T.V.O.D.TM   “come sail your ships around me” Volume IX: Chapter 11  November 2003

We walk home past Dr. TF Chen, the artist.  His technique is to combine elements of famous paintings to create something new, emphasizing the cultural cross-aspirations.  It would work better if his technique were better.

Sunday, November 2 and St. Mary’s Episcopal is having a re-dedication ceremony after many years of work.  It was the church I attended when I lived in Laguna Beach in 1993.

The Episcopal Church finally consecrates the Rev. Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire, making him the first openly gay bishop.  From the Internet:  “The actions taken are an affront to Christians everywhere.  I am thankful that the church’s founder, Henry VIII, and his first wife Catherine of Aragon, and his second wife Anne Boleyn, and his third wife Jane Seymour, and his fourth wife Anne of Cleves, and his fifth wife Katherine Howard, and his sixth wife Catherine Parr are no longer here to suffer through this assault on traditional Christian marriage.”

We’re watching Donnie Darko.  I don’t find the lead, Jake Gyllenhaal, as cute as my gay brethren; he has a weird grin as you can see from the trailer.  My final opinion is that it’s a cult film with an obvious plot line.  Finally, it co-stars Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, and Noah Wyle [yes, for some reason he spells it differently here].
 

Tuesday, November 4 and it’s Election Day.  Dinner at Café Deville.  We start off with a caipirinha and a Blue Moon martini (vodka, pineapple and blue Curaçao, $10), and appetizers of ceviche ($9) and lobster bisque ($7).  Entrées were steak tartare ($14) and onglet echalotte (a $15 hanger steak).  Along with two Pinot Noir (gratis) and espresso ($3 each), the total was only $66 after the discount.

Wednesday, November 5 and The West Wing continues exploring the confusion in the post-kidnapping period of President Bartlet’s second term.  This episode deftly takes into account the real world, including a tornado.  Much like Law & Order with its stories “ripped from the headlines” of America.

CJ: We can’t put a lid on the story, but we can try to control the Schadenfreude, make sure he’s still standing.
Donna: Schadenfreude?
CJ: You know, enjoying the suffering of others.  The whole rationale behind the House of Representatives.

As Dolly Parton once wrote in her diary, “Why should I commit suicide?  I’m waking up dead every day.”  She would relate to our theme in outer space.  Robert Duncan McNeill directs Twilight, a new episode of Star Trek: Enterprise. The fifth dimension is a recurring theme, and the world comes to an end — but saved by the end of the episode.  We see what Captain Archer’s life would have been like if he had spent the next decade with short term memory failure.  Yes, he would have spent it with T’Pol!  Themes of honor and self-sacrifice suffuse the plot.

Thursday, November 6 and I call Thom Lane, one of my oldest and dearest friends in the world.  Then “Lunch & Learn” with NY literary agent, Lori Perkins, speaking about the evolving role of the agent in today’s book industry.

L. Perkins Associates represents about 75 authors, and named by Writer’s Digest as one of the top agencies.  In addition to her 18 years as an agent, Lori Perkins has taught literary agenting and journalism at NYU, and authored several nonfiction books, including The Insider’s Guide to Getting an Agent and Finding the Agent Who’s Right for You.

Friday, November 7 and lunch at the diner.  I marinade FreshDirect shell steaks, and buy a couple of bottles of the 2000 Beaulieu Vineyard Merlot.

In the evening, Soft Cell’s greatest hits.  Thank you to Marc Almond and Dave Ball for a song that gave thousands of dancers at Spit ... pleasure.

Realplayer says, “Sex Dwarf has one of the greatest titles for a song ever.  Their debut LP, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret remains a high-point in sleazy synth pop.”

Saturday, November 8 and I get the new edition of Q, with the best hits of 2003.  But if these are the best hits that the year has to offer, well, that explains why music sales are down.
 

Sunday, November 9 and St. Thomas, Fifth Avenue is having a Remembrance Day service with the Gabriel Fauré Requiem.  Kim wrote to say that Grand Opening celebrated its 10^th anniversary today.  I told her many years ago that it was a very, very bad business decision.  She is now a millionaire, so there.

Vegetarians, jump ahead now.  Bryan and I went to the Outback Steakhouse on 23^rd Street.  Yes, the temple of temptation for obese Americans.  Appetizers of coconut shrimp ($9) and shrimp cocktail ($11) and then meat, meat, meat — a melt-in-your-mouth rib-eye steak (with salad and baked sweet potato) for $27 and ribs with salad for $21.  We wash it down with a couple of margaritas ($7) each.  Total is $100, plus tax and tip.

Monday, November 10 and the guest speaker in class is Charles Halpin, general manager of Pubeasy and Pubnet, part of Bowker.

Dinner at Café Deville with my 20% off card; half a dozen clams (little necks and top neck for $7), skate over greens and rosemary potatoes (very nice for $14), and a nice glass of Bello Stento chianti ($10).  The discount brings it down to $30, before tip.
 

Recently, Sister Wendy Beckett spoke to A&U talked about living the full life: “No one can live life for us, and that loneliness is an essential element in growing into the courage and determination that mark one as mature.  It is worth commenting on the shortness of even the longest life and the absolute necessity really to live it, and not drift through it, zombie-fashion.  To be careless with life is a crime.”

Tuesday, November 11 and what used to be Veterans Day.  Instead of class with Loretta Barrett, I am attending a MediaBistro event at La Belle Epoque.  Michael Wolff is giving a talk.

I haven’t seen him since we graduated, but have kept up to date by the press; plus, we have corresponded via e-mail.

Michael Wolff is self-deprecating, self-aware, and charming.  I think he’s amused that I’m there, and tells the audience that we went to high school.  We chat afterward.  When I leave, I ask the chauffeur outside about his new Cadillac; it turns out he’s Michael’s driver and seems to like him.  Always a good sign, I think.
 

In his new book, “Autumn of the Moguls” he writes:  “The media business is collapsing.  The structure is caving in, like a monarchy, or colonial rule, or communism.  The handful of companies that control the consciousness of our time are trembling and heaving, about to fall victim to internal weakness and external obsolescence.” Autumn of the Moguls: My Misadventures with the Titans, Poseurs and Money Guys Who Mastered and Messed Up Big Media, by Michael Wolff. Copyright © 2003 by Michael Wolff and published by HarperBusiness, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

Wednesday, November 12 and Jude Goldberg arrives in the evening.  She has finished 3 months in Toronto shooting Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse and is staying at the Marcel Hotel.
 

The West Wing episode is “Separation of Powers” — Toby (Richard Schiff) wants the ailing chief justice of the Supreme Court (Milo O’Shea) to retire, opening up a spot for a Bartlet appointment.  Trivia — Milo O’Shea played Durand Durand in Barbarella; and yes, Duran Duran took their name from him.  I hear rumors of guest Matthew Perry from Friends making the transition to the drama.  It would make sense as an amuse bouche before his next project.  Perry recently said, “I think The West Wing is as good as it was ... which is an amazing accomplishment given the genius of Aaron Sorkin.  I would say it’s slightly more of a team effort over there.” Speaking of the West, on Star Trek: Enterprise our heroes wind up in the Wild West, but on another galaxy!

Thursday, November 13 and the door buzzes; it’s Jude, with Pepe and his friend Ian in tow.  She takes a picture of the boys with her cell phone, which is rather cool.

I discover Netscape Radio; hey, I might have found an interesting and accessible Internet radio!  I’m listening to the Top Dance channel, and Dave Gahan’s “I Need You” remix.  Quite cool.  Oh my, Yello are still in existence, and as removed from the world as ever!

Friday, November 14 and Jude is at the movies, seeing Sylvia and Scary Movie 3.  She is such a meat lover that we decide on the Flea Market.  She starts with pistachio-encrusted paté, followed by steak tartare (without the raw egg); Bryan has escargots followed by the tartare (with oeuf au maison); I have a warm duck breast salad, followed by onglet (hangar steak).  We also have a bottle of white wine, to wash it all down.

Saturday, November 15 and Jude spends the day with Pepe and Ian, going to South Street Seaport and walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.  I reach them having sushi at Mie!  I run down and take a picture of them.

Later, Bryan gets faux Mexican while I have a drink with them at Dick’s.  We go to bed watching MadTV and Saturday Night Live.  The first is getting better, it seems; at least not as bad as the latter.  But Alec Baldwin was charming — on both shows!

Sunday, November 16 and we get Jude, driving directly to the  Guggenheim Museum to see the James Rosenquist exhibit.  I never realized it is next to an Episcopal church.

Jude takes the wheel and drives to 57^th Street, across Columbus Circle (see a panoramic view), past Lincoln Center, up Amsterdam Avenue to St. John the Divine.  We go inside for a moment before continuing up to Harlem, past the Apollo Theater, down Riverside and Morningside Drives, and into the traffic in Times Square.
 

I finally find a parking space in front of John’s Italian.  We eat there because I have a 25% off coupon!  My notes say that Jude had clams and the chicken arregenata.  I split a hot appetizer plate with Bryan (eggplant, stuffed mushrooms,  clams, etc.) and then the veal arregenata with spaghetti.  He had chicken over spinach. Just before we leave, we notice 3 guys looking at old movie stars, whose pictures decorate the walls.  It’s author and critic Dale Peck, looking surprisingly good.  Pepe meets us at Dick’s after dinner before leaving with Jude; they are leaving for London in the morning.

Monday, November 17 and Bryan is at jury duty.  Note:  He sees Don King while he was there, perhaps as a juror!

Born in 1933 in Grand Forks, ND, James Rosenquist had quit painting billboards by 1960 and rented a studio in Manhattan, where his neighbors included artists Robert Indiana and Ellsworth Kelly.  James Rosenquist was included in group exhibitions that established Pop art as a movement.

James Rosenquist achieved international acclaim with his room-scale painting, F-111 (1965, detail above).  In addition, he has produced prints, drawings, and collages; Time Dust (1992) is the largest print in the world, measuring 7 by 35 feet.

James Rosenquist continues to produce large-scale commissions, including the recent three-painting suite The Swimmer in the Econo-mist (1997-98) for Deutsche Guggenheim, and has a painting planned for the ceiling of the Palais de Chaillot in Paris.

Tuesday, November 18 and it’s Angel’s birthday.  She’s Bryan’s niece and now she is 9 years old.  Bryan and I have a nice, quick lunch at Mee Noodle Shop (sweet and sour pork, and a double sautee pork).

At Circuit City, I purchase a new 5 megapixel digital camera, the Sony DSC-P92.  Tonight, Loretta Barrett class has a guest speaker, novelist MJ Rose.

I have dinner at Pangea; a bottle of Sangiovese, arugula and pistachio salad, and spaghetti with Italian sweet sausage, spinach, fennel and sun-dried tomato sauce.

Wednesday, November 19 and Korean food at Kori, 253 Church Street.  It’s actually a touch better than where we eat in Little Korea; we have a box lunch for $9 each (the total bill is just under $30).

Dinner at Mie; the total bill is $56, plus $14 tip.  Also, having Mr. Suzuki pick my fish is not omikase.  That is more of a conversation via fish, and occurs during the course of the meal at the sushi bar.
 

Thursday, November 20 and the Rodeo Bar for drinks with Sarah and Anthony, for his birthday.  I must say that the food there smells great, but tonight was just for drinking.

We have dinner at Virage; a couple of cosmopolitans are accompanied by a Greek salad and bowl of French Onion soup for me, and a warm Portobello salad and Middle Eastern appetizer assortment.  Total was $50.

Friday, November 21 and Bryan’s case ends early, before noon, and so I meet him at Houston and Bowery to go for a walk.  The day is absolutely stunning and warm, almost 65°s.

We head down to Café Lebowitz, at 14 Spring Street, where we have lunch.

Two glasses of Prosecco ($7 each), split an appetizer of grilled asparagus with caviar ($7), and a couple of sandwiches — ham, brie and arugula on baguette ($7), and a pan bagnat (tuna salad with hard-boiled egg on roll for $9).  The total of $37 and tip of $7 make this an elegant, but affordable repast.

In our walk, we check out Lighting by Gregory, Bryan has his first-ever hot dog at Katz’s, and we see Jerry Stiller being filmed outside Russ & Daughters.

Saturday, November 22 and it was forty years ago that John F. Kennedy was killed.  Yeah, I remember where I was.

“Party Monster” has the best soundtrack I’ve heard in years.  And the Macauley Culkin rap reminded me of Peter Cook in Bedazzled.  Other than that, it was a tough movie to watch … because it was so rotten!

Sunday, November 23 and Bryan orders a pizza from Giorgio’s … which needed more time in the brick oven.  I settle in with a bottle of Beaulieu Vineyards Merlot and work on the website.

We actually go for a drink at Dick’s and the Cock; my, but the sexual heat is high there!  Jon Jon is spinning, and while Bryan isn’t attracted to the young blond thing, uh, thing, he does enjoy that era’s music, including Nirvana, Def Leppard, and Madonna rock remixes.
 

Monday, November 24 and it’s been a long time since I’ve watched the DVD of Satyagraha by Philip Glass from beginning to end, and I forgot how moving it is.
 

Rick Berlin sends this quote from WS Burroughs, in a letter to Jack Kerouac in 1954, regarding his disapproval of Buddhist ways:  “You were given the power to love, in order to use it, no matter what pain it may cause you.”

Tuesday, November 25 and I have my final paper due this evening; it’s an enjoyable class with Loretta Barrett.

After, I have drinks at Peculier Pub [sic] with Anthony, Michelle, Claire and Stephen Acunto, whom we see on the street.  Bryan and I go to Mary Ann’s for dinner.

On the latest Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the guy has a toupee, but also a wife and three kids in West Orange, NJ.  And yes, this is a pitiful excuse to show this old advertisement for Jai Rodriguez singing at XL, a gay lounge.

Wednesday, November 26 and it’s a good excuse to show off Conner Trinner’s body [as Tucker] and give T’Pol a chance to be sexy in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, directed by LeVar Burton.

Bryan is watching the Barbara Walters interview with Martha Stewart, James Lipton’s Actors Studio with the cast of Will & Grace, and half of “The Banger Sisters” with Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarnadon and Geoffrey Rush.  It’s not a bad movie, but somewhat predictable.

Thursday, November 27 and Thanksgiving; personally, turkey is not my dish … lasagna is.  So, adopt-a-turkey ... please.  The Flea Market had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but the turkeys are happy because neither one of us has it for an entrée.

Starting with a Ketel One martini and a glass of Italian Cabernet Sauvignon, our appetizers are escargots (a Bryan regular, now) and onion soup gratinée (no, they don’t call it French onion at a French restaurant!).

Bryan goes with steak tartare, and I have the shell steak with Bernaise sauce.  Actually, the hangar steak is a better deal here; not only $4 cheaper, but somewhat tastier.  Still, no complaints as we move on to dessert, espresso with mousse au chocolat and chocolate soufflé (actually a chocolate cake, even as noted on the bill).  Our desserts were complimentary, so the total was only $70 plus tip.

Friday, November 28 and I see Billy Bob Thornton in “Bad Santa” — don’t ask, it was the only choice.  Surprisingly, it isn’t half bad.  Odd, as his costars are Bernie Mac, John Ritter, a black midget and a fat kid. But it could have been worse, and the critics like it.

Music from 1000 Homo DJ’s “Supernaut” and the Revolting Cocks (“No devotion — The voice of God means nothing, anymore.”).  I couldn’t say those names when I was on WFNX.  The songs come from the Black Box collection from Wax Trax; I also listen to Pailhead (“Please don’t ask me — I will refuse!”) and KMFDM (“You’ll be Godlike.”).

Saturday, November 29 and the gray drizzle of the day overshadows everything.  Dinner is in the East Village at Haveli, the upscale Indian restaurant at 100 Second Avenue.

After an assortment of Indian hot appetizers ($6) and “dal papri” ($4), we moved on to a “balti” (a mixed chicken and vegetable dish in a bucket), and a “non-vegetarian thali” (yes, meat).  This is an assortment of small dishes set on a platter; both are $15 each.  We also have too many breads and assortments; along with drinks, the total was $77, plus tip.  And all of it good.
 

We caught John Leguizamo at the Broadway Theatre.  The cost to us?  $3, due to Audience Extras.  I agree with the critics assessment of the Latin flavor, but there are times that the “lady doth protest too much.”  TimesSquare.com says: John Leguizamo’s one-man performance looks at his life: relationships, family and Latino culture in the mainstream. Sexaholix … A Love Story is a comedy marking John Leguizamo’s life from his last Broadway show, Freak, to today.  What makes him successful is the uniqueness and universality of his material, although it helps to be Spanish to understand the arousal of two young brothers finding nudity in the encyclopedia, the disastrously funny intricacies of the sex act, an old man with a stroke and bladder control problems and - finally - an enactment of childbirth so graphic, you feel you can assist next time.

Sunday, November 30 and I’m on the bus to Cranford, and relaxing with my mother at home.  Dad is hunting in Pennsylvania, as is usual for him over the holidays, and I’m feeling guilty about missing Thanksgiving.  I’m glad I’m spending it with her, and we go off to Elio’s for dinner.

For an appetizer, we split jumbo shrimp, wrapped in prosciutto and served over a tomato remoulade.   She has the capellini with chicken, and I have a superb filet mignon served over escarole.  We each have a glass of wine and espresso, bringing the total to $60.

Once we’re home, we relax to another segment of the Dean Martin Variety Show tapes, bringing to close another month.

Stop!  Do not try to read everything; experiment with the hyperlinks in the sections that look interesting to you.  It may not go where you think.  Oh, and click on the picture of Rosebud before you leave.  Now, THAT is beautiful, just beautiful!

Culture This IS t.v.o.d. © 2003 Anthony Francis Vitale for the T.V.O.D. Companies

Dear Anthony, remember the scene in Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn dressed in a black turtleneck, tight black pants, snapping her fingers and dancing to jazz in a Parisian boite?  Then Fred Astaire joins in?  It could have been nyc.

New Yorkers always wore black.  Not in the numbers of today, but the downtown people, first the bohemians, the early artists who wore jeans when they were dungarees with black turtleneck sweaters and berets, then the beatniks and early hippies, before the tie dye period.

Women wore the black suit to work when they started to enter the work force as professionals.  Glamorous women wore the little black dress all through the past decades, during the day and for evening.  Women generally only wear little black things in New York.

When you travel around the country, most of the women wear bright colorful clothes or really drab colors.  The urban sophisticate who is surrounded by so much stimulation only needs a few colors and great jewelry to feel really put together.

I always resent it when I see someone wearing black who really doesn’t appreciate the cut of the clothes — I refer also to the great black t-shirt.  We should all start wearing bright colors again, so all the out-of-towners will think black is dead, and then just as they start wearing their  turquoise clothes we can all jump back into our black.

I do love a great white shirt on men, and a really dark navy pin-stripe suit.  Nothing beats a black tux for a man, and a black dress for a woman, for looking fab.