Sunday, October 31, 2004
Squid Pro Quo
So lazy this weekend. It's sunny out, 71F and feels like summer. short-sleeve weather. thursday night at work cleaning crew almost incinerated my light jacket - mistook it for trash. mounted a full search, in spanish, with a crew of 4 hapless night cleaners, and found it just in time. brushed it off, and wore it home. another close one. More later, including my encounter with 2,000 would-be corrections officers on the streets of Chelsea...
more later I promise - must go learn FrontPage software as the webmaster-to-be of my gay outdoors group. later dudes An unusual sight as I sipped latte in the grey Chelsea dawn yesterday: hundreds of burly, tough men and women of color standing on line, stone-faced. Halloween party? Rumble? Tryouts for a XX video? Not at all! It was the annual Corrections Officer placement exam, administered at our local high school on 18th street.. Go figure.
Weekend Halloween is Maximum Halloween. This gives everyone plenty of time for costumes and trick-or-treating. Days like these you realize just how many families with young children Manhattan does have...
French Post-Fridays / Surlendemains-de-Vendredi Français
Enfin, la fin des elections, on saura d'ici peu. La marge ne pourrait pas être plus etroite - c'est presque empaté - Bush a une toute petite avantage pour le vote populaire, tandis que Kerry pourrait bien s'emporter le vote electoral, et donc la presidence. Mais ce que les sondages ne peut pas prevoir, c'est le niveau de participation pour chaque parti et pour chaque état. On dit que ça va battre tous les records - deux armées de volontaires se déploient un peu partout dans le Midwest et en Floride. Y compris Erik a Missouri, Kelly et Carolyn en Pennsylvanie, et peut-etre Robert dans l'Ohio. Croisons les doigts, les orteils, et tout ce qu'on peut croiser, et touchons du bois.
Les elections m'ont inspire a préparer un mix-cd tres spéciale - mon idée originelle c'etait un cd pour 'fêter' ou pour 'consoler' selon le resultat. Mais je me suis rendu compte que, dans les deux cas, on aura egalment besoin de quelquechose pour détendre et soulager. Donc, la musique melodique, un peu moins rock que d'habitude, enregistré et envoyé avant mardi.
Spanish Sunday / Domingo en Castellano
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¡Qué semana tan intensa! Muchísimo trabajo, es cuando las empresas anuncian sus resultados trimestrales y tengo que preparar numeros e informes. Y el ruido al fondo es el de la campaña electoral, la lucha por la presidencia norteamericano y para nuestro futuro inmediato como país. Es un país muy, muy dividido, casi 50/50, una brecha cultural enorme entre el oscurantismo religioso, la histeria, y el aislamiento por un lado y el progreso, la secularizacion, y el internacionalismo por el otro. Martes vamos a saber lo que pasa, si damos un paso para adelante con Kerry, o si seguimos en los mismos errores con Bush, quien es incapaz de reconocer sus errores y aprender de ellos.
Hoy fue Halloween en Chelsea. Es muy lindo cuando cae en un fin de semana, mucho más tiempo para fiestas, y para que los niños vayan en busca de caramelos, galletas, y otros manjares. Todo el mundo en disfraz, salvo yo, sin fiesta y, este año, sin mucha inspiración. No puedo creer que la última vez que estuve de disfraz fue hace 16 años, en vísperas de mi primer viaje a la Argentina, el que me iba a transformar la vida....
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Saturday, October 30, 2004
Aaron contributes to "Overheard In New York"
click here to see my brilliant contribution of humorous overheard dialogue!
Aaron Gets Web-Published!
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Friday, October 29, 2004
My Dad and A Frog
1968 was a nail-biter. My folks of course were rabidly anti-Nixon. His win would be disastrous. 8-year-old Aaron's joke, told that anyone would be better, was to invent examples like, "even a frog would be better." Then Nixon won, and it was scary. But my Dad wisely said to me, "The world isn't going to end, this just means that the country isn't going to be governed the way we'd like it to be." That stuck with me.
French Fri Day later / Vendredi Français d'ici peu.
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Thursday, October 28, 2004
Likely Voters and Lena's
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Anyway, I'm very happy indeed for my hometown, its population, its team, and its candidate. What a wonderful year for Massachusettes! Free to get married, have my team win the world series, and hopefully, watch my brother Bostonian take the oath on January 20. Cross your fingers! Cross your toes! Cross any other digits that you can make cross!
Peace, Aaron
Cartoons:
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Wednesday, October 27, 2004
303962702 28th 75th
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Right On, Maude! Few TV shows (pictured left) call to mind better the liberal milieu in which I grew up. Secular humanists rock!
Don't have much to say today, or time to say it. My eye aches from reading earnings releases. I'm good at shoveling the tide with a pitchfork. : - )
Cartoons follow. French and Spanish summaries return Friday & Sunday, promise... Peace - Aaron
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Tuesday, October 26, 2004
The Slings And Arrows
Of Earnings Season
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Monday, October 25, 2004
Florida Is The New Florida
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At left is a manatee, a lovely water mammal that inhabits Florida's fresh waters, or what's left of them. Manatees have a rough time these days, and are constantly being hit by speedboats. However, they remain majestic and noble. They are also reputed to have ghastly breath.
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Sunday, October 24, 2004
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Not much else to report. I gave Thomas my ticket's to last night's triple-bill electronica concert of Mouse On Mars, Ratatat, and Junior Boys. Can't wait to hear what a laptronica band actually does up there, since the music's entirely programmed... : - ) Enjoy the rest of your weekends. Go Sox. Go Kerry!
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Saturday, October 23, 2004
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Friday, October 22, 2004
Burning The Candle
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Full report later
Cartoons follow...
Vendredi Français / French Fri Day coming late afternoon...
(francophiles: check out a week's worth of Thomas' Paris pictures...)
Domingos en Castellano / Spanish Sunday will resurface, indeed, on Sunday
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Thursday, October 21, 2004
Gloat Gloat But Remember To Vote
From yesterday’s Onion, my favorite feature, “What Do YOU Think?....This is the 'couldn't happen to a nicer guy than Bill O'Reilly' edition... : - )
Question: “Last week, a Fox News Channel producer sued Bill O'Reilly for sexual harassment, alleging that the cable host pressured her into phone sex. What do you think?”
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Go Sox!!! Go Kerry!!!!
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Wednesday, October 20, 2004
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How wonderful to go out and hang with friends during the week... There once was a time when my weeknight activities were frequent. Time to break the rut. I ain't no ruttle. : - )
Here's my sister Deena before her recent accident:
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Monday, October 18, 2004
Hotel Hotel, Lounge Lounge
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Worked until 11pm Friday night doing the same...
But this is clearly the most important project of the year. We need a hit to really lauch our business... Cross your fingers, my friends...
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Check your diet at the door.... : - )
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Sunday, October 17, 2004
Jump Shout -- Knock Yourself Out
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Saturday, October 16, 2004
Where have you been all my life, Jamie Cullum? : - )
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I bid ye all goode night...
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Friday, October 15, 2004
Where The Streets Have No Name
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after today's cartoon: French Fri Days / Vendredi Français
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Thursday, October 14, 2004
Ice Ice Baby
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Hidden Cameras, Toronto's wall of pretty sound and homoeroticism, was of course sold out last night, but they're I got tickets to their Oct 31 gig at Maxwell's, which should be well worth the Sunday evening pilgrimmage to Hoboken. These queer performance artists share the bill with the equally avant-garde Fiery Furnaces. Pictured are polar bears and Glacier Bay in Alaska, which I hope to see someday. I have visited every state except Alaska and Hawaii, usually 'scenting my trail' with a meal or a snack.
Cartoon follows my weekly Spanish summary....
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Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Smells Like Happiness
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Cartoons!:
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Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Blowkay By Me
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example:
blowkay [bloh'-kay] adj. of an attitude that elected officials who have sexual relations outside of marriage while in office are less deserving of impeachment that officials whose lame decisions lead to the loss of human life. ex: "Folks say the new senator is a skirt chaser, but as long as he doesn't send thousands of Americans off to die in a war on false pretenses, he's blowkay by me."
Your $28 contribution also gets you the Future Soundtrack Of America, with great music by 20 artists as diverse as REM, Fountains Of Wayne, Long Winters, and my namesake, OK Go!.
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Monday, October 11, 2004
Under the stars, under the light....
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Another sunny day, work to do, but bop bop diddley opp, off into the sun with a smile on my face and a latte in my hand...
Le Cartoon:
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Sunday, October 10, 2004
Cartoons du Jour
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Saturday, October 09, 2004
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Friday, October 08, 2004
Master Of The Web
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French Fri Days follows Cartoons / Apres les desseins, Vendredi Français
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Ce qui est mieux encore - Ce weekend on fête 'Open House NY' - beaucoup d'endroits d'acces strictement controlé ouvrent leurs portes au public, y compris le fameux chemin de fer elevé ou j'ai failli être arrêté en juillet. Ce soir j'vais voir Bart et Ashley a Brooklyn Heights, au museé ou il travaille, il y a un truc 'jardin de biere'... Andres part pour le Paraguay, voir les noces de sa demi-soeur, Thomas arrive a Paris demain matin. J'vais voir aussi un ami de Miami qui sera ici pour le weekend. Quoi encore? Me faire un petit cinoche? Peut-etre "J'aime Huckabees" (avec Lily Tomlin et Dustin Hoffman) our le documentaire "Dig"... On verra. Grosses bises - Aaron
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Thursday, October 07, 2004
The Road To Astana (From Doug In Kazakhstan)
My friend Doug works in London doing research on Russian and Central/Eastern European corporations that issue bonds. These are his notes and pictures from a recent trip to Kazakhstan, which is the size of Argentina or India with the population of Texas.
"A typical example of Kazakh restraint, here reflected in the architecture of a restaurant in Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan that they are building in the desert. "
"Horse milk on the left, camel's milk on the right. No, it does not taste like cow's milk. Blaring music, lasers, and an elaborate Las Vegas-style show at this restaurant helped prepare us for the evening's adventures in Almaty (biggest city and former capital of Kazakhstan) "
"This is warmed horse fat. Thankfully, the flavor is not intense as that of horse stomach (consumed but not photographed). The texture was neither better nor worse than you might expect."
"Stories of high vodka consumption in Kazakhstan are apparently overblown. : - )"
"Later, at a karaoke joint, a spirited local girl challenged every man in the group to an arm-wrestling match. In our sample study, the formerly nomadic race prevails over the Poles and Germans regardless of gender. As the sole representative of the sole super power, I was relieved to fare somewhat better than my colleagues. We would have gotten married but there was a 4:20am plane to catch."
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Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
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From this morning’s Onion, my favorite feature, “What Do YOU Think?
Question: “Last week, a federal judge deemed a Patriot Act provision that allowed the FBI to secretly obtain Internet and telephone records unconstitutional. What do you think?”
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Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Open Up, Open Up, New York
Mark Your Calendars. This weekend is "Open House New York," when many places normally off-limits to visitors open their doors; others merely drop their fees. Attractions include seeing the edge of the High Line, that defunct elevated rail and park-in-waiting, as well as Chelsea lofts, design institutes (near left)Loisaida's Eldridge St Synagogue, tour of St John the Divine, Lux Studios, Fireboat, High Bridge Watertower (middle), and that Library Tower in the Village you've always wanted to see (far left).
Busy week. Asked what's new, only work comes to mind.. Must change that... Might see a movie tonight as a Deba-ternative. Andres, my ex, who lives in Argentina, is headed for Paraguay this weekend - his half-sister's getting married. Andres' life would make a good Dickens novel. Check out picture of moi on Thomas' blog - from Saturday's gallery hop.
Cartoon:
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Monday, October 04, 2004
Coming Soon?
I'm so stoked by Kerry's debate triumph! The polls are even again, and the momentum is with the forces of good... : - )
Nice Sunday. Out on Hudson River Park piers with Christi, soaking in the overwhelming sunlight, light so intense and refined that every little detail shimmered.
And now, facing a mountain of work like a hiker faces Storm King Mountain - upwards, ho!
Here are some cartoons:
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Sunday, October 03, 2004
Where The Sun Hits The Sky...
Another crisp, cloudless, autumn day in NY... My weekend, delightful and interesting so far. Last night, I had the thrill of watching Supergrass perform 20 feet in front of me at Webster Hall, with my pal Thomas, to an enthusiastic crowd of 300.(meaning Thomas watched it with me, not that he performed with the band... :-). These precocious lads, who fill stadiums in their native UK, are celebrating 10 years and four solid albums of clever, melodic rock that combines influences as diverse as Buzzcocks, Stones, Jam, John Lennon, and Madness, creating something uniquely they're own. If anyone wants to hear a sampling, let me know, and I'll gladly pour some sugar in your bowl... : - ).
Earlier, I visited galleries with Thomas and met Morgan Friedman, the ingenious sui generis behind Overheard In New York and many other clever web ideas. Checkout his main page as well, a treasure trove of delightful miscellany, including etymologies, Simpsons quotes, Borges poetry, and his new Cyranet, greeting cards for every situation that "say what you think, with the wit that you don't have" : - ) At left, Pheobe Washburn's shantytown-like wood-block collage-sculptures, inspired by Rio de Janeiro's favelas. It closed yesterday. But check out her site.
Even earlier, had breakfast with Jon, just back from China and Vietnam, and basking in the pleasures of grad school and an increasingly likely Kerry victory (yes!). Jon is both a passionate Democrat and an independent mind that thinks out of the box, something sorely lacking in both parties. He is wisely pursuing a masters in international relations and public policy at NYU.
Spanish Sunday / Domingo en Castellano
Un fin de semana muy divertido hasta ahora. Anoche fuimos a ver a Supergrass, un cuarteto ingles de rock melódico, conocidísimo en tierra suya, pero casi desconocido acá. Asi que estuvimos (con Thomas) a 6 metros de músico que llenan estadios en Europa. Y qué buenos.. Con menos de 28 años, ya van 4 CD excelentes y una década en gira. Combinan influencias diversas, desde John Lennon y los Stones hasta los años 80s. Por la tarde, dimos una vuelta por las galerías de Chelsea, donde vimos la escultura-collage de Pheobe Washburn, con bloques de madera, que interepreta las favelas de Rio (la foto está arriba, con las de Supergrass). Y conocí por fin a Morgan, el amigo de Thomas que redacta un site de diálogo sorprendente escuchado por las calles, tiendas, y subtes de NY. Morgan, tal como Thomas y yo, pasó una temporada en Argentina y su site es bilingüe y hasta tiene una poema de Borges. Con cariño - Aaron
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Saturday, October 02, 2004
Party Like It's 1988!
Happy Anniversary, Deena and Dave! (actually, it was yesterday.. oops...) Here's a family shot at my sister's wedding, October 1, 1988. From left, Jennifer Thrasher (bridesmaid and Dee's best friend), Mom, Dad, Deena, Dave, our wonderful Aunt Lena (at 93!) and yours truly, a glowing and youthful 28.
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Friday, October 01, 2004
Nearer Than Heaven...
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French Friday follows the cartoons / Aprés les desseins suivra 'vendredi français
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