Hurricane in New York?

Otherwise I really can't explain why it's so disgusting here this week! Yuck. Just a little FYI for y'all: if you move up here buy a rain jacket. My friend C just moved up here a few weeks ago and has actually not owned one since she was a little girl. First of all, since she's from FL I thought it was a pre-req. So I asked her what she did when it rained and she shrugged and said, "Sat in my car?" Secondly, sitting in your car is definitely not a NYC option, especially since you don't have a car. Unless you are incredibly rich and/or famous. Which I doubt if you know me. Because if you were you'd be having your secretary reading this today then calling me to tell me how wrong I am.

So we went shopping to get her a water-proof coat. She doesn't yet have the concept of New York rain. It's very sneaky. It will look like nothing, look like nothing and all of a sudden you'll be in the middle of a downpour. Craziness. I guess there's a lot that you can't understand about the city unless you live here. But I think par tof the reason rain surprises us is that we can't see it coming. No one is ever looking past the huge buildings that cover Manhattan, at least not far enough to see the storms coming in off the waterway. IT's really fascinating. Plus I told her it rains sideways but she didn't believe me. I think, now that we're getting itno the fall I'm going to keep an extra set of clothes here, because I know the day will come when I will arrive at work drenched.

The good news about having her just here and not really settled in yet is that she could bring me lunch, which was awesome. I love eatin gfor free especially since so much of my income goes to food. Guess that's why I eat such simple meals all the time. Haha. One day I'm going to make enough money to fix whatever I want for dinner. I am going to live in an apartment big enough to hold a full spice rack and have counter space and whip up gourmet meals. Now that's something to look forward too. There's a lot in NYC to look forward too.

We're almost at Labor Day and I've been watching little kids get their school supplies together. I used to love doing that stuff. I would pack my backpack like two weeks before and be getting up early before I realized that. So I'm watching the NYCkids pack up their supplies.

Hurricane Katrina

I think New Orleans is on everyone's mind today. It's been one year since the levees broke and the major city that was under sea level showed that it would withstand everything. We all heard horror stories about people stranded in the Saints arena and courthouse, of prisoners setting their own cells on fire to escape, of dead bodies floating through what was Jackson Square and the French Quarter. i remember watching television ,seeing people floating on old refrigerator doors and stranded on rooftops, desperately waiting for the help that would not even begin until 48 hours later. By far, this was the worst response in US History and I fully blame the government. One, for not repairing the levees several years ago when concerns of what a major storm would do to New Orleans came up, Two, for not responding any faster than they have.

For whatever reason, our government still seems to believe that the situation overseas deserves more time and attention than the one right here at home. I am sad every time I think of the Lower Ninth Ward residents, people who may have owned their home but were often way below poverty level. When Katrina hit, that was by far the highest death count, since something like eighty percent of the people who live there are unable to swim. More than ninety percent are barely literate, and hold down multiple jobs that don't pay much. They often have babies before they aren't considered babies. Crime and poverty rage around that area.

When Katrina hit, it just emphasized the racial divide. They were the last place helped, actually blocked off by the National Guard before they could get out of their neighborhood. There are stories of hte National Guard blocking off bridges and streets/canals, preventing people from escaping and causing them to starve to death on their rooftop or drown in the murky water. Bodies are still being found in that area, the latest one found in May in a home. Imagine, nine months later and we are still recovering bodies, still reuniting parents and children. People's families who are seperated are still away from each other, one parent having traveled North to work, the other in a FEMA trailer with children and other homeless family members, just waiting.

Waiting seems to be the name of the game here. Because that's all that people did when it happened, and are still doing one year later. One woman put it like this: When I told someone in charge what happened, they said I would need to call FEMA and tell them what had happened, where I would be. I said, 'I don't have a phone', 'I don't have a place to live', I don't know how to call you or where to tell you I've been or where I'll be.". She was exactly right. What phones were they supposed to use? These people had just lost their whole lives and President Bush is telling them to call FEMA and they'll be put on a list? What is most disappointing is that America is not set up for real disaster. That much is obvious. If we had been, we should have been in there within hours, pulling people out and transporting them to safer places.

Crime, particularly murder, has sharply increased. Thousands of people are crammed into FEMA trailer "cities" on the outskirts of New Orleans, living in swampy conditions with frequent power outages. Going in and out of the city is dangerous. Drug activity means there are often needles on the ground. Puddles that are too deep to dry out attract mosquitoes. People are crammed into singlewide trailers like sardines, often as many as 9 or 14 people to a single trailer meant to hold 3 or 4. Children sleep on sofas and dining room tables.

I can't help but wonder what would have happened if more places had been affected. If the hurricane had raged further up the coast, devestating the land and area around it. What would Bush have done then? Sure, it's hard to support a city of democrats who would rather lose their feet than vote for a Republican, but does that make it right, what was done? Does that make it okay to ignore an area of poor, minority souls who may not contribute back to Uncle Sam? I doubt it.

I Guess Gullible's Not Really in the Dictionary

I have been duped for the first time since moving here. I mean beyond the average "There are eight children and a dog depending on me and I just lost my job as a chimney sweep" I mean really I fell for quite a line. This morning coming out of my apartment, I ran into a man on the street asking for cabfare. He claimed to be working in the costume department of Sweeney Todd and offered me free tickets if I could help him out, saying he had locked himself out of his apartment and had to go get an extra set of keys. So I gave him some money and my name and number and he said he would restore my faith in humanity.

Maybe I just have some deephearted sympathy for gay men in theater or something but I fell right for it. And gave him the last of my money for the week. All on this hope that he would return with Sweeney Todd tickets for me. It's actually a musical I really want to see so I'm excitd about it. Or at least I was. I wonder if he thought i had plenty of money. I can't imagine my Old Navy hoodie or worn keds would be screaming that but what do I know. I was clean and showered.

Then again maybe poor people just have more faith than others. Poor people are more likely to gamble, play the lottery, lend a hand or some cash, feed those with less than they have. I know that I alwasy give money to charity even though there are weeks where I can barely afford to eat! I'm also the type of person that buys meals for homeless people sometimes and can't stand the thought of a kid not getting school supplies. There are so many good things in the world and if we don't share them what kind of world are we living in? I understand that during the Depression rich people gripped their resources even tighter, forcing many to starve to death waiting for enough work to pay for a single meal. Unless they had a ton in the stock market, many of the wealthier people didn't even change their lives that much, maybe trading in a nice meal or two but certainly not waiting desperately in work lines for something, anything that would put water and bread on the crates that served as furniture. Reading the "Grapes of Wrath" I was amazed at the human condition, the willingness of one person to work for next to nothing while the wealthy kept getting wealthier. I loved those scenes when the cops ran people out of "camps" for enxt to no reason just because they had been paid off.

Now I'm poor, living in a depression of sorts. I have to be more careful with money than I ever was during college. It's crazy to thing that just a couple of years ago I assumed a college education would be all I would need to get a decent job. Now I'm realizing that isn't the case, at least not in the world of humanities. The glass ceiling still exists and to get out of it we have to look beyond what is going on in our heads.

My boyfriend was kind when I told him I had given all the money I had left to this man. He said "I hope the good karma means something".

Me, too.

MayRose Comfortable Food

Located at 21st and Broadway at first you don't even really notice it. It's huge, for one thing, at least by New York standards, and just blends in really well with Gramercy Park area. But once you get insie, things change. For one thing, it looks like your stereotypical diner. Meaning that the chairs are yellow vinyl, and the tables are fake marble-top, and there are domed cakes sitting near a cooler full of Stewart's Root Beer and cream soda. The menu is exquisite. Not exquisite like escargot, but exquisite like every type of food you could ever want. Everything from mac'n'cheese to grilled shrimp. I'm not kidding.

I found it insane that there was so much going on in there. The waiters and waitresses for the most part don't seem to care if they come up to you or not. The atmosphere is totally laid back, not even flowers on the tables. THe space is even bigger from the inside and the crowd is eclectic. While we were there I saw a woman and her baby eating spaghetti, two businessmen arguing over coffe, and then there was us- some sorority girls, mostly southern enjoying planning for more serious events.

After looking over the menu, I ordered the "Blue Special" which on wednesday meant fish and chips- herby homemade fresh cut fries. How often do you get that? My friend B ordered an amazing looking burger that could come with mushrooms and guacomole. It was crazy. and it was pretty cheap. Yeah, I stuck with water, but I also shared a slice of carrot cake and ended up spending only $17 total, including tip! For all five of us the bill was less than $90. And that says a lot. Plus I was much more full than I had been in a long time. Which says a lot more.

Highly recommend it. It's almost down home cooking in the middle of Chelsea.

And I Heart New York Again

After what seemed years of heat built up into a short time period, I'm happy to say that the weather has become much more pleasant recently. I'm actually enjoying my walk to work and I'm arriving dry, as opposed to dripping with sweat. I'm in a better mood and I feel better even while eating breakfast with the cat. New York can be such a wonderful city when it's pleasant out. People have no idea how much better it is! No one should be allowed to visit during July. If you come here for the first time then you'll find everything on fire, people with nasty attitudes and waiting on subway platforms will be as torturous as hailing angry cabdrivers who will force you to puke. You'll find yourself burnt and tired with no pools anywhere and paying way too much for food in mid-town. I'm dead serious about that.

It's much better to just wait it out and find out hwo wonderful the city is. Fall and spring are definitely my favorite seasons here. I'm really excited about wearing a little more clothing and having the leaves change and everything becoming beautiful. It's a good thought. Really. It's also changed my attitude about working. I'm trying my best to be happy with the choices I've made, to do the best job I can possibly do, and to make a difference up here in case I'm not stayng forever. Too bad I can't afford to buy a place up here yet. If I could, I would do it and just hang on to it while traveling. When I was younger I dreamed about using New York as a home base. This was, of course, when I was positive I was going to be a photographer for National Geographic and would be traveling a lot. I had decided I would be living par time here, and part time in Kenya. Isn't it funny how selfish our dreams are when we're young? I can't imagine ever finding a man who would be willing to do that. Move around all the time, follow me even though I wouldn't be making much money, staying faithful to me while I'm all over the place for who knows how long.

I guess I've grown up some in some regards. I still want to pursue photography and writing and learning, but I feel like i can incorporate it in a much better way. I am who I am, i just like to think I keep adding on to the good parts of who I am. At least I hope so! My worst fear is that one day I'll wake up and realize the path I followed wasn't the best one for me, so I'm trying to avoid that right now by letting my head and heart work together equally as opposed to letting one outweigh the other.

Dada Exhibit at MoMA

Before I start with the intracacies of the Dada movement, I want to say it's one of my favorite in Art History. I used to hate everything related to Dada. When I first began my art history major in college, I was only really interested in Impressionism and early Renaissance. Then I finally took a class covering Dada and Early Modern. It was an irritation to me. Why the hell should i care about someone turning a fountain upside down or painting a red dot on a canvas and calling it artwork? that was before I understood that it was meant to be a mockery of the Art World as we know it. It came about during a time of unrest, leading into a terrible war and leaving us with some of the most important works of art in our world.

There is some controversy regarding who began the Dada movement, and where it actually started. I would have to say the roots definitely came out of Germany and Austria. That's where the term art de trouver really took off. But it moved, through France and into Switzerland, particularly during WWI. They felt safer in a neutral country, where they could do their art without persecution.

What makes Dada such as interesting movement is that it incorporatets political unrest with elements taken from other art forms (especially Primitive) and revives them in a way that people could take to mean various things. In this way DuChamp felt safe presenting a bicycle wheel on a stool as art while Jean Arp put together various collages that took in things from newspapers, old Dada magazines, and other elements. Often these were personalized, meant for certain people and in reference to private jokes.

Another element of Dada that is probably my favorite: the humor. There are a ton of pieces done as a joke in Dada. Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray first come into the m ind when one thinks of this, but Max Ernst is not far behind. Yes, there were plenty of pieces making political statements about what was happening with the worst world war known in history. But there were also pieces meant as a joke as artists and their populations tried to define what made art. The word "dada" itself is said to have been pulled out of a French German dictionary and means anything from "crap" to "a lot of nothing". Repeated over and over, it sounds like something a small child would say crying out for their father. So it perfectly fit this movement of artists looking for a place in their world and ours.

Your Place My Space

I went to the NYC Fringe Festival's "Your Place" play on Saturday night. It featured a couple of my friends, which was one reason to go see it, plus it was essentially making fun of MySpace. It was really funny to watch. Because, for the most part, it was true. We all get on myspace, have these crazy layouts and pretend we're super fun when in fact we're probably just sitting at work bored. I've even gotten into it and I've never been that crazy about web stuff before.

Naturally there's all this hype about all the bad things happening to people on myspace. Namely young girls who invite strangers over to their homes after posting their nude photos on my space. Surely there's a better way to get a date! But is there a better way to communicate now? We can't have real conversations anymore, preferring to type in everything. I have actually been receiving so many text messages in the last year that i've had to change my plan to accomodate themm- it costs everytime anyone SENDS one to me.

Then, of course, I write in this blog almost everyday, sharing things that complete strangers could read if they wanted to- and some definitely do! I'm not even sure my friends read this stuff as much as random people do. Every day when I get to the office I immediately check several things- my personal email, my work email, my myspace page, and I update my blog. All online, all involving no actual person to person contact.

I think part of the reason the business world, at least, is embracing our technology is because it totally cuts out those embarassing phone calls. Nearly everything can be done through impassioned emails, rather than phoning someone to tell them how you screwed up. It's a buffer between yourself and reality. I think I'll keep it.

My New Favorite Thing- ClippyKit Bags!!

Okay, so this week I spent most of my time at the New York Gift Show, thus explaining the complete lack of blogging going on in my life. Not that I'm sure anyone reads this thing anymore, but I will perservere! I always pick up a few things at the gift sow- hey, it's wholesale so a great way to go shopping!- but this year I picked up something nifty only one aisle over. Plus I learned all about the brilliant owner of this particular brand.

It's called a ClippyKit Bag. Named for Calypso Rose (cool name, right?), she began the company very recently after inventing her own bag. She made up this bag that was like a traveling scrapbook, filling it with ticket stubs, photos and other various pieces of memorabilia. So many people stopped her on the streets of London to ask where she got it that she had the brilliant idea of beginning her own business. So at the ripe old age of TWENTY-FIVE (way to make the rest of us feel better, right?) she has been named Britain's Young Business Person of the Year, had a BEST-SELLING ITEM AT HARROD'S (you know, that super awesome department store where you can't afford anything?) and is essentially selling empty, clear, plastic bags that have pockets you personalize yourself.

I'm in love with it. I had to buy one (y'all know how a Southern girl likes her pocketbooks!) and I picked up this really nifty lining (so it's a little bit private on the inside). Well, last night when I got home I immediately sat down and started filling it with stuff. It's the perfect size for it! The most surprising thing to me was that when all was said and done, it looked ADORABLE! I was a little worried that it would be kitchsy, etc, but instead it looks great. And I smile when I look at it because it has all these cute things in it that are special to me- buttons from my Met visits, a special card from my best friend B, naturally some Carolina pharaphanalia... it's a beautiful thing!

I'm writing about this because you should all go visit her website- clippykit.co.uk and check out her stuff. And remember, she's only twenty-five and has already started her own business that's actually working out for her!

Edna

My Great Aunt Edna died on July 30. She almost made it to August but no cigar. 94 years old and had been living in an upper crust nursing home in Atlanta, ever since she lost her mind due to dementia. I find it hard to believe she's really gone. I remember rolling down the hill in her backyard in North Carolina, looking enviously through her many closets, lying down on her fancy bed in her fancy house, asking about the history of just about everything she owned and then some. She went everywhere, did everything and anything she wanted to.

The New York times said she was "the only girl who should rhumba.... Edna... a Southern Deb whose ankles are as graceful as her manners". She was called a "beauty, a mermaid, a one and only". During the 20s, 30s, and 40s, she modeled to help her family deal with the Depression. She and her sisters and brother lived in a great old pre-war building on 55th and 5th avenue. She never would have dreamed of leaving without gloves and a hat on. On the beach she wore a striped swimming suit that was about as skimpy as they allowed at the time. Two of my great-aunts modeled, but Edna did more shoes- she had a perfect size 7 foot with narrow heels and trim ankles. She wore Lilly before and during its coolest phase, Gucci and Chanel becuase they were the best.

She spent weekends in Central Park while she was dating various boys, listening to bandstand music, then moved out to Long Island when she married a highly respected New York physician and really came into her own. They had one child, whom they adored. She seemed to adore everyone. I liked what my cousin wrote about her, that "there was ever only one Edna. We called her beautiful. She was gracious and charming, yet so completely satisfied with herself." I can only hope to acheive that kind of status towards teh end of my life. She gave money as much as she spent money. She cared about everyone and knew everything about the family. Or at least she seemed to.

Which brings me to a more interesting question. that is, a question of family. I wonder how many really ineresting stories have been lost in the last two decades because no one cared enough to listen to the them when they ewre being told or record them for future generations. Edna's son said something about how much has been lost with her death, and even before when she was slipping inot what we were sure was Alzheimer's. It is a sad thing, that so much hitory has been destroyed simply because people wanted to keep their secrets. I can only hope to be more open than that with my nieces and nephews and if I ever have a family of my own. I used to love hearing her stories of how things came to be in my family. Now that voice is silenced and no one ever wants to talk about what happened to my family after the civil war, or how we lost everything we had been given. And so the silence travels to the grave.

Sizzle and the City

It's that hot. Today was 105 degrees and it's going to go through the end of the week. I'm not particularly looking forward to seeing what's going to happen if it continues at this rate. Air conditioners are going and I'm mainly scared of a black out. If that happens, I'm taking off work and heading to NC until the power comes back on! No one shoudl have to suffer through this if they don't have to- go to Jersey and fast!

When I was in the dentist's chair yesterday he was discussing all the different beaches around the city. It's a shame that my lazy butt hasn't gotten to a one and Boyfriend and I have been talking about it since Memorial day. Wow. Crazier things have happened, I guess. I'm planning on playing hooky sometime soon however, and heading to a friend's house, with a pool. What's weirder is people's attitude. Cabs are in short supply since you are unable to walk more than a block before being assailed by the heat and have to stop and hail one. Women here are SWEATING, not GLOWING and it's nothing to be ashamed of since everyone else has the same problem. The subways smell terrible at rush hour because all the deodarant in the world isn't going to mask the smell of six million hot and dripping commuters. Mr. Softee is making a killing, as are those guys who sell bottled water for a dollar.

So what is being recommended? Staying inside and drinking a lot of water. And if you don't have a/c you're supposed to go somewhere that does, like Starbucks. Besides, how many New Yorkers can avoid going outside? iT's not like in other places where you simply cross baking parking lots to your car. This is you walk half a mile in this heat to get to your building from the nearest subway. I hope that the city can make it through. Because I can only imagine how murder victims are beginning to smell at this point unless they've been found. Check on your neighbors, people!

Even Lindsay Lohan is supposedly affected by the countrywide heat wave, showing up late or not at all to her current movie production. I'm sure it has nothing to do with her all night partying or inability to do anything without whining about it. But I, for one, am glad she has this horrendous heat to cover for her. I mean, who's going to argue with that, right?

Rabbit, Rabbit

That's what you're supposed to say on the first of the month. Don't ask me why, I don't make the rules. The big challenge is saying it first thing. Instead of "Have you made coffee?" out of your mouth should come "rabbit, rabbit". Really. That's the only way to set yourself up for good luck throughout the month. Obviously if you're not superstitious this wouldn't apply to you. Wikipedia states "Rabbit rabbit" is a common superstition, held particularly among children. The most common modern version states that a person should say "rabbit rabbit" upon waking on the first day of each month and on doing so will receive good luck for the rest of that month. The exact origin of the superstition is unknown, though it has appeared in print at least as early as the 1920s in england, where is is most commonly said to have originated, though some reports place it even earlier in the 1800s. As with most folklore...there are numerous variations of the superstition, including:

* Instead of saying "rabbit rabbit' just saying "rabbit" or "Rabbits"
*Saying "rabbits" three times before going to bed and saying "hares"" three times upon waking.
* To counteract forgetting to say it in the morning, saying it backwards before falling asleep "tibbar, tibbar"

These are just a few of the ways to deal with the first of the month. I am always optimistic at the beginning of the month, mainly because it comes with a fresh start. All of a sudden things don't look so bleak. You have a whole fresh beginning going on in your life and it's going to be fabulous.

Isn't New York life always supposed to be fabulous? I really think it would be if only we didnt have to pay rent. New York rent is terrible. Everything else about New York is fantastic. I would love to live here rent-free, work at my job and then actually have money to spend on other things like theater and art and culture and some nice clothes. I wonder what would happen if Mayor Bloomberg declared a "rent-free" month in Manhattan. Wouldn't that really benefit the rest of the city? People would have more money to spend on things like cabs and other stuff and so income would be flowing but not disappearing into oblivion. Wouldn't that be nice? I wonder what would happen to the economy. Surely it can't cost that much to keep the living up.

I think it's a great idea. If you or someone you know speaks to Mayor Bloomberg, suggest it.