Finally finished that History of NYC 7-Disc documentary. I feel like the smartest New Yorker in town. Did you know that…
- Manhattan was bought from Native-Americans for approx $600, it was supposed to just be a temporary thing but we basically refused to honor the agreement (suprise, suprise)
- the British seized “New Amsterdam” from its Dutch inhabitants, renamed it, and gave it to the Duke of York as a birthday present
- Brooklyn was its own city until about 100yrs ago
- most all of the city’s museums, libraries, and theaters were privately funded, constructed, and established
- originally, when France sent us the Statue of Liberty, they sent it in chunks and the first peice to float over along the river was her hand. New York was too poor to afford the platform for the whole statue, so the big hand sat on a crosswalk section of 5th Ave for 5 years
- there was once a big barricade setup along a big street across the bottom of the island to keep out immigrants, which they later called Wall Street
- the Brooklyn Bridge was the first of its kind and took 14yrs to complete
- the A train is the longest subway ride in the world (31 miles from 207th St in Manhattan to Far Rockaway in Queens)
- during the Depression, the city goverment shipped the sheep out of Central Park’s Sheep Meadow to a farm upstate, b/c they worried starving people would sneak into the park and kill the sheep for food

(I’m just endlessly fascinated by this stuff)

I couldn’t get outta work and up to my house fast enough. Felt like a really long and endless night @ work, sometimes it seems like I have no clue what’s going on around me there… just getting through all the arrivals is my goal. Anyway, I was just tearing through that subway station trying to get on that A train about to pull out, shoving and bustling like you wouldn’t believe. Just one of those nights where it seemed like EVERYONE was standing directly in my way. I don’t know if it’s the weather or what, but the people of New York seem dumber. No one knows how to walk, they all just keep walking into each other. I think it’s all the extra layers we’re wearing.

Oh, and I’ve got no clue what’s going on with my hair lately. For real, there’s just no real excuse. If you see me on the street, please just pretend not to notice. I’m trying to get it together, man.

Can we talk about what a flaming metrosexual Dave Navarro is? I know everyone’s sick of that word but I been employing that shit since way back before the gay summer of 2003, and I don’t use it carelessly. This rockstar kid has blatantly made out with other rockstuds, wears some of the gayest outfits known to man, rocks more eyeliner than a whore, and yet all I wanna do is wish him and his gorgeous girl a storybook life together. I was watching the new episode of Carmen & Dave (which I HIGHLY prefer over that Nick & Jessica crap) and I just think he’s the coolest shit on TV. Cracked me up @ how into the wedding-planning he is — here’s this leather-clad, tattooed, Satan-esque rocker sitting in a room full of women talking about flower arrangements and making sure the bouquet matches his suit. I love it.

Also loving The Inferno, and that shit ain’t even officially started yet. Coral. Julie. Shane. C.T. Veronica. God, I love these fools. As God is my witness and as long as MTV can keep churning out this drama, my Monday nights will never be dull. And also? if I might be direct: Dan, why aren’t you doing The Inferno? You and Coral killed me on the Real World Hook-Ups DVD (”

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“) and we so needed you on this Challenge. I need to know what happened and I don’t think I can hold off and do the whole week-to-week thing. Between you and my trusty informant Melissa, I know ya’ll are privy to the shit that went down. Come join the slam party! Divulge that shit, man!

I’ve been all pensive and penetant lately to the tunes of Caedmon’s Call, who I’ve loved forever. “There You Go” is the damn anthem. These guys are fellow Houstonians (act like you know, ya’ll) and they just make beautiful, lovely songs — most of them about identity and spirituality and finding purpose and faith. Yes, FAITH. They’re Christians and we respect that up in here. Jesus is my homeboy, yo.

Had another funass night @ Urge earlier this week (with Adam, Randy, some old faces, and the drag queens), playing bingo and watching Buffy. Not all of my friends got to make it, but it was stilla great time. I think that playing bingo touches on something in my persona that doesn’t much get tapped too often. For that short round, I’m all giddy and excited and not thinking about any of my usual ramblings, blathers, or torments. It’s so rare for me to get the hell out of my head like that, so I really enjoy playing. And of course, Buffy is just always fun to watch no matter what’s going on.

So, I’ve got three days off looking at me and the pressure is just a little bit overwhelming. I think I’ll start it all out with a trip to Target and follow up with some running around midtown. The snow and winds are supposed to be lessening these next few days, so I’m up for maybe stepping out into the world beyond my apartment for a bit. I definately need to get some groceries, cuz scrambled eggs and chorizo does not a solid diet make. Mom would beat my ass.