OK Go!

Where It's C-C-Cold

20F and Jet Lagged in Olde London Towne... But I can't say I don't have an interesting life. I slept 6 hours in a very comfortable American Business Class reclining chair, landed at 12:30pm, got to my hotel at 1:30pm, fell asleep, got up just in time to walk around chilly but stately Mayfair and watch the pretty red sunset.

Sunday is 'dark night' in London's theater district, meaning closed. Tomorrow evening, if I'm free of work obligations, I might try and see a revival of Cole Porter's "Anything Goes." Or maybe something more meaty if I'm rested.

Mount Street Gardens is a little treasure of a secluded park I found on my stroll. Surrounded by an banquet of beautiful row house façades with cute chimneys and gables, loveliness in red and white brick. With stubble, a cold nose, and no mittens, I wandered through listening to Donna Leon's "Night In Venice" Inspector Brunetti mystery, on CD, in Swedish of course : - )

Was feeling very lonely yesterday. Definitely need to find a boyfriend this year, if Allah wills it : - ) I'm even jealous of people whose lifestyle and location accomodate owning a dog. For the first time, my mind opened to that idea, how lovely it would be to have a barking bundle of joy that needed and loved me. My building is full of barking bundles of joy. My sister has Petey. Brian has Fiedel. I have a sweet, but decidedly silent gallery of Teddy bears.

Well, enjoy the Oscars tonight my friends. It's a 2am here, and I will be in blissful slumber...
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Where It's Safe..

Just when it's lovely here and I want to stay.. I'm leavin on a midnight jet plane to London (that's 3 sixties songs in there). 11 1/4 beautiful hours of sunlight, 55F delicious degrees. I should be able to post from London daily if there's a PC in range. I'm back very late Tuesday (11pm NYT, 4am London time). As you can see, I visited a few galleries today. I felt a lot of 60s and 70s undertones - op art, collages - that pleased me. Even if you're in Phoenix, Paris, or Buenos Aires, you can stroll through Chelsea galleries on-line by clicking here.


Urban Myth Confirmed! NYT article confirms that the 'walk' buttons on street corners were disactivated years ago and do absolutely nothing, but would cost $1 million to remove. Placebo buttons. Meanwhile, 10,000 miles away in Thailand, the crazy prime minister is imposing a midnight curfew, which should put a damper on partying tourists and locals. Many Thai 'night workers' are protesting to keep it at 2am - better for business...

Love hurts... when 60% of the country wants to exclude you, personally, from legal marriage and the rights thereto. I expected this from the religious right, but with 60%, it's obviously coming from the center, too. Meaning that my office, neighborhood, and subway are full of people that will let me live, but not get married..... Oh, well...

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Spend Some Time With Osama

No, Not That Osama! Just saw the acclaimed Afghani film about "Osama", a 9 year old girl who masquerades as a boy to keep her family from starving to death (the Taliban didn't allow women to work). It deserves all of its many great reviews and awards. In 82 riveting and fascinating minutes, beautifully filmed and directed, and acted by locals, you see how love, quiet fear and desperation drive home the message more than brutality or hatred ever could. No cliches, no predictability, and only a touch of humor (a Taliban sex-ed class: how to re-purify your genitals after a wet dream).









Talk about being there! This film takes you to another universe, another century.. hard to believe they're on the same planet as our nation of video-game addled couch potatoes.. : - )



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Pay For The Fiddler

You wanted to dance, now pay for the fiddler... That's my Mom's saying. I wanted to stay up Wednesday to see a play (see below), and had to crash at 9pm yesterday to make up for it. Ah, the trials of a working boy...

Why Swoosie is Swoosie... On Wednesday night I saw Swoosie Kurtz in Bryony Lavery's award-winning play, Frozen, on the first day of previews. It's about three people whose lives are impacted by the murder of a child: the mother, the killer, and a psychiatrist researching how committing violent crimes may be the result of brain injury. Very thought-provoking, well-acted, and unpredictable. If you can't see this play, you can read it. Swoosie, by the way, was named after the plane her Dad flew in World War II.


52 Card Roundup.... Check out Gothamist for the scoop on which cities have the longest commute. NYC wins of course, with an average 36 minutes, adding up to nearly 7 days a year! Yes, a week per year just commuting...



Ice picture is by Masiar Hooshmand from Toronto, check out his wonderful photoblog mused.pixelflake.com

Friends in Motion: Celia's back (to Argentina) from Uruguay today, Bart's in Florida, Doug's headed for Moscow, and I'm going to London Saturday..... My sister Deena had a great birthday, and I have promised to post much better pictures of her going forward.

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Dee-na! Dee-na! Dee-na!

Happy Birthday, Baby Sister!

You'll always be 4 years younger than me, kiddo....

Here's a nine-pack of my sister with her son Danny. If my sister had been born three days later than she was, she'd be the exact same age as her son! Figure that out! Please send Deena a birthday greeting by clicking here
























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3,000 Miles Away

Reasons to Be Cheerful, Pt 3... I'm trying to not dwell too much on unpleasant things. Geography always cheers me up (should get an office globe), as do connections with people. My mind wanders back to the fun I had hobbling through Europe this time last year with my Mom, my sister Deena, my ex Andres, and good friend Denis. Much great food was eaten, wine was sipped. Many hilarious moments, which I'll share going forward. Top left picture: The St Martin Canal in Paris, which my friend Denis' building faces.


Eggs-Periment.... I wanted to see how fast I could post using a new method. 15 minutes I think.

I may do several short posts daily this week... Scroll down, since you probably haven't yet seen yesterday's very colorful entry.....

Click here to e-mail me, always a welcome distraction....
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Love Never Fails : - )

At least, I hope not : - ) Today we'll focus on sensual beauty and creativity, to help chase away the blues, prejudice and intolerance coming from certain quarters. Let me take you to Rio de Janeiro to enjoy the best moments of Carnaval 2004. It's like a four-day Halloween Parade simmered in cachaça rum, sugar and sensuality. It begins Friday Night, and lasts till the wee hours of Wednesday morning, when all is cleansed by a kiss of gray ashen love, followed by 40 days of Lent.

Meanwhile, back in the States, beautiful plastic pandas are marching on Washington, bringing some well needed diversity : - ). NYC's own Gothamist reminisces about our own plastic invastion, the cows of 1999.




Right On Maude, Part 2! Good piece in Newsweek on Elizabeth Edwards, the other half of Team Edwards. Ever notice how the coolest people are always democrats : - ) More on her later.


Uh-Oh Spaghetti-Os The most spellbinding documentary since, well, Spellbound, was certainly Oscar-nominated Capturing The Friedmans, which examens the extensively filmed private life of an alleged pederast and suggests justice was miscarried. The DVD-with-extra-footage ad campaign is plastering the subways. Problem is, alleged victims surfaced this week and are crying foul. More on this later. One of my friends, who'll remain anonymous, was their neighbor... can't wait to hear what that person thinks....

Heard from Celia today. She's enjoying Punta del Este, Uruguay, and staying at a lovely chalet (pictured below). Hi Cousin Richard! (He's one of my sanest relatives)




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Oops! Oh, Well....

I accidentally deleted my February 23, 2004 entry about civil twilight, Celia's trip to Uruguay, her cousin Ernestina, and I asked you what 4 books you'd bring to the beach...


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Punta Penelope

Will a Zippie from Bangalore have my Job? I'd better work real hard. As Thomas Freedman notes in today's New York Times, India is crawling with bright youngsters willing to work via modem, on NY time, for much less money. Freedman thinks this is a good thing, I'm ambivalent. There's got to be a way to develop poor countries without decimating our middle class.



Penelope Glamour heading Eastward... My friend Celia Elman from Buenos Aires leaves tomorrow for four relaxing days in Uruguay's Punta del Este (pictures right and below). This happy place is where Rio de la Plata (almost a gulf) meets the Atlantic, and Punta's two faces are calm beach and wild surf. More from Celia later.



My Aunt Eleanor, who lives in Tel Aviv, called today. She'd love it if I'd visit her there. Dare I? Just kidding, Mom : - )


Ketching Up with Teresa Heinz Kerry This would be the most delightfully quirky first lady ever. Born in Mozambique to European parents, this half-Portuguese dynamo speaks her mind - the opposite of scripted and pre-fab, she lets it all hang out. Right on, Maude!

Made dinner yesterday for my friends Bart and Will and their boyfriends Ashley and Patrick. Very good time. Had dinner with Pat Stumpp on Friday at Rossini's, also really lovely.



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Pretty Pictures Pt. 1

I've made no secret of my fondness for weblog photography (aka photoblogs). As I scurry about preparing dinner for some friends, I invite you to feast your eyes on the excellent work of Toronto's Sam Javanroux, alias topleftpixel.com - he posts these compelling images daily to his site.








Read this week's Onion! Good 'person on the street' survey!








...and amusing op-ed piece "If I Were Gay..."







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The Most Selfish Jerk In America?

What can he possibly be thinking? I saw this coming, and tried to avert it 3 weeks ago. Is he trying to ensure we have 8 years of GWB? Two former Nader boosters in Colorado have founded a Web site called www.RepentantNaderVoter.com.
Or, send him an insult card or an angry note to info@naderexplore04.org.

Work may take getting used to... I put my head down to rest 3 minutes and fell fast asleep in the middle of the day... : - )


Do you Gothamist? Gothamist.com is the Essential New York group weblog. This week read all about the Gestapo Coop Board and Can't Buy Me 867-5309...
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Mr. Big Deal Press Release : - )

One sure sign of my return to "glamour" is that I feel exhausted : - ) But better each day... ABN-AMRO announced my arrival today with great fanfare, by sending a press release to specialty publications that cover such things. "EuroWeek" asked for my photo. : - )
I've been summoned to London on March 2 to present a 'business' plan. Trips to Brazil and Mexico are likely, and perhaps even to a few destinations I've never seen, such as Colombia and Venezuela. When and how do I fit this in? Anybody's guess....



Honest Abe would honestly have been proud of San Francisco (if he had been part of our generation).



Dinner with Pat Stumpp tomorrow! We go way back. Pat is not only a financier extraordinaire but an accomplished linguist, violinist, and musical crusader via Music Of The
Spheres.

Today marks 1 month of Aaronblogging!!!



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Don't Blame Celso! (RIP)

I was sad to hear that the doctor who delivered me, Celso-Ramon García, passed away Sunday in Boston, my birthplace (click for obituary). Dr Garcia was among the developers of the birth control pill (beginning in the 1950s, and certainly NOT inspired by delivering ME : - ). Much later, he wrote and published the lovely "Menopause: A Guide For Women And Those Who Love Them." Farewell, Dr. Garcia. See, I never forget a favor....

Titanium Hip... This just in from Brian's mom: "Hi! I came home from rehabilitation last night with a lot of interesting equipment that allows me to function quite well without making the motions that could pop out my new titanium hip before it is all healed. I just wanted to let you know that I'm doing very well and am happy. Love, Jean." This brave lady beat cancer three times, was an abstract painter, and many years ago was on the (large) team that invented the computer...
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Wha? Huh? ¿Cómo?

Submitted, a picture of my brain after Day 1 at the job : - ) Paperwork up the kazoo! It was a lot of data to absorb at once, even for a research geek! Medicine by mail. Ugh. The people are nice, but today was very dis-orienting, wandering through white corridors and cubicles and trading floors. Not a very high-pressure environment, on first glance.


My nicest moment was right after being fingerprinted (!), when I had to fill out SEC & NASD forms. They showed me what I filled in 7 years ago, and I was able to list my weight as 144 and not 160... : - ). I have to go to a testing center Friday to update my registrations by doing screen-quiz penance. Tomorrow I see the dentist. Ugh Ugh. Oh dear. Oh dear.


Thank you Bartholomew F. Bland for identifying as Paul Cadmus the artist that painted the naked Fire Island sailors we saw at Williams.


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Back On The Chain Gang

My last hours of freedom are flying by. I start work tomorrow morning at 8:30am unless the Governator calls at midnight to commute my sentence : - ) It's been a nice break. Wish me luck. Posts here may be shorter, but continue, that they will...

Falling on my ass occurred frequently during cross-country skiing at Prospect Mtn, Vermont on Saturday. I also fell on my back, side, arm, head, and ankles. No injuries. But many muscles have been heard from. : - ) The trails were lovely!

Falling on somebody else's ass is much more pleasant. I did so at the Williams College Art Museum in Williamston, Mass, after skiing. The asses in question bleonged to two beautifully constructed sailors on Fire Island painted in 1940 by an Edward-Hopper-like artist whose name I do not recall. This painting hangs next to a real Hopper (pictured left). Quality was high, and size was large, for a remote college museum.




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Goin' To The Chapel And... Gonna Get Maaarried!

Lining up to get married on Valentine's Day! Thank you, San Francisco, for a vision of what our future can be...













Great weekend, but came back early to prepare for new job. Enjoyed skiing for the first time, cross-country, despite falling down 20-30 times and causing every muscle in my body to ache. This was in Vermont. More tomorrow....


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See You On Monday?

Well, I'm off for a weekend up in Millerton, NY with Sundance, my gay outdoors club. I'll be out of internet range until Monday. Saturday should be especially memorable: My first skiing experience, hopefully a lesson downhill on a very flat bunny slope : - )

867-5309!. You, too, can have Jenny's phone number, via E-bay - details on Gothamist, a NYC-themed group weblog which is like a virtual alternative newspaper! (Mom, this refers to a pop song from 1981; Deena will explain)

Onion to the rescue! My favorite newspaper supplies well-needed levity as the gay marriage battle rages - read their hilarious 'man on the street interview'

p.s. images of the day from Toronto-based TopLeftPixel, an interesting fotoblog




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Mayonnaise King For A Day

Coronation at 30,000 feet. Flashback: Five years ago, high above the plains of Brazil, there was an 'airplane seat lottery' sponsored by Varig Airlines and Hellman's Mayonnaise in which my friend and ex, Brian A. Hall, was crowned Mayonnaise King (Rei da Maionesa). Many people, however, are anti-mayonnaise, and Brian's scared of it.


Bookmark This Book Mark! Complete Review's book review site is the most comprehensive and user-friendly I have seen, and even gives letter grades. I recently finished reading Ian McEwan's riveting "Atonement" - oh, all right, I listened to it on CD in German - - but I'm sure it's great in any tongue (unlike mayonnaise).


It's about the consequences of a 13-year-old girl's lie on several family members and friends, seen at three points in time over 60 years. It's engaging drama, but on another level it's about the nature of regret, repetenance, truth in life and in art. Complete Review gave it an "A." I think it would make a great movie - remember I said this : - )
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Waiting for a Signal or a Sound

Time Out For Love... I can't believe I have no takers for French musical duo Air's stunningly pretty "Talkie Walkie" CD - Santa is disappointed in you! To rectify this and request it, click here.



High Flying Play (and Audience). "Five Flights," the play Bart and I were fortunate enough to see last night, was original, quirky, beautifully acted and directed, and highly engaging. Hard to describe, it's a comedy/drama about... birds, gay love, ballet, a crumbling aviary, and compulsives both religious and secular. Running through late February at Rattlestick Theatre in Greenwich Village. Spotted in the audience: actress Blair Brown of TV's "Days and Nights of Molly Dodd."



Keep Corporate America Out of my Urine! I had my first-ever drug test today for my new job (my last new job began in 1982, before just-say-no turned into check-your-pee-at-the-door). How invasive, and I don't even do any drugs... I formally accepted the ABN-AMRO job offer today, with a flurry of paperwork. Start day is next Tuesday, beginning with - I kid you not - a three hour orientation....
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Aaron Accesses Art Areas

48F and feeling fine! Chelsea felt springlike today, wind-free and sun-drenched. I finally had some quality gallery time, images of which I share with you here...



Christi and Chopsticks. Was pleased to lunch with my friend Christi Aguiar today at Grand Sichuan on 9th & 24th, last chance before we dive into the new job and 2 weeks in San Francisco, respectively. Unassuming but very unusual, GCI serves authentic regional fare (loofah, duck w bitter melon, red pork w chestnuts) and relegates more familiar 'sesame, orange, and ginger' fare to the "American Chinese Food" section of the menu.





News You Can Use, Five Flights Worth. Theatre tonight! Yahoo! My friend Bart Bland invited me impromptu to "Five Flights", a well-received drama playing in Greenwich Village. Having a hard time finding theatre ideas, reviews, and synopses on-line? Here are three such sites: theatermania.com, nytheatre.com, and curtainup.com.. My personal impressions to be posted here tomorrow!

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Takin' Care of Business

With employment looming just a week ahead, the to-do list is growing! Mortgage, healthy gums, work wardrobe, storage, taxes, breakfast soy sausages (yummy!), negotiations with the Makah Indian Nation (long story!)... It's going to be a busy week.


New Feature! Ex-Dictator Of The Week... Test your historical knowledge. If you recognize this ex-dictator, e-mail me his name and country by clicking here, and you may win a prize : - )

Photo Web Log (Fotoblog) Spotlight. These blogs post pictures rather than text daily, stimulating the soul and relieving the eye! The blogosphere is literally brimming over with photographic talent! Case in point is Chromogenic (http:\chromogenic.net), who snapped these colorful fire holders:


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Penelope Pitstop Rides Again

I was hoping to visit Chelsea galleries today and post exhibit pictures. Alas, I quickly ran home after 5 minutes of 22F (-5C) temperature at 17m/h (28km/h) wind! So much for that idea....

My friend Celia Elman from Argentina, like me, learned to drive later in life and, like me, considers it a somewhat special experience! Her friends now call her "Penelope Glamour", which is their translation of our "Perils of Penelope Pitstop" cartoon from the late 1960s. Surprisingly, there are several Penelope Pitstop web pages, of which the best are: this one, that one, and this one.



I love it when US movies are released overseas with odd or bizarre translations. Sometimes this is to simplify: In Argentina, "Lost in Translation" is called "Lost in Tokyo." The Brazilians, obviously wishing to make the subject of "The Godfather" crystal clear, called it "The Powerful Head Of The Mafia," : - ) Poetic licence is often taken - In Paraguay, "101 Dalmatians" became "The Night Of The Cold Noses" in its original release.

Later this week I'll survey the foreign press and post some humorous translations of current movies!




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The Air That My Ears Breathe

Making me happy now is the prettiest and best chill-out music in ages, "Talkie Walkie" by French duo Air. Every song casts a different spell, like a film soundtrack from some imaginary, hip planet: colorful chords, gurgling synths, cocktail-lounge beats, lush Seventies keyboards, strings, horns and sad piano.

Want to here some? Just ask me by clicking here, and Santa will drop it in your little mailbox soon.

Peace and Love, Everyone!

ps - Job letter was faxed to me. Looks great!




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Un-frigging-believable!

Just informed of a screw-up, in which the written job offer I'm anxiously awaiting was sent to some accountant on Long Island. I, in turn, received someone's last will and testament. Arrrrrgggggggghhhhh!
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14 Brave Souls

I am indeed a bit shocked at the virulence and extent of opposition to gay marriage. 61% of America still doesn't get it, after a decade of unprecedented progress and visibility? Hasn't 6 years of Will and Grace accomplished anything? : - ) So many Americans have a gay co-worker, neighbor, or relative... Oh well, at least a majority of people under 30 approves, and approval is indeed higher among people with gay friends and family members. As you can tell, I take this issue not only seriously, but personally!


14 out of 100 Senators had the good sense to vote against the "Defense of Marriage Act," which defined marriage as strictly male-female and was signed by Clinton at midnight in a broom closet wearing a fake moustache. Who are these brave souls?



- 3 are now dead: Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Paul Simon, and Russell Feingold

- 4 have quit or been voted out: Bob Kerrey, Carol Moseley Braun, Charles Robb, Claiborne Pell

- 6 are from states with large gay populations: John Kerry and Teddy Kennedy (MA), Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstien (CA), and Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye (HY)

- 1 is just plain cool: Ron Wyden (OR)

Expect more on this topic over the coming weeks. I feel like a Suffragette!

ps: I now have links to direct you to specific posts, such as my birthday entry

pps: now you can e-mail me from this site - clink sidebar e-mail link or click here!


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Why You Should Read "The Onion" Every Week

I laughed so hard at this week's copy! With
My favorite parts are the weekly statistics (see right) and the man on the street opinion survey.

The Onion appears on-line every week. Don't miss it!

Experiment: click here to access my birthday post
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Marching To Astoria

What an interesting day! This afternoon I lunched in Astoria with my friend Kevin Foley, who owns and manages commercial real estate there. Kevin showed me the area and showed me pictures of how it looked in the 20s and 30s, including a now-vanished park and a 7 train that ran through fields! (For you non-NYers, Astoria is in NW Queens, about 1 mile east of the East River, same latitude as the Met Museum)







Much later, my friend Thomas Hobbs visited and we talked music and photography over Thai food, wine, and diet vanilla cola. Thomas, who has a great photo weblog, travelled most of Latin America by backpack, and, like me, lived in Argentina a year or so.


Mierda! I've got to get to bed. My maid Invisibeth is tossing me out at 11am tomorrow morning to clean this place!



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Wait For Sugar!

Q. If I had one green ball in one hand, and another green ball in another hand, what would I have?

A. The undivided attention of the jolly green giant.


What a dreary, wet day! (warmer at least). It rained on my spectacular new hairdo (pictures to follow).

A good DVD will do just the trick. I'm very fond of the hilarious, open-minded and poignant Some Like It Hot. I love the end, with Jack Lemmon revealing to Joe E Brown he's a man, and Joe, still interested, answers "nobody's perfect." Also captured is Marilyn Monroe's sadness, loneliness and fragility as the alcoholic musician Sugar Kane. In the end, she scurries down the dock, afraid of missing the boat of love, waving and yelling... . "Wait for Sugar...."
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Ajax and Mildew

...or "something's rotten at 300 W 23rd St."



An aroma of Ajax and Mildew has been wafting intermittently through my home.










I learned today that temporary construction 10 floors below is the cause. The landlord of the shopfront is bringing in major chains after throwing out family-run businesses on rent control. Thank you, Starbucks. Thank you, Vitamin Shoppe : - )
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Amsterdam Calling

Got a surprise birthday call from my Dutch friend, Joost (see below). He and his partner Ronald live in Amsterdam and are legally married there - imagine that! I've been friends with them for nearly 10 years!







Had brunch yesterday at the La Bottega in the funky Maritime Hotel (see picture right), a public building designed in the 1960s and recently privatized. This lovely bistro was nearly empty at 1pm Sunday, and offers mediocre food.
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I just knew this was going to happen

That's my favorite tombstone inscription! To see more clever and sometimes hilarious tombstones, both fake and real, check out this site. This was "buried" in yesterday's links : - )

Stage right, you can see Aaron and his sister Deena, circa 1969, the year we moved to East Meadow, Long Island, where my family lived 31 years. 1969 was the year of Woodstock and Hair. I was one skinny little kid! I used to tell people I weighed 10 lbs!


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