A Staycation Day in the East Village

Weather's been great. Low humidity. And low humidity's the key to a good summer day!

Found myself in the East Village after an early morning appointment near Union Square...

New York Film Academy Cafe at 3rd and Astor Place, was being gutted, as I tweeted... Was just there for iced coffee a few weeks ago. It was once a Starbucks a longer while back. What's next for that cool open faced space?

Was strolling along St Mark's Place at 11am... And the street was still quite sleepy... Zzzz.

Still, slipped over to the awake Moishe's Bakery for a chocolate cigar... It's rare that I'm within a mile of that bakery and I don't wander in for that traditional pastry treat!

Walked across St Mark's past my favorite Fun City Tattoo (Do I want another?)

And kept eastbound to the Theater 80 St Marks. Great to see that the property is still in such good shape... Good landlords and tenants keep the place looking great. said hello to the sidewalk signatures of Ruby Keeler and Kitty Carlisle. I had once known both of these deceased great ladies...

Tompkins Square Park for a shady break. And to answer some emails on the Sidekick. Whatever did we do before mobile handhelds? Jeezus

Good vegan hot dog platter with broccoli rabe and cherry tomato saute side (instead of fries, lol) at Westville East. Ave A / E 11th. Looks like I got there just in time as the website sez they will close for a week starting tomorrow...

Silly girl just refused a fritada she'd ordered cuz she didn't realize it's eggs, and she doesn't eat eggs... "The menu doesn't say it's eggs!" Well, duh, lady. Why don't you order an omelet next time? That doesn't say it's eggs either...

Keith tweeted that he wants to see more New York pics during the summer break... So a couple will accompany this post...

Hopped a train home and grabbed a nap before a Business Meeting for a Nonprofit that I belong to... Always hate those kinds of meetings!! But the work's gotta get done...

First Summer 2011 Vacation Day

Nice cool, gray morning in Hell's Kitchen today. A bit muggy... But hot, not iced, coffee was good on a morning like this...

Was out in a local Hell's Kitchen Park by 6:30AM with the New York Times, Twitter, and the morning coffee. Summer vacation is already off to a perfect start!

I leapt out of bed with vacation enthusiasm... This, after serving as a ballot watcher for a local community hotly contested election last night. This economy has EVERYone on edge. Change is good, tho. I vouched that every single vote was counted and mattered. Democracy prevailed on the local-most level!

Project of the day?... To re-arrange the apartment for a new season... (I believe it's the ONLY way to clean, BTW). Lots of paper scraps to sort. So what else is new?

Summer Vacation Starts Now!!

I'll let Homer do the talking:

Set the Tone: Start Anew

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Extra Special Gay Pride Day Today

Happy Birthday to Derek Jeter!

He's 37 today.

While that may be old for a professional ballplayer...

... You'll *never* be too old for me...

Was just thinking... With same-sex marriage being all legalized and all...

Whaddaya say, Derek?

Will you marry me?

Let's you and I make this Gay Pride Day extra special...!

Just in Time for the Pride Parade

The New York state senate has passed Governor Andrew Cuomo's Marriage Equality Act by a vote of 33-29. All Democratic senators but Bronx pastor Ruben Diaz, Sr. (who spoke vehemently against the measure) voted to support the measure. They were supported by Republicans Roy McDonald and James Alesi, who had announced their intentions to support the bill before the vote, and also Steve Saland, who spoke at length about his decision, and said, "I hope that my parents would be proud." Mark Grisanti, too, spoke touchingly about his change of heart. The latter group had held out for alterations in the bill designed to offer increased protections to religious groups who object to same-sex nuptials. Those amendments were agreed upon Friday afternoon and passed in the assembly 82-47 in the early evening. Once the bill is signed by the governor, New York will become the sixth and largest state to legalize marriage for gay couples, more than doubling the number of self-reported gay couples allowed to marry in the United States. It joins New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and the District of Columbia, which variously legalized marriage equality through the legislatures and through court rulings.


Cuomo's updated bill, which grants same sex couples the same legal rights as heterosexual couples, will go into effect thirty days after it is signed into law.

From New York Magazine by Chris Rovzar.

Special Thanks to all the bold-faced names above...

TGIF Music Break: Jestem

Poland - "Jestem" - Eurovision Song Contest 2011 - BBC One

With thanks to Joe My God

POTUS in the Hood

The President of the United States, POTUS, is right around the corner tonight for a benefit...

The biggest evidence of Obama's presence??? ... The traffic!...

If he stopped by, I'd give him a piece of my mind...

Since I now DVR The Rachel Maddow Show, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, and The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell, I have plenty talking points to talk to him about...

I'll tell the doorman to let him right in...

Manhattan in Motion

Mindrelic - Manhattan in motion from Mindrelic on Vimeo.

Some breathtaking time-lapse photography of Manhattan to liven up your Tuesday...

Posted this one especially for Keith, even though he doesn't like the sandy beach hue to my new wallpaper here on Postcards...

Set the Tone: Discover Truths

"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them."

- Galileo

Tony Awards: Not Just for Gays Anymore

Finally got around to watching last week's Tony's on the DVR...

The opening number, "Not Just for Gays Anymore" was brilliant. Neil Patrick Harris was a terrific host!

I don't understand why Spiderman was included in this broadcast. It hadn't even opened yet... And the choice was death defyingly dull and landed with a thud...

Frances McDormand? What was she wearing? Peasant not chic! A denim jacket? Really? And what was wrong with her arm as she left the stage?...

Whoopi Goldberg looked ridiculous, IMHO...

Sutton Foster had a perfect acceptance speech... The ideal balance of authenticity and sincere emotion... Mark Rylance's was the most authentically peculiar. And Norbert Leo Butz's reeked of gratitude, in an all good way...

I loved the NPH and Hugh Jackman "Any Show You Can Host I Can Host Better!" number. Loved seeing the two original Tony winning "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" leads (Robert Morse and Matthew Broderick) kicking-off that revival's production number...

The Book of Mormon's choice number was actually a solo... Interesting. But it worked... (Might also be the only number they could get away with broadcasting prime time?)

Completely despised the Company number... Those contrived celebrity cast things are just plain annoying...

Loved the performances of Sutton Foster and Norbert Leo Butz... Proving that "Anything Goes" when you "Don't Break the Rules"...

Got a kick outta the Martha Wash with the Priscilla cast number... The whole evening was raining men, indeed...

And Chris Rock had the best line of the night when he aligned the opening of the envelope for best musical to "taking a hooker to dinner"....

Just Enjoying Today

Like the new blog background color?? I redecorated for summer here at Postcards from Hell's Kitchen... I mixed it myself using some of the cool Blogger tools...

I'm very much in the home stretch to summer vacation... About a week and a half to go... But...

"You should strive to find happiness every day and not believe that it comes at the end of the journey." -- Bill Clinton, at the recent NYU graduation...

Have been boiling beets, washing radishes, stowing greens, and other post-Greenmarket activities on a Saturday AM in Hell's Kitchen USA...

Also, got an early haircut from my beloved Thai friend Peggy...

I wonder... Does Post-Gay mean that you only give your mail to gay USPS employees??

Met a slew of friends for a late morning meet... Will meet up with another gang later in the day...

Peeked at the Street Fair setting up shop(s) in those Broadway Plazas from 47th and up from Times Square... Same old, same old junk... And the aisles are too claustrophobic to move smoothly between the booths... Alas, the tourists seemed happy...

It's been about a month without meat... I'm sort of a makeshift vegetarian... Lunch today? Leftover spicy eggplant from Basera Indian Bistro with added Goya low-sodium black beans microwaved on top a baked red skin potato... Some fresh radishes served with a salt shaker (ala Lady Donothing), and some of those fresh warm beets right outta the boiler that I was talking about...

Hard to believe I had zeroed my Gmail inbox a few months ago... You'd never know by looking at it now...

I look forward to catching up on lots of Internet activities, veggie recipes, exercise and fun in the coming weeks of summer break...

Meanwhile, I'll concentrate on enjoying today...

TGIF Dance Break: Alive

Daft Punk "Alive" Directed by Emile Hirsch.

Homo-erotic tension...

Thanks to Joe My God.

Quite a Mug Shot

They call this a mug shot??

He's certainly guilty about being clueless in the court of public opinion...

Good luck, John...

Happy Flag Day 2011

Flag. 1954–55
Encaustic, oil, and collage on fabric mounted on plywood (three panels)
42 1/4 x 60 5/8" (107.3 x 154 cm)
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Gift of Philip Johnson in honor of Alfred H. Barr, Jr.
© 1996 Jasper Johns/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

Set the Tone: Life is Too Precious

"Life is too precious to spend it being annoyed".

-- Ralph Marston

Making My Day...

The following in my inbox this morning from a longtime beloved blog reader:

"i am always amazed at your blog. where do you find the stuff. all is so interesting and a lot are things and people and places i never heard of. such a wide range of discovery for me and i love it".


That already made my day...

The remainder will be just gravy...

The rest of the day...? An Open House for a colleague who is soon going to retire. Will be fun to see the whole 'ol gang... It's a pot luck. Me no cook... Anyone have any suggestions of what I should grab at the Amish Market or the Food Emporium??

Then, tonight... Was invited to a Tony Award party... I rarely go to these things as they get me too keyed up to sleep on a work night...

McD's has a new McFlurry this month: The Rolo... Just had one. As a fan of caramel... I'm all for it...

It helped make my Sunday (Sundae?), too...

Hope you make yourself a gooooood Sunday whatever you choose to do (or not to do)...

Which Dummy Will Throw A Hat Into THE RING

TGIF Dance Break: Ode to the Bouncer

By Studio Killers, Ode to the Bouncer.

With continuing thanks to my pop music guru: Joe My God

Very Hot

It's very hot here today.

Gonna be worse tomorrow.

I hope all you Winter-hater people are happy now...

Record high temperature tied at LaGuardia NY...

A record high temperature of 96 degrees was tied at LaGuardia NY
today at 502 PM. This ties the old record of 96 set in 2008.

The Photography of Roy Blakey

For many years, when I was in the business of show, Roy Blakey did all my promotional photography...

Needless to say my publicity pictures were *nothing* like these artistic shots now posted on the Artistry of Male Gallery...

As a lady cabaret performer pointed out to me when I first booked a session with Roy... "He's like a little elf jumping all around".

His studio was up a steep stairwell in Chelsea and he would virtually run down the stairs to let one in and then dash back up the hill like a little leprechaun ahead of you...

He was great fun to work with and so the shots he got were always fun looking...

But not as fun as these shots shown here, I'm afraid... LOL!

I wonder whatever happened to Roy Blakey? I know he sold his NYC studio and moved out West many years ago. I think of him often and fondly... And especially when I'm in the area where his studio used to be... Near 24th Street next to what was once Billy's Stopless, a treasured Manhattan landmark for many years.

Both Roy and his colleague Kenn Duncan were famous for show business photography for After Dark magazine

Set the Tone: Any Thought of Love

"Any thought of love uplifts the vibration of the universe."

-- Marianne Williamson

Happy Medium

Happy Medium from Johnny Coffeen on Vimeo.

In March 2011, an exhibition featuring the work of California sculptor John Frame opened at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Filmmaker Johnny Coffeen explores the artist’s process, aesthetic philosophies and transition to stop-motion animation filmmaking. It is presented in the exhibition alongside Frame’s own film, which features his handmade characters. Frame's house, as it appears in the film, is largely the work of his own hands.


To view Coffeen's editing work on John Frame's stop-motion animated film "Three Fragments of a Lost Tale" go to: johnframesculpture.com/​film

Thanks to Nicomar for sending.

Back in Town

Just back from Maryland's Eastern Shore and celebrating my Dad's 80th Birthday! Happy Birthday, Dad! A fun time was had by all...

TGIF Music Break: Nina Magical

Nina from Serbia. Magical.

Thanks to Joe My God

Elliott Erwitt: Personal Best

The photography of Elliott Erwitt is on view at the International Center of Photography through August 28, 2011.

Erwitt's celebrated work straddles documentary and commercial photography...

His 2008 book Elliott Erwitt's New York is a respected classic in the field of black and white photography... Many shots from the book are featured in this exhibition.

1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
Phone: 212.857.0000
Email: visit@icp.org


Hours
Tuesday–Thursday: 10:00 am–6:00 pm
Friday: 10:00 am–8:00 pm
Saturday–Sunday: 10:00 am–6:00 pm
Closed: Mondays
Closed: New Year's Day, January 1;
Independence Day, July 4; Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day, December 25.


Admission
General Admission: $12
Students and Seniors (with valid ID): $8
ICP Members: Free
Children under 12: Free
Voluntary Contribution Fridays 5:00–8:00 pm


Free Friday night programs in the Museum are made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York City Council and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Tornado Watch for Hell's Kitchen and Vicinity?

Here's something we don't see in Hell's Kitchen and vicinity very often...

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for all of New York City plus several surrounding counties until 8 p.m. tonight.

A tornado watch means that conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms and multiple tornadoes in and close to the watch area. People in the affected areas are encouraged to be vigilant in preparation for severe weather.

The National Weather service urges area residents to be on alert in the event the tornado watch turns into a warning, which means a funnel cloud has been sighted or indicated on a radar. In that case, residents should seek cover immediately.

Showers and thunderstorms are likely to pound the area this afternoon. Some storms may be severe with damaging winds and gusts up to 25 mph. Skies will turn partly cloudy in the evening, then clear for a breezy, sunny Thursday with highs in the mid 70s.

The safest place to be during a tornado is in a basement. The National Weather Service cautions residents to get under a bench or other piece of sturdy furniture in the event of a tornado. If no basement is available, seek shelter on the lowest floor of the building in an interior hallway or closet-like room. Use blankets or pillows to cover your body and stay away from windows.