Saturday, November 27, 2004
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Mother Paraguay And Her Children
Hi again. Still in Arizona. Andres, my first boyfriend, recently returned to his native Paraguay for his younger sister Nancy's wedding (picture below), and took some great pictures. Andres, who has lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina since age 10 and is now an Argentine citizen, was born in Encarnacion, Paraguay, on the Argentine border. Back in the 1960s Encarnacion was still without electricity - landlocked and isolated Paraguay is an impoverished, agricultural region several decades behind Argentina or Brazil. Paraguay is about the size and population of New Mexico, much smaller than its neighbors. Andres' mother supported her family by tilling the soil, and there were nights that the family went to bed with empty stomachs. The woman pictured above is a close friend of Andres' mother, who died several years ago in Buenos Aires. Andres' mother, despite her sad and difficult life, was extremely amused to see me run away scared from a little bee. In Paraguay, she had kept bees. She was laughing about this for several weeks afterward, and I am happy to this day for bringing some joy into her life. : - )
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Friday, November 26, 2004
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Thursday, November 25, 2004
Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm off to visit my family in Arizona... I'll write more from out there.
Best, Aaron
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Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
No Ruder Pest
Budapest. Budapest! My employer moved our tech help desk to Budapest (photo left). No more quick consultations. I must phone Budapest and they contact someone in my building to help - this adds about 2 hours to the process and much is lost in translation. The Budapestian is invariably technically clueless but insufferable perky.. : - )More misanthropy. Yesterday, I was thrown from the D train and hurled onto the platform, where I landed on my butt. Gentleman wasn't pleased that I tried to enter the car with his baby carriage blocking most of the entrance. OK, should have seen that, but his subsequent non-verbal response seemed nonetheless a tad overdone. I stayed reasonably calm, responded with an well-deserved expletive, to which he made threatening facial gestures, at which point I opted for a door about three cars away...
Cartoon:
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Monday, November 22, 2004
Wide Blue Yawn-Der
Good morning. The yawning ostrich pictured left is taken from a website of yawning animal pictures.What won't they think of next, I ask you...
Lots of great new music. U2's new album is instantly likeable, melodic and energetic - while not at all adventurous, it's a very pleasant listen. Email me if you'd like a copy...
Finished "Key Largo" on DVD, very different from what I expected from the stupid 1980 pop song. It's a gripping crime thriller rather than a romance. Full report to come.
Next several weekends I'm away - Thanksgiving with my family in Arizona, the Dec 3-5th weekend in Miami mixing business and pleasure, and the Dec 10-12 weekend in London, more business and pleasure but in a darker, greyer environment...
Cartoon:
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Sunday, November 21, 2004
The Man Who Opened It Up
It's Saturday night (Nov 20), and I just saw Kinsey, that makes two awesome movies in as many nights. What an intelligent, well-written, well-acted, and well-directed treatment of a compelling topic. Liam Neeson and Laura Linney (below left), as Alfred Kinsey and his wife, give riveting and complex performances that span decades convincingly. The age spots and wrinkles only made me love these two characters more. I love older and average looking faces on screen - they're so expressive and deep. Not that I am immune to the charms of the beautiful Peter Saarsgard, who radiates quiet intensity as Kinsey's assistant (and briefly lover) Clyde Martin. Top far left, the real Kinsey with collaborators Martin and Wardell Pomeroy, from a photo tour on the Kinsey Institute's excellent website.
Many today don't realize the total silence about sexuality that reigned in the US just 60 years ago, with the turmoil, insecurity, and isolation that implied for countless millions. Luckily I had progressive parents - Kinsey's two tomes (above right) rested prominently on our bookshelves. While they were too scientific, clinical, and imposing for 10-year old Aaron to read, their presence nonetheless were emblematic to me of enlightenment dawning.Alas, my early teenage consciousness couldn't make the connection between that enlightened attitude and the powerful and confusing feelings churning inside me about other boys. Nor did the annual TV report on the fledgling gay parade, with its exotic drag queens, make much of a connection. I know it's a cliché, but what a difference for the current generation to have role models.
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