Subway music

I heard this guy singing on 42nd Street platform of the N and R today. The song he was singing was very pretty. But watching people watch him was also one of those lovely New York things: when someone does something great and people see it and recognize it and take flyers and buy cd's and give their kids a dollar to put in the guitar case.

If you can see it

I went to see Disturbing the Universe tonight. It is about William Kunstler, the radical civil rights lawyer, made by his two daughters. It's very interesting look at his representation of the Freedom Riders, the Chicago 7, the American Indian Movements leaders at Wounded Knee, as well as his more reviled clients, like the defendants in the Central Park jogger rape case and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. It doesn't gloss over his inconsistancies or his flaws, but does document his pivotal role in countless important civil rights moments.

If you are interested in finding out if it is playing in your area, you can find screening info here.

Like finding that long lost mix tape you loved so much in 1993

In a year dominated by conversation about sources of unrestricted revenue and hospital productivity, I forgot about the wonderfulness that is The Poor Man. Here he discusses the recent improvements to Facebook.

"I don’t understand this Facebook. There’s like all these people, and there’s a “News” feed and a “Live” feed, and they’re different, but hell if I know what the difference is, let alone what’s so newsy or lively about them. And I have a “Wall” for some reason, which I guess I’m writing on? Or something? Am I writing on a wall? Is this news? Am I live? Don’t anybody try to explain it to me, because I’m not listening, and I refuse to RTFM. This is supposed to be a web-site, and web-sites aren’t supposed to have FMs."

Cocooned

It's a raining autumn morning, during the first week when most of the leaves have fallen off the trees. I am happily ensconsed in cotton jersey sheets (the stretchy kind) drinking coffee, answering email. Later I will go to the office to do work, certain things requiring large of amounts of concentration eluded me this week. Jane went out of town for a meeting. It's one of those days where there is nothing too bad, nothing too serious.

My friend Erik wrote a book

My pal Erik wrote this book. I finished it this morning on the bus, and it's a lovely novel about a teenager whose father takes off to save the world, turning his world upside down. It deals with bullies, girls, bicycles, racism, warring parents, and also manages to tackle a conversation about right and wrong and good and evil. It's funny and sweet at times, but doesn't shie away from how grisly and violent the world can be. You can buy it here.