Factor One: 4 (2$) Coronas
Factor Two: Shot of Tequila with a lick of salt.
Factor Three: Pernil con Arroz blanco et Frijoles rojas
Factor Four: The Bronx College Experience.
Factor Five: The Parks
Factor Six: The Produce
vendredi 29 juin 2007
mercredi 27 juin 2007
Konversation Eins: The Evening of May 10th or 11th 2007
First
So, I stood outside with this Italian kid from Brooklyn, dancing along to his sentences about observing an emergency Cesarean section:
"It looked like blood and yellow stuff mixed." he said, rubbing his hands together, then cupping them around an imaginary elongated orb. He swiched his hands like he was massaging a baby's head or an imaginary sack of mucous. He spoke as if he couldn't actually describe the taste of an exotic meat he had just tried, complete with smackings of the lips and pauses.
"The doctor had the knife in her and the placenta went POP! The yellowish red fluid was all over me, all over the doctor, and it hit the ceiling. It was on his cheeks . . . "
". . . he wore goggles?" I asked.
"Yes, he wore goggles."
I felt as if I was transported back in time 12 years, listening in horror, to my own lofty notions of equity, along with his blood and guts reality of life, death, and afterbirth.
Me and the kid continued to talk like old classmates except he was young and I was wiser.
"I am trying to move to New York." I said.
"I am from Brooklyn."
"Yeah?"
"New Jersey people are strange."
"How?" I asked.
"I don't know, they are just strange." he said.
We continued to hone in on this idea with the beams of the street light blaring. I wish I could have had a tap recorder.
Part Deux
"Hey, what time does the mall close?" a short stocky Taiwanese guy asked us. He was short and tan. He pimped gel spiked hair like a military Manga soldier. He said he was an entrepreneur, who got tired of looking at his paycheck and seeing that his bills were higher than his take home pay.
His lines were sincere but well rehearsed.
"My name is Hao."
Great I thought.
4 years of cross-cultural training has taught me that the hallmarks of an American Business Man is his ability to talk about sports all day. Then comes the pitch, but not before the awkward introduction by first names, which ignites a false sense of familiarity. The young Italian draws back.
"I am here looking for recruits.", his game was nothing that I have not seen before.
"I translate, as a freelancer." I said, hiding my true M.O. of international troubadour and cyber-bard with a literary overtone.
We exchanged numbers.
Brooklyn dragged on his cigarette.
The Taiwanese business man and I had small talk concerning business, but I was aware of his predatory nature, the law of averages, the idea of approaching 50 to get one customer, the idea of approaching 55 to get one recruit . . .
Then Hao was off to meet colleagues.
The Brooklyn student giggled to himself. Then said, "See, weird."
We smiled.
He went off.
I was left alone in the dark.
I waited for the bus.
So, I stood outside with this Italian kid from Brooklyn, dancing along to his sentences about observing an emergency Cesarean section:
"It looked like blood and yellow stuff mixed." he said, rubbing his hands together, then cupping them around an imaginary elongated orb. He swiched his hands like he was massaging a baby's head or an imaginary sack of mucous. He spoke as if he couldn't actually describe the taste of an exotic meat he had just tried, complete with smackings of the lips and pauses.
"The doctor had the knife in her and the placenta went POP! The yellowish red fluid was all over me, all over the doctor, and it hit the ceiling. It was on his cheeks . . . "
". . . he wore goggles?" I asked.
"Yes, he wore goggles."
I felt as if I was transported back in time 12 years, listening in horror, to my own lofty notions of equity, along with his blood and guts reality of life, death, and afterbirth.
Me and the kid continued to talk like old classmates except he was young and I was wiser.
"I am trying to move to New York." I said.
"I am from Brooklyn."
"Yeah?"
"New Jersey people are strange."
"How?" I asked.
"I don't know, they are just strange." he said.
We continued to hone in on this idea with the beams of the street light blaring. I wish I could have had a tap recorder.
Part Deux
"Hey, what time does the mall close?" a short stocky Taiwanese guy asked us. He was short and tan. He pimped gel spiked hair like a military Manga soldier. He said he was an entrepreneur, who got tired of looking at his paycheck and seeing that his bills were higher than his take home pay.
His lines were sincere but well rehearsed.
"My name is Hao."
Great I thought.
4 years of cross-cultural training has taught me that the hallmarks of an American Business Man is his ability to talk about sports all day. Then comes the pitch, but not before the awkward introduction by first names, which ignites a false sense of familiarity. The young Italian draws back.
"I am here looking for recruits.", his game was nothing that I have not seen before.
"I translate, as a freelancer." I said, hiding my true M.O. of international troubadour and cyber-bard with a literary overtone.
We exchanged numbers.
Brooklyn dragged on his cigarette.
The Taiwanese business man and I had small talk concerning business, but I was aware of his predatory nature, the law of averages, the idea of approaching 50 to get one customer, the idea of approaching 55 to get one recruit . . .
Then Hao was off to meet colleagues.
The Brooklyn student giggled to himself. Then said, "See, weird."
We smiled.
He went off.
I was left alone in the dark.
I waited for the bus.
dimanche 24 juin 2007
The First Time Is Always the Sweetest
Again, there is not much room for me to talk about music or film. Punk, Rock and Reggae are on the sidelines. I guess I am into Soul Ballads right now cause I got a Love Jones. We will see who will fix it.
This clip of Luther Vandross makes me remember what is so great about seeing an artist perform and speak/sing the truth. Watch Dione Warwick and observe the crowd. It is just as telling as the performance.
Endearing, to tell the truth.
But what a loss, and an irony that Luther never found the love he was looking for . . . or so they say.
This clip of Luther Vandross makes me remember what is so great about seeing an artist perform and speak/sing the truth. Watch Dione Warwick and observe the crowd. It is just as telling as the performance.
Endearing, to tell the truth.
But what a loss, and an irony that Luther never found the love he was looking for . . . or so they say.
dimanche 17 juin 2007
I Know Holiday and Hudson, but Houston also? Gotta Find Some More.
This washed up during a crazy study session.
I listened to it while re-typing my field notes (1 set is a total mess).
God bless the man that made the bootleg copy of this concert 21 years ago!
I listened to it while re-typing my field notes (1 set is a total mess).
God bless the man that made the bootleg copy of this concert 21 years ago!
vendredi 8 juin 2007
Bone-ology
St. Catherine as her own personal Katrina Survival Icon with herself pictured as the center avatar.Surveys as a concept are a bit junior-highish I know, but I do every one that Catherine sends me (she finds them therapeutic), and I promise, she is not junior-highish.
MOUTHOLOGY
Q. What is your salad dressing of choice?
A. Extra Virgin and Balsamic
Q. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
A. It’s a tie between Taco Bell (goes well with pornography) and Chick-Filet (makes me feel holy and repentant).
Q. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
A. Some crazy Thai place I go to with Ava. Drunken Noodles with Faux Duck is a dream come true.
Q. On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
A. at least 20% or more
Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick off of?
A. Sweet Plantains, File Gumbo, Avocado Salad and Roasted Chicken
Q. What are your pizza toppings of choice?
A. extra cheese and pepperoni
Q. What do you like to put on your toast?
A. butter and marmalade
MOUTHOLOGY
Q. What is your salad dressing of choice?
A. Extra Virgin and Balsamic
Q. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
A. It’s a tie between Taco Bell (goes well with pornography) and Chick-Filet (makes me feel holy and repentant).
Q. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
A. Some crazy Thai place I go to with Ava. Drunken Noodles with Faux Duck is a dream come true.
Q. On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
A. at least 20% or more
Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick off of?
A. Sweet Plantains, File Gumbo, Avocado Salad and Roasted Chicken
Q. What are your pizza toppings of choice?
A. extra cheese and pepperoni
Q. What do you like to put on your toast?
A. butter and marmalade
Q. What is your favorite type of gum?
A. Fruit Punch
TECHNOLOGY
Q. Number of contacts in your cell phone?
A. Don’t know, my shit is broken.
Q. Number of contacts in your email address book?
A. more than a hundred
Q. What is your wallpaper on your computer?
A. It is a honey bee that has landed on top of someone’s pupil. It is really beautiful though.
Q. How many televisions are in your house?
A. 4
BIOLOGY
Q. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
A. right
Q. What's your best feature?
A. I have strong legs.
Q. Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A. A tooth that shattered into 3 pieces in the middle of the extraction, which later called for a lengthier and much more expensive incision into my gums to take out what remained. I always have a health crisis when I visit my mom, last time I found out I needed glasses; and, that since one of my legs is longer than the other, my left foot has started to turn inward.
Q. Which of your five senses do you think is keenest?
A. Rhythm
Q. When was the last time you had a cavity?
A. I got one right now that I am hoping it will not turn into a repeat of the question two spots above because insurance will kick in during September.
Q. What is the heaviest item you lifted last?
A. a giant box of women’s shoes (baby there is a story there)
Q. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
A. No.
BULL[CRAP]OLOGY
Q. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
A. Hell no!
Q. Is love for real?
A. Fortunately and Unfortunately, yes. Last night I was thinking that love can be both diabolical (not in the Fatal Attraction sense, but in the sense that you can fall in love with a mofo that is not necessarily the best person for you) and divine.
Q. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
A. Something like Alban or Ignacio. You know?-- some exotic catholic saint name that starts with a vowel, or maybe a former Pope’s name like Urban, Pius or Innocent.
Q. What color do you think looks best on you?
A. Green and White.
Q. Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?
A. I used to swallow pennies.
Q. Have you ever saved someone's life?
A. A girl that was drowning in 10th grade gym class.
Q. Has someone ever saved yours?
A. My mother was on the phone with my grandmother when I was a toddler. I ended up crawling to the window and pushing the screen out, upon which time I was dangling from the 4th or 5th story window. A young boy passing by started to shout and my mother came and got me.
DAREOLOGY
Q. Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000?
A: That would be so easy.
Q. Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?
A. Is this offer retroactive?
Q. Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000
A. I would seriously consider it.
Q. Would you never blog again for $50,000?
A. No!
Q. Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?
A. Yes
Q. Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
A. Is this suppose to be hard?
Q. Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for $1,000,000?
A. No, terrible, terrible question. Bad energy.
Q. Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000?
A. I only watch the Sopranos and Flavor of Love Charm School as is.
DUMBOLOGY
Q: What is in your left pocket?
A: Nothing
Q: Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?
A: Haven’t seen it.
Q: Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house?
A: A little bit of both.
Q: Do you sit or stand in the shower?
A: Stand, this is America son.
Q: Could you live with roommates?
A: Yeah. I have done it all the time, but then again, with some people it is easy, with others it is impossible.
Q: How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
A: Gotta buy some.
Q: Where were you born?
A. Kansas City, KA
Q: Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
A: Can’t remember.
Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: A writer and to help immigrants coming to this country.
Q: Who is number 1 on your top 8
A: Curtis
LASTOLOGY
Q: Friend you talked to?
A. Ms. E
Q: Last person you called?
A: Some fools that are raping my bank account.
Q: Person you hugged?
A: Dennis
FAVORITOLOGY
Q: Number?
A: 8
Q: Color?
A: Green
Q: Season?
A: Oscillates between Summer and Fall
CURRENTOLOGY
Q: Missing someone?
A: Hell yeah! It is diabolical.
Q: Mood?
A: Ready to kick somebody’s ass over my bank statement.
Q: Listening to?
A: Nothing, believe it or not.
Q: Watching?
A. This computer screen.
Q: Thinking about?
A: How to get to the bank to get this legal action going against another party.
RANDOMOLOGY
Q: First place you went this morning?
A: Down stairs to my computer.
Q: What can you not wait to do?
A: Move to the Bronx.
Q: What's the last movie you saw and with who?
A: Been ages. I think it was Dreamgirls in March.
Q: Do you smile often?
A: Yes.
Q: Are you a friendly person?
A: Most of the time.
Q: Now that the surveys done what are you going to do?
A: Shower, shave and prepare to go to work. My boss said it is OK for me to come in late since I have to prepare to kick somebody’s ass over unauthorized withdrawals from my account. Fucking Internet age!
mercredi 6 juin 2007
Sex in Brooklyn
I am rocking this one right now.
I found it thanks to Joe's Kitchensofa.
I went to Hampton University, and fellow alumnus The Fuzz Band seems to be a compilation of all things vanglorious about Virginia Beach in the 1990's in my mind, with their neo-soul upgrade provided not by electronic remixing, but just some good down to earth guitar picking. A kind of revival of sophisti-pop, the track "Sex in Brooklyn" is a sort of American soul reduction -- a clarified amorous bouillon in the the spirit of Miles Davis. The trumpet player's phrasing is seductive, with delightful pauses that are unanticipated only by milliseconds. The result is that you are carried off with each note as if you are sipping a smooth brown and sugary spirit on the rocks.
I don't know much about the band, but their myspace page gives the impression that they are a bunch of travelling soul millennial troubadours with a repertoire that includes R&B, funk, house and brass inspired jazz dance jams. I still want to witness them in action. There is something very "my generation" about them that warrants a chance to become a true believer. Check out "Brooklyn Sex" and everything after.
I found it thanks to Joe's Kitchensofa.
I went to Hampton University, and fellow alumnus The Fuzz Band seems to be a compilation of all things vanglorious about Virginia Beach in the 1990's in my mind, with their neo-soul upgrade provided not by electronic remixing, but just some good down to earth guitar picking. A kind of revival of sophisti-pop, the track "Sex in Brooklyn" is a sort of American soul reduction -- a clarified amorous bouillon in the the spirit of Miles Davis. The trumpet player's phrasing is seductive, with delightful pauses that are unanticipated only by milliseconds. The result is that you are carried off with each note as if you are sipping a smooth brown and sugary spirit on the rocks.
I don't know much about the band, but their myspace page gives the impression that they are a bunch of travelling soul millennial troubadours with a repertoire that includes R&B, funk, house and brass inspired jazz dance jams. I still want to witness them in action. There is something very "my generation" about them that warrants a chance to become a true believer. Check out "Brooklyn Sex" and everything after.
lundi 4 juin 2007
Happy Notions and Potions
When I am down, I simply watch this video.
This is what I want to be doing at 80.
This is what I want to be doing at 80.
Baked
I have not been blogging. I have been saving up for a big blog entry dealing with heaven and hell through the prism of an early 1970's Mexican writer for my Unbeachedwhale blog site (in that way isn't writing like abstinence from masturbation, you save up for the big night?).
I won't give up anything more than that. But honestly, I don't know how J. and Prof. Zero keep blogging. I am in the middle of my first set of academic interviews in a couple of years, plus working my "survival job", and preparing for graduate courses in 3 weeks. I can't keep my head on straight unless I am focused on completing all my tasks one at a time and in a rapid succession. My motto is: "No one cares how you look at the end as long as you win the race". So, despite a cold and allergy attack (my body still has not told me which symptoms belongs to which ailment), I have been taking it one day at a time.
In between my Claritin enhanced moments, I have been wondering about the state of the world through different blogs and random moments on television.
1. I missed the Democratic debate. My attitude at this point is "Hurry, up and elect Hillary and get a war cabinet into place that can add without a calculator. Personally I would like to see Ted Kennedy and John McCain do a joint investigation and purge of all of Bush's yes men. Meanwhile, get James Baker on the phone.
Sorry, Barak Obama. I think you would make a great president at a different time. But this is not your moment. I say our foreign policy concerns out rank our domestic policy, but I believe that all American presidential campaigns are re-enactments of high school superlative selections. As one CNN voice box clamored, we want the guy who we could invite to our kitchen table, to be our commander and chief. I say we elect the most qualified.
There are some issues coming up concerning Hillary Clinton and her qualifications. Is she really a self-invention? And at the end of the day weren't both Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth I self-inventions enhanced and polished by an advancing middle class, one capitalist and the other merchantilist?
2. Been reading about New Orleans on Dambala and Profecaro's blogs. Besides being a bit depressing, their entries make me want to make a quick trip to my grandmother's house in Picayune, Mississippi and to the old New Orleans neighborhood of Treme.
3. Been contemplating the murder rate in NOLA. Not good. Plus, the pumps are also still broken. If another hurricane hits, it is going to flood again.
4. I just realized, I know nothing about what is going on in New York. I just work, and come home. Soon, things will be different. My Brazilian friend Tone is coming from Nashville, by way of the Amazon Rainforest (for real, he grew up in a city there called Belan). Maybe I will have some fun.
I won't give up anything more than that. But honestly, I don't know how J. and Prof. Zero keep blogging. I am in the middle of my first set of academic interviews in a couple of years, plus working my "survival job", and preparing for graduate courses in 3 weeks. I can't keep my head on straight unless I am focused on completing all my tasks one at a time and in a rapid succession. My motto is: "No one cares how you look at the end as long as you win the race". So, despite a cold and allergy attack (my body still has not told me which symptoms belongs to which ailment), I have been taking it one day at a time.
In between my Claritin enhanced moments, I have been wondering about the state of the world through different blogs and random moments on television.
1. I missed the Democratic debate. My attitude at this point is "Hurry, up and elect Hillary and get a war cabinet into place that can add without a calculator. Personally I would like to see Ted Kennedy and John McCain do a joint investigation and purge of all of Bush's yes men. Meanwhile, get James Baker on the phone.
Sorry, Barak Obama. I think you would make a great president at a different time. But this is not your moment. I say our foreign policy concerns out rank our domestic policy, but I believe that all American presidential campaigns are re-enactments of high school superlative selections. As one CNN voice box clamored, we want the guy who we could invite to our kitchen table, to be our commander and chief. I say we elect the most qualified.
There are some issues coming up concerning Hillary Clinton and her qualifications. Is she really a self-invention? And at the end of the day weren't both Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth I self-inventions enhanced and polished by an advancing middle class, one capitalist and the other merchantilist?
2. Been reading about New Orleans on Dambala and Profecaro's blogs. Besides being a bit depressing, their entries make me want to make a quick trip to my grandmother's house in Picayune, Mississippi and to the old New Orleans neighborhood of Treme.
3. Been contemplating the murder rate in NOLA. Not good. Plus, the pumps are also still broken. If another hurricane hits, it is going to flood again.
4. I just realized, I know nothing about what is going on in New York. I just work, and come home. Soon, things will be different. My Brazilian friend Tone is coming from Nashville, by way of the Amazon Rainforest (for real, he grew up in a city there called Belan). Maybe I will have some fun.
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