...So To Continue...
...Tuesday I was exhausted, in part because we got to hang out with the Goobersmoochers in the VIP section at the beach and watch the Bronx fireworks. (And also, I'm just eightyearsworthof tired.) The VIP bracelets were thanks to Shoefly's Brother, who is a middleweight in Bronx politics. His boss is a heavyweight Contender for Mayor at the next election.
I had a conversation once with someone who was trying to convince me that I should vote. That I should vote because even if my candidate didn't win; there was something about the numbers game that helped build momentum. I dunno. Something she was saying. It sounded good at the time, and I voted, and Bush won anyhow, so while I'm a registered voter I'm back to not believing in the system.
But I'm watching the Mayoral elections in NYC next go round, because I know some of the players personally. Politicians are a funny bunch. You really wonder why they want to be politicians. Do they REALLY think they think they can contribute to a greater good? Do they even really care? What portion of their beliefs do they lose, how much of their soul do they sell out to get to a position where they CAN do something, and, once they are there... have they lost too much in the process to follow through on the ideals they had when they first started out? I think the most interesting portrayal of a politician on TV that I've seen lately... the one I think rings true, is Nathan Petrelli in "Heroes." I was thinking of Nathan as I watched the Contender mingle on the boardwalk, watched him on stage as he handed out plaques thanking various local businesses for their support of the Bronx, watched him sing a song with the band. I watched people come up to him to shake his hand, and more interestingly, watched to see who knew him well personally, or worked with him or just merely knew who he was. Human beings have this need to be special, and I watched to see who's body language said "Yes, I know him!--today that makes me special!" as they approached him.
I hadn't thought, despite Brother's enthusiasm, that he had a snowball's chance in hell of winning a major NYC election. He's Hispanic--and a brown-skinned Hispanic at that--in an undercover racist city that will suspend racism in favor of bigcashmoney, and he doesn't have an awful lot of money. How could he win against Bloomberg, who has more money than God? But then last week, Bloomberg renounced the Republican Party and became an Independent, and the TV news magazines all ran these pieces about how Independents don't run to win--they run to shake up the system. And I thought well hmmmm.... suppose Bloomberg is off "shaking up the system" and then will retire from politics to continue to run his multi-billion-dollar empire (cuz he can't leave that for long, or he won't be a billionaire anymore... everyone knows you can't stay rich leaving your shit for other people to run). Bloomberg is a savvy businessman, and strikes me as the type of person who's careful about the announcements he makes. So he said he wasn't running for president... and he wouldn't be; not literally, as he would only be in the presidential race to shake it up (you gotta admire somebody like that--someone who can talk the double-talk and not get caught). So it's quite possible the Contender has a shot. Particularly since, in my completely unpolitcally-savvy opinion, he's been busy selling out the Bronx to prove he's not partial to minority causes. The Bronx is getting a new stadium. The rank and file in the Bronx didn't want a new stadium, but the city did--had been trying for years. So we got one. And "SoBro" is becoming the next gentrification victim (although at a slower pace than Harlem, but it's definitely happening). Gentrification sucks for people who need affordable housing, but it's great for everybody else.
Life could get interesting, especially for Shoefly's family because Brother will be up close and personal in the mix.
But all those thoughts made me tired, so I wandered down to the boardwalk and took pictures instead. I like my Olympus; it takes great day shots but I'm still not getting anything I really like when it's dark out, and I don't use a flash. But here's some pictures.
The Soprano's "Uncle Junior" was there. He looks different without the coke-bottle bottom glasses. And a beard.
Think this kid cares about politics? How will what was happening up on the pavilion affect his life down here on the boardwalk?
This guy broke into some kind of body-convulsing dance to a Shakira/Beyonce cover.
This little girl could bust a move, too.
They did a little bodygrind, but they were cute and had some decorum.
The Moon, the Sun and "Frac" who lives across the street from the Moon. They're all at that age where they ham for the camera--too cool to pose now.
I had a conversation once with someone who was trying to convince me that I should vote. That I should vote because even if my candidate didn't win; there was something about the numbers game that helped build momentum. I dunno. Something she was saying. It sounded good at the time, and I voted, and Bush won anyhow, so while I'm a registered voter I'm back to not believing in the system.
But I'm watching the Mayoral elections in NYC next go round, because I know some of the players personally. Politicians are a funny bunch. You really wonder why they want to be politicians. Do they REALLY think they think they can contribute to a greater good? Do they even really care? What portion of their beliefs do they lose, how much of their soul do they sell out to get to a position where they CAN do something, and, once they are there... have they lost too much in the process to follow through on the ideals they had when they first started out? I think the most interesting portrayal of a politician on TV that I've seen lately... the one I think rings true, is Nathan Petrelli in "Heroes." I was thinking of Nathan as I watched the Contender mingle on the boardwalk, watched him on stage as he handed out plaques thanking various local businesses for their support of the Bronx, watched him sing a song with the band. I watched people come up to him to shake his hand, and more interestingly, watched to see who knew him well personally, or worked with him or just merely knew who he was. Human beings have this need to be special, and I watched to see who's body language said "Yes, I know him!--today that makes me special!" as they approached him.
I hadn't thought, despite Brother's enthusiasm, that he had a snowball's chance in hell of winning a major NYC election. He's Hispanic--and a brown-skinned Hispanic at that--in an undercover racist city that will suspend racism in favor of bigcashmoney, and he doesn't have an awful lot of money. How could he win against Bloomberg, who has more money than God? But then last week, Bloomberg renounced the Republican Party and became an Independent, and the TV news magazines all ran these pieces about how Independents don't run to win--they run to shake up the system. And I thought well hmmmm.... suppose Bloomberg is off "shaking up the system" and then will retire from politics to continue to run his multi-billion-dollar empire (cuz he can't leave that for long, or he won't be a billionaire anymore... everyone knows you can't stay rich leaving your shit for other people to run). Bloomberg is a savvy businessman, and strikes me as the type of person who's careful about the announcements he makes. So he said he wasn't running for president... and he wouldn't be; not literally, as he would only be in the presidential race to shake it up (you gotta admire somebody like that--someone who can talk the double-talk and not get caught). So it's quite possible the Contender has a shot. Particularly since, in my completely unpolitcally-savvy opinion, he's been busy selling out the Bronx to prove he's not partial to minority causes. The Bronx is getting a new stadium. The rank and file in the Bronx didn't want a new stadium, but the city did--had been trying for years. So we got one. And "SoBro" is becoming the next gentrification victim (although at a slower pace than Harlem, but it's definitely happening). Gentrification sucks for people who need affordable housing, but it's great for everybody else.Life could get interesting, especially for Shoefly's family because Brother will be up close and personal in the mix.
But all those thoughts made me tired, so I wandered down to the boardwalk and took pictures instead. I like my Olympus; it takes great day shots but I'm still not getting anything I really like when it's dark out, and I don't use a flash. But here's some pictures.
The Soprano's "Uncle Junior" was there. He looks different without the coke-bottle bottom glasses. And a beard.
Think this kid cares about politics? How will what was happening up on the pavilion affect his life down here on the boardwalk?
This guy broke into some kind of body-convulsing dance to a Shakira/Beyonce cover.
This little girl could bust a move, too.
They did a little bodygrind, but they were cute and had some decorum.
The Moon, the Sun and "Frac" who lives across the street from the Moon. They're all at that age where they ham for the camera--too cool to pose now.
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