I am in the process of renewing various IDs, all of which require that I show another ID that I'm trying to renew. To clarify -- I'm having some trouble proving that I exist.

C'mon now. Welcome to NY. Last year I went out to get my car and it wasnt there. During the night, "they" had come and put up a new "No Parking Anytime" sign where I had parked. Next morning, car had been towed, cement still fresh on the signpost. I went to the pound, ransomed my car and put "NYC fundraiser" in the memo section of my check. Hey, it's cheaper than a parking space.

That is outrageous. Once I got a parking ticket on a block that had no signs regarding parking. I took photos of the entire block and sent them in and the ticket was dismissed. What a pain in the ass, but I was delighted.

In our case they put up the signs the day after we parked (sunday) - hence the 2 tickets -- because according to the prior parking regs the car didn't need to be moved until Tuesday. To bolster our case, we requested work orders from the Dept. of Transportation.

I've beaten the one other ticket I received years ago. In that case the real challenge was getting the fine reimbursed. You can't reimbursed unless you have proof of paying the fine. But you can't get a hearing unless you pay the fine first. Therefore, if they overturn the ticket based on the hearing, shouldn't it be obvious you paid the fine?

I was going to axe the same question. Maybe necks time.

While they played during intermission at HurlyBurly last night was Talking Head's Once in a Lifetime I spotted David Byrne sitting in the audience.

"And you may tell yourself
MY GOD!...WHAT HAVE I DONE?"

Love that tune. Love that album.

A blogger's nightmarish scenarios:

Boss reads blog.
Ex-boyfriends/girlfriends read blog.
Mother reads blog.
...and....
Current boyfriend/girlfriend's ex reads blog.


There may be more, I just don't want to know.

Netflix is telling me that I'll like Lars von Trier movies.

True, but what does that have to do with gj and lvt?

xlation:

Probably, but please present proof of pertinence.

Well, now, someone suggested I edit this, and I did and now you see. How surreal is that?

Watching recorded TV last night - first the Cover Lines programme on the London Review of Books, then (the shame) the 100 Best Albums thing on C4.

Observations:

1. Dusty Springfield's manager, Vicki Wickham, sounded as if she were in the wrong programme. A born LRB contributor.

2. When did Malcolm McLaren become Brian Sewell?



clb

What did the Cover Lines prog have to say, and/or what was the occasion or anniversary that prompted it?

I stopped getting the LRB nearly ten years ago

Not much, I'm afraid (presenter: Mariella Frostrup). Line taken: this magazine is elitist and difficult but the people who work for it are lovable pedants.

The hook was the magazine's 25th anniversary. Nice interviews with Andrew O'Hagan, standing up for standards, and Alan Bennett, on his piece about being gay-bashed in Italy.

The biggest story covered was the massive fuss caused by Mary Beard's piece in the reactions to 9/11 issue, which we clearly can't discuss here.

Actually, I'm a devoted LRB reader, so I liked the programme a lot.

clb

Thanks. Of course we can't. Mary taught me. She is a lot of fun.

Phone Call Ten Years Ago:

Me: Hello?

He: Oh, yes, hello. I'm calling from the London Review of Books. We've noticed you haven't renewed your subscription and I was wondering why.

Me: Sure. Well, I just realised that much as I intended to read every issue, I never got round to it. I mainly used them for reference, and seeing as I have easy access to it in the library for that, I couldn't justify the subscription.

He: I see. Well, we're keen to keep our subscribers, so we'd like to offer you a very substantial discount to renew.

Me: That's very kind of you, but I'm sorry, the issue isn't really value for money, it's just that I never actually get round to reading it.

He: I see. (Pause.) Well, how much would you be willing to pay?

As I listened to Alan Bennett, I realised that I'd managed to miss reading his piece. Somewhere in the stack of half- or quarter-read copies in the drawing room, I expect.

clb

I read it in the library

ps: of course, as a subscriber, you have free access to the full online archive. So if you can't find it in a pile you can read Bennett's piece right here.

edit: or maybe not, I can't check.

Went through a building on my company campus today that I don't usually go into.

Everyone has their name on their door. This one caused me to do a double-take --




"Paige Turner"

my sister, who wears fancy black sneakers to work and out every day and wears short heels about once every few weeks, just found out that the pain in her toe is caused by an early onset type of arthritis . . . it is usually caused by wearing high heels.

Differentiation: sounds like osteoarthritis, which is usage-related. As opposed to rheumatoid arthritis, which is a disease that is not necessarily associated with usage.

I had the beginnings of osteoarthritis in one ankle and in one hip. Cured by weight loss.

Hope your sister saw an orthopedist, not a podiatrist.

nope- podiatrist. she's getting a second opinion.

Last night I walked by a crispy cream and they had the "hot donuts" sign illuminated. I've never seen the sign on (and they are supposed to give you a free one if the sign is on and you walk in but don't order anything). I got so excited and we walked in and the moment we crossed the threshold of the shop the sign turned off.

My friend Boom and I were sitting in the garden at Bell's Brewery the other day, a lovely Saturday afternoon, enjoying a few Oberons. There were 2 little girls playing nearby, I would guess they were about 4 years old. They were grubbing about on the ground, playing with sticks and grass, etc.

The 2 of them skipped up to our picnic table and said to us: "this is our house!"

Boom: "Well, we're just going to hang out in your house for a little while then, if that's OK with you." Grinned at me in an "aren't-they-cute" kind of way.

1st Little Girl: "Nooo. It's not OK. He burned our house. He burned it."

2nd Little Girl: "Then he stabbed them. He stabbed them and burned our house!"

Boom: "Who did?"

1st Little Girl: "Jesus."

The 2nd Little Girl nodded wisely at me, then they both scampered off, leaving us alone with our beers. I expected the grass to wither at their feet, but it didn't.

I have been offered a free cosmetic consultation by my hospital's dermatology department.

I think the screams as I walked through the door would tell me all I needed to know.

"The reality of Johnson in appearance and behaviour, the scarred skin of his cheeks and neck, his large lips forever champing, his shabby clothing and too small wig with its charred top-piece, his tics and mutterings...". Look, just go see the doctor.

Of course not, but Dr J'll not seek help from real doctors. Shoot, he was all set to go to the "skin-person".

I have become extremely adept at making a bed while a recalcitrant, defiant cat lolls on the coverlet. I am allowing a creature that weighs about ten pounds to run my life.

Selfridges's current theme is something to do with Vegas, and the food hall is dutifully littered with knowing-ironic US foodstuffs: Betty Crocker, Goober Grape, Graham crackers et al. They also have proper US Cheerios.



I know the label's peeling a little but you will have to take my word the same price was on every packet. Yes, folks, it's a $16 box of Cheerios.

ps. I note the server where I store my pics has become very slow to respond. Sorry. Maybe I'll start using another one.

A reporter on BBC radio news concludes a report on "the moslem vote" by interviewing a Sikh.

Are you sure he didn't say was sick [sic].

Was in Dublin for the past week. Weather good, ladies attractive, food better then Edinburgh etc.

Was drinking late, when a cousin of the person I was with came up to me and said "I can't believe that you are not gay". To which I replied "Funny, I was thinking that same thing about you", his reply to this was a [I thought at the time] slightly flirty "Well, I said it first". Anyway, after made my abundant hetrosexuality clear, we had a nice chat about the Dublin gay scene etc.

I happened to mention to my friend that I didn't realize that there cousin was gay. Oddly, neither did she. She mentioned that this may be a surprise to his wife as well.