the show "The Artist Den" a full Hour of the Nocturnals filmed during the summer at Bryant Park in the City. Already the show has attained "legendary" status. they were scheduled to play for an hour and played for two ,whipping the crowd into the requisite frenzy.
we'll see
ps on the video- 2:41- oh dear god in heaven
So the Nocturnals, for a while they have been percolating under the radar. lots of "You gotta hear this band" talk and then the other day I heard they were playing the VH1 Diva show. So I watched and was blown away. At first the crowd was a bit laid back, but as they hit the chorus-bam!- 20,000 people jumpin up and down singin along. It was great to see.
Oh, and when I first got to know them they had a kinda t shirt and jeans hippie vibe working (they are from Vermont) Well, the other night, "Heidi Klum" was leading the band, what a transformation. I was gobsmacked. I can't off hand think of a rock band where the front woman was drop dead glam. On the show the played with Heart, which seems like a precedent, but somehow doesn't feel the same to me.
I love bands like this and hope these guys break big or at least continue playing and making great music. I kick myself because last Jan, they played a Midnight Ramble at Levon Helms' studio. An intimate gig for about 100 people at Levon's in Woodstock. and I didn't go... dope.
Keep an eye out for an episode of the show "The Artist Den" a full Hour of the Nocturnals filmed during the summer at Bryant Park in the City. Already the show has attained "legendary" status. they were scheduled to play for an hour and played for two ,whipping the crowd into the requisite frenzy.
we'll see
ps on the video- 2:41- oh dear god in heaven
Sunday, December 5, 2010
musings of an old coot
I am not a shopping on Black Friday fella. I will admit I enjoy shopping for gifts, exploring what is in the little out of the way stores. Shopping like I live my life wandering here and there.
Lining up in front of Kohls at 3 am? No Thank you- Waking up at 3 am to make a stuffing sandwhich? More in the realm of possibility.
There was some general consternation this year as more and more stores decide to open on Thanksgiving Day. Usaully for an abbreviated day, but still" Open on Thanksgiving."
Nobody asked me ,but I don't like it. Take a day. Sit. Relax. or don't Sit and relax , just don't shop.Go tomorrow.
Growing up , stores were closed on Sunday. Everybody was closed- okay, the stationary store and the bakery were open in the morning, but after that -closed. All Day. Every Sunday.
I have a very vivid memory of my friend Ed and I going to the Smithhaven Mall to see the movie "Sleeper". All the stores were closed, only the theater was open. Walking through the empty mall to go to the theater was for lack of a better word....neat.
Sunday was the day you went to visit. We would all pile in the car and head to the Schmidts or the Donnelys or Big Nannys in Woodside. When we weren't going there ,someone was coming to our house. Now if I see these people at all it's at a wedding or these days more often than not at a funeral. Hell, the Donnely family? I don't know if they are dead or alive.
If not visiting family we would go somewhere, the beach or the arboretum, I remember one sunday we got in the car and ended up in the Catskills.
Was it better than? hmmmm.It was different anyway. I cannot even begin to imagine everything closed one day a week now. It certainly let you know one week was finished and another was about to begin. A bit of punctuation.
The A&P next to the church was he first local store to experiment with staying open on Sunday. Of course at mass the priest would condemn this horrible practice, a slippery slope to damnation, but more and more parishoners would stroll over after mass to pick up a few items and less than a year later Sunday became grocery day-
This week there is a big brouhaha going on regarding a talk , more accurately a conversation , Steve Martin gave at the 92nd st Y in the city. In a nutshell , some of the audience were bored by the conversation and let management know, who then walked on stage and handed a note to the moderator saying to change the subject, the audience is bored.
amazing. If you get a chance follow Steve Martin on twitter for his comic take on the whole situation. brilliant! Also in the NY Times today he addresses the matter in a more sober way. also brilliant.
Even if it was boring, so what? Be bored for a while, things will pick up. Alot of those sunday trips were boring , but a whole lot of them were wildly entertaining.
Oh and way back when 7-11 was open from 7 am until 11 pm. I just blew your mind didn't I?
Lining up in front of Kohls at 3 am? No Thank you- Waking up at 3 am to make a stuffing sandwhich? More in the realm of possibility.
There was some general consternation this year as more and more stores decide to open on Thanksgiving Day. Usaully for an abbreviated day, but still" Open on Thanksgiving."
Nobody asked me ,but I don't like it. Take a day. Sit. Relax. or don't Sit and relax , just don't shop.Go tomorrow.
Growing up , stores were closed on Sunday. Everybody was closed- okay, the stationary store and the bakery were open in the morning, but after that -closed. All Day. Every Sunday.
I have a very vivid memory of my friend Ed and I going to the Smithhaven Mall to see the movie "Sleeper". All the stores were closed, only the theater was open. Walking through the empty mall to go to the theater was for lack of a better word....neat.
Sunday was the day you went to visit. We would all pile in the car and head to the Schmidts or the Donnelys or Big Nannys in Woodside. When we weren't going there ,someone was coming to our house. Now if I see these people at all it's at a wedding or these days more often than not at a funeral. Hell, the Donnely family? I don't know if they are dead or alive.
If not visiting family we would go somewhere, the beach or the arboretum, I remember one sunday we got in the car and ended up in the Catskills.
Was it better than? hmmmm.It was different anyway. I cannot even begin to imagine everything closed one day a week now. It certainly let you know one week was finished and another was about to begin. A bit of punctuation.
The A&P next to the church was he first local store to experiment with staying open on Sunday. Of course at mass the priest would condemn this horrible practice, a slippery slope to damnation, but more and more parishoners would stroll over after mass to pick up a few items and less than a year later Sunday became grocery day-
This week there is a big brouhaha going on regarding a talk , more accurately a conversation , Steve Martin gave at the 92nd st Y in the city. In a nutshell , some of the audience were bored by the conversation and let management know, who then walked on stage and handed a note to the moderator saying to change the subject, the audience is bored.
amazing. If you get a chance follow Steve Martin on twitter for his comic take on the whole situation. brilliant! Also in the NY Times today he addresses the matter in a more sober way. also brilliant.
Even if it was boring, so what? Be bored for a while, things will pick up. Alot of those sunday trips were boring , but a whole lot of them were wildly entertaining.
Oh and way back when 7-11 was open from 7 am until 11 pm. I just blew your mind didn't I?
Saturday, December 4, 2010
are we not men?......we are Tivo
Spent the another night catching up on shows that I committed to the old DVR, although to me it will always be TIVO.
Last nights barrage of shows were all of the PBS variety- they are begging for money this month and I can't watch this spectacle. I will spend a few minutes staring at Laura Savini for a few moments in passing, but that's it.
Oh and before you cast aspersions (I hear they are having an open casting call for Aspersions!) I donate to PBS- so I can whine with a clear conscience.
speaking of whining -The worst part of this whole begathon is that they take off the shows I usually watch (Colameco's Food Show etc) and replace it with 24 hours of" TJ Lubinsky presents Wayne Dyer speaking about How to increase your Brain Power by Investing Wisely in Old Folk Songs" sheesh.
(wow, I had not planned on the above rant at all- oh the rage, the hidden rage!)
What I had planned writing about is the Mystery series "Sherlock" This is a wonderful show.When I first read about it I scoffed- a modern day Sherlock Holmes? computers and cell phones and Watson? Oh Puhleeze!
It shouldn't work , but it does. See If you can find the first episode on line somewhere, It does a great job of introducing the characters as contemporary, but with a nod of respect to the long history of Holmes.There is a delightful running bit of business of people assuming that Holmes and Watson are lovers. Makes sense.
Of course in Typical British TV fashion the first series of "Sherlock" has three episodes. Just as you are getting really involved - finished. I will admit that I like that about English shows, they don't feel the need to just continue on and on and on. They'll tell their stories and leave, thank you very much. Hopefully the second series will arrive soon.
I also watched the documentary "Lennon in NY"- It boggles my mind that he was killed 30 years ago! Time, you are one sneaky mofo. A terrific comprehensive look at his time in the US- Both in NYC and the "Lost Weekend" in LA.
It's great to see the city back in the '70's, what a difference! I know it's hip to moan that the city is too "safe" now, too Disneyfied. I was there ....often.......back then, it was scary- real scary. Fun? Exciting? Memorable? oh yeah, but did I mention it was scary- real scary? I tell you a story or two sometime.
The show is a must see for any Lennon/Beatle/ rock and roll/ NYC fan, but there is a moment near the end that is transcendent. It is an audio recording of John and Sean , who was about 4 years old at the time, Sean is drawing and telling his Dad what he's drawing. So we hear the voices and we see the picture that Sean drew, a monster, it kinda looks like John's drawings. As I watched and listened my heart started to ache a bit, and then Sean begins to sing... a bit of "Little Help From My friends" in a clear strong little kid voice. Then he tells his Dad , that's his favorite song and asks if John sang that song. John tells him , No, that Ringo was singing, but John and Paul were singing along.
I rewound and watched that moment a dozen times.
Do yourself a favor, find it and watch.
Last nights barrage of shows were all of the PBS variety- they are begging for money this month and I can't watch this spectacle. I will spend a few minutes staring at Laura Savini for a few moments in passing, but that's it.
Oh and before you cast aspersions (I hear they are having an open casting call for Aspersions!) I donate to PBS- so I can whine with a clear conscience.
speaking of whining -The worst part of this whole begathon is that they take off the shows I usually watch (Colameco's Food Show etc) and replace it with 24 hours of" TJ Lubinsky presents Wayne Dyer speaking about How to increase your Brain Power by Investing Wisely in Old Folk Songs" sheesh.
(wow, I had not planned on the above rant at all- oh the rage, the hidden rage!)
What I had planned writing about is the Mystery series "Sherlock" This is a wonderful show.When I first read about it I scoffed- a modern day Sherlock Holmes? computers and cell phones and Watson? Oh Puhleeze!
It shouldn't work , but it does. See If you can find the first episode on line somewhere, It does a great job of introducing the characters as contemporary, but with a nod of respect to the long history of Holmes.There is a delightful running bit of business of people assuming that Holmes and Watson are lovers. Makes sense.
Of course in Typical British TV fashion the first series of "Sherlock" has three episodes. Just as you are getting really involved - finished. I will admit that I like that about English shows, they don't feel the need to just continue on and on and on. They'll tell their stories and leave, thank you very much. Hopefully the second series will arrive soon.
I also watched the documentary "Lennon in NY"- It boggles my mind that he was killed 30 years ago! Time, you are one sneaky mofo. A terrific comprehensive look at his time in the US- Both in NYC and the "Lost Weekend" in LA.
It's great to see the city back in the '70's, what a difference! I know it's hip to moan that the city is too "safe" now, too Disneyfied. I was there ....often.......back then, it was scary- real scary. Fun? Exciting? Memorable? oh yeah, but did I mention it was scary- real scary? I tell you a story or two sometime.
The show is a must see for any Lennon/Beatle/ rock and roll/ NYC fan, but there is a moment near the end that is transcendent. It is an audio recording of John and Sean , who was about 4 years old at the time, Sean is drawing and telling his Dad what he's drawing. So we hear the voices and we see the picture that Sean drew, a monster, it kinda looks like John's drawings. As I watched and listened my heart started to ache a bit, and then Sean begins to sing... a bit of "Little Help From My friends" in a clear strong little kid voice. Then he tells his Dad , that's his favorite song and asks if John sang that song. John tells him , No, that Ringo was singing, but John and Paul were singing along.
I rewound and watched that moment a dozen times.
Do yourself a favor, find it and watch.
Monday, November 29, 2010
behold!
"the Irish Goodbye"
near the end of a party or social event, just leave.
I have been doing this my whole adult life, who knew it was a cultural thing.
near the end of a party or social event, just leave.
I have been doing this my whole adult life, who knew it was a cultural thing.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
crossroads of a million private lives........
Are you a people watcher? Do you enjoy sitting at the snack bar at Price Club (oops Costco) watching the crowds as they check out? Do you wonder why someone might possibly need 5 gallons of milk? Or , my favorite, Why someone would come all the way to the warehouse store, park, shop, and then wait on those long lines (no express in the warehouse) to get one rotisserie chicken?
If so you are my kinda guy/gal.
Of course the super bowl of people watching is to be found on the streets of midtown Manhattan. Oh the things you will see! Oh the stories you will be able to create! The cast of CHARACTERS !The faces, the clothes, the languages, the moods..... Bliss.
If you walk around with your eyes open you will see that most rarefied of all characters- the celebrity. I guarantee ever time you are wandering midtown ,if you are looking ,you will find some one of some renown. For the sake of argument I will define celebrity somewhat loosely- I have seen Martin Scorsese, Nathan Lane, Walter Cronkite, Ed Koch as well as Robert Benton, Phyllis Hyman, Jennifer Tilly and John McCuen. To me, all celebrities.
Now days of course with the contagion that is "reality" the definition has become all but meaningless. The other day I was in the City and missed , by just a scant few hours, the chance to gaze upon Kim Kardashian as she cut the ribbon on the new public Toilet facility in Times Square (sponsored By Charmin) Ah, the price of fame.
Of course, there have always been people who were Famous for being famous , Kardashians say Hello to the Gabors, but these days it would seem to be.....ah......debased?
Bill Murray had a wonderful line about fame (I paraphrase) - All these people who want to be rich and famous, try just being rich- see if that would work for you.
Odd thing,fame.
So, I'm in Penn Station the other night, about 10:15 standing around looking at that big board waiting to see what track my train will be on. Every once in a while I love to turn around and look at all the people looking up at the sign, watching people watching.
This night I see a familiar face, it takes me a second to process who this is, it's Julia Stiles- lovely young actress, great face. ( Years ago she was Ophelia in a modern re telling of hamlet - with Bill Murray as Polonius(!) and there was a long lingering close up of her face that was breathtaking)
She's wearing jeans and a jacket and a hat pulled low , but no mistaking ,it's her. She's saying goodbye to someone getting on the train and in that fleeting moment that I'm looking at her a guy walks right up to her without a word and takes her picture and then walks away.
What stunned me was that he didn't say a word, didn't ask if it was okay to take a picture and certainly no thank you after.
I know, no big deal, it's just a picture, but still it was a bit... shocking is probably too strong a word.......shocking.
a further bit of oddity was the fact that 15 feet away there was Julia Stiles on the cover of a magazine (I think Cosmo) looking all glam.
Fame ..ain't it a bitch. (aj benza)
If so you are my kinda guy/gal.
Of course the super bowl of people watching is to be found on the streets of midtown Manhattan. Oh the things you will see! Oh the stories you will be able to create! The cast of CHARACTERS !The faces, the clothes, the languages, the moods..... Bliss.
If you walk around with your eyes open you will see that most rarefied of all characters- the celebrity. I guarantee ever time you are wandering midtown ,if you are looking ,you will find some one of some renown. For the sake of argument I will define celebrity somewhat loosely- I have seen Martin Scorsese, Nathan Lane, Walter Cronkite, Ed Koch as well as Robert Benton, Phyllis Hyman, Jennifer Tilly and John McCuen. To me, all celebrities.
Now days of course with the contagion that is "reality" the definition has become all but meaningless. The other day I was in the City and missed , by just a scant few hours, the chance to gaze upon Kim Kardashian as she cut the ribbon on the new public Toilet facility in Times Square (sponsored By Charmin) Ah, the price of fame.
Of course, there have always been people who were Famous for being famous , Kardashians say Hello to the Gabors, but these days it would seem to be.....ah......debased?
Bill Murray had a wonderful line about fame (I paraphrase) - All these people who want to be rich and famous, try just being rich- see if that would work for you.
Odd thing,fame.
So, I'm in Penn Station the other night, about 10:15 standing around looking at that big board waiting to see what track my train will be on. Every once in a while I love to turn around and look at all the people looking up at the sign, watching people watching.
This night I see a familiar face, it takes me a second to process who this is, it's Julia Stiles- lovely young actress, great face. ( Years ago she was Ophelia in a modern re telling of hamlet - with Bill Murray as Polonius(!) and there was a long lingering close up of her face that was breathtaking)
She's wearing jeans and a jacket and a hat pulled low , but no mistaking ,it's her. She's saying goodbye to someone getting on the train and in that fleeting moment that I'm looking at her a guy walks right up to her without a word and takes her picture and then walks away.
What stunned me was that he didn't say a word, didn't ask if it was okay to take a picture and certainly no thank you after.
I know, no big deal, it's just a picture, but still it was a bit... shocking is probably too strong a word.......shocking.
a further bit of oddity was the fact that 15 feet away there was Julia Stiles on the cover of a magazine (I think Cosmo) looking all glam.
Fame ..ain't it a bitch. (aj benza)
Friday, November 26, 2010
Mekka Lekka Hi..........
I saw the Pee Wee Herman Show the other night.My Reaction? Let me preface this by saying that I consider Paul Reubens a true show biz genius. I have loved all the different incarnations of Pee Wee, live midnight show, Movies, TV and now back on stage .While he is basically the same , there are subtle differences each time out, tailoring the character for his audience.
The show is a triumph- Pee Wee walks on stage, the crowd erupts in applause, lasting for minutes. He gets us to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance and then the show really begins.
As the curtain opened revealing the Playhouse the Audience gasped in delight, I sat there with tears in my eyes. In a way the audience is returning to our OZ.
The show is unapologetically for Fans- people who never saw him before could certainly enjoy it ,but it is a love letter to folks who spent time in Puppetland. This is one of the things I love about Reubens, he knows and respects his audience- every detail,- costumes, set, jokes, songs, puppets -is perfect .
There are dozens of laugh out loud moments , believe or not there are lots of tender moments, and there are a few moments of jaw dropping theatricality- pee wee and chairy dance, a blackout scene that is both funny and "how the hell did they do that?"
If you saw the original stage show , you will remember that it ends with Pee Wee flying ,courtesy of a delightful bit of "home made" stagecraft. Tremendous. Well now, nearly 30 years later that bit is reprised and then after a few moments (I'm getting goose bumps thinking about it) he rises off the stage and flies. The audience hoots and hollers and cheers! At this point we all know there ain't no special effects involved ,Pee Wee is Flying! Of course he is.
I can't remember another show that inspires such joy and affection from an audience. We Love PW and are so happy to be there.
Go hang by the stage door after the show, Paul/ Pee Wee comes out and spends a lot of time talking with the crowd, complete with a Pee Wee style megaphone. No autographs are signed, but he is funny and charming and sincere as he tells the audience how much it means to him that people come to see the show and that they come to spend time with him after. The feelings of Joy and affection are obviously mutual.
side note- How great is it that The Pee Wee Herman Show opened the Stephen Sondheim Theater. Two great artists forever linked ( I write without irony or snark)
another side- in one of those photos the flash at crotch level is unfortunate but otherwise I like that picture.sorry Pee Wee.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
the Friendly Skies.....
There is an iconic scene in the movie Five Easy Pieces ( i was kind enough to post it below). Jack (no last name needed) is ordering breakfast. He is very specific about what he would like. He is told "No Substitutions". A stand off- things escalate. A rebel stands up to "the man". He won't be pushed around by mindless bureaucracy.
great scene. (oh by the way the dark haired actress in the booth- Toni Basil. "Oh Mickey")
Classic '70s.
A dozen or so years ago,I was listening to an interview with the legendary author, radio guy, raconteur, Studs Terkel, and the subject of this scene came up.
Studs made the point that he felt for the waitress who was trying to take the orders. Middle aged woman, long hours, low pay, on her feet all day and here was this wise ass coming in giving her a hard time.
Hmmmmmm Food for thought (no substitutions though)
I remembered this scene and Studs take on it, this weekend as the TSA battle played out on TV, Radio, web..........
I am privacy boy, so the idea of the scanner and/or the pat down makes me crazy. I am all for safety but there has to be a more effective way of screening than treating everyone as suspects.The shoe removal, the liquid ban, the scanners, we always seem to be one step behind.
I don't pretend to have any answers , but our reaction can't continually be knee jerk.
oh back to my point, As horrible as the stories are of the people who are being patted down by insensitive agents, I think about the agents who are standing there 12 hours a day (totally made up that number) listening to a steady stream of nastiness AND having to pat down everybody who opts out of the scanner.
My heart goes out to the guy/gal who has to be running his/her hands all over my fat ass (and the millions like it) all day long. No excuse to be nasty and thoughtless and to abandon common sense, but wow that is not a job I would want.
Many years ago a paramour and I went camping in Florida (Disneyworld) The airline lost our luggage- you know all our clothes AND OUR TENT! The thing we planned sleeping in for the week. Upset? oh yes, but I will say as I was dealing with the lost luggage guy I was thinking "There ain't enough money in the world to pay someone to do this everyday"
Those TSA folks would change places with lost luggage guy in a heartbeat
great scene. (oh by the way the dark haired actress in the booth- Toni Basil. "Oh Mickey")
Classic '70s.
A dozen or so years ago,I was listening to an interview with the legendary author, radio guy, raconteur, Studs Terkel, and the subject of this scene came up.
Studs made the point that he felt for the waitress who was trying to take the orders. Middle aged woman, long hours, low pay, on her feet all day and here was this wise ass coming in giving her a hard time.
Hmmmmmm Food for thought (no substitutions though)
I remembered this scene and Studs take on it, this weekend as the TSA battle played out on TV, Radio, web..........
I am privacy boy, so the idea of the scanner and/or the pat down makes me crazy. I am all for safety but there has to be a more effective way of screening than treating everyone as suspects.The shoe removal, the liquid ban, the scanners, we always seem to be one step behind.
I don't pretend to have any answers , but our reaction can't continually be knee jerk.
oh back to my point, As horrible as the stories are of the people who are being patted down by insensitive agents, I think about the agents who are standing there 12 hours a day (totally made up that number) listening to a steady stream of nastiness AND having to pat down everybody who opts out of the scanner.
My heart goes out to the guy/gal who has to be running his/her hands all over my fat ass (and the millions like it) all day long. No excuse to be nasty and thoughtless and to abandon common sense, but wow that is not a job I would want.
Many years ago a paramour and I went camping in Florida (Disneyworld) The airline lost our luggage- you know all our clothes AND OUR TENT! The thing we planned sleeping in for the week. Upset? oh yes, but I will say as I was dealing with the lost luggage guy I was thinking "There ain't enough money in the world to pay someone to do this everyday"
Those TSA folks would change places with lost luggage guy in a heartbeat
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
I'm also the president of the company......
About 25 years ago (!) a fine actor and a great friend of mine, BVH, played Daddy Warbucks in a production of Annie.
Billy, being the consummate professional, shaved his head for the part. Way back when ,nobody had a shaved head (or to be more technical a baldy bean). People would stop and stare.
I just opened a show last week and half of the men in the show have shaved heads, We have one of the guys wearing a hat and another wearing a wig to try to cut down on the glare.
My hair and I parted company many years ago, good riddance. I had long curly hair back in high school and college and loved it (think Mark Volman of the Turtles) . Never had a problem with losing the hair, oddly enough I was more irked going gray.
I never did the full shave of the head- I do cut it very short though. I got one of those electric hair cutter things about ten years ago and have been DYI-ing it ever since. I even give myself a lollipop after a hair cut.
Way back when we would get our hair cut at Vinnie the Barber in the local shopping center- Saturdays there would be three barber chairs going and still you would have to sit and wait for fifteen or twenty minutes. Plenty of magazines ("Hey Ralph, Esquire! Va va voom") and comic books in the back. I was always spellbound by Vinnie the Barber and his fellow barbers , who would be constantly chatting in Italian, very animated and very passionate. Non stop.
Lots of the shaved head brigade sport a goatee. A very peculiar cut of facial hair if you ask me. I have one right now, mostly because without it....chins....chinese phonebook.
I've worn a mustache since my early twenties- I shaved a few times for a show, but mostly thirty years of stash. I could never grow a beard until about six years ago and since then it comes and goes. I love it until that morning arrives (never planned) when I just shave the damn thing off. A beard is a very demanding mistress, needs a lot of tending or else you end up looking like Hobo Joe.
My Beard- snow white. Yes .I have had it around the holidays a few times and have essayed the role of Santy Claus.
Years ago had one of those three o'clock in the morning conversations with friends about whether it was stranger to have hair on your face or to shave that hair off.
I forget what we decided, it was three o'clock in the morning.
Billy, being the consummate professional, shaved his head for the part. Way back when ,nobody had a shaved head (or to be more technical a baldy bean). People would stop and stare.
I just opened a show last week and half of the men in the show have shaved heads, We have one of the guys wearing a hat and another wearing a wig to try to cut down on the glare.
My hair and I parted company many years ago, good riddance. I had long curly hair back in high school and college and loved it (think Mark Volman of the Turtles) . Never had a problem with losing the hair, oddly enough I was more irked going gray.
I never did the full shave of the head- I do cut it very short though. I got one of those electric hair cutter things about ten years ago and have been DYI-ing it ever since. I even give myself a lollipop after a hair cut.
Way back when we would get our hair cut at Vinnie the Barber in the local shopping center- Saturdays there would be three barber chairs going and still you would have to sit and wait for fifteen or twenty minutes. Plenty of magazines ("Hey Ralph, Esquire! Va va voom") and comic books in the back. I was always spellbound by Vinnie the Barber and his fellow barbers , who would be constantly chatting in Italian, very animated and very passionate. Non stop.
Lots of the shaved head brigade sport a goatee. A very peculiar cut of facial hair if you ask me. I have one right now, mostly because without it....chins....chinese phonebook.
I've worn a mustache since my early twenties- I shaved a few times for a show, but mostly thirty years of stash. I could never grow a beard until about six years ago and since then it comes and goes. I love it until that morning arrives (never planned) when I just shave the damn thing off. A beard is a very demanding mistress, needs a lot of tending or else you end up looking like Hobo Joe.
My Beard- snow white. Yes .I have had it around the holidays a few times and have essayed the role of Santy Claus.
Years ago had one of those three o'clock in the morning conversations with friends about whether it was stranger to have hair on your face or to shave that hair off.
I forget what we decided, it was three o'clock in the morning.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
alee,epee,orr,ott
Like many in my family I am a man of obsessions.
If I am interested in something, I'll dive right into the deep end.
And as I thrash and dog paddle to stay afloat , I will construct/deconstruct a reason(s) why what I am obsessed with is fascinating.
A new passion- crossword puzzles. Over the years I would pick up a paper and do a few words while waiting for the chinese food. Way back when a paramour and I would sit and do the Sunday Times crossword. My relationship with puzzles was fleeting and haphazard, like most of my relationships. (oh, snap!)
In the past year I have climbed the high board and cannonballed into the pool. At first I became intrigued because of the claim that puzzling could help ward off Dementia and his pal Alzheimer. Of course "the experts" will now tell you that keeping the brain active, while admirable, has no effect on D and A. This week we are told that MEGA Doses of vitamin B might help. Next month . place a piece of raw calf's liver in your left shoe.
So I started puzzles, bought a book, bought two or three more. During the week I get the Post, the Daily News and the Times, that's 4 puzzles a day! (well actually 5- the Post has a quick crossword and The Times of London crossword, which I can't figure out)
Hey! you know what? The National Enquirer has two good puzzles every week. I can hear you snickering and shaking your head in judgement, but the puzzles are good and I can keep up on Brangelina.
(Good Puzzle, a definition- One that I can finish, or come close, and that presents some challenge)
My favorite is the puzzle in New York Magazine- I can finish it! There is a nice combo of Easy stuff and What the....? And best and most important, It's Funny. Lots of wit in the clues and I can even forgive them for some grown inducing puns.
Most days I'll have a couple of puzzles going at a time. (BIC ballpoint pen, black ink)
There is one constant in all of my obsessions ,I adore the process- the long ,strange trip that gets you to the end. The first look at the puzzle can be daunting, but step by step, clue by clue, you get there. For a few minutes you can get stuck and then one answer leads to eight more.
I told my pal Melissa that I like blogs that deal in Minutia. Doesn't get much more minute than this .
ps A few times I did a puzzle and for a change of pace wrote with my left hand- after 20 minutes or so my brain ached. That was not a metaphor ,my head hurt.
pps off Topic, I watched a few episodes of the reality series CIRCUS on PBS. God I hate all those people. Hate might be a strong word....loathe, I loathe them
If I am interested in something, I'll dive right into the deep end.
And as I thrash and dog paddle to stay afloat , I will construct/deconstruct a reason(s) why what I am obsessed with is fascinating.
A new passion- crossword puzzles. Over the years I would pick up a paper and do a few words while waiting for the chinese food. Way back when a paramour and I would sit and do the Sunday Times crossword. My relationship with puzzles was fleeting and haphazard, like most of my relationships. (oh, snap!)
In the past year I have climbed the high board and cannonballed into the pool. At first I became intrigued because of the claim that puzzling could help ward off Dementia and his pal Alzheimer. Of course "the experts" will now tell you that keeping the brain active, while admirable, has no effect on D and A. This week we are told that MEGA Doses of vitamin B might help. Next month . place a piece of raw calf's liver in your left shoe.
So I started puzzles, bought a book, bought two or three more. During the week I get the Post, the Daily News and the Times, that's 4 puzzles a day! (well actually 5- the Post has a quick crossword and The Times of London crossword, which I can't figure out)
Hey! you know what? The National Enquirer has two good puzzles every week. I can hear you snickering and shaking your head in judgement, but the puzzles are good and I can keep up on Brangelina.
(Good Puzzle, a definition- One that I can finish, or come close, and that presents some challenge)
My favorite is the puzzle in New York Magazine- I can finish it! There is a nice combo of Easy stuff and What the....? And best and most important, It's Funny. Lots of wit in the clues and I can even forgive them for some grown inducing puns.
Most days I'll have a couple of puzzles going at a time. (BIC ballpoint pen, black ink)
There is one constant in all of my obsessions ,I adore the process- the long ,strange trip that gets you to the end. The first look at the puzzle can be daunting, but step by step, clue by clue, you get there. For a few minutes you can get stuck and then one answer leads to eight more.
I told my pal Melissa that I like blogs that deal in Minutia. Doesn't get much more minute than this .
ps A few times I did a puzzle and for a change of pace wrote with my left hand- after 20 minutes or so my brain ached. That was not a metaphor ,my head hurt.
pps off Topic, I watched a few episodes of the reality series CIRCUS on PBS. God I hate all those people. Hate might be a strong word....loathe, I loathe them
Sunday, November 7, 2010
a moments idle
ooops Haven't written in a while,And I was really geting into the swing of it. I'll return I promise myself.
A quick observation- You know what vile oath you don't hear anymore? Sh*t head.
I always thought was a very effective phrase. I guess like everything else ,there is a natural ebb and flow in the world of vile oaths. Maybe one day Sh*t head will return , hey it just dawned on me that was the name of Steve Martin's dog in The Jerk. Come back Little Shithead!
When I was in college I had a T shirt with the motto "Get your Sh*t Together" written on it. Beneath that was an R. Crumb drawing of two smiling Turds shaking hands. I bought it, but could never work up the nerve to wear it in public.
I chose to keep my Sh*t in a drawer
A quick observation- You know what vile oath you don't hear anymore? Sh*t head.
I always thought was a very effective phrase. I guess like everything else ,there is a natural ebb and flow in the world of vile oaths. Maybe one day Sh*t head will return , hey it just dawned on me that was the name of Steve Martin's dog in The Jerk. Come back Little Shithead!
When I was in college I had a T shirt with the motto "Get your Sh*t Together" written on it. Beneath that was an R. Crumb drawing of two smiling Turds shaking hands. I bought it, but could never work up the nerve to wear it in public.
I chose to keep my Sh*t in a drawer
Sunday, October 24, 2010
the plastic exploding inevitable
The only constant is change
I'm reading a book called The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton- basically it's a series of short essays about architecture and design , and how they affect us. Great stuff. I always enjoy when a writer challenges you to look at the world with fresh eyes. Think about he things that surround you everyday.
One of the themes in the book is that our concept of beauty is always changing- not evolving but changing. A prime example of his can be found in the family photo album- look at the way the living room was decorated 20 years ago- you loved that wallpaper then.
There is a photo of me somewhere taken in '73 or so, I'm on the altar at church doing a gospel reading (that alone is testament to how things change) I am wearing, a baby blue dress shirt, a navy blue crushed velvet bow tie, tartan plaid bell bottoms with a 2 inch cuff, saddle shoes and a sport coat made of denim. Oh yeah, hair down to my shoulders and aviator style glasses. I loved all those clothes and really loved them altogether. ( I will say I would love to have the saddle shoes today, some things never go out of style)
Change is happening constantly , some good ,some bad. There is change that annoys me (surprise)- change for the sake of change.
An example: The other day I was in Stop and Shop (newly remodeled you know) and was quite delighted with the new look , but a quibble , the Courtesy Desk, which of course was once the Customer Service Desk is now ..........the Solution Center.
please.
I'm reading a book called The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton- basically it's a series of short essays about architecture and design , and how they affect us. Great stuff. I always enjoy when a writer challenges you to look at the world with fresh eyes. Think about he things that surround you everyday.
One of the themes in the book is that our concept of beauty is always changing- not evolving but changing. A prime example of his can be found in the family photo album- look at the way the living room was decorated 20 years ago- you loved that wallpaper then.
There is a photo of me somewhere taken in '73 or so, I'm on the altar at church doing a gospel reading (that alone is testament to how things change) I am wearing, a baby blue dress shirt, a navy blue crushed velvet bow tie, tartan plaid bell bottoms with a 2 inch cuff, saddle shoes and a sport coat made of denim. Oh yeah, hair down to my shoulders and aviator style glasses. I loved all those clothes and really loved them altogether. ( I will say I would love to have the saddle shoes today, some things never go out of style)
Change is happening constantly , some good ,some bad. There is change that annoys me (surprise)- change for the sake of change.
An example: The other day I was in Stop and Shop (newly remodeled you know) and was quite delighted with the new look , but a quibble , the Courtesy Desk, which of course was once the Customer Service Desk is now ..........the Solution Center.
please.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
...and it was good
Oh it's a special day tomorrow! I hope I can sleep. I am giddy with anticipation.
The Stop and Shop around the corner from my house re opens tomorrow after six long weeks of remodeling.
I had to go to a different market for six looooong weeks. The aisles were crowded, the selection was poor and the seafood section reeked. Bad.
tommorow I put all that agony behind me.
Isn' it remarkable how the selection in supermarkets has exploded? Is wasn't all that long ago that "salad" was iceberg lettuce and a slice of cellophane wrapped tomato.
Cous cous, balsamic vinegar, orangina, sprouts, greek yogurt, sourdough bread and on and on and on- this stuff wasn't on the shelf years ago.
Now the selection is enough to make you swoon- which I plan on doing tomorrow.
they open at 6am, would I look too needy if I got there right at six? you're right, I'll wait until 6:30
The Stop and Shop around the corner from my house re opens tomorrow after six long weeks of remodeling.
I had to go to a different market for six looooong weeks. The aisles were crowded, the selection was poor and the seafood section reeked. Bad.
tommorow I put all that agony behind me.
Isn' it remarkable how the selection in supermarkets has exploded? Is wasn't all that long ago that "salad" was iceberg lettuce and a slice of cellophane wrapped tomato.
Cous cous, balsamic vinegar, orangina, sprouts, greek yogurt, sourdough bread and on and on and on- this stuff wasn't on the shelf years ago.
Now the selection is enough to make you swoon- which I plan on doing tomorrow.
they open at 6am, would I look too needy if I got there right at six? you're right, I'll wait until 6:30
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
mise eh ree
Way back in college I studied film theory and became enamored with the concept of mise en scene. French, you know. (those french are very particular in regards to language, they have a word or a phrase for just about everything. )
The exact meaning of this phrase is debated by movie types (cinephiles) , which just makes it better, but basically it is the visual element of a film or stage production. The decor, lighting, costumes, composition of the frame,...well you get the idea. How the visuals reinforce the overall story telling. A well composed scene often can tell you more than words- Citizen Kane- Joe Cotten asleep hunched over his typewriter (bottle nearby) in he foreground and Welles waaaaay in the background looming in the doorway.
Mise en scene is a part of the stage as well. I always think of the stage as a blank page and whatever is up there is there because "we" put it there. WE in this case being The creative staff- director, set design, light design, costumes etc. Since the world that is created on stage is totally artificial we can manipulate it so that everything an audience sees helps to tell the story. Hopefully.
This is maybe my favorite part of the rehearsal process creating the world that the audience is going to experience. Sometimes it works , sometimes not, but it always fun to try.
There is another mise that I have had less success with- mise en place. A cooking term, basically having everything ready to go, being in control of your workspace. Economy, precision, planning.
ah.
The other morning I discovered I had a half loaf of Challah bread in the old breadbox (holler!) Of course my mind turns to French Toast. Hmmm I have the bread, Do I have eggs? Check. Milk? Plenty. Vanilla? Yes. I even have some nice grapes to serve on the side and Hey! look at this- some real Maple syrup I bought at the Big E (state fair) a few weeks ago. Serendipity.
So I get to work and whip up some lovely French Toast, It was quite delicious, if I do say so myself. There is a lot to be said for a fancy breakfast in the middle of the week. I'm usually a toast and chocolate milk kinda guy.
Let me collect these plates and bring them into the kitchen and.......Dear God in heaven! What the hell has happened in here? Egg carton, egg shells, milk carton, spoons, knives, forks- every flat surface in the kitchen is covered in something. Lids are off containers, there is a small puddle of syrup near the stove. Don't ask me why, but the Bleu cheese dressing is on the counter.
It is more than apparent that my mise en place is non existent. In my own defense I will say, I decided to make the french toast on the spur of the moment ,no time to prepare. Lame. It took me three times as long to clean up the mess as it did to cook and eat the meal.
I need to embrace mise place as tightly as I do mise scene.
I'm sure the French have a phrase for he type of cook I am.
The exact meaning of this phrase is debated by movie types (cinephiles) , which just makes it better, but basically it is the visual element of a film or stage production. The decor, lighting, costumes, composition of the frame,...well you get the idea. How the visuals reinforce the overall story telling. A well composed scene often can tell you more than words- Citizen Kane- Joe Cotten asleep hunched over his typewriter (bottle nearby) in he foreground and Welles waaaaay in the background looming in the doorway.
Mise en scene is a part of the stage as well. I always think of the stage as a blank page and whatever is up there is there because "we" put it there. WE in this case being The creative staff- director, set design, light design, costumes etc. Since the world that is created on stage is totally artificial we can manipulate it so that everything an audience sees helps to tell the story. Hopefully.
This is maybe my favorite part of the rehearsal process creating the world that the audience is going to experience. Sometimes it works , sometimes not, but it always fun to try.
There is another mise that I have had less success with- mise en place. A cooking term, basically having everything ready to go, being in control of your workspace. Economy, precision, planning.
ah.
The other morning I discovered I had a half loaf of Challah bread in the old breadbox (holler!) Of course my mind turns to French Toast. Hmmm I have the bread, Do I have eggs? Check. Milk? Plenty. Vanilla? Yes. I even have some nice grapes to serve on the side and Hey! look at this- some real Maple syrup I bought at the Big E (state fair) a few weeks ago. Serendipity.
So I get to work and whip up some lovely French Toast, It was quite delicious, if I do say so myself. There is a lot to be said for a fancy breakfast in the middle of the week. I'm usually a toast and chocolate milk kinda guy.
Let me collect these plates and bring them into the kitchen and.......Dear God in heaven! What the hell has happened in here? Egg carton, egg shells, milk carton, spoons, knives, forks- every flat surface in the kitchen is covered in something. Lids are off containers, there is a small puddle of syrup near the stove. Don't ask me why, but the Bleu cheese dressing is on the counter.
It is more than apparent that my mise en place is non existent. In my own defense I will say, I decided to make the french toast on the spur of the moment ,no time to prepare. Lame. It took me three times as long to clean up the mess as it did to cook and eat the meal.
I need to embrace mise place as tightly as I do mise scene.
I'm sure the French have a phrase for he type of cook I am.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
....a dream deferred
The future sure didn't turn out like they promised.We should all be flying around with jet packs or driving one of these babies.
Damnation!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
a rakes progress
Ah Fall, my favorite season, a chill in the air, a sweater, rustling of the leaves- you get the idea
A memory- The unforgettable smell of burning leaves. Way back when ,the folks in the neighborhood would pile up the leaves in the yard and set that pile on fire. Standing around watching those leaves burn obviously plugs right into some hidden caveman pleasure center in the brain " uuuuuuuuuuugggggg fire" Of course the thought of burning leaves today would cause Al Gore and the Polar Bears to have many sleepless nights. (I still think I have their first album, Al Gore and the......)
Another memory- Back in college at Fredonia, most weekend nights we would take the walk Downtown to see what mischief we could cause. The good people of the town would rake all their leaves to the curb and the town would rake them or vacuum them or something them right onto trucks. Voila! No Bags!
Some of these curbside piles were nearly three feet high. During our walks downtown my pal Pete would launch himself into these mounds. 6 feet, 200plus running at top speed and diving headfirst into the leaves. Hilarious (well to 18 year old boys anyway) One day I got an image in my head of Pete flying into the leaves and meeting a fire hydrant- from that day on I walked Downtown with a less exuberant group of pals,
If you find your self heading north to take in the changing of the leaves (upstate NY) head over to Poughkeepsie (of "Did you pick your toes in Poughkeepsie?"fame) And visit the Walkway over the Hudson. This is an old railroad bridge that has been turned into a park. I's a very literal park in that you walk over the Hudson. A great walk, incredible views and an absolute thrill that someone(s) though of this and made it happen.
I was there in June around sundown and there were lots and lots of people taking the stroll. A total thrill and at the same time very relaxing.
a sidebar- as you get about a third of the way across the bridge there is a clearly marked "mental health emergency phone" that is manned at all times when the park is open. When you get out over the water you are waaaaaaaaaaaay high up in the air and the river is a loooooong way down and while the walk is totally safe if someone wanted to go over the side they very easily could.
I don't think I'll ever Visit the Walkway with my pal Pete.
ps "pick your toes...." is a line from The French Connection
A memory- The unforgettable smell of burning leaves. Way back when ,the folks in the neighborhood would pile up the leaves in the yard and set that pile on fire. Standing around watching those leaves burn obviously plugs right into some hidden caveman pleasure center in the brain " uuuuuuuuuuugggggg fire" Of course the thought of burning leaves today would cause Al Gore and the Polar Bears to have many sleepless nights. (I still think I have their first album, Al Gore and the......)
Another memory- Back in college at Fredonia, most weekend nights we would take the walk Downtown to see what mischief we could cause. The good people of the town would rake all their leaves to the curb and the town would rake them or vacuum them or something them right onto trucks. Voila! No Bags!
Some of these curbside piles were nearly three feet high. During our walks downtown my pal Pete would launch himself into these mounds. 6 feet, 200plus running at top speed and diving headfirst into the leaves. Hilarious (well to 18 year old boys anyway) One day I got an image in my head of Pete flying into the leaves and meeting a fire hydrant- from that day on I walked Downtown with a less exuberant group of pals,
If you find your self heading north to take in the changing of the leaves (upstate NY) head over to Poughkeepsie (of "Did you pick your toes in Poughkeepsie?"fame) And visit the Walkway over the Hudson. This is an old railroad bridge that has been turned into a park. I's a very literal park in that you walk over the Hudson. A great walk, incredible views and an absolute thrill that someone(s) though of this and made it happen.
I was there in June around sundown and there were lots and lots of people taking the stroll. A total thrill and at the same time very relaxing.
a sidebar- as you get about a third of the way across the bridge there is a clearly marked "mental health emergency phone" that is manned at all times when the park is open. When you get out over the water you are waaaaaaaaaaaay high up in the air and the river is a loooooong way down and while the walk is totally safe if someone wanted to go over the side they very easily could.
I don't think I'll ever Visit the Walkway with my pal Pete.
ps "pick your toes...." is a line from The French Connection
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
...and master of none
For the past few years I have kept a sketch pad and some pencils in the car . When I found myself with 20 minutes or so between gigs I would park the car, pick out a subject and draw.
Because of this, the majority of the subjects in the book are "things you find in a parking lot" Lots of lamp posts and over turned shopping carts. There are nice parking lots though, leading to sailboats and seagulls and ....lamp posts.
Am I good? no. Do I enjoy it? yes.
I am amazed that in the few years that I have been sketching that my "line" has not matured. I'm sure there is a technical term for this but, most of my drawings appear to be drawn by a kid. A kid who is trying his best, but a kid nonetheless.
There are a few exceptions: I did a drawing of a shoe that still amazes me. I can't believe that I did it. It's really....dare I say....good. Really looks like that particular shoe.
I have a picture I drew of a ....lamppost , that is really impressive (to me) with a bold dark line. Much like the shoe drawing I enjoy it because it is specific, it's that lamppost.
oh another favorite, I was at a bookstore and there was a girl across the cafe leaning over a table looking at a newspaper. I grabbed my pencil and with just a few lines really captured the curve of that view.
These are three I like, there are hundreds, but I like these three. Pretty good odds.
I haven't sketched in a while (I haven't done anything in a while, but that's another story) but, I think I'll get back to it. There is a series in the New York Times now about drawing that has nudged me in the direction of putting pencil to paper again.
If you ever need inspiration (for any creative endeavor) check out the drawings of George Seurat. I have been going to Museums and galleries for over 30 years and I'll tell you that without a doubt these drawings are my favorite pieces of art. I saw them first about 20 years ago a the Met and a few years back at MOMA. so simple but, astonishing.
Okay go get a pencil, a piece of paper and a shoe.
Because of this, the majority of the subjects in the book are "things you find in a parking lot" Lots of lamp posts and over turned shopping carts. There are nice parking lots though, leading to sailboats and seagulls and ....lamp posts.
Am I good? no. Do I enjoy it? yes.
I am amazed that in the few years that I have been sketching that my "line" has not matured. I'm sure there is a technical term for this but, most of my drawings appear to be drawn by a kid. A kid who is trying his best, but a kid nonetheless.
There are a few exceptions: I did a drawing of a shoe that still amazes me. I can't believe that I did it. It's really....dare I say....good. Really looks like that particular shoe.
I have a picture I drew of a ....lamppost , that is really impressive (to me) with a bold dark line. Much like the shoe drawing I enjoy it because it is specific, it's that lamppost.
oh another favorite, I was at a bookstore and there was a girl across the cafe leaning over a table looking at a newspaper. I grabbed my pencil and with just a few lines really captured the curve of that view.
These are three I like, there are hundreds, but I like these three. Pretty good odds.
I haven't sketched in a while (I haven't done anything in a while, but that's another story) but, I think I'll get back to it. There is a series in the New York Times now about drawing that has nudged me in the direction of putting pencil to paper again.
If you ever need inspiration (for any creative endeavor) check out the drawings of George Seurat. I have been going to Museums and galleries for over 30 years and I'll tell you that without a doubt these drawings are my favorite pieces of art. I saw them first about 20 years ago a the Met and a few years back at MOMA. so simple but, astonishing.
Okay go get a pencil, a piece of paper and a shoe.
Monday, September 27, 2010
........shango
During a conversation years ago the subject of death came up-it was a late night.
I said I just don't want to die in a stupid way- a way that becomes the one and only thing that people remember abou you. Mama Cass choking on a ham sandwhich (not true by the way) or any of the sexual shennnaigans boys (David Carradine or the INXS guy)
Of course I realize just by saying this, I put the shango on myself. dooming myself to some dopey demise.
That being said, RIP Segway guy
I said I just don't want to die in a stupid way- a way that becomes the one and only thing that people remember abou you. Mama Cass choking on a ham sandwhich (not true by the way) or any of the sexual shennnaigans boys (David Carradine or the INXS guy)
Of course I realize just by saying this, I put the shango on myself. dooming myself to some dopey demise.
That being said, RIP Segway guy
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
againandagainandagain.......
I just replaced the radio/cd player in my truck.
It had been stolen two years ago.
There is a wealth of information in those two sentences for those with a psychological bent.
Anyhow-While driving back and forth to rehearsals I divide my time between listening to the radio (mostly NPR, go ahead judge me) and selections from my cd library. An eclectic mix to say the least.
In among those cd's there are collections that I have owned in a variety of formats. Vinyl, Cassette, Cd, even a few in eight track. Stuff that I just always had to have handy.
Spike Jones' greatest Hits, The first two Santana Albums, Dan Hicks' Strikin' it Rich, Steely Dan Aja and a Bunch of Kid Creole . you get the idea.
I bet you have a bunch of records like that as well.
Here's one I listened to today- Joni Mitchell, Court and Spark. Now I wouldn't call myself a huge fan of hers (that semi yodel thing she does can be a bit trying) but I love that record. In particular I love the one two punch of , "Help Me" into "Free Man In Paris". During the 25 minute drive today I played those two about three times in a row.
Free Man in Paris is an amazing song to me because basically it asks us to empathize with a millionaire (David Geffen) who would prefer to be back in Paris rather than back at work at his record label. Poor Guy. But low and behold it works- I love the groove and the lyrics are spare, simple, economical , to the point. (not belabored like this sentence)
Want proof?
"I deal in Dreamers and telephone screamers"
Someday , maybe, I can write a line that good.
It had been stolen two years ago.
There is a wealth of information in those two sentences for those with a psychological bent.
Anyhow-While driving back and forth to rehearsals I divide my time between listening to the radio (mostly NPR, go ahead judge me) and selections from my cd library. An eclectic mix to say the least.
In among those cd's there are collections that I have owned in a variety of formats. Vinyl, Cassette, Cd, even a few in eight track. Stuff that I just always had to have handy.
Spike Jones' greatest Hits, The first two Santana Albums, Dan Hicks' Strikin' it Rich, Steely Dan Aja and a Bunch of Kid Creole . you get the idea.
I bet you have a bunch of records like that as well.
Here's one I listened to today- Joni Mitchell, Court and Spark. Now I wouldn't call myself a huge fan of hers (that semi yodel thing she does can be a bit trying) but I love that record. In particular I love the one two punch of , "Help Me" into "Free Man In Paris". During the 25 minute drive today I played those two about three times in a row.
Free Man in Paris is an amazing song to me because basically it asks us to empathize with a millionaire (David Geffen) who would prefer to be back in Paris rather than back at work at his record label. Poor Guy. But low and behold it works- I love the groove and the lyrics are spare, simple, economical , to the point. (not belabored like this sentence)
Want proof?
"I deal in Dreamers and telephone screamers"
Someday , maybe, I can write a line that good.
Monday, September 13, 2010
What time is it?
My Dad was the pioneer, the king of the new, he could see the next big thing when it was a tiny little idea.
Example- we had vinyl siding on our house years before anyone else. He and I put it all by ourselves! We had construction guys stopping by the house to check it out while we were putting it up. The guy from the lumberyard (in smithtown tipped them off).
second example- Tivo. noooooooooobody had any idea what this thing was, they scoffed, they mocked, now they couldn't live without it. Of course everyone has a DVR now I think poor little Tivo might be on life support. waiting to be put on the shelf next to the eight track player and the Betamax.
My favorite thing about Tivo was his/her penchant for making suggestions "Hey, you like Xena-the warrior princess, maybe you would like La Femme Nikita" (my dad loved both)
Sometimes Tivo would be in a silly mood and suggest some really odd choices. For the longest time Tivo would suggest cartoons that my father should record, long lists of cartoons. He had eclectic taste but was not a fan of cartoons. Months later we got to he bottom of this peccadillo when we discovered that my nephew had recorded some cartoons during a visit! Tivo wasn't crazy after all.
The Tivo suggestion phenom led to not one but two sitcoms using the same joke within a two week span. I don't remember the shows but, here's the joke- "Tivo thinks I'm Gay!"
This leads me(circuitously I admit) to my e mail -, more precisely ,my junk mail. Of course there will be the usual , some porn offers (hmmmm can't imagine why) but,in the past year many Canadian pharmacies want me to do all my controlled substance shopping with them and most recently the gods of spam have decided that I should have a lovely Rolex or patek phillipe wrist watch adorning my arm whilst I grab another handful of cialis while deciding which lovely from last weeks film shoot i should connect with.
Perhaps spamboy knows me better than I know myself, I've always felt deep inside that I was Canadian. I think it started when I was 12 years old and the Vietnam conflict was showing no signs of slowing down....but that's a story for another time.
Example- we had vinyl siding on our house years before anyone else. He and I put it all by ourselves! We had construction guys stopping by the house to check it out while we were putting it up. The guy from the lumberyard (in smithtown tipped them off).
second example- Tivo. noooooooooobody had any idea what this thing was, they scoffed, they mocked, now they couldn't live without it. Of course everyone has a DVR now I think poor little Tivo might be on life support. waiting to be put on the shelf next to the eight track player and the Betamax.
My favorite thing about Tivo was his/her penchant for making suggestions "Hey, you like Xena-the warrior princess, maybe you would like La Femme Nikita" (my dad loved both)
Sometimes Tivo would be in a silly mood and suggest some really odd choices. For the longest time Tivo would suggest cartoons that my father should record, long lists of cartoons. He had eclectic taste but was not a fan of cartoons. Months later we got to he bottom of this peccadillo when we discovered that my nephew had recorded some cartoons during a visit! Tivo wasn't crazy after all.
The Tivo suggestion phenom led to not one but two sitcoms using the same joke within a two week span. I don't remember the shows but, here's the joke- "Tivo thinks I'm Gay!"
This leads me(circuitously I admit) to my e mail -, more precisely ,my junk mail. Of course there will be the usual , some porn offers (hmmmm can't imagine why) but,in the past year many Canadian pharmacies want me to do all my controlled substance shopping with them and most recently the gods of spam have decided that I should have a lovely Rolex or patek phillipe wrist watch adorning my arm whilst I grab another handful of cialis while deciding which lovely from last weeks film shoot i should connect with.
Perhaps spamboy knows me better than I know myself, I've always felt deep inside that I was Canadian. I think it started when I was 12 years old and the Vietnam conflict was showing no signs of slowing down....but that's a story for another time.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
wrong.....
inappropriate
in the previous post ,during a rare spell check (on the above word) the spell checker made this suggestion;
inn appropriate
spectacular
in the previous post ,during a rare spell check (on the above word) the spell checker made this suggestion;
inn appropriate
spectacular
curiousity.....
In the house where I live there is a cat.
I always considered my self a dog person but, I like the cat. Maybe he likes me, who knows.
One reason I like the cat- At night when we sleep he will sleep in the same room, close by, usually in a chair. Back in June I was very sick for 24 hours (I get this, whatever the hell it is, every 5 years or so) So I'm lying in bed sweating and moaning and groaning and tossing and turning. When I wake up the next morning the cat was lying on the bed right next to me. I smiled. I'm sure there's some cold logical explanation for this but ,I would like to think the cat wanted to do something to make me feel better.
a second reason- I read that dogs can make about 10 different sounds, a cat can make about 100. A cat catches on rather quickly that conversation is important, I talk- you talk, so a very common occurrence is for cats to engage people in conversation. I meow-you talk, My cat is very talkative in the morning. His most common sound is something that sounds like "NO" My favorite way to start the day is talking to the cat, at first asking him questions where No, would be a reasonable response. This of course leads to questions where No is a wildly inappropriate response.
makes me laugh
I always considered my self a dog person but, I like the cat. Maybe he likes me, who knows.
One reason I like the cat- At night when we sleep he will sleep in the same room, close by, usually in a chair. Back in June I was very sick for 24 hours (I get this, whatever the hell it is, every 5 years or so) So I'm lying in bed sweating and moaning and groaning and tossing and turning. When I wake up the next morning the cat was lying on the bed right next to me. I smiled. I'm sure there's some cold logical explanation for this but ,I would like to think the cat wanted to do something to make me feel better.
a second reason- I read that dogs can make about 10 different sounds, a cat can make about 100. A cat catches on rather quickly that conversation is important, I talk- you talk, so a very common occurrence is for cats to engage people in conversation. I meow-you talk, My cat is very talkative in the morning. His most common sound is something that sounds like "NO" My favorite way to start the day is talking to the cat, at first asking him questions where No, would be a reasonable response. This of course leads to questions where No is a wildly inappropriate response.
makes me laugh
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
behold!
The Civil War: a narrative- by Shelby Foote
A set of three books each between 800 and 1,000 pages long
They have been around the house for years- started reading the first book the other night, spellbinding
I can't imagine how you can write somehing of this scope. Where/how do you start?
I get blocked trying to write this thing
A set of three books each between 800 and 1,000 pages long
They have been around the house for years- started reading the first book the other night, spellbinding
I can't imagine how you can write somehing of this scope. Where/how do you start?
I get blocked trying to write this thing
Monday, September 6, 2010
Tag! You're it!
Knives, hatchets, sling shots, bb guns, pellet guns- these were some of the playthings the boys in my neighborhood were surrounded by when I was a kid. Now don't get me wrong ,I'm not about to tell you about how terrible this was , because it was great. To be a ten year old boy with a pocketknife handy is to rule the world.
Of course with great power comes great responsibility- young boys are not always the most responsible creatures , witness a game of bb gun tag. Better yet , don't witness a game of bb gun tag.
Real weapons with real consequences can teach you that it is important to focus, to pay attention. They can also teach you to be a jerk.
A neighbor from down the street was playing with a piece of wood and a hatchet. No point to the game , just the satisfying "thwack" of the blade hitting the wood. The game just gets better as the blade sinks deeper into the wood. It takes a second to pull it out now, and then "thwack". Once more and...........
Yes, it's that "once more" that makes all the difference. One second everything is fine and then things are changed.
Once more.... He had ten fingers and a second later he had nine fingers. Luckily I didn't witness this or else I would have been curled up in fetal position, whimpering, for the next five years. Now , this was way back when, so there was no wrapping the finger in ice and rushing to the" sew the hacked off finger back on surgeon" . No ,this was back when you just walked around with nine fingers.
I will admit that after the initial horror passed ,the hand became the epitome of cool. We could actually say we knew a guy who had hacked off a finger with a hatchet. Cool.
I was reminded of this incident and the whole idea of going one step too far twice this week. There was the young college student in New York who, in a drunken stupor, thought it was a good idea to climb out on the ledge (about 30 stories up) with her camera to take some pictures.
There was also the story of a Dr. who went to find her boyfriend, he wasn't home and the house was locked.One second she's locked outside and then she get's the idea that she'll climb into the house by way of the chimney, getting stuck in the process. (and dying) The horror of this almost makes me want to crawl up in fetal position and whimper.
Instead I'll just sit here and count my fingers.
Ten.
Of course with great power comes great responsibility- young boys are not always the most responsible creatures , witness a game of bb gun tag. Better yet , don't witness a game of bb gun tag.
Real weapons with real consequences can teach you that it is important to focus, to pay attention. They can also teach you to be a jerk.
A neighbor from down the street was playing with a piece of wood and a hatchet. No point to the game , just the satisfying "thwack" of the blade hitting the wood. The game just gets better as the blade sinks deeper into the wood. It takes a second to pull it out now, and then "thwack". Once more and...........
Yes, it's that "once more" that makes all the difference. One second everything is fine and then things are changed.
Once more.... He had ten fingers and a second later he had nine fingers. Luckily I didn't witness this or else I would have been curled up in fetal position, whimpering, for the next five years. Now , this was way back when, so there was no wrapping the finger in ice and rushing to the" sew the hacked off finger back on surgeon" . No ,this was back when you just walked around with nine fingers.
I will admit that after the initial horror passed ,the hand became the epitome of cool. We could actually say we knew a guy who had hacked off a finger with a hatchet. Cool.
I was reminded of this incident and the whole idea of going one step too far twice this week. There was the young college student in New York who, in a drunken stupor, thought it was a good idea to climb out on the ledge (about 30 stories up) with her camera to take some pictures.
There was also the story of a Dr. who went to find her boyfriend, he wasn't home and the house was locked.One second she's locked outside and then she get's the idea that she'll climb into the house by way of the chimney, getting stuck in the process. (and dying) The horror of this almost makes me want to crawl up in fetal position and whimper.
Instead I'll just sit here and count my fingers.
Ten.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
T...dammit....T !!!!!
last week the G key on the computer was acting up.
this week the T key is sticking.
T is far more annoying than G
this week the T key is sticking.
T is far more annoying than G
there's a storm a brewin'........
Earl is approaching- losing steam along he way but here he comes. Hurricane Earl that is. Hurricanes have lost a bit of their allure now that they can have male names. They sound a bit more pedestrian somehow.
I am trying to figure out just how much preperation I have to do around the house- does all the patio furniture have to be brought in to the shed? If I bring everything in, is it worth it to put everything back out after the storm? In other words, does Earl mean the end of summer? Kinda early to bring stuff in but, maybe not.
Two Hurricane memories : Gloria ('85?) knowing that this was going to be a biggie I was a busy little bee bringing everything in and then battening down the hatches ("but I did batten them down! Well Batten 'em down again, we'll teach those hatches") Then lying down on the couch in the den and sleeping thru the whole storm. The next day I rode my bike around the Campus of Lasalle Military Academy- where the destruction was jaw dropping.
Betsy (63?) sitting in the car with my dad, in the garage, listening to the radio reports- no power in the neighborhood -I'm six years old experiencing my first Hurricane. A great apocalyptic , end of the world vibe. In my overactive imaginaion anyway
Oh, I just heard. Earl is now a Tropical Storm. Hmmmm do I really have to do all that work for a Tropical Storm?
I am trying to figure out just how much preperation I have to do around the house- does all the patio furniture have to be brought in to the shed? If I bring everything in, is it worth it to put everything back out after the storm? In other words, does Earl mean the end of summer? Kinda early to bring stuff in but, maybe not.
Two Hurricane memories : Gloria ('85?) knowing that this was going to be a biggie I was a busy little bee bringing everything in and then battening down the hatches ("but I did batten them down! Well Batten 'em down again, we'll teach those hatches") Then lying down on the couch in the den and sleeping thru the whole storm. The next day I rode my bike around the Campus of Lasalle Military Academy- where the destruction was jaw dropping.
Betsy (63?) sitting in the car with my dad, in the garage, listening to the radio reports- no power in the neighborhood -I'm six years old experiencing my first Hurricane. A great apocalyptic , end of the world vibe. In my overactive imaginaion anyway
Oh, I just heard. Earl is now a Tropical Storm. Hmmmm do I really have to do all that work for a Tropical Storm?
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
when i was a kid......blah blah blah
Way back when in blogland I bemoaned the fact that record stores had vanished overnight. Local independent stores- long gone, then "poof" the big ol' mall stores ,gone. One of my favorite wastes of time had ceased to be. I am still woozy when I go to times square and the virgin store is but a memory. That was a great place to while away a 45 minutes or so.
NOW- it was announced early this week that Barnes and Noble is closing it's Lincoln Center store. This was a bustling place always filled with people. Granted it lacked a bit in the feng shui - it wasn't always easy to navigate ,but still if you had a half hour to kill before a concert or movie, perfection.
I was in Borders the other day- not looking particularly healthy. (the store, not me)
I got a bad feeling about this
NOW- it was announced early this week that Barnes and Noble is closing it's Lincoln Center store. This was a bustling place always filled with people. Granted it lacked a bit in the feng shui - it wasn't always easy to navigate ,but still if you had a half hour to kill before a concert or movie, perfection.
I was in Borders the other day- not looking particularly healthy. (the store, not me)
I got a bad feeling about this
Monday, August 30, 2010
a nearsighted Chilean Caveman
If I had been born a caveman , I wouldn't have lasted very long- cave baby, yes- cave toddler,probably- but after that I would have been doomed. As soon as I left the protection of the cave on my own I would have quickly become a memory. Nothing but a cave painting- soon to be forgotten.
Nearsighted , you see. Been wearing glasses since first grade. Something tells me my myopic brethren didn't last too long in Bedrock. Crushed by an Brontosaurus, swept off by a Pterodactyl, wandered into a tar pit.
I thought about this the other day as I read about the Chilean miners who have been trapped for weeks and probably will be for months to come. What a remarkable story, these guys are amazing. I hope when they are rescued that Chile just says "Welcome home guys! Here are the keys to your new homes and cars. If you need anything call us, don't worry you are set for the rest of your life"
Oh how does that relate to the nearsighted caveman? In one of the articles I was reading it said that because of the size of the rescue hole the miners would have to have a waist size of 36 inches or under to be brought up. As of right now there were a few who were larger than 36 inches. (I'm sure this will be solved but, could you imagine being rescued knowing that some of your fellow miners had to stay behind?)
my waist is certainly not 36 inches (although I too some comfort in discovering that the average american males waist is 40 inches- fat bastids) so my fate as a chubby chilean miner would be the same as my fate as a nearsighted cave man---doomed
Nearsighted , you see. Been wearing glasses since first grade. Something tells me my myopic brethren didn't last too long in Bedrock. Crushed by an Brontosaurus, swept off by a Pterodactyl, wandered into a tar pit.
I thought about this the other day as I read about the Chilean miners who have been trapped for weeks and probably will be for months to come. What a remarkable story, these guys are amazing. I hope when they are rescued that Chile just says "Welcome home guys! Here are the keys to your new homes and cars. If you need anything call us, don't worry you are set for the rest of your life"
Oh how does that relate to the nearsighted caveman? In one of the articles I was reading it said that because of the size of the rescue hole the miners would have to have a waist size of 36 inches or under to be brought up. As of right now there were a few who were larger than 36 inches. (I'm sure this will be solved but, could you imagine being rescued knowing that some of your fellow miners had to stay behind?)
my waist is certainly not 36 inches (although I too some comfort in discovering that the average american males waist is 40 inches- fat bastids) so my fate as a chubby chilean miner would be the same as my fate as a nearsighted cave man---doomed
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
a thought while watching Lawrence of Arabia
Don't hear much about quicksand these days.
When I was a kid it seemed that there were dozens of good quicksand scenes. Whether a comedy or drama you could always count on quicksand
When I was a kid it seemed that there were dozens of good quicksand scenes. Whether a comedy or drama you could always count on quicksand
Thursday, August 26, 2010
progress?
remember the days when people would be impressed when an actor in a very dramatic scene could cry real tears?
"now that's good acting"
Recently tears aren't enough- to the tears you have to add the line of snot from the nose and perhaps a string of drool.
"now that's good acting"
Recently tears aren't enough- to the tears you have to add the line of snot from the nose and perhaps a string of drool.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
one from column A....
Okay, I'll admit I haven't really researched this too much- but what is the story with the 60 mile long traffic jam in China?
It's been going on for days and it's predicted to last for weeks! WEEKS???!!!!!
Don't they have exit ramps in China?
Don't cars have reverse in China?
They don't have "traffic on the eights" in China?
Maybe I'm a dope and I'm missing something very obvious- but I can't imagine why this has lasted as long as it has.
Aren't there perishable goods in some of those trucks?
It's been going on for days and it's predicted to last for weeks! WEEKS???!!!!!
Don't they have exit ramps in China?
Don't cars have reverse in China?
They don't have "traffic on the eights" in China?
Maybe I'm a dope and I'm missing something very obvious- but I can't imagine why this has lasted as long as it has.
Aren't there perishable goods in some of those trucks?
Monday, August 23, 2010
anything at all....but not that.
In the previous post I wrote about how our open minded Art teacher would encourage us to bring is albums to listen to during class- this reminded me of another teacher, a music teacher, who asked us kiddies to bring in some music we liked to share with the class.
The year was 1967, so I'm 10 years old, in 4th grade (?) and I take my teachers request very seriously- As a matter of fact I will bring in two songs that I love to share with my peers.
The teacher was Mrs.Fontana, Isabella Fontana, barely five feet tall, but a force of nature. An entire web site could be devoted to students memories of this one of a kind gal. In an odd connection to the previous post and to the book ALL HOPPED UP....., she was Neil Sedaka's music teacher in high school (maybe jr. high)
So the day arrives and I have my two albums with me- Wild Honey by the Beach Boys (the first album I ever bought for myself) and Hank Williams Greatest Hits ( one of my Dads albums)
WE go to Music, Mrs. Fontana asks "Did anyone bring in some music?" Boom! My hand is in the air. I hand her the album, she removes the record, being very careful to handle it by the edges (vinyl ,you know) and places it on the Hi- Fi
Wild Honey begins. This is Rn'B Beach Boys style. The theremin is doing that swooping octave thing at the start, then the band kicks in and.......she stops the record and takes it off the turntable , all the while berating the "noise" that I was subjecting the other kids to.
Oh..... "I have another record, no, not by the same group. It's by Hank Williams." Not a glimmer of recognition from Isabella, she has no idea who Hank Williams is. I already know Hank and I are doomed.
The album is removed respectfully, placed on the turntable and the greatest singer/songwriter in the history of country music begins to sing....
"Hey Good Loo....." That's as far as he got. This time no lecture from Mrs. Fontana, just a shake of the head and a withering look. Wow...dissed and dismissed.
Within five minutes she had made mincemeat of Hank Williams, Brian Wilson and Me.
When I got home I played "Wild Honey"..........loud
The year was 1967, so I'm 10 years old, in 4th grade (?) and I take my teachers request very seriously- As a matter of fact I will bring in two songs that I love to share with my peers.
The teacher was Mrs.Fontana, Isabella Fontana, barely five feet tall, but a force of nature. An entire web site could be devoted to students memories of this one of a kind gal. In an odd connection to the previous post and to the book ALL HOPPED UP....., she was Neil Sedaka's music teacher in high school (maybe jr. high)
So the day arrives and I have my two albums with me- Wild Honey by the Beach Boys (the first album I ever bought for myself) and Hank Williams Greatest Hits ( one of my Dads albums)
WE go to Music, Mrs. Fontana asks "Did anyone bring in some music?" Boom! My hand is in the air. I hand her the album, she removes the record, being very careful to handle it by the edges (vinyl ,you know) and places it on the Hi- Fi
Wild Honey begins. This is Rn'B Beach Boys style. The theremin is doing that swooping octave thing at the start, then the band kicks in and.......she stops the record and takes it off the turntable , all the while berating the "noise" that I was subjecting the other kids to.
Oh..... "I have another record, no, not by the same group. It's by Hank Williams." Not a glimmer of recognition from Isabella, she has no idea who Hank Williams is. I already know Hank and I are doomed.
The album is removed respectfully, placed on the turntable and the greatest singer/songwriter in the history of country music begins to sing....
"Hey Good Loo....." That's as far as he got. This time no lecture from Mrs. Fontana, just a shake of the head and a withering look. Wow...dissed and dismissed.
Within five minutes she had made mincemeat of Hank Williams, Brian Wilson and Me.
When I got home I played "Wild Honey"..........loud
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Hey, Ho.........
I just finished reading a great book called- ALL HOPPED UP AND READY TO GO by Tony Fletcher. The book is a look at popular music in New York City from 1927 to 1977.
Mr Fletcher is certainly a man of some ambition- but lo and behold he succeeds at making all these different scenes (jazz, latin, folk, rock, punk and rap) come alive. Dizzy Gillespie, Machito, Pete Seeger, Lou Reed, Joey Ramone- the list of performers and songwriters and producers and hangers on is staggering but he tells everyones story with interest and enthusiasm.
I particularly love the fact that he shines the light on some folks who are often overlooked ,like Neil Sedaka and the Rascals and Allen Vega of Suicide.
A terrific read, it makes you want to run out and buy (or at least listen) to all the bands and songs he is writing about. Tony Fletcher has to "curate" an ALL HOPPED UP..... box set. (it would probably be impossible to get the rights for 99% of the songs and on top of that does anyone buy box sets anymore?)
One of the people he writes about is David Peel- a new york street singer/character from the late sixties early seventies. He and his "band" the Lower East Side (or as I remember them -The Lower East Side Orchestra) recorded an album I have very fond memories of.
During Art class in junior high the teacher ,being a groovy artist, would play records during class. We kids were encouraged to bring in stuff we liked- the boys mostly wanted to play Grand Funk or the Allman Brothers, the girls tended towards sensitive singer songwriter selections. Every once in a while the teacher would play something of his choosing- one Day it was "Have a Marijuana" by David Peel and the Lower East Side. An Album recorded in Washington Square Park- An Album that had a decidely unpolished sound- an album that contained the song "Up Against the Wall Motherfuc-er" the lyrics of which are basically the the title repeated for about two minutes.
Needless to say, we junior high boys had a new hero and a new favorite song and a new appreciation for art.
Mr Fletcher is certainly a man of some ambition- but lo and behold he succeeds at making all these different scenes (jazz, latin, folk, rock, punk and rap) come alive. Dizzy Gillespie, Machito, Pete Seeger, Lou Reed, Joey Ramone- the list of performers and songwriters and producers and hangers on is staggering but he tells everyones story with interest and enthusiasm.
I particularly love the fact that he shines the light on some folks who are often overlooked ,like Neil Sedaka and the Rascals and Allen Vega of Suicide.
A terrific read, it makes you want to run out and buy (or at least listen) to all the bands and songs he is writing about. Tony Fletcher has to "curate" an ALL HOPPED UP..... box set. (it would probably be impossible to get the rights for 99% of the songs and on top of that does anyone buy box sets anymore?)
One of the people he writes about is David Peel- a new york street singer/character from the late sixties early seventies. He and his "band" the Lower East Side (or as I remember them -The Lower East Side Orchestra) recorded an album I have very fond memories of.
During Art class in junior high the teacher ,being a groovy artist, would play records during class. We kids were encouraged to bring in stuff we liked- the boys mostly wanted to play Grand Funk or the Allman Brothers, the girls tended towards sensitive singer songwriter selections. Every once in a while the teacher would play something of his choosing- one Day it was "Have a Marijuana" by David Peel and the Lower East Side. An Album recorded in Washington Square Park- An Album that had a decidely unpolished sound- an album that contained the song "Up Against the Wall Motherfuc-er" the lyrics of which are basically the the title repeated for about two minutes.
Needless to say, we junior high boys had a new hero and a new favorite song and a new appreciation for art.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
behold!
Doris Day
one of the great crushes of my youth
Bob Hope said she had the best behind in Hollywood
I have an autographed photo of Doris that I won in a raffle (the raffle was rigged, but in my favor, so I'm all for it)
one of the great crushes of my youth
Bob Hope said she had the best behind in Hollywood
I have an autographed photo of Doris that I won in a raffle (the raffle was rigged, but in my favor, so I'm all for it)
Sunday, July 25, 2010
don't hold my breath
Read a small item in the paper the other day- This past June was the hottest on record.
Don't know about records yet, but this July seems pretty darn hot.
I still have yet to hear anybody who jumped on the fact that we had a blizzard this winter (which proved beyond doubt that there was no climate change) crack wise about the heat.
Maybe I just missed it
Don't know about records yet, but this July seems pretty darn hot.
I still have yet to hear anybody who jumped on the fact that we had a blizzard this winter (which proved beyond doubt that there was no climate change) crack wise about the heat.
Maybe I just missed it
Monday, July 19, 2010
you say......
As previously stated I enjoy the world of food- eatin, reading, watching the TV, (oh PBS showed "A Hot Dog Program" the other night, one of my all time favorite food shows. I watch it every summer- a trip around America discovering the nuances and subtlety of all things frankfurter. If you can watch this show and not want to jump in the car and o to every place they feature- you have no soul.)
I do stop shy of callin myself a "foodie" There is something a wee bit too precious in that name. I love fresh fruits and veggies and few things make me happier than a nice salad but I am always put off by the messianic zeal of the locavore and/or farm to table crowd.
Yeah, Yeah, I get it fresh food = rapture, factory farm stuff= the spawn of satan. It is a bit tiresome to hear a hipster extol the virtue of an heirloom zucchini grown in community farm located in what used to be a parkin lot in Brooklyn.
That said- I have a few plants growin in containers on my deck in the back yard (a Roma tomato, a grape tomato, and a japanese eggplant). I water them everyday but mostly they are on their own. A bunch of the grape tomatos were all ripe the other day, I picked a few to put in a salad. Oh my dear god in heaven! These things were amazing! They barely made it into the kitchen- I was eating them like jelly beans (could you imagine if jelly beans grew on trees? )
I still will not align myself with the locavore mafia -but I get it.
A quick tomato aside: years ago the cesspool at the house overflowed leaving a puddle of "muck" in the backyard. The words have not yet been coined to describe how foul this was- but it was cleaned up and eventually forgotten.
The next summer, lo and behold, there were a bunch of tomato plants growing in the back yard! "Isn't that funny?" no one planted tomatos but, here they were.
AS summer went on the plants grew and the tomatoes looked like something out of a cookbook , big and red and ripe. Just as the harvest was about to begin, two and two were put together. Tomatoes-that no one planted- growing - in what just eight months before had been a puddle of cesspool muck.
I'm sure you were way ahead of us figuring that one out.
Needless to say none of the magic tomatoes made it to the table.
ps the G key on the computer is bein stubborn -so any missing G's are a mistake and not an attempt to be folksy
I do stop shy of callin myself a "foodie" There is something a wee bit too precious in that name. I love fresh fruits and veggies and few things make me happier than a nice salad but I am always put off by the messianic zeal of the locavore and/or farm to table crowd.
Yeah, Yeah, I get it fresh food = rapture, factory farm stuff= the spawn of satan. It is a bit tiresome to hear a hipster extol the virtue of an heirloom zucchini grown in community farm located in what used to be a parkin lot in Brooklyn.
That said- I have a few plants growin in containers on my deck in the back yard (a Roma tomato, a grape tomato, and a japanese eggplant). I water them everyday but mostly they are on their own. A bunch of the grape tomatos were all ripe the other day, I picked a few to put in a salad. Oh my dear god in heaven! These things were amazing! They barely made it into the kitchen- I was eating them like jelly beans (could you imagine if jelly beans grew on trees? )
I still will not align myself with the locavore mafia -but I get it.
A quick tomato aside: years ago the cesspool at the house overflowed leaving a puddle of "muck" in the backyard. The words have not yet been coined to describe how foul this was- but it was cleaned up and eventually forgotten.
The next summer, lo and behold, there were a bunch of tomato plants growing in the back yard! "Isn't that funny?" no one planted tomatos but, here they were.
AS summer went on the plants grew and the tomatoes looked like something out of a cookbook , big and red and ripe. Just as the harvest was about to begin, two and two were put together. Tomatoes-that no one planted- growing - in what just eight months before had been a puddle of cesspool muck.
I'm sure you were way ahead of us figuring that one out.
Needless to say none of the magic tomatoes made it to the table.
ps the G key on the computer is bein stubborn -so any missing G's are a mistake and not an attempt to be folksy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)