slow news day


i saw this scratched into the side of the bus that i was riding on last night at about midnight on my way home from the studio.

the friendship counter


i saw this truck on the way to work today. who doesn't want some goldenflow milk?

in other news, larry carlson has finally started a job today. it's official. i just got off of the phone with him as he was standing outside of the building waiting for his new co-workers to let him in. ha ha ha. go get 'em LC. it's about time you contributed to society...

as far as this weekend was concerned, it was pretty tame. friday night i went to this film 'undertow' which was directed by the guy who made one of my favorite films ever, 'all the real girls'. it was ok i thought. it could have been really good, but there were just too many silly chase scenes toward the end that i thought crippled an otherwise beautiful southern gothic-y story. i will say that one of the kids in it, the younger brother, is super interesting looking and was probably my favorite thing about the film. he throws up a lot in it for some reason.

then saturday was studio work followed by a birthday party.

sunday was just studio all day.

wait! i just remembered...while i was eating my breakfast at this diner in my neighborhood, i met the most insane guy ever.

i was sitting at the counter, getting ready to eat, when this guy started talking to me. asking me what i was reading (chronicles, the new bob dylan autobiography) and what i did (i answered "sculpture"). anyways, he says that he met dylan a few times back when he was panhandling in the village and then launched into how he used to be a cop, a detective i think actually, but now he was an actor. he said he was discovered by benjamin bratt while they were filming a scene for i think law and order and he just happened to be standing around.

this led into him talking about how harvey keitel was interested in buying the play he is writing and about meeting julia roberts and how he is auditioning to get into the actor's studio this week. then he wanted to know what i thought about his play, so he starts telling me the story...

all the while, i am thinking that either this guy is either the most interesting person i have ever met while eating scrambled eggs, or he is completely insane and he is going to end up stabbing me with my butter knife. either way, i finished my breakfast quickly just in case i had to make a quick exit.

his play was about police stories, one of them having something to do with a monkey locked in a file cabinet that kept playing with itself. this led into about three or four REALLY intense and insane cop stories that led to him saying how he had to kill two "perps" in his career. but that didn't bother him because he was a sniper in 'nam and it was just part of the job. give him a dossier about who to hit, and he and his rangeman would find the guy and take him out from afar....sometimes he had to do it up close and personal (while he said this, he was making these quick stabbing motions at an invisible foe). but yeah, he was injured pretty badly in the war...see how one leg is atrophied smaller than the other? then he took his fake teeth out...then he said, "give me your hand." in my mind i was thinking, "no anthony, don't give him your hand...seriously." but as i was thinking this thought, my eyes saw my hand inexplicably reaching out. he grabbed it and put it against the back of his head where there was some big bump from where the metal plate was.

for about the next five minutes of him talking, i didn't hear anything. all i could think of was the fact that i had just rubbed the back of some stranger's bumpy head at the breakfast counter in a restaurant.

when my wits came back to me, he was talking about how he got some bad news yesterday..."you ever heard of agent orange? well the doctor just said that i have one year to live." and on and on and on....

it just kept getting crazier and crazier and crazier. the thing is though, i think that i believe him (or at least most of what he had to say). i finally managed to say goodbye to him and get outside into the fresh air. i spent the next few hours in my studio trying to decide whether or not he was insane, and i don't know...i think that there is a small chance that he wasn't. either way it was a totally amazing breakfast. i just really wish i could have gotten a picture of him for you.

next time i guess...

p.s., did anyone hear how the yankees/red sox series turned out? i haven't been paying attention...

The Temple Of Doom

what in the sweet jesus is going on with these yankees? ugh...it will be horrible if those shlumpy red sox win tonight.

i thought this was pretty funny from today's NY Post:

i remember doing a report on babe ruth in grade school. it would be so awesome if by chance boston does win, right as they are all celebrating on the field the ghost of babe ruth would come up out of the pitcher's mound and start beating the living hell out of them. or maybe melt them like at the end of Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

ok, in less important news:

i find this site fascinating. i am totally addicted to it. it even changes throughout the day. as i type this now, kerry has 291 electoral votes to bush's 247.

also, most of you have probably seen jon stewart on crossfire (from last friday) by now, but just in case you haven't, watch it HERE.

i think he did a really good job. he has a really good point about the media not doing the general public any real service. i am amazed at how people are negatively reacting to his being on this show. judge for yourself.

just for kicks, HERE is jon's Daily Show response.

anyways, GO YANKEES.

little sister vs. halloween

just so you know, my room is coming along nicely. i will post the final product soon. viva la railroad apartment.
ugh...

also, i just realized that next weekend i am going to be in the great state of indiana for my little sister's wedding. it's in some cathedral on the campus of notre dame next saturday the 30th. i am of course very excited for her, but goddammit, she is really screwing up my halloween. i had the best idea for a costume ever and now it's on hold until next year. you'll see....

in other news, those of you who are going to be in minot for the holidays and want to get in on the 2nd annual hockey game, let me know what date you think would be good. i need to reserve the arena. and start doing some dryland training. the special guest star for this year's event will be none other than sir david eide who is hopping the pond from jolly old england to be there.

prepare thyselves...

from luxury comes chaos

last thursday:

big fancy dinner party with co-workers at the fancy-pants Tavern On The Green in central park. free food, free booze and lots of schmooze.

last friday afternoon:

big fancy lunch with co-workers at the fancy-pants Asia de Cuba in midtown. free food, free booze, insane illuminated lord of the rings-style table.

saturday:
moving day was upon me...

here's my old room. #2L


here's my new room. #2R

it's basically the same apartment as i was in before, but only slightly crappier and everything is reversed. what was on the left hand side in my old place is now on the right hand side. i feel like i am in some messed up Twilight Zone episode. even the hot and cold knobs on the water faucets are incorrectly reversed. i swear to god. it is insane.


aww yes...everything is fitting in here nicely. this isn't so bad after all....


um...well....


...i have some work to do after the yankees game tonight.

anyone wanna come over and help? i'll feed you pierogies!

oh, and don't ask about my sunday. thanks.

love,
anthony

hall-o-weeny

hey-zeus this week has been hectic, what with debates and yankee games (awwww yeah!) and moving and being generally stressed out. sorry for the invisibility around these parts.

anyways, i just got done with a big conversation about horror movies with a friend of mine. being that it's almost halloween and all, i am in the mood to see scary movies. and lots of them. here are some of my favorites off the top of my head:

the omen movies (i love those creepy masonic-y secret society movies), the first nightmare on elm street, children of the corn (or anything with evil kids), THE SHINING is amazing, the first texas chainsaw massacre scared me, pet sematary, oh and you have to like some scary slasher/summer camp ones....sleepaway camp is probably the creepiest.

what are some other really good ones? i want to find some new favorites.

boo haaa haaa haaaa.....

requisite new elliott smith album post

this weekend was not spent moving afterall. i guess my new apartment wasn't ready quite yet so....

...instead, i spent most of it in my studio listening to the new elliott smith album "from a basement on the hill" over and over again. a very badass and beautiful friend of mine in LA was able to send me an advance copy of it.

it's really great to hear a bunch of new elliott songs again. i think the album is really good...maybe a bit scattered and slightly uneven in some spots, but it's good (it's unfinished afterall). the second song, 'let's get lost', is just super beautiful.


this is a photo that my friend alese took at the last show of his that i saw on 6/9/03 at Northsix in williamsburg. actually it was his last new york city show and third-to-last show ever. he was looking pretty rough by this time, but still sounded good save for some aborted songs (which he did all the time anyways). click HERE to download the show that he played there on 6/6/03 if you want.

the first concert i ever saw in new york was elliott smith at the Beacon Theater. it was during the 'figure 8' tour in 2000 with a full band in a huge, beautiful concert hall. it was really great. after that, he sort of disappeared for a few years. when he resurfaced in 2003, he was opening for the jon spencer blues explosion at the Bowery Ballroom. i was really excited to see him again even though it meant going to see the blues explosion. for these shows, it was just him sitting on a chair with an acoustic guitar. in the following months he played here quite a bit and always in really small venues. one of the shows was this "secret" show in the dungeon-like basement of this bar Lit. that was fun, weird one.

anyways...he played most of the songs on this new album at these shows so it's great to finally get a chance to hear the album versions...some of which are totally different sounding.

favorites so far:
let's get lost
king's crossing
fond farewell
memory lane

aww crap, nevermind. they are all really good.

maybe you should get it.

the request line is open

so i was thinking that maybe i'd try an experiment.

if any of you's out there has anything that you'd like me to report on/go to/take pictures of here in nyc, now's the time to ask. i will try my best to post something for you.

now for some random thoughts:

1.) the other night i listened to 7 o'clock sucker AND micah scott's album 'about amber' while walking around the city. it was really an accident that i listened to both TODD and micah pretty much back to back (they popped up on shuffle), but is was so great. it made me really happy to know that friends of mine made these songs. then it made me sad that i don't have any Nobody's Children mp3's at all. does anyone out there have any? i wish i had the equipment to rip them from the vinyl, but i don't. i think that someone should post them somewhere. anyone?

2.) THIS is one of my all-time favorite blogs ever. i think this girl is just hilarious.

3.) tomorrow i am supposed to move into my new apartment ACROSS THE HALL from where i am now. there will of course be some photos of this historic event. i have to get proof of the most retarded apartment move EVER. i can't even believe how stupid tomorrow is going to be.

4.) i missed this week's america's next top model because i had to watch that yankees game. luckily my friend taylor recorded it and we are going to watch it right before next week's episode at her apartment. i think that the minot girl is still in it.

5.) prez debate number two tonight. i just get insanely nervous and wound up before these things start. let's hope this one goes as well as the last one.

6.) oh, um...yeah i probably should get back to work. there's books that need publishing.

7.) wait here's one more: my local newslady is SOOOOOO much hotter than your's is probably. don't be jealous....(we also have an awesome gay weatherman named Sam Champion. take that Tom Szymanski!!!!

wednesday night with the yankees

it's that time of year again: chilly fall air, sweaters, hot chocolate, and the yankees in the play-offs.

adam and i have taken to watching these baseball games at this bar called O'Hanlon's on 14th street in manhattan. this night we were joined by the lovely jamila.

and beer.


it's basically just a low key irish-y bar that just happens to have nine televisions, including a couple of giant bigscreens.

this game was just insane...back and forth all night long. and since they were playing the twins, i was slightly torn in the loyalty department. i never really was a twins fan (grew up having to like the pirates) but you know, i have nothing against them...they seem like a nice bunch of fellows. if anyone was to beat the yankees, i would like it to be them i guess. plus they don't have incredibly stupid-ass awful hairdo's like those red sox.

that said, i didn't want the twins to win. it's just too much fun in new york this time of year if the yankees are doing good.

here's us during one of the happier moments (we were winning at this point obviously):


then, the usually ultra-badass mariano rivera took to the mound to finish the game like he ususally does. i mean, jesus, they play metallica's 'enter sandman' when he comes out. he's a killer.

except for this game.

goddammit! he totally blew it!

it was painful.


and there was only one thing to do at that point:



to make things worse, in the twelfth inning the twins somehow took the lead and...

more pain...


but wait! look!!

why so happy?


because derek jeter is a badass. that's why. he somehow made it home on a sacrifice fly ball from my favorite yankee hideki matsui to finally win this damn game.


hallelujah! we could finally go home with the knowledge that we get to do this all over again another night. (i am sorry mr. liver...)

final score: yankees 7, twins 6, pitchers of beer drunk/drank 5.

rip rodney


click on the picture for a link to some of his songs (including rappin' rodney!!!).

new york vs. minneapolis


here's my friend aaron (from mpls), me, and this girl doing something to this guy's bum. it was a fun weekend hanging out with him.

right now on wnyc they are talking about how it's going to cost $20!!! to go to the Museum of Modern Art when it reopens this fall. Holy Jesus. that is ridiculous.

also,

i hope that john edwards can do alright against this Dick tonight.

motherly magic and british zombies


i just got a surprise box here at the office from my mother. i am the proud new owner of this beautiful coffee cup. i love it. it is going to make every day kick ass. mom's are the best.

this weekend was a blurry one. here's the quick (actually not-so-quick) rundown:

friday:
went to my art opening at the george adams gallery, drank a lot of wine, talked to a lot of strangers and ate really stale (i mean REALLY stale) fortune cookies. then went to mario battali's restaurant 'Lupa' with my friend aaron melander from moorhead state and his work mates. dinner lasted 3 1/2 hours and was soooo damn tasty (thanks aaron!!!). then went to this bar APT in the west village and drank until closing.

saturday:
went to brunch with aaron at the tasty Clinton Street Baking Company. then up to the Met to see the Andy Goldsworthy piece on the rooftop. then we walked through central park leisurely until it started to rain on us. we decided to go see a movie at that point. that movie was Shaun Of The Dead.

it was sooooooo soooooo badass. just a really funny and smart and british and then super nasty zombie movie. i can't say enough good things about it. see it as soon as you can if you get the chance. (two actors from the also beyond brilliant "the office" are in it as well).

after the film, we went to the Holiday Cocktail lounge where we were met by my friend adam, and then later by yet another moorhead stater, Ryan Jacobs (who i hadn't seen since 2000). it was great to see these fellows and chat about what we have all been up to in the last few years.

sunday:
got up early-ish, bought a paper and coffee and went to McCarren park to relax in the sun. then walked around aimlessly in williamsburg for a few hours looking at galleries and other things. after a while i had coffee with my friend nancy, and walked around some more. then i met up with another friend of mine at a bar to play pool and darts and drink $2 yuenglings until it was time to meet up with adam and min to see the film 'i heart huckabees'.
we met in the city and had sushi at this place that used to be really great and now appartently just sucks. it was awful. then we went to the movie. it was ok, though i really felt like i was seeing (take your pick) magnolia, punch drunk love, or eternal sunshine of the spotless mind again. there were some funny parts though...mostly with mark walberg.

i then went home, the weekend officially over.

i am tired today.

but i do now have this really cool new mug to help me through the day.

awww yeah.

SHWEWWWWW......


for a silly reason i missed the first HOUR of the debate. then i ended up catching the last half hour in this ukranian bar on second avenue. kerry did a good job. THANK SWEET JESUS. bush seemed a bit bitchy to me and i hope that carries over to the next debate so kerry whallops him.

oh, and GO YANKEES!!!!