Saw this chick hanging out and as you can see, i took a photo
Left DC Clothes make the man, sweatshops make the clothes Passed through 'Edgar Allen Poe' country, Richmond, better known for 'The Raven'
Charles Darwin got his ideas from an Economist, Adam Smith; he's on the $1 coin Economies are pretty much survival of the fittest at a low level, so too is nature
Had a transit at a town called Richmond, it's a nice summer's day, not cold like New York or DC, I’m whistling while I walk and a guy says to me, 'Where dat good weed at', it was at nowhere, I was just happy, ok?
I'm reading 'A quest among the bewildered' by Welf Zendik and he's clearly off his game, and I’ll give you an example 'With the language we were talking we could have communicated if she was an Eskimo and I was an Orangutan'
Ever seen one of these fellows?
German saying 'It's pointless running when you are on the wrong road'
Game Theory Reading 'A beautiful math', it's about 'Game theory', he explains why people, birds and fish watch fight's and why fights are more aggressive when people are watching, why because of REPUTATION People watch fights to learn what to in similar situations and learn about possible opponents People gossip because of reputation, why people help each other. If you have a reputation of helping people, people are more likely to help them I was thinking about 4 degrees of separation, from Polish soccer hooligans to the 'Brother's' hanging out in the corners of Harlem; they're all about their 'REPUTATION'
There were less white people there too
I read once that one of the hardest things to come back from is the loss of reputation, and I would tend to agree
Trust levels are a good measure of a countries economic growth
It gets interesting here The invention of the Clock, which was commissioned by the Catholic Church, conditioned Scientist's to think about the world in mechanical terms. Descartes and Galileo. Cause and effect system which paved the way for Newton to publish his Principia in 1687
Game theory is, in fact, all about understanding what choice would (or should) be made if all of the relevant information influencing the outcome of the decision is known.
Wharehouse party, ambient cave
Have to see what stage of the 90 days club I’m at; I could be banned if I join the 91 days club
Lincon Impressive our boy Abe, I made a few notes. When I got to the Lincoln Memorial a park ranger was giving a talk, here’s what I can remember. The battle of Gettysburg, the president of Harvard gave a 2 hour talk in the cold and rain, from memory and summed what the battle meant. 15 thousand people turned up, after 2 hours of this sort of thing, you'd be ready to head off to the pub, or what ever they had in those days. Lincoln stands up, no one expects him to be there, and he’s taking a big security risk being there. Lincoln reminds the audience that they are fighting to uphold the constitution
It was one of the greatest speeches ever made, it was printed in the papers and retold to the masses all over the country, and most of the country couldn’t read. The speech was meant to be retold in this fashion
Had enough yet? Don’t worry, there's more
Time came around to voting for a new president, the front runners were Abe (we're taking it all back) and some other general guy (lets give peace a chance, let them have the south), they voted for Abe and they were falling at a rate of 2000 a week
He signed an agreement that made slaves free if they dug trenches and cooked food for the war effort. This only made a handful of slaves free, but word got out and it wasn't long before people started heading north.
Window at Macey's
For Abe's 2nd inauguration speech he said that the South would not be punished if they rejoined the north and that people from the South that lost their husbands and fathers should be treated with mercy, a fellow by the name John Willks Booth, and wasn't to impressed and decided to shoot him 2 weeks later and he did. This speech paved the way for the South signing Amendment 13.
He had only 1.5 years of formal education, and was mostly self taught, reading at night with some smelly oil lamp didn't go down too well in his house He wasn’t to popular when he started off, he had 17000 in his army fighting the Indians on the frontiers
He made slavery illegal for any new states in the US He didn't have many soldiers and about 20 office workers to protest him when general Lee came up north to 'Have a few words' with him, word got out and the then US army headed out to 'Head them off at the pass' or Gettysburg, and they did, General retreated south to fight another day Lincoln asked for 75000 volunteers for 3 months more as a sign of solidarity to the South
Window at Macey's
When the first train came down from New York to Baltimore, 20000 people rioted, Abe wasn't a popular guy Lincoln suspended 'Habious Corpus', soldiers could arrest people speaking about rebellion and out went the trial by your peers, trial by military court, and they did, Lincoln meant business, he could do this as there is a clause allowing for this in case of 'Rebellion and Emergency'
Abe's statue symbolism His right hand is open, he's ready for peace Left hand clenched, ready for war He's holding a bushel on his left and right, symbolizes North and South, he's holding them The marble from the memorial comes from all over the US It's an emperor's chair He's wearing ordinary clothes with the flag behind him He's on the $5 bill
Window at Macey's
Went to see JFK's eternal flame (Old flames couldn't hold a candle to you), he's running up some gas bill (Marshmallows are strictly not allowed)
Went to the nations most sacred monument (the unknown soldier) and saw the changing of the guard, seems a bit excessive, compared to the changing of the guard in Sweden or Denmark, but there you go.
View from the Empire Estate
From New Hampshire to Canada and back New York to DC to North Carolina, it feels like I’m following the Fall, like the way the follow the Cherry blossoming in Japan, very cool. Went to Arlington cemetery and saw JFK's grave, they gave him an eternal flame. He's racking up some gas bill, and you’re not allowed to stick any marshmallows on it, the environment people, and the environment!!
Insert Lincolns Gettysburg address an his second inaurgal speech
A little bit of English history, Lord Nelson, victorious at the battle of Waterloo. Defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar (off of Spain) The French were about to attack England, they were at war for about 20 years. Lord Nelson died by sniper fire at the battle of Trafalgar as depicted in the JMW Turner painting.
JMW Turner is England’s most celebrated painter, he came from the working class, when rich people went to hear him talk, and most couldn't understand him. Most of his paintings are in America too. One of his painting was just a whole lot of colors blended in together, very cutting edge for it's time.
New York, New York
Went to the Natural History museum, we evolved from rodents it would appear, 40 million years ago big asteroids hit the earth, before you know it the Dinosaurs were dropping like flies, and the rodents that were living below ground came up, since they didn't have any predators, this was a good thing.
Friends on top of the world If the evolution time frame was 1 hour, the time us humans were here would be 1 minute, which might explain a lot, now that I think about it.
Met this cop coming out of the West end Opera house pub, he gave me a Winston Salem Cop badge
After staying up late, first to the party and last to leave, except the party was the couch sitting in front watching Sex and the City and Jackass, very civilized stuff indeed
Next day I up and went back to the Native American museum. On the way I saw some Government guy let his dogs use the rest room in front of the government people only, I might have got arrested for doing something similar. He turns to the dogs, two of them and says 'Come along Sonny' and I’m thinking 'It's a dog',
Dream time, I had a dream, not in a civil rights sort of way, a real dream, not a happy one. In the dream, I’m on my way to see Kieran, DC I think and I’m walking out of a bar smoking a joint and a Cop grabs me and informs me I’m going to book camp for 18 days, over Christmas, and I’m asking the cop if it would be ok if I just got out of the State or Country, no go, I’m going down, then I woke up and I’m saying 'I'm free', I was so happy.
Coltranes score for 'A love supreme'
Then, that night I went to see a play called 'A Christmas Carol 1941', it was Charles Dickens story, but set in DC, world war 2 era, what’s funny is that at the end the main character wakes up at the end after seeing the past, present and future, and says 'I'm alive', he was happy and was all about changing his ways. Not sure if I’m going to change my ways, today I went left, right, walked up and down the stairs, but was it the right way. No clue here.
Had a crazy guy staying at the hostel, he started out ok, but I think he lost his job and he hit the hard water. He came in one night while I was talking to 2 Swedish chicks in the kitchen with a radio and plugged it in listening to classical music, the station wasn't even tuned in, he was cooking alright in that kitchen, and he wasn't even using any pot and pans. Impressive stuff really. Don’t worry, the worst was to come.
Abe's hat
He started ranting on about God, 'Do you believe in God' in a serial killer voice and 'Have you ever slept under the stars' If backpackers were Mosques, would they blow them up? I wake up; the crazy guy spent the next few days sleeping under the stars, or locked up. I wake up, I’m free and it feels fine.
Went to DC, Chinese guy told me I could get a map at the corner store, turns out there was no corner store. Why didn't he just say 'I don’t know'
Wharehouse party in Brooklyn, The Danger party
And then I was thinking, if I see an Irish bar, I can see what the craic is, and there was one across the street, I got pointed the right direction and got a map, I was in business.
Something interesting Went to the Native American museum. Native Americans believed in 7 generations forward and backwards, your ancestors made a lot of sacrifices 7 generations so that you could be here and they think 7 generations forward, maybe a bit like chess players
Indians never say goodbye they say 'I hope to see you well when I see you again'
One tribe of Indians had a jump dance to make bad things and sickness go away The Shaker religion comes from this, the shakers were very popular about 150 years ago
South American Indians These ere boys liked to put gold in their fields because they thought it absorbed the sun's energy, they even tied gold to their crops. Gold was not used as a currency. So when the Spanish arrived and saw all this Gold on the ground, you could imagine the excitement. [Hmmm imagining]
Gold was used to fund the Renaissance, before the renaissance there was 50 years of bloodshed and mayhem, Switzerland had 500 years of peace and all they came up with was the cuckoo clock maybe if they had some gold it would have been a dancing Chicken (Thinks about it, nawwwww)
80% - 90% of Native American people were wiped out before the Spanish stumbled on the new world (lead by an Italian) It would appear Small pox showed it's ugly little head in 1493 in the Caribbean wiping out the natives in Jamaica and Puerto Rico before coming up more north.
Interesting European timelines 1581 potatoes arrive in Europe 1603 tobacco goes to Asia by Iberian merchants So too for Corn and Chocolate Monks guarded the chocolate recipe for a long time and the drink was only for the elite 1740 Corn fuels the African population fueling slave trade
3 of the biggest influences on American history, native Indians call them the 3 Storms Guns, Treaties (most of them were broken by the Americans) and religion
Highlights of DC Day 1 Couldn't have a beer as I couldn't prove that I was 21 or have been 21, ID is very much-required thing, no beer for me, i could have had man boobies and pants up to my neck with my personal nurse wheeling me in the door
Broadway,brladway, Hemmingway, oldway, newway, wrongway (go back) where would we be without you?
I'm going back BroaDWAY, wait for me wont you?
Went to the longest running play on Broadway, it's been going for 20 years, not sure why it's been going that long. Mark Twain would have done a better job, and he's dead (Mark Twains play is called 'Is he dead')
The leading actress has only missed 4 performances in 20 years, not much time for holidays, 10 out of 10 on commitment
Went to Brooklyn for the Danger party, went on the wrong line, then I went on the right line, the L line to be correct.
The Warehouse had 2 rooms, a back room and a main stage for bands and DJ's, the back room had ambient, phycadelic dj's and the like in a TINFOIL cave with small lights overhead, very very cool. It was like the side tents at festivals. When I stopped dancing most of the people had left, so I left, excellent night.
They had dancers in costume on stilts, one guy blew up a balloon and got into it, some other people were hanging from the ceiling, there was nearly too much to look at with DJ's going on in the back, I have photos and videos to prove it, haven't got any more words for it.
Woke up next morning bursting to go to the toilet, some English guy is doing his hair, I had to let 20% off into the bin. You understand don't you?
Last Day in NY
Went to see the Rockettes in Radio City again. 'Let Christmas shine', and it was off to see Monthy Pythons 'Spalmalot'
Next day, I tried to Leave NY, got the train up town instead of downtown, came out a guy said to me 'Go up cross the road and go downtown', I did that and bought a ticket and I’m standing on the platform and I recognize the same guy on his laptop and Chinese woman that's in the same delema as meself and she's empathizing as best she can in half English and Chinese.
Speaking of Chinese, the place where I had my General Choi Chicken, the woman taking the orders was talking to someone on the phone one time and she said 'No you cant talk to my husband, he don’t speak English' You could get by on Spanish and Chinese and never have to speak English, American English, English English, or Ghetto!!!
My little tram ride cost me $6 in the end, might have been cheaper to get a taxi.
Oscar Wilde - Be yourself, everybody else is taken
Finally got some sense and started with moisturizers for my face and it went from being a desert to an oasis '...Trip inside the eye of your mind, don’t you know you might find', not the band, the place in the desert. But I cant imagine any camels parked on my face for water. Not my cup of tea
Female stimulation required, until a point, maybe after pancakes, then, I have to go over..............................here. :)
Was at a bar last night and some guys from Brooklyn were throwing hot candle wax at each other, Hot stuff!!! Went out another night to a bar near Canal st, Moomia, the place was painted like an Egyptian burial chamber, there was even an Egyptian coffin in the basement.
Went on the NBC tour Conan O'Brien and Saturday night live, when I came out I could see the Rockefeller Square, 3 guards and 1 cop guarding the Christmas tree
One of the highlights was going to see the Rockettes at radio city, and it was a highlight once more, because I went again, if I was a kid it would be one of the best days of my life (This is one of the disadvantages of getting older)
Went to Broadway saw: Mark Twains 'Is he dead', good phrase 'Don’t worry, it gets worse' Phantom of the Opera, not cheap, even at half the cost $61, then went to a great gig at club 55, near perfect day!!!
Interesting things i learnt with my eyes Andy Warhol - Art is what you can get away with. Perfume is a great space filler, I love wearing perfume
One to think about English saying 'Do you worst', if you can't tolerate you worst now and again. How true to yourself can you be?
A bit of research what was the Irish myth 'The hell fire club' doesn’t sound very Irish does it? I read this 'Hell is a permanent and crippling form of self loathing'
Check out 'Delirium Tremens' - Christy Moore
New page, fresh canvas. Lets see if it will be any good. Remember no exceptions, no surprises, not here anyway Went to hang out with Jackie (after her job interview), had coffee in Little Italy and then went for beers (after trying on some Cowboy boots) in Americas busiest station
Had a great night, Jackie’s friend was into collecting antiques, a regular Lovejoy (English series starring Ian Mac Shane) He had a lighter for $450, Tiffany’s, not my thing, too cold to smoke, too cold for a lot of things. Flash back of the song 'Too drunk to fuck'
One of Jackie’s greatest moment's 'Not admitting anything or omitting anything'
Last daze in the big apple Went to club 55 for a gig I was assured would be better than Stern, Mr. Mike Stern, and it was good. Qing for ages, didn't make it to the great gig in the sky or the Lower east side. Too cold for venturing around the city. That’s why people take Taxi's, I like to keep it real, it works out cheaper that way and maybe better maybe, maybe.
Went to Circus de Sole, Wintuk, it's about a boy and his wish to see it snowing, He should go to Canada, plenty of snow there. The Circus is from Quebec, tones of show there, but they measure it in meters. I came out of Madison Square garden and it was snowing, problem solved.
The Wintuk program was $15, people must be growing money on trees, saw apples for $1, must be growing them on trees too.
A guy today asked me if I was Jewish, I nearly laughed, but on reflection, I am circumcised, and if I was to switch (from what you'd be forgiven for thinking) to the religion that Jesus practiced, it wouldn't be a problem as long as I wouldn't have to do anything.
Went to the 25th Annual spelling B, very good.
Went out with a South African and some French guys and the most boring Aussie I have ever met. The South African was so sure of himself, just another left, one more block, he eventually hailed down a taxi for directions (big mistake, they don’t give directions) and he was just about to open the door and the taxi took off, we were so pissed off and it was so funny, we had to laugh, hard!!
Ended up going a club that had just opened, the South African had plenty of gay guys hit on him, he wasn't too impressed, something is always better than nothing. So then the French guys start smoking, because some other guys are.
But interesting enough, Carolina in one of the few states where you can smoke in Bars and Restaurants, the state was founded on Tabasco, no ill affects, not financially anyway.
Went to see Chicago the play, not really my cup of tea really, but it is the US of A, and they drink piss weak coffee.
Discovered a really cheap Chinese next to an Irish bar near Madison’s square garden, what a winner, General Choy’s chicken was a winner a few times. I'm getting plenty of chicken and beef.
Had a flash back of a quote a bus driver said to me driving to Doolin, near the Cliffs of Moher 'Dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit'
Went to the village, saw a blues guitarist that looked like the guy out of driving Miss Daisy, Ray Shinner, he was singing one song called 'Heavy women excite me', really good stuff.
Saw these girls in NY, very good
Went from there to blue note jazz club, saw 'Andy Bea', I’m not much of a fan, the write up on the program sounded very good, then was next door to 'Groove', lots of celebrity photos, there was a great band blowing (It is NY and that's how they do it). It was pissing rain outside, dry inside, lovely
We're all strangers until we become friends.
Jackie's site is www.ireallydontwantajob.com
I read this one-day walking from Queens to Manhattan, 'The love of music is the love of rhythms'. Speaking of that, that day I walked over 2 bridges, and eventually got to Spanish Harlem, there's guys hanging out on the corner saying things like 'Motherfuckin' niggas up in this mudafucker', then I start coming into Manhattan and there's women walking poodles, the poodles have shoes, and there's people selling Diamonds in the shops.
Called into 'Cafe Wha', as it turns out, that's where Jimi Hendrix was discovered. There was a great band playing and even the waiter sang a verse, had to tip a bit extra, it's not everyday the guy serving beer is as good as the band.
I call this bit 'Things you were a bit unsure about or just plain ignorant about' Subterrianians - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Subterraneans Herbivore - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbivore Mammals; they have hair, mother has milk and they have a hearing bone.
I was thinking about one of the signs of the body’s exhibition. There's only a .01% difference between a vegetarian, Neo-Nazi or a Somalian farmer using 20 litres of water a day or an American using 200 litres a day.
Been a long time, been a long time and now here it is, this is it.
Since I last wrote, I checked out of 'Rancho relaxo' in Queens and moved into Chelsea, and do you know what? It was a good thing, Chelsea was walking distance to all the things I wanted to do, Broadway and the Village.
One of the reasons I stayed on was to hear Mike Stern play at the Club 55, I was told he played there on Wednesday, I waited until Wednesday His wife showed up, Leni Stern, a German guitarist, she gave me a CD because her PA was broken. I gave it to Jackie. Good rhythm section, has potential.
Met an English guy, Oliver and he came to Club 55, I was talking to a chick from San Francisco, they went out for a smoke, in the freezing cold (Dedicated smokers) and never came back, that guy worked quick!
I met a guy from Manchester and told him about the gig, he came, he went out to 'Have a cigarette' with the chick next to us and never came back, funny. Went to 454 West 20th st, to see the house where Jack K. started writing 'On the road', my pilgrimage to Mecca. The builders waiting for a lift thought it was a bit strange for some guy to walk up and just start taking pictures of 1 house.
Read this at a market 'Anger grows in the bosom of fools' I’d be inclined to agree, now all I have to do is remember it. Went out one night with a Luke from Brisbane and we hit the Bermuda triangle of Jazz clubs in the village. We got to sit right up front in one place while they played Stevie Wonder and Hendrix, and as soon a they played 1 Hendrix, someone said '2 for the price of 1 Hendrix' and it was on again. Very cool.
Met 2 Irish guys one day while I was seeking shelter from the elements and that's all you would be doing if you were walking around in NY. One of them was from Wicklow and Clare. Nice guys, builders, end of story....now this.
Read this in some paper Aries - Wild Peals of laughter will surround you this week when your struck in the balls by cancer Gemini - You've tried to go it alone but, sadly, what the act of sexual stimulation needs is a woman’s touch.
Don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, I went to the bodies exhibit, saw damaged lungs from smoking, a lot of people must have been convinced of the smoking ill affects and ditched their cigarettes, and if you saw all the things that are wrapped up and stuck in your body and just seem to 'work', you would do it too. Came out of the bodies exhibit and had a beer and oatmeal burger, just had enough money too, very nice.
Met a bass player the other night and the conversation got to 'Mike Stern' and he says 'Oh, he's playing across the road when he's not touring' It turns out Mike Stern is not touring, but is playinf in the Club 55 on Wednesday, i'm going, very exciting, i saw him 7 years ago, he was playing with Dennis Chambers at a a drummers conference, no one except for me knew him, so i met him, he was relieved someone knew him.
To fill in space between then and Wednesday i went to the Bodies exhibition, very cool.
I came out and said, i'm going to take good care of myself from now on, which ways Mac Donalds. I was joking, bit i did have a beer and a burger, not joking
I've decided that the act of gental sexual stimulation needs is a womans touch We pick up the story from the other night, the other, one of the other
Meself and Gregory (French) go into a basement bar and it turns out to be an Irish one, with his team playing (on a big screen) he cant believe his luck, with great Buffalo wings (i cant believe my luck)
I start chatting to some locals (Gregory is throwing hie romantic look and it works on a local) everybody is happy, things are great.
We go off to another bar with the locals, now as i'm waiting in the subway just in from one of the girls, who's not far from 2 cops, whos not far from her friends, who are trying to work out the ticket machine, in steps a cop and wants to give her a ticket for loitering, very efficent.
I'm trying to figure out how to get a ticket for Broadway or Clobert, loitering is easy, too easy in fact. Walked all of Hells Kitchen and even passed the Hells angles clubhouse, hell yeah. Went to Madison Square Garden to see the New York nicks win, very cool, they won with a slam dunk at the end after losing up to the last 2 minutes, great end.
One of their slogans is 'The only way to get closer is to become a star', might have to give up pizza, hmmmmm, i'll think about that one
Some interesting tid bit's, they have the dog show there every year and they have to melt the ice because some of the dogs will sense the ice and scratch the floor boards to get to it. Elton John played there 60 times and he played his 60th gig on his 60th birthday.
Saw a woman on the way home with 2 little poodles (balls of fluff) and after much commenting on them she says to me Her: 'What's wrong with you', Me: 'I'm demented, whats your problem'
It could only have been funnier if it was Paris Hilton, one night in Paris...sighs :)
Some one was telling me their pet hates about New York New Yorker: Where are you from Her: Sweden New Yorker: 'Oh, I've got a friend in Grermany'
I, dont have any friends in Sweden or Germany, i dont see what the problem is, i think she was just over reacting
Heard a cool lyric (it sounded cool at the time and i wrote it down) Smashing Pumpkins 'The killer in me is the killer in you, i send a smile over to you'
Went up the Empire estate building, Cary Grant mentioned it on of his movies, his line was 'Lets meet at the top of the Empire estate building', good view, well worth doing, didn't meet anyone, but life can be like that
Some little things i read 'Anger grows in the bussom of fools'
Went to the Grenwich Village Bermuda triangle of Jazz clubs After the band played a Hendrix song, someone said 'Two for the price of one Hendrix', so they played another Hendrix, nice one
Read this in the Onion newspaper
Aries: Wild peals of laughter will surround you this week, when your struck in the balls with cancer
Well i'm from Ireland, Cork. Currently travelling South America. Hoping that by having a blog, something might click in that brain of mine, who knows ?
