Thursday, March 29, 2007

"Would you watch my stuff?"

I HATE when people ask me this in cafes. No, I'm sorry, I'm not responsible for your crap. Take it to the can with you or leave it and take the risk. Jesus!

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

And even more NYC!

Happy Chandler playing pinball at Alt. Great place!
I've ALWAYS loved fire escapes against brick! And liquor stores! Gorgeous!
Great ring graffiti!

Beer bottle chillin' in the snow. Damn, I haven't seen flurries like this since ... North Platte? Czech Republic?

More NYC

Hot dogs! And everything else.
God -- the Village. Simply ... the Village.
Park Slope, stroller wars be damned -- I love thee.
At Alt Coffee in the East Village, showing off my engagement ring.

New York City

My show (and the rest of the FRIGID performances) posted at Horse Trade HQ, 85 E. 4th Avenue in the East Village.
Speaks for itself.
Under St. Marks, the theater where I was fortunate enough to perform. Many thanks to Erez Ziv, Morgan Tachco, Akia Squitieri, and Justin Sturges -- Horse Trade rules!
This picture looks like it was taken in Europe, but really, it was in SoHo.
Pickles at Katz's Deli, where the chocolate egg creams are orgasmic. Just ask the waiter.

Yay Ann Cummins!

Great review of Yellowcake in the Washington Post. Ann was a visiting professor my first semester at St. Mary's, and we all had a great time in that class.

Kurt Vonnegut's eight rules for fiction writing

Right here.
"What, is there a fine? Am I going to get a ticket?" Chris Rock, a black comedian who uses the word in his act, said in an interview with Reuters. "Do judges say, 'Ten years, nigger!' "

NYC bans the N-word.

How to spot a risky job, and more

I'd like to start incorporating some notes on freelancing in this blog.

Right now I'm reading this. It's co-authored by Angela Hoy, who runs Writer's Weekly -- a powerhouse advocate for freelancers.

Sections that have me nodding my head include:

- "Requires an audition." There are way too many potential clients out there who demand work for free in order to "prove" your talents -- when work samples have already been provided. My rule of thumb on this: If I can provide the "audition" work within 5 minutes or less, fine. Otherwise, forget it.

- "Sketchy project." If the client can't explain what they're doing, it's likely that they don't know or that they don't have their act together.

- "No contract." A signed agreement is a must.

Read job ads carefully, guys. It's a clue to what you'll be dealing with should you take this client on. And remember: Interviews are a two-way street. If they feel hinky, don't work with them.

Wal-Mart rebuffed by NYC!

Yet another reason I like New York!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

An old friend recently moved back to town.

At first, I couldn't figure out if it was he or I who changed. I think it's me -- or, at least, I've been the one who's changed more significantly.

He's a fun guy, a showman, good to knock back beers with. Problem is, he's very self-centered. To the point where he forgets basic information about you, even though he's known you for years. To the point where you can just tell he ain't listening.

The woman he's dating is kick-ass cool, direct and to the point, interested in other people. That pretty much makes one of them.

My solution has been to see far less of him than I normally would. The guy's 40 years old and he's not changing any time soon. It's up to me to adapt -- and since I put more of a premium on reciprocity than I once did, I think our time together will be somewhat limited. Probably the best way to go about it.

Bean-chuckin' mom

From the annals of my favorite yupster NYC neighborhood, Park Slope.
There's really something to having been in a place for a decade. There's this guy I've seen at Gaylords for a long time -- with girlfriends, without. Today he's by himself and reading a travel book on France.

Sometimes the Bay Area gets on my butt. Other days I love it.

Wow, this is scuzzy

I've seen similar job postings, and all of them makes me glad not to be in the market:

Need a full time Profile Writer! www.ezluv.com


Reply to: gigs-300519711@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-03-26, 2:51AM CDT


We are a new online video dating website looking for freelance writers to help write our members profiles. If you are interested, apply with a profile at www.ezluv.com.

Hourly or per job payment opportunities.

Full Benefits, plus vacation.

Please NO Porn

Sunday, March 25, 2007

The joke tells itself

Adam and I are looking up wedding info at Jumpin' Java.

"Go to http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/," he says.

"Type in 'marriage license'," he says. I do.

The joke tells itself!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Shallowenough.org?

For the beautiful people who are dating online, the website for you. I'm glad to see the Pacific Beach set has its own internet dating service.

In a better beauty-of-technology story: Mike Daisey saw the blog entry below and wrote to congratulate me! I love email.

Spent $60 on garden stuff. It's spring!

A proposal to remember

Everyone remembers how they got engaged.

My parents did it in my mother's parents' Bronx apartment, during a commercial break while watching Love, American Style on tv.

I did it on stage in the East Village.

It was St. Patrick's Day, 2007. I was wrapping up the second-to-last performance of my solo show at the FRIGID New York theater festival. I'd decided to go all Mike Daisey and riff, and what do you know, it worked. I was feeling good and giving the last bits of my spiel, encouraging the audience to go see other shows.

Then I saw Adam get up from the front row and walk toward me. I knew what he was going to do before he went down on one knee.

He said he heard the gasp from the audience. I only saw what was in the box.

"Is that real?" I asked. "Where'd you get it from?"

"Costco," he said. "Now, will you say yes so I can get up?"

It's an R. Kelly sing-along!

You think I'm kidding?

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Call me Al

Hey, it sounds good.

I'm starting this as my life moves into ever better territory: I just wrapped up a great week performing my show ANDREA in New York City ... and I got engaged on that same stage. I'm feeling the creative part of what I do start revving -- it's becoming the main driver of my career, and I can't wait to see how it all comes together!