Saint Martin

In Caribbean islands' cemeteries you might  find authentic traces of popular culture.

Crimea or Maidan Poltics

Finally a rational view. Not a pleasant one, not a comforting one. Crimea, the Tinderbox - NYTimes.com:
Democracy cannot be had, obtained, because people are shouting in public squares. Do you believe all people shouting in public squares? The Russians in Crimea shouted and here is the answer. Russian troops helping. There are thousand reasons Crimea should not be in Ukraine. But nobody cared till now. And who decided that the demonstrations in Maidan were for democracy?
The demonstrators form flash crowds that weaken status quo but one cannot crowd source democracy.

Pete Seeger

Not naming names, just saying good night Irene. Pete, you are now in a heaven. This heaven is  your heaven. There is not much one can say but hum some of his beloved songs. 

Lacking human proportions

Out there, those floating  in the sky do not have a horizon. Nor do those digging in the depth of the Earth.

Our song...

Well sung. Well sang....so post it on Facebook

We’re living on a million tiny stages. Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook, YouTube. Dinner plates are showcases for our food, beds become venues for our slumber, selfies are curtain calls for our faces. We put our activities on display, our feelings, our families, our skies. We’re not quite sure if there is a point in doing anything anymore if it can’t be documented, if no one is there to observe it. We long for favorites and likes and reposts, compulsively monitor these new forms of applause. The marquees of our lives say, special guest: ME! We play an encore, and then another. The quotidian one-man show never quite ends.

Mind the gap - reflection

Horizontal through.
Check etymology of mirror, miracle, mirage.

Christie winning

Preparing for presidential primaries Christie is winning the the tea partiers.  He is towing their  line by closing the lanes of one of the highest traffic bridges in the country. F... everything and anything  just to punish Democrats - elected officials, or voters or their children.
Can you imagine! He might block all red state -blue state bridges....

Ephemeral MOMA

y 
Went to MOMA for the Magritte exhibition.  Not funny anymore. It might be a good pretext to bring young people in. They might understand some of his ideas and be less afraid of modern art. Agree fully with  this well written article. And yes, I am still moved by the Empire of Light, wherever it is shown.
Modern art is ephemeral. Ideas that are new but within half a generation are already incorporated in pop. The other exhibitions at MOMA confirm. A multi panel installation providing multi perspectives on the history of China. Even Isa Genzken's  concrete blocks seem ephemeral.

 

Dog eating dog tradition

Did Kim Jong-un throw  his uncle to the dogs?  The troubling part is that many have not considered this  just an absurd joke. Throwing someone to the dogs!  Turning a bad dream in reality.  Killing the metaphor by making it real.

But of course one should have recognized the joke. He only had his uncle shot by squad. Cultural misunderstanding? From the ancient Greeks, from the Romans,  etc western culture is full with such killings. Not to forget eastern tradition with its Chinese and Mongol succession wars.

Blackberries in the dark

Yesterday, on new year's eve, left work around 4:30. It was dark and the Pakistani street vendor was trying to unload all his reaming fruit. I bought his last ten boxes of blackberries for two bucks. Was so happy with my luck I almost gave him three. Whow, no better deals than on the last hours of the year, when everybody wants to get rid of their ware. Came home ecstatic (if such a thing were possible outside of porn texts). My best buy of the year! Should remember next year, one year from now!
When I unpacked my trove, discovered that most of the berries had mold. In mental pain, I sorted and cleaned the berries for thirty minutes. Never....

Multi-perv

What is a multi-perv? Who is a multi-perv? How many faces perversion can have? Can one corrupt nature in several ways at a time? Sounds exciting, but logically impossible. Just a trick to create publicity. Like multi-grain bread. Or 3-d screens.  Can one be multi fake?  A multi scam or a multi platitude, I presume.

Ducking reality

One of the main characters of a reality show said in an interview that gays will not go to heaven.... He was suspended from this show about  hunting ducks in deep Louisiana. What kind of reality is this when  the character's deep beliefs are muzzled? This is it - bearded white trash hunting ducks in rural Louisiana don't think gays will go to heaven. Isn't this the reality?

Professing

One of my father's teachings- the shoemaker does not know how to make good shoes, the tailor doesn't know how to fit a suit, the doctor is bad at  prescribing medication. How true!
Bush and the republicans waged a bad war and led the economy to collapse. The democrats and Obama cannot design properly a social program.
I know nothing.

Call in the desert

At the spa, I pitied this very fat woman that was collapsing under the regime imposed by her trainer. Probably would have collapsed even without a trainer.  At some point I walk past her and she calls: Wait. Wait. Let me read.   Don't bother I said. It was the text on the T-shirt brought by my wife from Scottsdale. If a man speaks in a desert where no woman can hear is he still wrong?  

Collapse

I asked this old Russian civil engineer about the roof collapse in Riga. He answered - Capitalism! Now people use software to design.
He missed one more issue. This was a green roof.

Easy to notice

In 1976, without  money and alone in Paris, all I could afford was visiting galleries. In a window I saw three amazing paintings. At least  amazing by my taste. The figurative was back in a shocking way.  This is the guy I said. It was Bacon. Yesterday a triptic of his beat all records.  Irony of ironies - representing his friend and competitor, Freud.

Police under surveillance

This blog has been under surveillance since the beginning. Remember how my only visitor was from England. A daily visitor. In fact I felt honored. Someone was taking me seriously.  So everybody is observed by one or several agencies. Like in the former Soviet Union.  They, the Russians,  were always at the forefront. They still are. When a comet struck, they, the regular civilians, produced hundred of photos! Why? Everybody drives with cameras on. Just in case they are stopped by police.

Princeton college visit

Wall Street is only miles away

Young girls pondering future during visit at Princeton. As for myself, I did not go in the free admission art museum. Had still half cup Starbucks grande coffee to finish.

Hanging

Noticed a TJMax store had never visited before. After five minutes had enough and was waiting for my wife when I noticed a jacket that seemed nice. The price made even more attractive. Fit me perfectly. A Brooks Brother label. Bought it. Not believing my luck checked the label again. It was Brooks Brothers all right. 2004 Spring collection. Imagine! hanging around so many years! My Sleeping Beauty. Home did not have the heart to hang it in the closet. Dropped it on the armchair.

Softly killing

Softly killing everything I love.  For instance the Onion. Haven't leafed one in years. Just following on twitter. And now it is abandoning printing. Makes me laugh and cry. My abandonment killed it. Like Blockbuster. Like Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Square.  NYTimes are you following?

finished work

Know yourself. Wisdom from deep antiquity. But they did not have mirrors?  How did they  see their own faces? In still water? In polished silver?    Don't recognize myself in photos. When I am forced to admit it is me, am totally horrified.  In fact not sure I remember how I should look. When did I ever look presentable?  For a long time I considered myself as a work in progress....
And now I cannot make this claim nor can I hide this finished work as we live in this age of incessant photo shooting. Hope the sage  meant know your inner self.

Empty

Lofty ideas, without the capacity to carry them out! Idealism. Obama and his government are really despicable for their negligence. To say - This is my thing, my signature. This is what will mark my presidency in the history books. And then not pay attention to the execution? Brave ineptitude. Giving ammunition to political and ideological adversaries without accomplishing much in exchange....Tarnishing a movement! With failure do accomplish what was within the possible. This president is pretty empty. Like his predecessor.

JFK uncovered

Will there be a time when one could talk freely about JFK. Tell some of the deeper truths? Like how his decision not to show in public with a hat had killed the stetson industry. What was in his mind? the hat might overshadow his aureole.  Cannot find a hat now. Camelot without helmets? Chivalry without panache?

Secret language

To define truth you need to create a pure new language .....that nobody will use.  Secret language or secret truth? Can this be?

Obama closing prospect.

The other day I was looking on Google maps for a location and by mistake I hit the address of a cemetery. Was prompted to be the first to rate that cemetery.  Wel,l now I know for what feature I could rate Green Wood Cemetery. -Speed around graves

to the lighthouse

Took a longer bike ride to see the lighthouse. Climbed a steep road and rode way past where I expected it to be. Had worked in that area for several moths in 2005 and had not visited it but had an idea where it was. Nervous I started to ask the rare jogger or dog walker. Go back. To the right. to the right you cannot miss it. Finally found it. No wonder I had not noticed it. It was very little, the little red lighthouse.

Distinguishing...

Talking haircut. My wife wants me to make an effort to look more distinguished. As you grow old you need to pay more attention to the way you look, you dress, you keep your hair. Look at Sean Connery, he still looks distinguished she says.  But I am not that old I say.
Apples and oranges getting old.

Psychology course

Who we are? A mix of dead and alive. Only some general pattern is constant. 

How we  think? We need clear categories although reality maybe a continuum.

How we behave? We follow, mostly we follow the orders of those that seem in power.

Obviously this is a FREE psychology ...course....

Breaking silence

She is a Brazilian woman. Always scantly clad, thin body, long black hair and edited large breasts. She used to walk around with a huge Labrador and twenty years ago she was very attractive. She is still thin with same size over-breasts. In twenty years I have not talked to her once. Not even hello! Yesterday she sees me in the elevator with my fancy bike and while descending fifteen floors she manages to tell me of three different people she knows and that had serious bike accidents. Breaking silence - horror stories.

Smile - a forced smile

SMILE! you're on Candid Camera. This was in the old times.
Now you are on government surveillance  tapes or Google maps or Facebook.  In fact I tried to get a photo of myself for Google+. Took 30-40 shots a different times. Could not get a natural smile. Or a smile at all. Looking scary all the time. I'm having a problem, most likely. Like - hard life. Or - hard future. I used to smile not matter what and when in danger, to be funny and laugh. Was it a nervous laugh? Is there such a thing as a nervous smile. I think it was a smile saying - This  cannot happen to me. I don't smile anymore. Life happened.

Does literature...?

Does literature make us better people? Is the question literature that one actually reads? or the books on the shelves? Well, here are some statistics.
My answer is NO! But I guess you are better person if you read at least two books. (after college, of course)
Why two? Well as the philosopher said.....hominem unius libri timeo. Or was it a saint who said this?

Pornography or machine gunning your ex

So you eliminate a group of propaganda singers. Including your former girlfriend. You kill them by machine gunning. Which one is the pornographer? Or you just tried to show that  N-Korea has militarily  advanced firing squads that do not use old fashioned guns anymore.
You should have better posted the videos on some ex-girlfriend sex site.

Beware! Apples, not oranges

You should know I cannot attend events that require color coded clothing such as black tied, white collared, with grey pompons, red hoods, brown shirts, silver linings, yellow on the face, polka dottted underwear,  blue blood, rosy future, sand watches, ( green eyes, ok), bronze casques, deep gold pockets, top hats or tan leather. No, no rainbow, either.
The true reason is that I wear only Burberry or blueberry or bluredberry. Whatever is on sale.

Master of the light?

Turrell thinks he owns the light, almost thinks  he invented it. But he only plays tricks, sometimes impressive.

but here you have an anonymous that stole the show. She definitely sees herself seeing,

at Guggenheim

 

The corridors are the most spectacular part of the exhibition. 
The top part of the wall is a fabric. The lighting is perfect.

.

Knautical knotledge

The knot seemed a combination of double-bowline-knot, treble-crown-knot,

back-handed-well-knot, knot-in-and-out-knot, and jamming-knot

Document No. 9

Of the seven perils , NYT lists only six.  This paper cannot afford a fact checker anymore? Or someone who can count to seven?

1. Western constitutional democracy
2. universal values of human rights,
3. Western-inspired notions of media independence  
4. civic participation, 
5. pro-market “neo-liberalism,” 
6. “nihilist” criticisms of the party’s traumatic past

Which is the seventh?  Drop the last veil...Meanwhile let me imagine....

Respecting clowns?

The clown's freedom needs to be absolute. To fall or get hit in the head. Or hit you with with his humor. Or makes you uncomfortable. You cannot ban the clown, but can throw rotten tomatoes at him.

Who am I?

Am trying to get a picture of myself to post on Google plus. Am getting only a mug shot of a guy mug shot of a sad and crosses eyed guy. Nothing doing. The photos are true to life but reality not presentable.
Is this me? Is this the guy who is known  in his favorite Starbucks  as Grande Bold?  Or am I the guy known in the deli as the salad guy ( with nuts!)

Visiting Bots!

Please be kind. Say you like my posts. Just hitting on me is not enough. Even if you don;t like irony, be friendlier.  Be polite.
Будьте доброжелательны. Поздороваться и оставить знак!

Bankorupt

Very happy with this contraction (contraption ?)
To whom should I dedicate it? Detroit? Banking system? Democracy? Myself

To the bridge - under surveillance

We sail around the cove close to the Battery. Never reaching Washing Bridge during the three hour outing. Not enough time. The wind is not proper. Tides not helping. Etc. I also bike along the Hudson but never go beyond the Fairway at 125 st.
Today, I rode past Fairway, almost reached the bridge. suddenly I hear police and fire trucks.  Police and fire boats. Helicopters roaming above the bridge. Asked an EMS guy what was happening. "Just checking the water" he says. Yeah! or celebrating my reaching or worried I was there.
































fire

John Who

My wife asked me this morning - What happened to John Edwards. Recognized the name but took me a couple of seconds to remember who this guy was. Am I staring to forget things, or this forgettable guy got what he deserved?

grammar domination

There are people who try to dominate me thru grammar. Even Google, my most constant reader,  sent me an offer of free grammar lessons. I studied Latin grammar and know how precise and laconic one can be. I would prefer  to be a grammar dom! but in English?  So too bad for those who don't like my sentences. Will not stop or bend. Language is what people make of it. Am sure will live to see my immigrant english become the standard.  Might feel then like Victor Frankenstein

Cravity

Need now to check every word in the Urban Dictionary. The other day tired to make a joke on black tie. Stopped myself just at the edge. Yesterday was going to comment on a lady's picture about how she was holding the fourchette. Stopped on time. No way to go in this cravity controlled world.

Cultural travels

 Was in a vacation in Vienna and Prague. Coming back, in the plane I was asked to fill the travel papers I realized I had no idea how to spell ...check. tscheck, cheh, tcheck, cheque....

Last laugh?

For centuries, the development of Vienna was limited by the possibility of Turkish invasions. Now, they just had a major ball in front of the Rathaus on a sultan theme. Yes, having fun! But in fact the Viennese Turkish population is getting bigger and bigger.

10,000 (ten thousand) apologies

Ten thousand visitors. Not many, but considering none of my friends is aware and visits....these are 10,000 people lost in ethernet, in a maze of words, dropped names. If you did not find what you were searching...apologies.

Freud's couch

Tourism is a walk on an unfamiliar street, where names are dropped on your head. Buttons are pushed. To help you relate and catch your interest. So what do I have in common with Freud?
Read recently Civilization and it's discontent. Not much else. That's what I thought till I found out the couch was gifted to Freud by Madame Benvenisti. A relative of mine. Most likely, if one believes genealogical trees.
As to the couch itself, it is in England. In Vienna only the waiting room....

Digging digs in Prague

As I walked out of my hotel in Prague I noticed a police station across the street. I discovered that there was another police station next to my hotel. Later, coming back, realized that the entire block across the street was composed of various police buildings. Well, at least I deemed myself in a safe neighborhood. Ther is also a bar called Konvikt on the street. Of course a remnant of the previous regime, where there was only one way from a police inquiry. Digging deeper I found on the Internet that my own hotel was a detention house (Havel might have slept here). and the church on the street had been used as a shooting range by the communists. Yes, Sir, I was in Prague, with history all over.