It's Not About You!

David Brooks (yes that Republican one) had a brilliant column today in The New York Times challenging the advice that American society routinely gives to college grads... The way we set the tone for the future of all Americans...

"If you sample some of the commencement addresses being broadcast on C-Span these days, you see that many graduates are told to: Follow your passion, chart your own course, march to the beat of your own drummer, follow your dreams and find yourself. This is the litany of expressive individualism, which is still the dominant note in American culture.

"But, of course, this mantra misleads on nearly every front.

"College grads are often sent out into the world amid rapturous talk of limitless possibilities. But this talk is of no help to the central business of adulthood, finding serious things to tie yourself down to."

He adds:
 
"The graduates are also told to pursue happiness and joy. But, of course, when you read a biography of someone you admire, it’s rarely the things that made them happy that compel your admiration. It’s the things they did to court unhappiness — the things they did that were arduous and miserable, which sometimes cost them friends and aroused hatred. It’s excellence, not happiness, that we admire most."

My favorite point:

"Today’s grads enter a cultural climate that preaches the self as the center of a life. But, of course, as they age, they’ll discover that the tasks of a life are at the center. Fulfillment is a byproduct of how people engage their tasks, and can’t be pursued directly. Most of us are egotistical and most are self-concerned most of the time, but it’s nonetheless true that life comes to a point only in those moments when the self dissolves into some task... The purpose in life is not to find yourself. It’s to lose yourself".

And here I thought thought I'd never agree with David Brooks about anything... LOL.

Read David Brooks: It's Not About You

Set the Tone: Snap, Crackle and Pop

"Snap, what a happy sound/ Snap is the happiest sound I found/ You may clap, rap, tap, slap but snap makes the world so round/snap, crackle, pop. Rice Krispies.

"Crackle, I say its crackle, the crispy sound/ you gotta have crackle or the clocks not wound/ Geese crackle, feathers tackle, belts buckle, beets pickle, but crackle makes the world go round, snap, crackle, pop.

"Pop, I insist that Pop’s the sound/ The best is missed unless Pop’s around/ You can’t stop what happens when the cereal’s poppin/ Pop makes the world go round/ Snap, Crackle, Pop.... Rice Krispies. Kellogg's best to you..."

- Kellogg's

More Memorial Day Weekend

Humid and hot today already... And it's only 8:30am. Some people love this, of course... I hear them commenting about this "beautiful" weather... Me?... I pretty much just wanna kick 'em!

A friend on Facebook posted yesterday: "A beautiful day, perfect for going into a dark movie theater and watching horror movies." I concur completely!

Been eating a *lot* more vegetarian lately... Things I've learned already through trial and error?: Get the Low-Sodium Goya Beans... A tablespoon into just about any dish adds plenty of protein... The low salt rule was learned the hard way... "Oh, Boya!"

Already found a coupla good vegan dishes at my favorite neighborhood Indian Restaurant Basera... The Baigan Bharta eggplant and the Aloo Gobhi cauliflower potato thing... The latter was especially prepared spicy at the suggestion of the manager who had mastered the way I liked my Chicken Tikka Masala and Saag Paneer previously! Nice... Will try their Dal eventually... They have a dark and yellow combo dish... We'll see... And the Nan Bread is still fine!

Was all ready to try Otarian yesterday but the girl behind the counter was inept and/or had an indecisive customer ... Nobody else that worked there seemed interested in jumping on another register to move things along... So I exited... I can go bonkers in those kinds of situations and know it's sometimes better for me to just leave... After the deep breathing exercises fail!! LOL...

Also... Been steaming fresh greens and adding them to the side of whatever veggie dishes too... And have stepped up the stash of sweet potatoes to have on hand for a quick microwave...

Sat pm on a Saturday night and Meze Grill was closed??? LOL... Was headed for a Falafel platter... But nope... The guy waved at me through the locked door from behind his counter... "Helloo, there, Mister"... Then along came three women and a baby stroller...They were disappointed the place was closed, too... Never even occurred to me that a Hell's Kitchen restaurant would be closed at 6pm on a Saturday night?? Well, good luck with that business plan...

Woman at Chai Thai was encouraging me to try their Sauteed Vegetarian Duck dish with Chili and Basil Sauce next time... And I will. Wish I'd thought to ask her advice before I ordered the shrimp Pad Thai...

Am still doing eggs... And dairy... (Just for the record)

Have a good Sunday, Y'all!

Memorial Day Weekend 2011 Stuff

Had some dental work done on Friday to start the weekend with a smile...

Also caught the current exhibitions at American Folk Art Museum... (American Folk Art Museum 45 West 53rd St. at 6th Ave.) They are going to lose that location soon. MoMA bought the building... Current shows include Quilts, and More Quilts, and still another quilt. Robin of Ma et Ra would love this. Me? Not so much.

But I did enjoy the Eugene Von Bruenchenhein show and the Perspectives: Forming the Figure show had it's puppet like creations (pictured by Anton Brookes)...


Caught Lady Gaga's Central Park GMA concert on the DVR. Somebody should get fired for the lousy direction of that... Especially for blowing Lady G's entrance...! I guess ABC is fully staffed with Summer Interns?... Including the Director? LOL...

Had a Junior's "Little Fella" chocolate cheesecake on the walk home... ($4.25)

Todd Robbins will be playing the piano next Monday through Friday at the Piano in Bryant Park... I caught him last year...

Wishing you a memorable Memorial Day weekend... And say "Thank you, Troops"!

TGIF Music Break: I've Got You

Martha Wash, long past The Weather Girls.

Thanks to Joe My God

Look Before You Leap: HDMI Cables are Cheap!

Warning! ... All the discount retail stores know that when you pick up your new TV, DVR or Blu-Ray Player that you will need an HDMI or other cables to hook it all up...

With a little foresight... You can save a ton of money by ordering online in advance....
Monoprice.com is one great source...

I recently read on some site or other that checking Amazon too might reveal bargain prices...

My geek friend Moe turned me onto Monoprice a few years back and I always check them first...
He also tipped me off to NewEgg.com where I have many bargains on routers and other peripherals over the years...

Look before you leap...

You've Dialed the Wrong Number!!!!

Mink Stole in John Waters' Desperate Living

Set the Tone: Time Flies

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot".
-- Michael Althsuler

The Golden Rule

This was cute... From last night's season finale of Saturday Night Live.

It's OK if it's in a three-way... LOL

Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, and Andy Samberg

Happy Armageddon Day!

Some whacked 89 year old fool with money to burn thinks the world will end at 6pm today... Not sure what time zone that is exactly...

He had previously predicted that the Rapture would occur in September 1994.

"According to familyradio.com, on Saturday an earthquake will open all graves, allowing believers to be "transformed into glorified spiritual bodies to be forever with God.... Non-believers who survive Camping's predicted earthquake will exist in a world of "horror and chaos beyond description" until October 21, 2011 when the earth will be completely destroyed". (Source here)

What do I need to do before doomsday?

My bed will be unmade at doomsday. Actually I only ever made the bed about three times a year during my whole lifetime... It's in a separate room... So, who cares? I guess I never got around to dusting the curio cabinet and the kitchen could have used another deep cleaning...

Oh, I want to hurry up and place an order on Amazon.com for this book... Don't tell Keith because he'll be disgusted... I'll have to eat vegan as my last meal... LOL...

I'm so glad I added Keith Haring Sketchbooks 1978 to my library this past week before the end of the world... Published by Gladstone Gallery, it features reproductions of the sketches included in their current exhibition. Copies are available for $25 at Gladstone Gallery West 21st Street and West 24th Street.

Also glad I got to see the Mapplethorpe Exhibit : 50 Americans last week at Sean Kelly... (See image at left)

"Sean Kelly Gallery presents 50 Americans, an exhibition that features fifty works by legendary American artist Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989) as selected by fifty Americans of diverse occupations, ages, races, and backgrounds. Fifty people, one from each state in the Union, were invited to select a single artwork from over 2,000 images in Mapplethorpe’s oeuvre that resonated with them personally. While some participants may have already been familiar with Mapplethorpe’s work, some were not. Each image included in the exhibition is accompanied by a text that explains why the participant who selected it found it to be meaningful".


Not sure what happened to my Google Mail yesterday... Now there's a new column before each subject field with a + or a - sign... That reminds me that I want to zero the Inbox before the Rapture...

I guess Judgement Day will happen before we know the verdicts of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Rick Santorum

Oh, and I definitely need a haircut, too, this morning... Before the end of the world...

TGIF Music Break: Azer

EUROVISION 2011 Winner Azerbaijan: Ell/Nikki - Running Scared

Thanks, once again, to my Pop Music guru: Joe.My.God

Celebrity Sighting: Ice-T

At 56th and Tenth Ave... About 45 minutes ago...

Tracy Morrow...

AKA Iceberg

AKA Ice-T

One of the great (if not the greatest) Hip Hop, Thrash Metal artists of all time...

Jose' Parla': Walls, Diaries, and Paintings

Jose' Parla' has a knack for recreating urban decay and making it into ruggedly beautiful art.

His recent show at Chelsea's Bryce Wolfkowitz Gallery titled Walls, Diaries, and Paintings closed on April 16 and featured 15 new paintings from the Brooklyn-based that address urbanity and nostalgia through graffiti, collage, painting and texture...

A documentarian of pop culture and mold spore texture, I even spotted portions of the classic Deep Throat motion picture integrated authentically into one of his new works...

The Cuban-Lebanese artist's work is at once gritty and delicate.

Magic...

Fountain Gallery: Body Language

I caught the latest show at Hell's Kitchen's famous Fountain Gallery... Details are below from their press release...

Pictured is my favorite piece from this show... Anthony Newton's Night Train...

Here is an online version of Body Language for all of you out-of-towners...

Fountain Gallery Presents: BODY LANGUAGE, Figurative Works by BSpin, Martin Cohen and Anthony Newton, May 13 – June 22, 2011
Opening Reception: May 13, 6-8 p.m.


Fountain Gallery, located at 702 Ninth Avenue and representing artists with mental illness, today announced the upcoming opening of BODY LANGUAGE: Figurative Works by BSpin, Martin
Cohen and Anthony Newton.


The show will be on view from May 13 through June 22, 2011.


Body Language is curated by Harriet Sawyer.
Body Language spotlights works in mediums including acrylic on canvas, mixed
media on paper, oil and charcoal on paper, and collage.


This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City
Department of Cultural Affairs, and by generous support from The Jarvis and
Constance Doctorow Family Foundation and The Renate, Hans and Maria
Hofmann Trust.


About Fountain Gallery
Fountain Gallery is the premier venue in New York City representing artists with
mental illness. Founded by Fountain House in 2000 as a not-for-profit exhibition
space for artists living and working with mental illness, the Gallery sells original
artworks and collaborates with a wide network of artists, curators and cultural
institutions. Embracing artists who are emerging or established, trained or self-
taught, Fountain Gallery cultivates artistic growth and makes a vital contribution
to the New York arts community. 

Fountain Gallery 702 Ninth Avenue at 48th Street NYC 10019 212.262.2756                 
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 11-7; Sun. 1-5
"More than a gallery. A movement."

Set the Tone: Don't Be Late

"When you're late everyone hates you"
-- Cazwell, in a tweet.

HeLL's KiTchEn Rainy Day

Rainy Sunday morning in HeLL's KiTchEn, UsA...

Made the blog rounds... Did an early 7am Gristedes run before the big downpour... Sunday morning coffee... Bought a beggar a cup of coffee instead of giving him cash... Cooked enough steel cut oats for today's breakfast and a few microwaved meals ahead. (One cup goes a loooong way)...

Just read the Sunday half of The New York Times. Newsprint paper is such a waste. When a decent e-reader finally becomes available, I'm SO there!

See that a gay couple is in today's NYT wedding section... Douglas Crase, 66, married to Frank Polach, 67 at First Church of Christ in Hartford. Sweet! Now that's a couple I would like to have lunch with sometime...

Summer projects? I want to try a gluten free diet. I already know that certain carbs give me fatigue. I need more pro-biotics. I want to see "Forks over Knives" and consider a veggie based diet to finally tackle this cholesterol.

Was delighted to see ol Baltimore gal pal Rhea Feikin on the air last night on a PBS special. Reminds me of our long gone mutual friend Cal Schumann and the beloved "Rhea and J.P".

So glad to see my favorite high school teacher Jay C. Terry celebrated!

Looks to me like my Hell's Kitchen friend and neighbor Sutton Foster will be a shoe-in for a Tony this year...!

Hell's Kitchen Open Mind

Eat Hell's Kitchen today! The 38th Annual Ninth Avenue Food Festival Sat. and Sun. on 9th Ave in the West 40's and 50's. Come rain or come shine...! Noon to 5pm. Vendors and restaurants will be serving a vast offering of ethnic foods which are representative of the multitude of different cultures residing in our neighborhood.

American Folk Art Museum building on West 53rd was sold to MoMA this week... Will remain open until further notice...

The New York International Tattoo Convention at Roseland this weekend... One Day Ticket -- $20,,Two Days Unlimited Access -- $35, Three Days Unlimited Access -- $50, (Tickets available ONLY at Roseland and ONLY on the day of the show)

Great piece on Sutton Foster in the weekend NYTimes and some beautiful photos of her. I completely adore her! Article won't be available online til Sunday...

Did some tweeting while waiting for whole wheat pancakes to go at Galaxy Diner.... The real maple syrup was back at my place... Diners only ever serve crappy artificially flavored corn syrup.

I really like the Oddities TV show on Science Channel. And I'll have to make a field trip to the Obscura shop this summer... I just gotta!

Rest in Peace Timothy White 1982-2011. Struck by a drunk driver in Hell's Kitchen recently. Makeshift Shrine at 9th Ave and 47/48th. See Timothy White killed in Hell's Kitchen

Absolutely Crazy about Evelyn Page!

I became "absolutely crazy" about Evelyn Page (1921-2011) when I first met her about two years ago...

On Thursday May 12, 2011, a lot of other people who were "absolutely crazy" about her attended her Hell's Kitchen area memorial at St. Paul's Church...

She lived to be 90... And maintained an exuberance about life til the day she died... (February 6th)

She was an Artist.. An Actress... A Lawn Bowler, too...

She lived each day "Just for today"!

Her artwork was spread out at the event for all to take... I took a little watercolor that reminds me of the Hell's Kitchen spot where I waited with her at a bus stop last December, and we chatted up a storm...

Here are some other links...

A great publicity head shot of Evelyn Page


Evelyn page on Evelyn Page on the Internet Broadway Database.

Evelyn Page's Playbill Obituary.

A Broadway World obituary for Evelyn Page.

And Evelyn Page on IMDB.

A most buoyant and stylish spirit!!

God rest her vibrant soul!!

TGIF Music Break: Poetry Man

Phoebe Snow.

Keith Haring at Gladstone

I always get a charge out of Keith Haring's inspirational free flow authenticity as an out gay artist in his day... Born the same year as me... His day was my day... Per se.

A terrific gallery show at Chelsea's Gladstone Gallery shows a few giant set pieces he constructed for a dance piece...

(Image is a section from Red, 1982-1984 Gouache and ink on paper; 106 3/4 x 274 inches or 271.1 x 696 cm)

And his very intriguing and sexy Sketch Books... They depict his compulsion, obsession and genius all at once...

The show runs at the Gladstone until July 1.

530 West 21st Street
New York, NY 10011 USA
Phone: 212-206-7606
Fax: 212-206-7605

Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Here's a more detailed review of the Keith Haring show from the Huffington Post...

Site of the Week: Male Models Vintage Beefcake

Here's a find that I stumbled on while doing a Google Image search for something completely unrelated...

Male Models Vintage Beefcake recalls the yesteryear era of Male Physique magazines.

These are classic captures of society's view of masculinity at the time...

And these models are classic captures of ______________________________________ .

You fill in the blank.

I love to see these little blogs that capture little niches and preserve them, and make them accessible...

Some topics are more interesting than others, of course... This one rocks! LOL

Set the Tone: 90% Reaction

"We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it".
- Charles R. Swindoll 

Thanks to dAAve

Happy Mother's Day 2011!!

Meet My Friends: Cynthia Crane and Ted Story

I recently unearthed this article feature on my dear friends of many years: Cynthia and Ted...

NY Daily News: Bernard Madoff victim, singer Cynthia Crane robbed of Steinway piano
By Michael Daly

"At $39,000, the Steinway grand piano carries the lowest appraised value on the list of Bernard Madoff's assets.

"No dollar amount can measure the ultimate value of another Steinway grand that a well-known Manhattan cabaret singer faces losing because she is among Bad Bernie's many victims.

"For four decades, 72-year-old chanteuse Cynthia Crane has rehearsed at her 1909 rosewood Steinway, most recently for an appearance last month at the Metropolitan Room on W. 22nd St.

"On hearing [recently] that an asset list prepared by Madoff's attorneys shows he also owns one of the legendary pianos, she paused and said nothing at all for a moment.

"'Really,' she quietly remarked. 'Wow. He has a Steinway.'...


She and her husband, Ted Story, went ahead with their annual New Year's Day Open House at their Greenwich Village home, with an added decoration. Ted got some rope and fashioned a head by stuffing a white T-shirt stenciled with a photo of Madoff's face.

I was at that memorable and bittersweet party...

Much love to them both...

TGIF Music Break: Feel the Passion

Aurela Gaçe - Feel The Passion (Albania)



Thanks to Joe My God

Site of the Week: JerrySeinfeld.com

JerrySeinfeld.com launched today...

In Jerry's words:

When I was ten years old, I started watching
stand up comedians on TV.

I fell in love with them and I'm just as fascinated
with stand up comedy today.

When I started doing TV, I saved every appearance
on every show I did.

I thought it might be fun to go through all of it
and pick out three bits each day that still
amuse me for some reason or another.

I've also included stuff I'm doing now, and I'll be
adding new stuff as I go.

Somewhere out there are ten year olds
just waiting to get hooked on this strange pursuit.

This is for them.
I'm just hoping somehow it will keep this silliness going.

JS

Art: Boudro

I'm not usually a fan of the really slick stuff...

But these colorful and New Yorky pieces caught my eye when I was in a local Times Square area hotel lobby recently...

These are acrylic on wood and the puzzle piece is 46 x 43 inches, and the other one is 45x45 inches square acrylic on canvas...

The artist is Boudro.

And he's represented online at G&O Art...

... "Boudro was born in Sept-Iles, Québec. He now lives and works in Montréal. However his heart remains in New York".

The Health Conundrum: What to Believe

It's all so damned confusing...

Dr Oz... who touts fish at every turn has a guest on recently that points out that while fish do have the good Omega 3 fatty acids... That they also have many fats that are bad for you... Lovely... His only answer? Give up fish, dairy, and eggs and go totally vegetarian...

Might be the only way I can ever tackle my high cholesterol numbers without the statins that I refuse to take...

So do you take fish oil capsules because they have been heralded in recent years?... So the New York Times the other day points out that Omega 3 overload can cause more 2 times the risk of heart disease and prostate cancer...  “I can’t really explain it,” said Theodore M. Brasky, lead author of the paper, adding: “If anyone is wondering whether to change their diet, the answer is no. You have to weigh the risks, and a man’s risk of dying of heart disease is much greater than his risk for high-grade prostate cancer, which is very rare.” As quoted by The New York Times.

Today they say Low Salt Diet is Ineffective!

Chemo-therapy is so often recommended for cancer patients but chemo brain may last for five years or more...

Even the heralded Tuna is risky with all the Mercury sez the Times.

Now sugar is good for you. Especially if you exercise...

Also exercise doesn't necessarily boos your mood. Exercise can make you a nervous wreck...

Half a teaspoon of Cayenne pepper might be the best appetite suppressant and diet food there is...

Thinking of cosmetic surgery... After liposuction, fat just re-locates anyway.

Meditation is still good. So, I'm gonna go meditate on all of this...

It's Always Something...

I was telling a young doorman today... "Never turn 50" as I was heading for my second followup doctor appointment of the day!

"It's always something..." as Ms Roseannadanna always warned.

OK, thanks for all the well wishes on the foot. Still not 100% for sure... But I am going to try to go back to work tomorrow. Luckily my boss knows all about this and will understand if I need to modify my hectic schedule somewhat to stay off the injured foot for the first few days, at least...

Certainly, the pain will remind me to take it easy...

And I'll need to allow extra time to get from point A to point B. *Not easy* for me to walk slow... So that's the likely lesson from above...

Slow down!

Set the Tone: Look Differently

"If you want the world to be different, look at it differently and act on your most positive impressions".
-- Ralph Marston