Saturday, October 16, 2004
Where have you been all my life, Jamie Cullum? : - )
Hyperkinetic, musically brilliant, endlessly inventive, bursting with cathartic joy... The best of the 20-odd (20-something?) concerts I've seen so far this year.... More tomorrow on the odyssey of contrasts and sensations that was today.... Go, Jamie, Go....I bid ye all goode night...
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Friday, October 15, 2004
Where The Streets Have No Name
I was here, in the belt of shantytowns that are 80% of Asuncion, Paraguay, in 1989. Here, the homes have no floors (or electricity or water), and an umbrella is a luxury item. When it rains, you take cover, or get wet... I was visiting with my then-boyfriend Andres, with whom I'm still very close. He was born about 300 miles southeast, in sleepy Encarnación, on the border of Argentina (the Paraguay river), and at age 10 moved to Buenos Aires, where he lives now. He returned to Paraguay Columbus Day weekend for a wedding, and will be sending some words or pictures to post here.after today's cartoon: French Fri Days / Vendredi Français
Bonjour mes amis. Quelle semaine! On a enfin annoncé notre affaire de l'année ici au boulot, c'est mon grand moment pour éblouir mon public investisseur par moyen d'attention et d'explications très animées. Demain soir Christi et moi, on va au concert du tres beau Jamie Cullum, un chanteur anglais de jazz. Avant ça, du thé a l'anglaise avec Bart... Ce soir, j'aimerais me faire un petit cinoche, ça fait trois jours que j'essaye de voir "I Heart Huckabees" avec Lily Tomlin et Dustin Hoffman - mercredi, trop crevé, jeudi, il m'a fallu travailler le soir... Quoi encore? Se ronger les ongles en attendant les elections presidentielles... Le marge est assez etroite... Il y a aussi la possibilité que Kerry gagne la vote electorale (et devienne president) et perde la vote populaire. Ce serait beaucoup mieux qu'il gagne toutes les deux, pour pas accentuer la rancune politique qui divise déjá ce pays comme jamais dans ma vie.... Ecris-moi, je tiens a avoir de tes nouvelles... grosses bises - Aaron this entry's permalink
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Ice Ice Baby
So I skipped the debate, another Kerry win. I bought a ticket to "I Heart Huckabees," which I really want to see, but was too drowsy to go. Instead, I listened to "Life of Pi," a lovely book on tape about a zookeeper's son lost at sea with zoo animals, while silent movie footage cavorted across my DVD-fueled TV screen.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....
En Castellano: Fin de semana muy lindo en NY, muy otoñal. Tuvimos el festival "Open Door" - Puertas Abiertas - en el que muchos lugares normalmente cerrados abren sus puertas al público. Los destaques fueron: el enorme centro masónico - un palacio de 11 pisos menos de 3 cuadras de mi apartamento, el cementerio de marmol con tumbas subterraneas bajo un césped lindo y detras de muros de piedras blancas, una iglesia gótica muy insólita, diagonal y con mucho vidrio tinto, que más - evité el 'High Line,' ese tren elevado que se transformará en parque, para evitar la cola larguísima que el proyecto popular atraía. Saqué muchas fotos de todo que prometo mostrar en este espacio dentro de muy poco. Ayer decidí de evitar los debates presidenciales e ir al cine, pero me dormí y perdí mi entrada - al final me quedé en cama y escuché un poco mi libro en cassette, el excelente 'La Vida de Pi'," sobre un chico de India perdido en alta mar con los animales del zoologico de su padre. Abrazos - Aaron
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Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Smells Like Happiness
My deal is on! Announced to the world yesterday, I'm the analyst supporting the first international bond by Venezuela's largest private electric company, EDC - Electricidad de Caracas. While I'm singing the strenghts, risks, virtues, and quirks of this Venezuelan island of efficiency, over 1,000 new & indie music groups have descended on NYC for the annual four-day CMJ New Music Marathon Festival, running now through Saturday. At left, Hidden Cameras, totally sold-out for tonight, the band I most would love to see (instead of debates) - beautiful melodies, a wall of sound, homo imagery, and performance art. Toronto's gift to new music, post-modernity, and blue-state cool. More on that later...Cartoons!:
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Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Blowkay By Me
Cheer Youself Up and Help the Democrats & Forces Of Good: Buy It, Buy It.... I've been giggling all weekend reading "Future Dictionary Of America," in which 200 great writers, artists, and musicians fight the power via the funny bone, "imagining America's language sometime in the future when all or most of the country's problems are solved and the present government is a distant memory." 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....
I'm too lazy for my hat, too lazy for my hat, how about that? : - ) 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
What a great day! Out the door at 10am, hours of exploring downtown's hidden corners, revealed under the spotlight of Open House NY. Today I saw Union Square Ballroom, Ernest Flagg Rectory, Marble Cemetery, and other urban wonders. Each has an unusual story, and I will dribble and drabble my many photos over the coming week. Below: detail at Grand Lodge of Masons, the century-old HQ of the world's oldest brotherhood. This was like discovering an 11-story Versailles a mere two blocks from my home...
Cartoons du Jour
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Cartoons du Jour
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