Observations from the Window 6.19

Father’s Day is drawing to a close but I need mention my dad tonight. Along with my brother and sister he keeps me sane yet I find it hard to write about him. So much easier to write about my mom but that’s just how it is. He was always the laid back one anyway so he will totally understand.

I know it couldn't have been easy trying to deal with me after my mom passed but yet he always did. As my life spiraled out of control he could have concentrated on the others but he didn't. For that I'll always be grateful because I know for a fact somebody gave him exactly that advice. When I was in rehab he visited every day, never complained, and truth be told snuck me cigarettes now and than. Now that's a dad.

Where my love of art comes from my mom my love of sports comes from my dad. That would seem obvious, and it is, but you have to understand it's as much a part of me as the art is. I can’t imagine my life without either of them. The sports yin to the art yang I suppose. He rarely if ever missed a field hockey game and always had something positive to say afterwards. He has a passion for Philly sports teams and a hatred of New York ones that somehow got genetically transferred to me. Sometimes it creates problems at the bar but that’s just how it is.

Because of my dad I can easily spend a day watching the bobber on the end of a fishing line and not care if I catch a thing. Because of him I like roller coasters, fast cars, and movies that go boom. I can change Foxy's oil on my own, discuss obscure 80's metal bands, and make the perfect burger.

Because of him I'm still around to write this.

Happy Father’s Day dad.

Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road

Observations from the Gallery 6.18

I had to smile Thursday morning when I saw a tweet from George Takei that said "The 6th person you'll meet in heaven is that guy behind the 7-11 counter, so make an effort to say hi now before it gets awkward." I totally got what he was saying, thought it was funny, but saw it as nothing earth shattering and moved on.

Something that happened later in the day gave it slightly more meaning. Two girls my sisters’ age walked into the gallery and began looking around. The girls looked both out of place and like they belonged so I was thrown off a bit. I could instantly tell they weren't from the city so I knew they weren't just playing artist for the day and I saw no sign of anybody else with them. Being the good 'social' cop of the pair Ash walked over to them and said hi as I sat on the couch looking my usual casually remote. As is usually the case it didn't take long for Ash to get their story.

The girls had come to the city on a bus trip from upstate New York to celebrate their high school graduation. While all the others in the group swarmed Times Square, Battery Park, and all the touristy spots these two wandered off to look at galleries. They said it's all they wanted to do while they were here and had been wandering NoHo and the Bowery when the found us. They seemed tired so we asked if they wanted to sit a bit and have some iced tea or coffee.

To make a long story short we ended up spending two hours with the girls. We chatted about art and New York, bought them lunch from Katz's, and I took some pics of them to show off on the trip back home. Than we made sure they had a cab taking them to the right place to meet their group so they didn’t end up in Brooklyn. Once they opened up they turned out to be two of the sweetest girls I have ever met in my life and I enjoyed every minute we spent with them.

Getting back to George Takei tweet, I suppose there is a moral to this story but I'm terrible with morals so I wont even try finding it. Lets just say that sometimes it might actually be better to be social than to not.

Live and learn.

Observations from my Bed 6.17

As I fade to black it seems maybe the vote on the New York same sex marriage bill wont happen today. More important things, such as rent controls, seem to have gotten in the way. But more likely it's the Archbishop's fear gay marriage will turn this country into North Korea, or China, or god forbid a theocratic state such as Iran. Or maybe it's just the Republican members of the Senate fear that if they do what's right, and actually vote their conscience instead of their wallet, the golden sun won't come up in the morning. Sometimes it just all makes me want to scream, but not now, not yet. The thought of being on the right side of history still makes me smile.



Link

On a lighter note Lady Gaga's video for "The Edge of Glory" premiered tonight. I have to admit that although I'm a closet Gaga fan I haven't always been the biggest fan of her vids. But this is awesome, just a stark understated video that features only Lady Gaga and Jersey shore legend E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons. It really is totally awesome, take a look.

Clarence Clemons suffered a stroke last weekend and his condition is still listed as serious. The family has said fans can send wishes via email to notestoclarence@clarenceclemons.com.

Lady Gaga - The Edge Of Glory

Observations on Gay Marriage and New York

I was attempting to be good and not vent today but things just seem to spiral downward so here I go again. I won’t dwell on the lesbian blogger hoaxes because they just depress me but I will say this. I just don't understand at all. What is it a fantasy? A joke? It's my fucking life and sometimes it's hard enough without stuff like this going down. I don't want, need, or care to hear how sorry they are. I have more important things on my mind today.

With a vote on same sex marriage in New York just days away Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan is seeking to stop the vote from even taking place. "We acknowledge that not every desire, urge, want, or chic cause is automatically a 'right.'" said Dolan. While it's nice to know I might be considered chic in the eyes of the Catholic Church it still pisses me off. I thought maybe it was time to pull out a few heavy weapons of my own so I did some non-scientific research which I'll call my Google poll.

Search 'child abuse by catholic priests' on Google and the first link leads to a 16,520 word wikipedia article called "Catholic sex abuse cases"(l)that made the word counter gag. Search 'child abuse by lesbians' and the first link leads to a Huffington Post article titled "Child Abuse Rate At Zero Percent In Lesbian Households, New Report Finds"(l). I really think the Archbishop has more important things to worry about than whether or not I marry another woman.

Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced the bill today and a vote will probably take place either Thursday or Friday of this week. As I write this it seems to only need one more vote to pass. New York would be the sixth and largest state to legalize same sex marriage. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage, and 10 states allow civil unions.

I toyed with the idea of writing about trust because of the blogger news but I decided to pass on it. I think I will end this post with a single word that sounds so much better to me today.

Hope

Observations 6.13

Sometimes a video comes along that just totally speaks for itself. Nothing I can say will add to the fact that Rick Santorum, the Pennsylvanian I love to hate, was "with" a gay friend just days ago. I don't know how Don Lemon keeps from laughing.


Link
(I'm going to start adding a direct link when I post a video because the embeds don't go out in the emails. Sorry about that.)

Observations from Home 6.12

Friday night was my sis' high school graduation and I started writing this a few times yesterday but for some reason I just couldn't come up with the words which is something that just doesn't seem to happen much. I have written a lot about my sis over the past year and that isn’t about to change but I suppose I have to give up on this. There was a time I liked to call her my mini-me because in many ways she was so much like me but over the past few years she has totally outgrown that nickname. It's as if my parents finally got it right the third time around and created this beautiful, confident, talented young women with such a bright future. I'm so damn proud of her and it chokes me up every time I start writing so I'll just leave it at that.

I was rather proud of myself too because I managed to pack for either an indoor or outdoor ceremony. The threat of thunderstorms and a sweltering hot day moved it indoors but I was ready for it. I wore long black cotton pants, a sleeveless aaronessa shirt, black sandals, and just light makeup due to the possibility of tears. I only mention this because it's far removed from the old jeans and vest I wore to the kid's graduation five years ago. I guess both outfits made a statement in their own way even if it was unintended.

As always seems to be the case with me there is a story to be told. The main speaker at the graduation was US Army colonel who was a class of '81 graduate of the school. Now he was a good speaker, is about to become General Petraeus' chief of staff, and looked awesome with a chest full of ribbons but I didn’t appreciate the rah rah wrap yourself in the flag tone of the speech so I didn’t exactly jump up and clap with everybody else. Now the principal, who was a teacher when i was there, must have noticed because she walked up to me afterwards, shook my hand, and said basically some people never change but than she added "but yet they do." I told her to give me a call if she ever wanted somebody to speak about art instead of war and just smiled. I'm not sure if my dad was proud or thinking here she goes again.

So a day later this is still on my laptop and I still can't seem to put what I feel into words but i think I know how to end this now. Years ago someone gave me a graduation card with a quote written inside. I still have the card because honestly there is no better way to live your life.

"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, define yourself." Robert Frost

Happy graduation mini-me.

Foo Fighters - Times Like These

Observations from the Heatpocalypse

In a continuation from yesterday I want to add that today it's just too damn hot to even function at all. I have no idea what the temperature is but I just heard the real feel temp is 108° and its only noon. In less than six months the Village has gone from the snowpocalypse to the heatpocalypse and scenes from "The Day After Tomorrow" are beginning to pass through my brain.

Still you have so many people who want to say that global warming is just a liberal theory and not scientific fact. I guess if you spread enough oil and coal money around you can make almost anybody talk stupid. When Mitt Romney was asked if he would disavow the science behind global warming he answered that he "believes the world is getting warmer and that humans are contributing to that pattern." Enter America's tard in chief Rush Limbaugh, “Bye-bye, nomination. Another one down. We’re in the midst here of discovering that this is all a hoax. The last year has established that the whole premise of man-made global warming is a hoax, and we still have presidential candidates that want to buy into it.” I really wish he would leave his air-conditioned splendor and check out the real weather. Hell maybe he could even sweat off a few pounds.

Than you have GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum who happens to be my favorite reason for moving out of Pennsylvania. In a brilliantly complicated conversation the candidate called global warming junk science. "I believe the Earth gets warmer, and I also believe the Earth gets cooler," Santorum said. "And I think history points out that it does that. The idea that man, through the production of carbon dioxide- which is a trace gas in the atmosphere, and the man-made part of that trace gas is itself a trace gas - is somehow responsible for climate change is, I think, just patently absurd ." Climate science boiled down to is the sun comes up and the sun goes down, until it doesn’t. Coincidentally Santorum made that remark while talking to, you guessed it, Rush Limbaugh. I can only imagine the cloud of cigar smoke wafting through the air after that show, maybe reminiscent of a coal fired power plant.

A few years ago global warming wasn’t such an ideological topic. Both liberals and conservatives recognized the threat and believed something should be done, they just differed on what it should be. But with millions of dollars being spent by Exxon and others with an interest in the status quo, a whole field of bullshit masquerading as science has been created to make people doubt the reality of global warming. Add to the phony science an ideological ‘spin’ that the whole theory is a hoax concocted by evil liberals who want to take over the world. And what do you get? Oil, gas, and coal interests are smiling with satisfaction, knowing that no serious action will be taken by the US government to reduce our reliance on these dirty fuels. So forget about reversing or even stopping the change. That chance is gone. All we can do now is hope to slow the rate of increase and protect ourselves against the inevitable effects of more droughts, floods, high temperatures, rising sea waters, melting glaciers, etc.

As always I bow to my brother on all things scientific. That last paragraph is totally my opinion but is mostly my brother's writing. It was just too good to pass up.

Linkin Park - Iridescent

Observations from the Library 6.8

It's just the beginning of June but it is brutally hot. Fry the egg, melt the pavement, too hot to go out and smoke hot. Under a blazing sun it's 92° with a 'real feel' of 103° and rising. One bright spot is the view of the fountain in Washington Square Park as I pass through. I have to smile at the assortment of coeds and others cooling their feet in the water.

Walking into the NYU library they give you a what to do during a heat warning flyer, very handy, least I thought so until I started reading. Basic things like stay out of the sun and wear sunscreen, something I don’t quite understand. Why wear sunscreen if you are staying out of the sun? Wear light colored loose fitting clothing and avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol. They have to be kidding says the girl in the tight black jeans and t-shirt as she sips on her Mocha Frappuccino. Well so much for the city's ideas on staying cool.

What I need is a pool, a large pool full of cool water, large enough to float on a raft and sip my Frappuccino. I need Ben & Jerries ice cream, lots of it. And I need some ice cubes to melt on my neck which always works to perfection. I might be a beer drinker but suddenly the frozen drink Ash was talking about recently sounds tantalizing. Called a Missionary’s Downfall it is a blend of fresh mint, pineapple, lime juice, peach liquer , honey, and rum. Maybe one of those with my Ben & Jerries would do the trick.

An odd bit of New York trivia to pass on to you. After searching through millions of Flickr posts a researcher came up with what he says is New York City's most photographed attraction. According to Eric Fischer, NYC’s most photographed landmark is not the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, or even Times Square. No it's the glass cube Apple Store on Fifth Avenue which always reminds me of I. M. Pei's glass pyramid at the Louvre. Seems I'm not the only one that thinks that.

Now into the incinerator I go so may the gods help my hair.

Cults - Oh My God

Observations from the Gallery 6.5

More often than not a Sunday at the gallery ends up being an afternoon filled with art chat, or more precisely art gossip. Nothing material ever seems to get done as chat ranges from where the Whitney came up with half a billion dollars for their new museum to the usual who is sleeping with who gossip. It sometimes amazes me how much info you can get out of a single bottle of wine on a Sunday. But we aren’t always so damn shallow. Things can take a serious turn depending on events and the mix of acquaintances passing through. Today was such a day.

One topic was the happenings over at the New York Times where Jill Abramson became the first woman executive editor in the Times' history. Abramson than turned around and promoted Dean Baquet to managing editor, the first African-American to hold that position. These changes followed the hiring of Frank Bruni who is the first openly gay writer on the opinion page. Abramson, who spent last year running the Times' online side, replaces Bill Keller who was known for his tirades against social media. Maybe a sign of the times, no pun intended.

A more negative topic of conversation revolved around New York State Senator and Reverend Rubén Díaz who called homosexuality a lifestyle choice. Saying in a statement released after Mayor Bloomberg's speech in support of gay marriage “there is no just comparison between America’s struggle to overcome the evils of slavery and the promotion of the lifestyle of homosexuality.” Last month Díaz headlined an anti-gay marriage rally in the city at which the Rev. Ariel Torres Ortega said this:

"Committing sexual acts between man and man. And receiving the retribution of the things that they have done from straying away. And because they did not take God in count. God gave them over to reprimand their mind to do things that are not right, being against all justice, fornication, perversity, aberrations, malignity…those who practice such things are worthy to death, not only do they do it, but those who also practice it."

Now as you know I have never had a religious bone in my body so I'm not quite sure what he is trying to say other than gays should die. However I'm still holding out hope for lesbians, maybe he thinks we can be reformed somehow. I talked to a guy today who is 'religious' and straight and is just totally disgusted by that statement. He just hopes there is a special place in hell for such a man, I'll let you figure out what he meant by special place.

For the record you can read the full text of Mayor Bloomberg's speech here or watch it here.

“And the question for every New York State lawmaker is: Do you want to be remembered as a leader on civil rights? Or an obstructionist? On matters of freedom and equality, history has not remembered obstructionists kindly." Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg

Observations

Observations from the Coffee Shop 6.3

This hasn’t been my most prodigious week of writing but I have been fighting a respiratory affliction for over a week and at times it just seems to be wearing me down. I might add that it is totally non-smoking related and Ash’s theory is I’m finally allergic to the city and need a beach to recharge. I really can’t argue with that one. I have had thoughts I wanted to write about but not the desire but maybe I can get caught up over the next few days.

I wanted to get back to last weekend and a couple of fun moments I had. While I don’t have any kind of drive to make new friends I do, and always have, like meeting new people and moments in time. By that I mean a feeling that can only happen under a certain set of circumstances at a certain time and no other. It’s just a random aligning of the stars that gives you something to remember and make you smile when you do. I had two of those moments last weekend. One was totally vain and the other just reinforced the knowledge that it takes all kinds people and all kinds can get along when the situation is right.

The totally vain moment occurred last Saturday when I decided to stop by the club I had worked at last year. I took a cab from the gallery and when it pulled up outside I saw the usual weekend line was augmented by the ever present sailors. When I got out of the cab one of the bouncers recognized me and waved me through the door. Just the look on people’s faces as I walked by was precious. Like I said just a totally vain moment but for that moment I totally owned my world and I loved it. The moment passed quickly because once inside I saw the club had added dancers, dancers on the one bar. I thank the gods they weren’t there when I was working because I don’t think I would have gotten one order right.

The other moment happened on Sunday while I was leaning on the outside wall of the gallery smoking a cigarette. Now that I think about it a pose that is a bit iconic for me because I seem to have done it at every place I work. Anyway as I was standing there a pair of marines came walking down the street carrying a radio and listening to the Indianapolis 500, something I was not permitted inside the gallery. I offhandedly asked who was winning the race not knowing if I would get an answer or not and instead of answering the two of them sat down on the sidewalk and turned up the radio. So there you had two marines who, though I didn’t venture to ask, were prob straighter than the stick up Donald Trump’s ass and the dark lesbian, thought I didn’t venture to tell, sitting outside the gallery for a half hour discussing the pros and cons of Danica Patrick reacing in NASCAR full time. Just a moment in time.

Like I am wont to say there is always hope.

Observations from the Coffee Shop 5.31

Some random weirdness from an, as I predicted, decidedly weird Memorial Day weekend.

The New York smoking ban took effect this past weekend and a saw a piece on CNN about it. I won’t try and argue its pros and cons but pass on some insight from the CNN report. An Israeli man said everybody there smokes and everybody is amazingly healthy, must be the desert air. They showed a shot of the plaque in Washington Square Park with a cigarette butt crushed on it, I swear it wasn't mine. And finally there was a man who spoke the truth. He said that if we all quit smoking we would all gain weight and than the city would send out the twinkie patrol.

I was at the bar watching the Phillies play the Mets and had an interesting conversation with a bar regular who was fully attired in his Mets jersey and cap. He explained to me how he can tell which Phillies ace is pitching when he isn't close enough to the TV to see the name or hear the play by play. Keep in mind this is was coming from a middle-aged guy with the deepest Brooklyn accent. His method is to check out the body because Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are both 'big guys' but Lee is way more 'cut' and athletic looking. Cole Hamels is tall too but he has a 'scrawny modelish' body and Roy Oswalt is shorter with an 'ample' midsection. I kid you not those were his exact words. I couldn’t bring myself to ask about the relief pitchers.

As I recently discovered it was not only Memorial Day but Fleet Week here in New York and the sailors were everywhere with their oil cans of Fosters beer. I think I might need to buy me a little sailor outfit and than I too can drink a beer as I walk down the street. What just amazed me again this year was how many of them show up around the galleries and how many seem to think that I am just what they need to make their Fleet Week in New York perfect. Nothing like getting hit on by a straight guy in uniform whose line of sight is slightly below my neck. I never did see many women sailors and had to wonder where they all went for the week. I was thinking maybe they went to the strip clubs but that's just a theory of mine. Maybe next year I'll find out, that is if I remember its Fleet Week in the first place.

I had more to share but a pulled pork sandwich is screaming my name. I'll get back to you.

Observations from the Bar 5.26

So why am I writing from the bar on a Thursday afternoon? I took a rare two days off where I decided not to do anything work related so I'm at the bar watching an afternoon Phillies - Reds game. If the Reds should win this, they are losing 1-0 as I write, they will have earned it. The Reds lost to the Phillies earlier today in a 6 hour 12 minute 19 inning marathon which ended at 1 in the morning. Today's game started at 1 so they got little sleep, the game time temp was 85°, and Cliff Lee is pitching for the Phillies. Not going to happen.

Yesterday, well yesterday I did a whole lot of nothing. I wandered lowest Manhattan checking in at one Starbucks after another as I chased the barista badge on foursquare. I should have gotten it but evidently the foursquare computers didn't think what I did was possible. Along the way I also checked out some used bookstores I have wanted to get into but never did. I found some sweet deals on photography and art books but I refrained because I need more art books stacked in the apartment about as much as I need, well, more art mags stacked around the apartment.

I did make one very important discovery during my wanders. I was sitting at a marina next to the World Trade Center, just sipping my coffee, and wondering why so many people were out and about on a Wednesday. As I watched a police helicopter circle overhead I began to get more than a little worried when it suddenly dawned on me. Yesterday was the start of Fleet Week in New York and my art obsessed mind didn't even know it. Why was I not told? That also explains all the sailors I saw walking around and why Ash wanted me to be at the gallery all weekend. Sneaky bish knew and didn't tell.

As predicted the Phillies won rather easily by a 10-4 score. While I was watching the game a guy on twitter asked me to name my 5 greatest sports dynasties of all time. After some thought I threw him my own kind of fastball:

"k im going to make you think, 4 women's teams :) (@KcNightfire Give me your top 5 sports dynasties of all time...) in no particular order the current UConn womens basketball (6 champs since 00), 92-01 Maryland womens lacrosse (7 champs), 82-00 North Carolina womens soccer (16 champs), than my #1 is 07-10 Penn State womens volleyball (4 straight champs and a 107 match winning streak). honorable mention to Lance Armstrong, as far as i know he never did test positive for anything."

Now Philly moves on to play the dysfunctional Mets in New York this weekend. Fleet Week and the Phils in New York, going to be another weird one.

Sick Puppies - Riptide

Observations from the Coffee Shop 5.25

I have tried to stay away from posting other peoples writing on here, sticking with an occasional video I want to share, but yesterday I read something that I always think but have never put into words. I often wonder why Democrats and liberals always have to play nice. We shouldn't stoop to their level or it only demeans us are just two of the arguments for the biblical 'turning of the cheek.' But why should we? In the end the truth is simply the truth. Just because somebody can't handle it or doesn't like it doesn't make it any less true.
As Martin Luther King Jr. said "A right delayed is a right denied.” Truth.

"It Is Time For The LGBT Community To Start Kicking"
by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
LezGetReal
May 24, 2011

“‘And which one is this?’ he said. ‘The truth that is so precious it must be surrounded by a bodyguard of lives? The truth that is stranger than fiction? Or the truth that is still putting its boots on when a lie is running around the world?’…’The truth has got its boots on,’ he said. ‘It’s going to start kicking.’”- Terry Pratchett The Truth pg 292.

The day has come to stop acting as if tomorrow is going to be nice, and that those opposed to marriage are going to be willing to wage a war where the debate is going to be polite and kind. The hour has come to stop acting as if we are not at war, and that those opposed to us are going to let us live even if we lose. The minute has come to start kicking back.

They will claim that they are just protecting children, when in reality they are protecting their own privilege. They will claim that they are trying to protect families, when in reality they are aiming to destroy them. They will claim that they are trying to protect society, when in truth they are willing to do anything to destroy it.

They will hold up the traditions of the past and claim that they are sacrosanct. They will aim to put women into a lower place in society all the while claiming that it is for the good of the children. They will lie about lesbians and gays and how they are unfit parents all the while sweeping away the real and rational data that is out there. They would rather children remain in orphanages and in unstable foster care simply because they care less for the children than they ever claim. After all, the good of the children is not as important as protecting their privilege.

They will come with familiar faces all the while hiding their true masters. They will deny that those pulling the strings are from religious organizations, and especially deny that they are working on behalf of child molesters. They will cast lesbians and gays as monsters all the while hiding the reality that they protect monsters who prey on children. They will claim that they are working for a higher good, but in truth they will have sold their souls for a slice of the money they bring in and the fame that it brings. They will abandon their own children to gallivant across the country to spread their message of hate and lies and do so because they put more importance on keeping lesbians, gays, women, and all non-white males “in their place”.

They will convince some of those out there that they are their friends. They will get the occasional Black or Hispanic face to show the world, but in truth they are not friends to them.

You know these people, of course. They will come with the same tired lies that have been proven wrong time and time again and they will claim over and over again that it is the truth when it is a lie. They will talk about how the Catholic Charities in Boston had to fold up shop because of a law allowing adoption rights for lesbians and gays when, in reality, they know that the Catholic Charities were willing to remain open, it was the bishops and cardinals who, not caring about the children, shut the door. They will talk about children being punished for not accepting homosexuality when they cannot point to a single case anywhere.

The likes of Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown have sold their souls for a lot of money, and they and their cohorts will lie and distort so as to make it so that their side wins, and when that does not work, the Catholic Church will even send out priests to nursing homes to ‘help’ the elderly fill out their absentee ballots like it is rumored they did in Maine.

The time has come for the LGBT Community to start kicking. For every distortion and lie that they hit us with, hit back with the truth, and not just the warm feel good truth. If they say that lesbians and gays are not suppose to get married, then hit back with the stats on divorce and separation saying that we cannot make more of a mess of marriage than you guys. If they claim that lesbians and gays are child molesters, then hit them hard with the facts about the molestation of children in the Catholic Church, one of the two religious organizations using the National Organization for Marriage to do their dirty work at arm’s length. If they claim that this restricts their religious freedoms, remind them that there are many churches that support marriage equality and that those churches are having their religious freedom actively suppressed by them.

The time has come in Minnesota and New York to fight and fight dirty.

This is war, and we did not ask for it to be this way, but we will and must carry it forth as one."