It's June 6th. Many years ago today ("It's been 84 years, and I can still smell the fresh paint..."), I was one of many young men in my Paterson, NJ high school protesting the dress code (no shorts for guys, despite the heat) by wearing a skirt in school. (We got the policy changed!) Even more years before that, over 150,000 Allied soldiers invaded Normandy to liberate France (and much of western Europe) from Nazi Germany. Civil rights activist James Meredith was shot on this day in 1966 during the Walk Against Fear; five years later, "The Ed Sullivan Show" broadcast its last episode (a rerun, and yes, it took place in the Ed Sullivan Theater where Stephen Colbert was hosting "The Late Show" until recently). In 1982, the second (!) Israeli invasion of Lebanon began on 6 June. And thirteen years ago today, my then-fiancée and I met with our intended officiant to discuss our impending nuptials (a month and a half later, we were no longer engaged, but I don't think it had anything to do with the reverend...).
The 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre just passed, too. I guess I'm trying to say that June is a hell of a month. It's Pride month, despite an awful lot of people (or is that a lot of awful people?) still not understanding that LGBTQIA+ people are still just people, deserving of the same unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness the rest of us feel entitled to. There's Flag Day on the 14th. Juneteenth happens this month. So does the solstice (the start of summer or winter, depending on whether you're north or south of the equator). Ashura falls on the 26th this year.
Preparem-se, o hexa está chegando! (Hopefully.) Yes, the World Cup starts this month. ⚽ I'm dreading what it's going to do to traffic (I live less than three miles from MetLifeNew York New Jersey Stadium as the corvid flies), and I'm not generally a fan of noisy, rambunctious (and inebriated) crowds, but I just might venture out to one of the local-ish events in June. We'll see. I'd have loved to have attended a match in person, and I wouldn't have even needed hotel accommodations, but the ticket prices are just astronomical, so... no.
I've been playing guitar regularly for the past several weeks, which is an awesome and much-needed feeling. (Bass, too, after finally restringing that thing.) A new song or two should result in June. Hopefully I can get back to the beach (or "down the shore") at least once or twice this month, too. Maybe to the Coney Island Mermaid Parade again...
OK, one thing that's not happening this month, though: Andersen Silva is not participating in UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn. Stop asking! I won't do it. Thppt!
Happy May Day. It's also another Bandcamp Friday, so yeah, I'm plugging "Dangerous Babies" again. I know I'm biased, but it just seems to fit the times so well.
I'm well-pleased to report that not only am I playing guitar regularly again (every day for the past week and a half or so, and my calluses are building back up), I've also started working on a few new bits and pieces. Oughta be a new song or three coming out in the not-so-distant future. OK, that's probably more music to my ears than to yours, but still.
Hopefully, the Subvert platform will be live soon, and a new forum for me to share the new music. I've finally gotten around to uploading the I'll Live album there, and I'd like to see good things happen.
Can the rain and the wind and the heat and the cold all just pipe down already?!? I don't know about the rest of you, but I could use a string of seasonably/reasonably warm sunny days without 30mph gusts. I'll meet you outside...
In support of today's National Shutdown, I'm not going to work (ha) or shop today. This country is in serious need of an ICE breaker. Whatever your feelings on immigration (I'm the son of immigrants, and have had countless immigrant friends, classmates, neighbors, and colleagues), it's clear that putting masked, jackbooted thugs on the ground in American cities, on the streets of Minneapolis and elsewhere, is not what the people want.
The majority of immigrants in this country, documented or otherwise, are not violent criminals. The agencies involved in rounding them up appear to deny their very humanity, however, and we have cases like:
Maher Tarabishi, a Texas man whose detention may have caused his chronically ill son's death, and who was denied temporary releases to see his son on his hospital deathbed and to attend the funeral
Milagros Solis Portillo, a California woman who suffered a medical episode when she was detained, then was forcibly removed from the hospital and transferred to Indiana
Harol Alvarado Rodriguez, a New Jersey man grabbed on his way to work and transferred to four immigration detention centers in four different states since December
Then there are those who have died in ICE detention. And who can talk about ICE and death without mentioning American citizens Alex Pretty, and Renée Good (both from Minnesota), and Keith Porter, Jr. (from California)? But then American citizens have their heads in the sand if they think they're automatically safe from this administration.
Slowing or stopping immigration, and repatriating immigrants already here, should not result in death, serious injury, or separation of young children from their parents. It should not result in people being disappeared. Peacefully protesting these reprehensible and inhuman actions should not result in death. Citizen, documented resident, or undocumented, we are all human and we all demand to be treated as such.
Last year's Oscar winner for best international feature film, "Ainda Estou Aqui" ("I'm Still Here"), and this year's Golden Globe winner for best foreign language film (and Oscar nominee for best picture and best international feature film), "O Agente Secreto" ("The Secret Agent"), are both Brazilian films set during the military dictatorship in that country (where my parents were from). Brazil suffered that dictatorship (not its first) for over 20 years before returning to democratic civilian rule. Brazilian citizens were detained, tortured, killed, disappeared. And Brazil is hardly unique. Bullies and assholes have always existed, and sadly probably always will. Doesn't mean we stand silently by or make excuses for them.
Ten years ago tomorrow, on David Bowie's 69th birthday, his album Blackstar was released. And what an album. I'm still mesmerized, and haunted, by the music video for "Lazarus." Bowie died two days later, leaving Blackstar as a fitting swan song. He is probably the one musical artist I could have seen live that I most regret never having seen, though at least I did get to see Bernard Fowler, Living Colour's Corey Glover, and Charlie Sexton sing Bowie's songs three years later, backed by some of the musicians who'd played with the man over the decades.
Five years ago yesterday, a mob of rioters attacked the US Capitol and law enforcement. No pardons, no lies, no revisionism can alter the facts or undermine the evidence, and there is quite a mound of evidence; go ahead and peruse if you've forgotten the details, as NPR has done an incredible job of archiving.
Three years ago tomorrow, no doubt at least partly inspired by the J6 goons, a mob of rioters in Brazil (where I'll be visiting soon) attacked the Palácio do Congresso Nacional, the Supremo Tribunal Federal, and the Palácio do Planalto in Brasilia, also attacking law enforcement. Fortunately, this attempt to undermine the will of a nation's people failed as well.
Hell of a month, January. Of course, Janus is the god of beginnings and endings (of conflict and other things), of change and transition, so I suppose it all makes some sort of sense. Dammit, Janus...
This morning, I had a heart attack. Probably not great for my health, but... sure was tasty.
Mmm, pumpernickel...
Of course, the 'heart attack' in question was Taylor ham, bacon, sausage, egg, and cheese on a pumpernickel bagel. Not the sort of thing I should consume with any regularity, but since I've lost five pounds (weight, not currency) since last month, I decided I could afford it. Seems the move has taken a lot out of me, figuratively and literally.
Movin' Right Along
What move? Keep up, peruser. Some days before my birthday, I (and my former fellow tenants) got less than a month and a half's notice that our new landlord was not going to renew any of our yearly leases, all of which ended as of October 31st. For those keeping score at home: I moved in to that apartment in November 2003 and started working at Microwize Technology in January 2004; I lost the job in May 2025 and lost the apartment in October 2025. "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans..." Anyway, after a few quick bouts of panic and depression, I managed to find another place.
While my new abode is not very distant from my old abode, numerous trips down and up the stairs of the old apartment (my Apple Watch registered a whopping 56 flights climbed on October 29th!) carrying more than I should have alone no doubt contributed to the bit of weight loss. I did get assistance from my friend Joe with bringing some of the heavier and/or bulkier items down, and my friends Barbara and Tom helped with the last-day sprint on Halloween moving the last dregs over; none of us were dressed for the holiday, but I was wearing a Planet Express T-shirt. Gina came over on Saturday and we did some organizing and rearranging before having my/our first meal (sushi, natch) and first glass of wine in the new apartment. I appreciate all the aiding and abetting.
Nothing Is So Painful to the Human Mind as a Great and Sudden Change
I'm still working on setting things up (three IKEA runs later), but the place is already quite comfortable and liveable. And hey, I've got a back yard and squirrels I can see through the living room window now. While the novelty of being unemployed has long since worn off (no, I haven't found a job yet, and wouldn't mind help if you know of anything), it was certainly convenient that I had more daylight hours than usual to plan and pack and move things than I normally would have. Losing the job and then the dwelling has shaken things up for me, and I have to admit it's for the best, even if it was briefly painful to even my mind.
Speaking of Mary Shelley, I watched Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" last night. I'd have preferred it if Netflix had released it two weeks earlier so I could have watched it pre-Halloween during spooky Sazón, but I suppose I can understand the financial reasoning behind doing the theatrical release first. Regardless, I enjoyed it a lot. The mood, the performances, and the creature's loneliness made for an impressive if somber film.
I don't know why it took me so long to check it out, but I finally started watching "Orphan Black" on Netflix recently, and I'm hooked. HBO's "It: Welcome to Derry" is quite good so far, too, looking forward to the third episode. I still don't want to sit in front of the tube screen for too long each night, but two episodes seems to be working out for now.
Yesterday would've been my friend and former colleague Sally's birthday. Can't believe she's been gone over ten years now, and the last time I saw her was a few years before that, but yeah, I miss her still.
"'But I'm feeling quite weak,' she said... 'Will you comfort and forgive me?' she said..."
