A real loss

I just learned that Forrest Church died late yesterday after a long battle with esophageal cancer. He was senior minister at All Souls Unitarian on Lexington Avenue and the author of several books about Unitarian-Universalism. I had the privilege of hearing him preach on a few occasions.

A brilliant person.
A compassionate person.

A real loss.

Rest well, and in peace...

Lunch

I had lunch with Manny today. He's ordained in the American Baptist Church but serves as associate in a United Methodist Church.

Manny's cool. Definitely a progressive both politically and theologically. He met me outside the building where I work, and we sauntered over to 113th Street to Symposium, a very good Greek restaurant. Not fancy. Good. The place has been in business a long time, which is a testament to its quality. A lot of restaurants in NYC fold within a short period. The good thing is that there are lots of good restaurants from which to choose. The bad thing is the competition is so fierce that it's tough for a place to remain open or to keep the really good staff members.

Nothing substantial or insightful about this post. I had a good lunch with Manny. That's all. That's enough.

Theyyyyyyy're baaaaaaack!

The Yankees are back in the playoffs! Last year was hard, as the team failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. The team hasn't been playing its best ball lately, but they won last night to become the first team in the majors to make the playoffs.

Big game tonight to end the series in LA. Roid Sox are in town for a 3-game series this weekend. Goooooooooooooo Yankees!

Feast of San Gennaro

New York loves a parade and a festival. Maybe it's our version of the small county fair. As the dad of a little girl, it's a cool way to teach her about other cultures - and since my wife is Italian anyway, a trip down to Little Italy for the Feast of San Gennaro is a must.

I took my daughter down there on Saturday and met up with my father-in-law. The weather was perfect, and we got there early enough to miss a lot of the crowd. Yesterday, my wife was off work, so the three of us went. Two days of cannoli and sausages with peppers and onions! Mamma mia!

At one point on Saturday, we looked up and saw the Empire State Building standing above the city. My father-in-law almost got choked up. The man loves his Italian heritage and he loves NYC. He spoils my daughter--like I don't. We stopped off for a cannoli, and of course he had to share the cannoli cream with her. We were just about finished, so I popped into the men's room. By the time I got back, there was a cream puff on the table.

My wife and I are also both fans of The Godfather series of movies. On Mulberry Street, right in the heart of the festival, stands Old St. Patrick's Cathedral. The church served as the scene of the baptism Michael Corleone participated in while he was having his enemies assassinated near the end of The Godfather. Luckily, no one made us an offer we couldn't refuse. (Although, I could go for another one of those sausages.)

Remembering...

Tears fall to water not the lilies,

but the shattered skies

and the broken streets.

A child's call is returned

with the plaintive echo of itself.

Sister

mother

father

brother...

Look not to the east for the sunset,

nor to the west for the sunrise,

but in blue skies on Hudson's shore,

the budding hope breaks forth.

David Webb
September 11, 2009

eeeewwwwwww!!!

Another "first."

This morning, my wife forgot her Employee ID. So, on my way out, I took it to her. While waiting for a connection to the train, an old woman tried to pick me up.

Eeeeeeewwwwww!!!!

I don't know whether to be grossed out, insulted, or flattered.

I should probably cut her some slack. After all, most people would like to think of themselves as attractive. Perhaps, she just wanted to feel attractive this morning.

Still, eeeeeewwwwww!!!!

RIP, Teddy

I had just come in from taking out Heidi and JonJon early this morning when I heard on the radio that Ted Kennedy died early today. I didn't always agree with his positions; e.g., I was really pissed off when he endorsed Obama over Hillary, but the man deserved respect. If nothing else, he showed that perseverance really will overcome the occasional poor choices.

The Times has a good write-up: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/27/us/politics/27kennedy.html?hp

RIP, Teddy.

lunchtime miscellany

After several days of oppressive heat and humidity, we have had a couple of nice days here. I had a lunch meeting yesterday and couldn't get out, but today I got out of the building. Zabar's is just a few subway stops from here. They have outstanding coffee at really reasonable prices, and I walked a good bit of the way back.

As I was walking towards the subway stop to go to Zabar's, I gained ground on this man walking. Just from a few things, I thought, "This guy has a Napoleon complex." Everyone in NYC has a complex. It's the thing to do. Anyway, this guy was short - probably about 5-2. He had fairly well-developed biceps. The main thing, though, was that he wasn't walking so much as he was strutting. I remember the opening theme from that old CBS show The Jeffersons. George Jefferson would walk with his arms held stiff and just out from the side, and he rocked them as he walked. That was the mirror of this guy I saw.

All of a sudden, he bent down and picked up someone's partially smoked cigarette. He smoothed it out and put it in his mouth. Add another thing to the list of "I thought I had seen it all..."

NYC has a love-hate relationship with smoking. Cigarettes cost about $10 a pack. Smoking is prohibited in restaurants and bars. As someone who has never habitually smoked, I love it. Still, I'm friends with a few smokers and they hate it. Smokers are "banished" to outside in most places, and they show their disdain by throwing cigarette butts all over the place.

***

I made it to Zabar's with nothing else really noteworthy, got my coffee, got some tea, and was heading out when I saw these loaves of freshly baked olive bread in the bakery. We're having tapas tonight, and that bread will be perfect for it. (That's a great thing about NYC. You can always find something that will make a "perfect" meal.) The line was short, so I started to wait to get a loaf. Picture the bitchiest stereotypical old Jewish woman you can imagine. She was hassling the bread guy. He had to hold up about a half dozen rounds of sourdough bread before she saw one that satisfied her. She kept cackling, "That one's not round enough."

Then she had him slice it. Oy vey!

***

Hey, at least the Yankees took two out of three at Boston this weekend. Go Yankees!

Yankees Sweep the Roid Sox!!!

More to be written soon, but oh, the joy of victory.
Thursday: NY 13, Boston 6
Friday: NY 2, Boston 0 (15 innings) I WAS THERE!!!
Saturday: NY 5, Boston 0
Sunday: NY 5, Boston 2

Go, Yankees!!!!!

Caption for photo: Sparky the Yankee dog helps in effort to sweep the Boston Roid Sox!

agency restructuring

Well, I have dodged a bullet for awhile, anyway. The agency I've worked for for almost two years has downsized. My position was merged with another, and I was named to it. Still, it's on an interim basis until the board of directors makes it permanent in October. At that point, I'll have to reapply for it.

More than 40 of my colleagues either opted for early retirement and were fired. To add insult to injury, the official release referred to the actions as "right-sizing." At the very least, those in charge could have shown the decency and respect for those whose lives have just been disrupted in an extreme was not to trivialize what's going on by using cutesy expressions.

My wife suggested that I have a bit of "survivors' guilt." I think she's right. I am extremely grateful to still be working. Nevertheless, I can hardly imagine what some of these people are going through. Some of them have children in school. How will they pay their bills? I hurt for them.

Newspapers

There is no paper quite like the New York Times. Even before I moved here, I read it as often as possible. In my opinion, it's gone downhill a little bit. I think the Times' publishers have tried too hard to make it "America's paper." That's watered it down a bit. Nevertheless, it's a great paper.

On the subway, though, you don't see as many people reading the Times. Maybe it's because it's a normal-sized paper. (Experienced commuters can fold a copy of the Times so only about a 5-6 inch wide section is revealed, thereby not crowding other commuters too much.) Maybe it's because it's up to $2 on weekdays and $5 on Sundays. Maybe it's something else, like those damned earbuds that do NOT prevent music from blaring loudly.

NYC has several papers, but the other "Big 2" are the NY Daily News and the NY Post. For the most part, I wouldn't use the Post to line a bird cage. It is a farce, the National Enquirer printed on a daily basis.

Then there's the Daily News. It isn't the repository of serious journalism that the Times is, but it is a quick, informative read. The editorial page is pretty fair, although some of the letters to the editor make me cringe. And at 50 cents a copy Monday-Friday, 75 cents on Saturday, and $1.25 on Sunday, it's still a bargain.

Sweet!!!

Not only are the Yankees now tied for the best record in the majors, not only is NY 3.5 games ahead of Boston in the American League East, but it turns out that two of the players credited with leading the Red Sux to the title in 2004 and 2007 had the help of some juice - and I'm not talking about orange juice.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/sports/baseball/31doping.html?hp

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2009/07/30/2009-07-30_report_boston_red_sox_sluggers.html

Maybe Theo Epstein should go ahead and change the team name to the Roid Sox. I have a ticket to the game when those bums come to The Stadium on August 7. Oooooooh, it's gonna be fun!

Sweet!!!

Egad! That's tacky!

Very close to the building where I work is Grant's Tomb. (Old riddle: Who's buried in Grant's Tomb? No one. President & Mrs. Grant are entombed, not buried.) It's really a beautiful structure and well worth the tour. The NFT rates Grant's Tomb as one of the best "hidden secrets" on the Upper West Side. Well, I don't know that I'd go that far, but it is nice.

My mom's maiden name is Grant. Some in the family claim we're connected to Ulysses S. Grant, while others say we aren't. I don't know, and it really isn't germane to this blog.

What is germane is that this beautiful monument is marred! It's surrounded on three sides by these surreal, absolutely tacky mosaic benches. Yesterday, a colleague of mine and I braved the July humidity and ate our lunch there.

I almost wish I had had some sort of inebriant. As gabby as I am, I am almost mute trying to describe these things. I think John Lennon had these in mind when he was singing "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." There's one section in particular that depicts several faces. I think one of them is William Shakespeare, but he also looks like Kyle's dad from South Park. There was another depiction nearby that tried to look Greek. All I could think of were the plates from La Cage Aux Folles / The Birdcage and wouldn't be surprised to see a delegation from the Village making jokes about sitting on penises.

Oh, well, I suppose tackiness serves the fitting contrast leading to better appreciation of the tasteful.

MTA - Bus Style

I've shared with you a few experiences about the subway, but a lot of commuting takes place on the bus as well. This morning was a bit muggy, so I didn't feel like walking the 3/4 mile from the subway station to the office. (My co-workers appreciate that as well.)

The quickest bus for me to take is the M60. If you've ever flown into or out NYC through LaGuardia Airport, you may have taken the M60. Cheaper than a taxi, though not quite as adventuresome. I usually skip it, though, and take the M104. the M104 takes a little longer but is never as crowded.

This morning, as I came out of the subway station at 125th and St. Nicholas, there was the M60. I was just able to squeeze on. The annoying thing is that there were empty seats in the back. People just bunch up and won't move back. Some drivers won't move the bus until they do - with absolute reluctance and a bunch of complaints.

I can't believe this is what Rosa Parks had in mind.

I'm built like a football player, albeit an out-of-shape football player. I just start moving back, saying, "Excuse me, excuse me..." I get some glares and a few mutters, but once I get about halfway back, it's easy to walk. Even if there aren't any seats towards the back, it's easier to hold onto the pole.

There is one rule of etiquette that is much better observed on buses instead of subways, though. The unwritten rule for both is to let exiting commuters get off first before boarding. That's a joke on the subway, but it's pretty much followed on the bus. If for no other reason, the driver will tell people, "Let 'em off, let 'em off!"

Southern wedding

Ok, so this doesn't really have anything to do with New York, except that it made me appreciate NYC even more.

Recently, I returned to the South for the wedding of one of my nieces. I did enjoy being with my family again, although it was very hot. My daughter, who isn't quite 2 yet, is not accustomed to that kind of heat and humidity. On the first day, she and I went with my mother and her husband to pick up some things from various stores. Each time we'd leave the air-conditioned stores and walk into the heat, my daughter would say, "Hot! Hot!"

On top of that, my niece opted for an outdoor wedding. In late June. At 1:00. Egad! I thought I was going to dissolve into a pool of perspiration. As we were leaving, my wife asked, "How did we ever do this on a regular basis?"

The coup de grace, though, came at the rehearsal dinner. A cousin of my niece's fiance/husband offered a toast. She talked about my niece's fiance/husband's love of hunting and proceeded to weave this train wreck of an extended metaphor comparing their relationship / engagement / wedding to a deer hunting trip. The woman even compared my niece to a 12-point buck. How utterly moronic! At the very least, couldn't she have compared my niece to a doe? In her addled mind, popping the question was equal to raising the rifle and setting the deer (my niece) in the sights.

It gets worse, if you can believe it. The exchange of vows would be when he would pull the trigger. Mush-for-brains even said that when her cousin said, "I do," it would hit the target and my niece would jump "...even higher than that 12-point buck." Finally, she drew a close to this crap - which she was reading from a memo pad - and invited everyone to raise their glasses to toast the couple. As she raised her own glass, she revealed that she hadn't even put anything in her glass. It still had a folded dinner napkin in it. I wanted to call out one of my favorite NY expressions: "Go stab yourself 27 times in the eye with a dull fork, you moron!"

I can only hope that my niece will be happy.

Neighbor is gone =(

If anything, New York City is a transient place. I mentioned in yesterday's blog that I had helped a neighbor move out of his apartment. He's moving to Colorado, where he has family. Last night, after we had moved almost everything out, he and his sister came over to our apartment to have some pizza and have a time of farewell. I'm really going to miss him. He had only lived in our building for about 15 months, but he's a nice, trustworthy guy.

Good luck, "bread".

Manhattanhenge

Wow! I knew it had been awhile since I added anything to this blog, but I didn't realize it had been over a month. (More on that soon - with descriptions of a wedding in the South, agency restructuring, and a lot of stress!)

A good neighbor is moving from our apartment building. I really hate to see him go, but I'm inclined to think it's best for him. He's gone through a lot of crap this year, and while I think NYC is a fantastic place for new beginnings, its support systems can fall short. In our building, I'd say that most people are friendly, but they aren't particularly sociable. So, he's heading out to Colorado, where he has family.

After helping schlepp some boxes down for him yesterday, I rinsed off to try to catch a twice-annual solar phenomenon called "Manhattanhenge." With its grid system and tall buildings, as well as its western border of the Hudson River, two time each year, the setting sun is perfectly aligned with the east-west streets on Manhattan. The skyscrapers make a precise frame.

Since the best views of this are on the east side, I thought I'd make better time by transferring to the #4 at Yankee Stadium. Unfortunately, instead of running express, the train made all local stops, and by the time I got out at Grand Central, the sun was almost completely set. I was only able to see the top rim of the setting sun, but it was still cool. The weather was gorgeous, and I walked over to Bryant Park before returning home.

Oh well, I'll try again next year.

All around but never there before

This morning, I had occasion to come out of the subway at Herald Square.  I needed to be over on 32nd & 1st Avenue.  With morning traffic, I thought I'd get there just as quickly by walking than by catching a cab or bus.  I've walked east on 34th Street several times, but today I walked on 32nd St.

For a couple of blocks from 6th Ave to Madison on 32nd is a small Korean community.  I'd been so close to this but hadn't seen it.  I spotted a couple of restaurants that deserve some more attention.  It could be a nice weekend stroll with my wife and daughter.

I appreciate some of the ethnic enclaves here in NYC.  Back in 2005, before I had relocated here, I spent a long weekend here.  On the Monday before I had to go to the airport, I started at Battery Park and walked north.  On the way, I ventured through Chinatown and ended up on a street that was hardly bigger than an alley.  All the windows of the businesses there had Chinese words.  The newspapers were written in Chinese.  The people spoke Chinese.  I was the only caucasian there.  And then, just steps away, I was in Little Italy.  Today, it was Korea.  Tomorrow, it might be Ghana.

NYC misconceptions

Last December, we went to see family and friends in the South. At one gathering, one of my nephews said something that irritated me. He was talking to my oldest brother and was recounting a trip his family made to The City when he was maybe 7. He said, "You know, typical New York attitude..."

I don't know that he's been back to NYC since then. If there's one thing I can attest to, there are few things in the Big Apple or among New Yorkers that are "typical."

Here's the beginning of a list of misconceptions about NYC and the reality...

Misconception: It's easy to get lost in New York.
Reality: If you're below 14th Street in Manhattan or almost anywhere in one of the Outer Boroughs, that's mostly true. Above 14th St in Mannyhatty, though, is mostly one big grid. Just look for the Empire State Building to get your bearings. Everyone else does.

Misconception: You'll get robbed in New York.
Reality: FBI stats show less crime, per capita, in NYC than in the town I left or the town where my sister lives now. Even with the tougher economic situation, NYC crime stats are down. Keep your wallet in your front pocket and be aware.

Misconception: New Yorkers are rude.
Reality: Some are, but most New Yorkers aren't rude. They're in a hurry. Do NOT stop in the middle of the sidewalk.

Misconception: If you stand near the edge of the subway platform, someone will push you onto the tracks. (My oldest brother's wife really believes this.)
Reality: Are you kidding me? That would delay the subway service. Everyone else would kill the person who pushed you onto the tracks.

Misconception: New Yorkers are in a hurry.
Reality: True, unless you're one of those fat arses who insist on walking in front of me at the subway station and take 15 minutes to climb or descend one flight of stairs and make me miss my train AAARRRRGGGGHH!, OR jibber jabber with two or three of your fat-arsed friends side by side on the sidewalk.

More to come...

fundies in NYC

There's one thing about living in New York, you really don't have to deal with too many fundamentalists - at least not compared to the number I used to deal with in the South.  Most of the ones I come across are either in subway stations or on the subway trains.  Some take it to a whole new level:  they ask for $$ or food, and then have the audacity to spew their words of intolerance.

The other chief "source" of fundamentalists here in NYC are Jehovah's Witnesses, of which there are plenty.  The headquarters of the JW organization, the Watchtower Society, is in Brooklyn.  If you go to South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan and look across the East River, it's easy to see.

My wife's family has several JW's.  They all boycotted our wedding because 1-I'm not a JW, 2-a United Methodist minister officiated.  Ironically, the minister was one of the pastors of the church my wife was attending at the time.  Part of JW hypocrisy is that they want you to attend their church, er, Kingdom Hall; but they are forbidden by the Watchtower Society from attending other church servcies.  I suppose that's why her family boycotted us.  They could have been disfellowshipped (a JW term synonymous to excommunicated) for coming to our wedding.

Anyway, JW's appear to be the majority of fundies in New York.  They stand in or near subway stations with smug expressions, holding up copies of "Watchtower" and "Awake!".  About a month ago, on a Saturday, I was schlepping some laundry down to one of the neighborhood laundromats.  Through the apartment building door, I could see them - six JW's dressed in their finest, satchels of literature ready to be distributed.  When I opened the door to go out, one of them grabbed the door - not to hold it open for me with my laundry - to come into the building.  "The hell with that!" I thought.

"Are you here to visit someone?" I asked.  "Oh, yes," was the reply.  "Okay, well you need to use the intercom to call that person and have him buzz you in," I said.  The woman thanked me and held onto the door.  "Close the door, please," I insisted.  Finally, she let it go and it closed with a heavy click.   One of her accomplices said, "I guess you should just start buzzing.  Someone will let you in."

I had laundry to do, so I toddled on, but I was struck by so many thoughts.  First, our building has a No Tresspassing / No Solicitation policy.  In the name of their religion, they were breaking the law.  But deeper than that, they were willing to use deception to spread their "holy" word.  How can deception ever by the foundation of truth?

Obviously, if you're reading this, you can tell I don't have much respect for fundies in general and JW's in particular.  They follow a belief system of fear and exclusion.  The Watchtower has changed its doctrines so many times, it's mind-boggling, yet JW's keep right on drinking it in.  For one thing, the organization is so tight.  Witnesses are discouraged from associating at all with non-Witnesses.  That in turn creates their social structure.  Witnesses often end up staying with it for fear of having no friends if they were to leave.  To further it, the Watchtower Society also forbids Witnesses from reading any religious material that didn't come from the WS, including its own translation of the Bible.  And Jehovah help the Witness who is caught reading anything written by a Witness who had the courage to leave the organization.  (BTW, the WS  refers to itself as "the organization."  It decries "churchy" terminology, as it teaches that churches are part of Satan the Devil's snares to keep people from the truth.  I may be creative, but I don't have the skills to make that up.)

There are some good books out there about the WS.  Diane Wilson wrote Awakening, Ray Franz wrote Crisis of Conscience.  Both of those are a bit heavy, especially the Franz text.  A lighter, yet still informative, read is Kyria Abraham's I'm Perfect, You're Doomed - Tales of a Jehovah's Witness Upbringing.  =)

Egad!

Not surprised, but still a bummer...

Word has come out that the California Supreme Court upheld the enforced discrimination of Proposition 8.  I'm not surprised, but it's still a bummer.  Here in NY, Gov. Paterson has introduced legislation to allow same sex marriage.  (NY recognized same sex marriage performed in other states, but it still doesn't grant couples the right to marry here.)  The State Assembly has passed it, but it's still being held up in the Senate.

One vocal opponent in NY Sen. Ruben Diaz.  Diaz is a bigot from The Bronx.  He has called on Latino clergy to unite in opposition.  I generally don't try to be so crass, but Diaz just needs to put a tailpipe into his mouth and breathe deeply.

No, I don't really feel that way, but this legislation - legislation of fairness, equality and what is RIGHT - is so long overdue.  A recent poll by the NY Daily News showed New Yorkers supporting same sex marriage by a 70-30 margin.  How refreshing to be in the majority on this.  How irritating that it still hasn't passed.

Memorial Day

Growing up in the South, I never knew that much about Memorial Day. School wasn't closed, and it really wasn't talked about that much. Once, I asked my mom about it, and she said, "Most folks think of Memorial Day as a Northern holiday."

It's moderated a bit down there, but I've had the chance to see more of differing perspectives about this holiday.

My dad served in the Marines for over two decades. He fought in Korea and VietNam. Most of that was before I was born, so I don't have much memory of being a Marine kid; although he did carry a lot of Leatherneck philosophy regarding discipline with him even after retiring!

Memorial Day, to me, is thinking about men and women who have made sacrifice, but especially about my dad. It bothers me some that my daughter will never know my dad. I often show her photos of him, but it's not the same.

My wife is working today, but I'm off and taking my daughter to a Memorial Day parade. I want her to know that sacrifice is important.

Peace to us all...

Great day for NY baseball

Saturday was a great day for NY baseball. In the first interleague games of the season, the Yankees hosted the Mets' chief rival, Philadelphia. The Mets finished up a road swing against the Yankees rivals, Boston. Both the Yankees and Mets went into the 9th inning trailing, and both teams came from behind to win.

All right, so I'm a transplant to NYC, so maybe my perspective is different. I've pulled for the Yankees for years. It is THE best franchise. Period. But I will pull for the Mets, and I was really disappointed when they choked the past two Septembers.

Still, a lot of Yankee fans hate the Mets almost as much as Boston. I don't think I've met a Met yet that can even say "Yankees" without turning purple.

I've asked NYC natives, and the answer is always the same, "You're either a Yankee fan or a Met fan. That's it." (I'll still pull for the Mets, until they play the Yankees.)

Let's go, Yankees! clap, clap, clap, clap, clap

Yankees Win! Thhhheeeeeeeeee Yankees Win!

Those of you who have listened to radio broadcasts of Yankee victories will recognize that.  More to be written later, but I had a good time at The Stadium last night.  Naturally, the final score of NY 11, Baltimore 4 didn't hurt matters!

Going to The Stadium

All right!  The Yankees have won seven straight with last night's win over Baltimore.  My wife was able to get some tickets for tonight's game through her employer.  I was at the second game at the new Stadium, which proved to be the first win there.  

Some complain about the new Stadium, and I wasn't really sure why they decided to build one.  But now that it's here, I love it.  The legroom is so much better than at the old Stadium, and the sight lines are fantastic.  The whole layout is a lot better.

"Let's go, Yankees! clap clap clap clap clap"

head cold...egad!

I'm back in the office today for the first time since last Wednesday.  I had been congested but attributed it to the unusual abundance of pollen in NYC this spring.  By Wednesday night, I was achy, and Thursday morning felt as though I'd been hit by a bus.

Still not 100%, but much better...

Follow up note:  Still on the mend, but at least it isn't swine (h1n1) flu.  An assistant principal in Queens has fallen victim to it, and more schools are being closed just about daily.  A little bit scary.

lodge night

Tonight, I'll make a visit to another NYC lodge.  Mariners Lodge #67 meets on the eighth floor of the Grand Lodge of NY.  That Grand Lodge is one of the most impressive Masonic structures I've ever seen - surpassed only by the George Washington National Masonic Memorial and the House of the Temple of the Scottish Rite, in Washington, DC.  GLoNY underwent a huge restoration beginning back in the 80's, and I'm grateful to the brothers whose dedication has offered such an architectural treasure to us.

Lodge is interesting.  I've noted a few differences between the lodges up here and those back in NC.  Public impression of Masonry is even more interesting.  The ludicrous rantings of some of the fundamentalists are downright laughable.  And, no disrespect, but the perceived self-importance of some of the brethren is equally funny.

The reception I received at Washington Lodge was fair.  The brethren at Shakespeare Lodge were warmer.  One of the fellas I met that night is a member of Mariners 67.  That's one of the cool things about lodge in The City:  there are soooooooooo many, compared to my choices before.  

"On the level"...

lunchtime wisdom

I have the good fortune of working across the street from Riverside Park.  I often have lunch there.  Today, after sending my niece and her husband a congratulatory card and gift - they just announced they're having a baby - I walked over to the park on 112th.  Where it runs into Riverside Drive is a little section with some stone benches and a statue of Samuel J. Tilden.  Tilden was a governor of NY and was the Democratic nominee for president in 1876.  I had planned to read after eating, but there were so many birds and squirrels out.  The birds chirped beautifully, and this one squirrel came very close.  They have really long nails.  I suppose I would have concluded that had I ever really thought about it, but there was something about seeing it up close.

I don't know much about Tilden.  I vaguely remember the name from some US History class, but I was struck by a quote of his that was engraved on the statue's base:  "I trust the people."  For all of the stereotyping about NYC, New Yorkers really aren't that rude.  Sure, you can run into a jerk, but I ran into plenty of those when I lived in the South.  New Yorkers are people in a hurry, but not rude.  One aspect of the stereotype, though, is also a sense of not being able to trust anyone.  True, I have developed a good (or bad) sense of tunnel vision since I moved here.  (If you don't, you could easily give away every dime you own.)  Still, I remain a trusting person.  Thanks, Samuel Tilden.  I trust the people, too.

Happy (belated) Birthday!

Yesterday was George Gershwin's birthday.  It's tough to think of someone - with the possible exception of Irving Berlin - who has had such a lasting impact on American music.  Thank you, George & Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Billie Holliday, and others who give me pause in the middle of busy times to just enjoy.

Here are the lyrics to one of my Gershwin faves.  John Pizzarelli has a nice, smooth rendition of this one.  If you get a chance to listen to it, do so.

But Not For Me

They're writing songs of love, but not for me.
A lucky star's above, but not for me.
With love to lead the way
I've found more clouds of grey
than any Russain play could guarantee.
I was a fool to fall and get that way;
Heigh-ho! Alas! And also, lack-a-day!
Although I can't dismiss the mem'ry of his kiss,
I guess he's not for me.

He's knocking on a door, but not for me.
He'll plan a two by four, but not for me.
I know that love's a game;
I'm puzzled, just the same,
was I the moth or flame?
I'm all at sea.

It all began so well, but what an end!
This is the time a feller needs a friend,
when ev'ry happy plot ends with the marriage knot,
and there's no knot for me.

quiet time

My wife has gone to see the latest Star Trek movie with her father, and I just put my daughter to bed.  The television is off, the dishes are washed, and I have a moment of quiet time.  It's nice.  

This has been a beautiful day in NYC.  Soon, summer's oppressive heat and humidity will be with us like the insistent housecat who must rub against your leg when you're wearing dark trousers.  I'm a fan of late fall, winter, and early spring.  Today has been good.

MTA = "Empty A"?

When I relocated to NYC, I gave my car to my mom.  She thought I had lost my mind until she came up for a visit.  Some people here, including my wife's parents, can't imagine living without their car.  To me, while there are times I wish I had the car when I've got to run a lot of errands, it's just not worth the hassle.    First, there's the parking issue.  If you can find a space on the street, at least two days a week, you've got to move the car while the street cleaner goes by.  Then there's the insurance.  If auto insurance rates in NYC aren't the highest in the nation, they've got to be close.  Fuel is expensive here.  And on and on.

     That leaves the MTA, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, the subways and buses of NYC and immediate surrounding area.  Like a lot of others, I complain about the MTA, especially now since they're about to jack up the fares - AGAIN - and cut service.  It's even more annoying because so many MTA employees are often seen just sitting around.

     I shouldn't complain, though.  The cost of a monthly MTA unlimited pass is now $81, about to go up to $103.  That's still cheaper than a car payment, and if you have a Metrocard and some patience, you really can get anywhere in NYC.

     But riding the subway can be an adventure.  I know that a number of my blog posts will relate to something I've seen or heard on the subway.

     About a month ago, my wife and daughter (almost 19 months old at that time) and I were going down to Herald Square.  I think it was at the 81st St stop on the B-C line that several teenage girls got on and sat opposite us.  Several were wearing softball uniforms from Louis Brandeis HS.  Two of them started making out.  I don't mean simple kissing.  I'm talking about tongue slashing, saliva swapping, hands groping making out.  The only thing that kept this from being out and out sex was that they were still wearing their clothes.  I became pissed!

     It's not that I have anything against lesbians.  I don't.  I think being gay or lesbian or bisexual is as natural as heterosexuality.  I support same-sex marriage.  My wife and I have marched in Pride Parades in two states.  But I draw the line at anyone making out like that in public - especially in front of children.   My wife knew I was getting mad and kept urging me to just let it go.  So I said in a loud voice, "Look, I don't care if they are lesbians, they shouldn't be having sex in front of everyone!"  That did the trick.  I don't think the couple heard me, but one of their friends did and told them to cut it out.  My wife later told me I was lucky I didn't get attacked with one of the softball bats.

    Seriously, is it too much to expect people to wait until they're someplace private before getting it on?

e e cummings

The man was truly a genius...

somewhere i have never travelled

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully, mysteriously) her first rose

or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the colour of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens; only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands

 -- e. e. cummings

Epidemic

Coming off the subway Friday morning, I was greeted by the man who passes out a.m. New York. (I don't know what has happened to the guy who was passing out Metro.) A story on page 2 reports on a new book, The Narcissism Epidemic. The authors' study of our society concludes that Americans and Japanese, in particular, have become extremely self-obsessed.
I'm inclined to agree. I've resisted joining social networks. My wife is on Facebook, but I was never really all that interested. The little bit I know about Twitter, is a bit disconcerting to me as well. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't tweeting serve to inform your "circle" of what you're doing? C'mon, is what I had for lunch really that important that I need to share it?
To me, the implications go beyond a question just regarding societal issues and venture into the spiritual. I think if society is ever really going to improve, we must look out for one another. Can I really do that well if I'm absorbed about me? I still cringe at the memory of those shirts, backpacks, etc. with the little bunny that said, "It's all about me!" No, it isn't! It's about you and me and everyone else. It's about the man who passes out a.m. New York at the subway station. It's about the woman who's riding that subway because she doesn't have a place to stay and is afraid to go to a shelter. It's about my daughter who is learning new words. It's about my pastors as they try to help our congregation know God better. I'm part of it, but it's not all about me.
Oy! Could we use another John Donne!
Peace and blessings, or as Tiny Tim said in A Christmas Carol: "And God bless us all, everyone!" Happy Friday, everyone!