|
Tuesday, August 31
August 31st March In Union Square NYC
I’m not an activist
And have never been super political either
Although I must admit September 11th
Changed that quite a bit for me
as I'm sure you know if you're been reading me
I have marched in gay pride events
Went on the march to Washington for gay rights
And would have loved to have gone on many others
If I weren’t working
Which it seems like I often am
But tonight
Tonight was different
As you know I just got back from a month in Provincetown
And returning to NYC in the middle of the Republican Convention
Is well
Its intense
But the truth is
George Bush Junior
Scares me
I think he’s a bad man
And a bad president
And I truly, from the bottom of my heart am frightened of what another 4 years of him will do to this country
To this world
So I decided to go to Union Square tonight
Ive been out of the loop
Being away and all
So I did not know what would be going on
But I did know that something would be going on in Union Square park
It always is
La Cubana went with me
And La Cubana who never quite recuperated from being just a little too young to go to Woodstock was ready
She wore her hand made tank top that read
“No one died, when Clinton Lied”
we by-passed Union Square and walked up Irving Place towards 16th street
It was sometime after 6:00 Pm and I could not have guessed that we’d actually walked into perhaps the most intense drama that unfolded in Union Square that night..at least up until this point
People were running when we got there
People were scared
A woman ran by with a black and blue on her chin
camera crews were running
We went to the source of the upset but were held back by police in riot gear
Then more police in riot gear showed up
Then police started leading out young men and women with their hands held behind their back in plastic hand ties.
What had unfolded before us
Was that a group of protestors in Union Square park had decided to march
A peaceful march
But they were herded onto 16th street
And then fenced in by riot police using orange, net fencing
And then they were stuck, just stuck waiting to get arrested
I think I personally watched over 100 people get arrested
I’m sure at least 200 were arrested
there were so many arrestees they had to bring in empty NYC commuter buses
to carry them away
the boys bus
the girls bus
The scene was so strange
3 huge cups in riot gear pulling out a 90 pound 16 year old girl
a 21 year old baby faced young man
again and again
I became outraged
And started to hoot
Like everyone else did
La Cubana was so horriried
I had to calm her down
I was afraid she would get herself clobbered by one of the cops
"This is like the 60's all over again!" she screamed
I tried to ask one of the cops
What are these people being arrested for??
But he just looked at me with glassy eyes and said nothing
We stayed there photographing the sight for an hour
The cameras made the cops nervous
Im sure it helped to keep violence at bay
Then La C and I walked around the arrest zone and into Union Square Park
We walked through the park
And saw all these peaceful protestors
While helicopters buzzed overhead
A group of young men and women led by a drummer began to march
And to chant
“This is what democracy looks like!”
and La Cubana and I joined them.
We were told as we marched
to march only in twos, not threes
if we stayed on the sidewalks, did not obstruct traffic
were peaceful
chanting marchers
we were totally legal
so we marched around Union Square
and off heading towards 17th Street
and once on the side street
I saw a net orange fence go up blocking us in on one side
And realized suddenly that we were about to be corralled in
Just like the group I had just seen get arrested
But we were peaceful legal marchers?!
Legal!? We had stayed on the side walk!
Still the orange fence went up on one side
And I knew if we did not get out of there
Right or wrong
Before the fence went up on the other side
We would be arrested
I grabbed La Cubana to pull her out the open side
Before it was too late
But she did not want to go
She felt so outraged
At the arrests of a peaceful protest
That I think she wanted to get arrested to prove her outrage
I did not
And was afraid for her too
So I pulled her out
despite her protests
And we escaped
The rest of the night was a blur
And I sit here now
Feeling upset and angry
I can hear the helicopters
Buzzing out my window
Shades of the days after “911”
And I feel outraged
That so many peaceful protestors were arrested
Almost myself
And La C
I feel so angry
That the climate in this city
And in this country
Is that if you speak out against this president you are un-American
When speaking out
Speaking freely is what being American is all about
So I think again
About the chant of our young charged leaders in our ill-fated march
“This is what democracy looks like!”
and it is
Democracy is not pretty
And polite
And neatly folded
It’s a rag tag group of sweaty, frightened
People
Many just more than children
Out in the night
In plastic handcuffs
Teary eyed
Yelling to their friends to call their family
It’s the young police man in riot gear
Who was so frightened he looked like he wanted to cry
Because he so much did not want to be there
Its you
Right now
Sitting watching the news
And wondering
What is right?
What is right?
Friday, August 27
republican convention crapola
food for thought here
about the up-coming republican convention in NYC
do you ever recall reading about, hearing about witnessing
so much upset, anger, tears, horror
and full on major league protest
about the democratic party?
i sure dont honey
i didn't know whether i wanted to strip down to my undies to join ACT UP
in their protest of the baby bush's non-acting-of-any-kind-except-ignorance
in the face of AIDS
what georgie does it have to become a disease that only afflicts white, rich, trust fund babies before you want to get involved?!
I also kinda want to join the women protesting the war against
our bodies ourselves
but to tell you the truth the group i hold
the biggest
ARE YOU FRIGGEN NUTS?! award for
is the log cabin republicans
gay republicans?
isn't that a bit like black KKKers?
shit children what are you going to do at this convention
when all the talk turns to trying to amend the constitution to take away your rights to marry?
hmmmmm. Is that the part when you go out for popcorn?
have a cosmopolitan in chelsea with the muscle boys and just walk back in when the talk turns to easier things like oh say Iraq!
Jeeez.
Well as for moi
my time in provincetown is nearing an end
booo hoooooo
and i hate coming back in the middle of baby bush land
hey georgie why didn't you take the convention somewhere where you're wanted
like Wisconsin?
but a month out of NYC had been awesome for moi
i was interviewed on WOMR today
a very cool local radio station
that plays national on the web
and when it airs sometime in October
i will surely let you all know in plenty of time
to tune in
and a personal note to Mike and David
i am
i really am working on those photos or moi in a bikini
i am not a bikini tease
i swear
xx
Wednesday, August 25
ptown thangs
well dears my time in ptown shall end in a few days
and i must say leaving a gay, arty, beachy shangri la to come back to NYC
right smack dab in the middle of the Republican convention
is kinda like leaving a hot tub
to jump into an ocean full of sharks
aaaaakkkkkk
ah well
i know
i have no right to complain about anything dears
since i did drag my jewish american princess tuchas
away for a whole month
so what have i done you ask?
well i got a killer tan
and yes all you skin care freaks
i did say killer and i know ill look like an old hag
when im oh an old hag
but for now
i look so sexy
its just almost more then most mortals can handle
heheheheh
got my summer look down
with my white straw cowgirl hat
and my Deisel flip flops
and my ultra cool lime green tank top
as to my creative side
the real reason i came out here
well ive done like 8 paintings
really been a roll
and three of them are being shown by the the Provincetown Art Association and Museum this summer
so smell me
wrote another 20 pages or so on my 220 pages or so short story thats becoming a novel caught up with some old pals
especially the lovely Liz and Debbie
and on Friday Im being interviewed by the local radio station here
WOMR
so i truly do feel rather special
im trying real hard no to think about the fact that if i survive the orange alert convention i may not survive the fact that i wont have another day off till november
aaaaaaaah
pay backs a bitch
and then you die
as they say
but for now
i am living large
thats in spirit
been cutting down on my carbs
so the body is not so large
adios
muchachos (is that how you spell that)
Sunday, August 22
Paul Hamm is my Mann
Well honeys
I must say the Olympics have certainly been providing a well needed break from, war, gloom and the economy
Personally I just loved the Paul Hamm story
Man when I watched him fall flat on his tuchas
Push away what must have felt like a full scale implosion to bounce back (no pun intended)
And win gold
I was so friggen thrilled I plotzed
Really I mean if I had written this story
Nobody would have published it cause they woulda said it was too fake
Both twins on the team
The better twin loses it all in a fall
Then wins it all back
The red headed all american boy
Nah
Too fake
Anyway I just loved it
I guess that’s what the Olympics is all about
Excellence
Honor
Glory
Anyway
It does seem like the world sure needs these things right now
And I don’t feel a whole lotta plotzing for Michael Phelps
I don’t care how many medals he wins
That boys ego is just a little too
Alpha male for my nerves
On other news
Here in ptown
I just went to the annual Fine Arts Work Center auction
And bought myself a real deal piece of museum quality art
By Boris Margo
Yeah check him out
Hes great
So im on my way to my own Gertrude Stein salon collection
Only a few dozen Picassos and a short girlfriend with a moustache
I’ll be heading back to NYC just in time to be smack dab in the middle of the Republican Convention
Lord help me
You can be sure to get few passionate rossi rants when that happens
Anyway
Dearies
That’s all for now
smooches
Thursday, August 19
Guest Blogger from Ptown
Greetings love birds
here i am in not so sunny ptown
with my pals lizita and debilah
debilah
who is looking ravishing
and who was standing next to me
helping me collect mass quantities of New Orleans style beads
at the Carnival parade in ptown today
is now going to be my guest blogger
so adios from me
and hello from deb
--
(from Deb the world famous opera singer)
Hello Rossi rant-ees.... I am having the most wonderful time being a neighbor to the fabulous fine and free Rossi. Liz and I have lost about 15% of our inhibitions, mostly those surrounding bodily functions, just being in such close proximity to this force of nature. And I do mean nature. I know 15% sounds like a low number, but its not as if we had that far to go. Every morning when I get up I peak out the window and see Rossi sitting on her adorondak chair looking out at the bay. So theres a lot going on beyond those bodily functions and its a pleasure be be around that side of her too. Liz wants to add that by the way, Rossi is the most generous person in the world -- so okay -- its clear we are in love with her. Now we are having dinner. Dinner is a big deal around here, because you know how Rossi is about food, and Liz loves to eat so there seems to be a lot being dished up. So I gotta go --food's on.
Okay its Rossi again
let me just say that the best meals I have had in this town
were cooked by Liz
also want to mention that I paid Debbie a lot of money
to say those nice things about me
only kidding
(blush)
see ya
Monday, August 16
Shoving the Gov Stuv
Okay so the Jersey Lov Gov is gay..
Whoopsy doodles.
I know here in Provincetown Mass. Gay capital of the world
One would think that obsessing about McGreevey was the topic of the day, but to tell you truth, the topic of the day here is more about gays and straights co-existing in a tiny town were there seems to be room for everyone.
Oh honey if only the world could take a few lessons from Ptown, but I digress.
I hadn’t really wanted to write on this subject, although of course its right up my alley, but the reason I hadn’t wanted to write about it is just because it makes me sad.
There are so few out gay role models.
Sure we’ve got the ones everyone whispers about; Tom Cruise, John Travolta, you know the scientology crowd, but then those are only rumors and you know multi million dollar court cases and such.
I’m not willing to say Tom Cruise is gay regardless of what I hear in the grapevine cause I cant afford the big time bucks. I do have to say though that if he is gay, does that mean Nicole Kidman is gay and if she is gay, can anyone please fix me up with her immediately..but again I digress.
My point is, what the hell was my point, oh yeah my point is that there are so few gay role models and I think it makes things all the worse when someone who could have been a GREAT gay role model instead has been in the closet, in a fake or whatever? Marriage and only came out the closet presumably over some sort of pressure or black mail, so now all the homophobes get to see, oh you see, those gays, just a bunch of lying, cheating, lesser sorts of people.
Sigh.
Would be nice if some of the world famous queers would come out and not when their old, tired and their careers have dried up, like Richard Chamberlain. Honey couldn’t you have done this oh 10 years ago when you were still making the occasional mini-series?!
I guess, though if all the true gays came out, most likely half of the leading ladies and men of Hollywood would be wearing lavender and that would just freak out the straight world so much that anarchy and revolution would ensue…so maybe we just need to keep a lid on things until everybody gets over themselves a bit more.
Personally, to the Jersey Gov, I’m having trouble understanding why you had to resign over being gay or having an affair. Clinton didn’t resign over his affair and he had just a little more going on then you do..but I guess like the rest of the world, I don’t know the whole story.
I do hope now that you’ve told the world you are a gay man, you do something great so you can use just a little bit if that public eye for a good thing.
So how bout it?
Maybe becoming an outspoken humanitarian for the rest of your life.
You got nothing to lose right?
Wednesday, August 11
cheers and chills
hey love birds
here i am supposedly on vacation
and yet not only have i found myself
painting
writing
running
jumping
but i also wound up a huge democratic
town hall
meeting
to talk about concerns over the baby bush
and his regime
big wigs were there
like richard reich
howard zinn
barney frank
and my fave
the ny times babe barbara ehrenreich
honey you gotta love a town
that still has town meetings
well barbara brought up the most intense
and sobering thought of the day
which is that the republican right wing party
is simulataneously chipping away at government aid to the masses while putting money in faith based aid
and therefore shifting things so that in this evangelical way the churches are getting folks politisized the way the bush camp wants them
thats just plain scary
and the separtion of church and state is
sorta up there with the big ones you are not supposed to screw with
aint it?
anyway
i got scared
i really did
this political environment today
is dragging me back and everyone else to the 50's
please dear god please tell me
this country is not stupid enough to re-elect this man
cause if so
i do fear we shall goodbye to a womans right to govern her own body
a gay americans right to be equal
a working class persons right to have the same tax breaks as a millionare
and honey MORE< MORE MORE
wasn't the Republican party supposed to be about less government?
is the patriot act less government?
is amending the constitution less government?
oh im scared
scared
i think id better sign off
and have a margarita
cheers
and
chills
Saturday, August 7
Ptown Updates
Well dears here I am in Provincetown Massachusetts home of great art, great sun, great drag queens, great writers and great balls of fire honey I have never seen so many tourists clogging up commercial street! !!!
Navigating down the street to get a ^%$#%&*&^ bottle of sunscreen was like doing the Olympic slalom and honeys let me tell you this here blondacious one is no athlete
On top of the usual Augustitus which means the shops are filled with bitter fed up salespeople, the restaurants are filled with stressed out sleep deprived waiters, the quality of the food goes down oh a bazillion percent and the closest one can get to a nice quite place to have a drink is oh under the ocean!… This is also gay family week sponsored by Mr Rosie O’Donnell Id say Mrs. But you know Rosie the butch factor kicks in here
Anyway I love the whole gay family week thing
We are all equal in the eyes of god and in the universe you homophobic mofos
So yeah bring on gay family week
But since this is all about equality then I get to say this
The gay parents babies are just as loud and their strollers take up just as much space on the street and their diapers stink just as much
So yeah all being equal
This town is friggen crowded as hell!!
But on other news here in my little 150 sq foot apartment overlooking the majestic bay, I am sitting here typing this while looking out over boats, seagulls, an artist with an easel, a happy dog pouncing in the water and lots and lots of loveliness..
Ive finished one painting on my way to number two, got three pieces hanging in the Provincetown Art Association Museum this month… so….SMELL ME.
Just getting filled with culture honey.
I went to the great Lillian Orlowsky’s art opening in Wellfleet. Lillian an alumni of the legendary Hans Hoffman is one of a small but elite and vanishing breed of Hoffman students who went on to become legends in their own right. The elderly but adorable Lillian was gracious and humble amidst all the attention and her paintings especially these ones from the 1930’s thru the 1950’s were rich and lush and exciting.
Yeah baby…give this momma a shot of art…hey make it a double.
Ive also been loving, loving, loving that my great pals Lizita and Debilah are in the little apartment right next door. So its been great painting and writing with Debilah, getting Lizita’s guided tour of the great artists of Ptown and also massively pigging out with them over cheese, cheese, cheese and then Lizitas’ world famous salsa black beans and mashed potatoes.
We all went to see the local version of Cabaret which certainly was no Broadway experience but everyone’s hearts were in the right place and um a few other body parts.
Today its rather cold and rain is eminent but I don’t care cause Ive got my two fat cats lounging on my bed, Maryanne Lizita and Debilahs cat is prowling the deck looking for prey, Ive got my brand new lap top, my new IPOD that I hope to learn how to use with a little help from Debilah…my paints, my novel in progress and oh threes that little shopping addiction too.
Tonight is the opening of the group show that I am in… WOOO HOOO
And tomorrow hopefully tomorrow will be sun…
The Sun will come out tomorrowwwwwwwww
Ooops never mind
All this time off has already made me loopy
Anyway….
Toodles noodles!!!
And um….. poodles………
*** well dears my server was down so i did not post this for a bit after i wrote it
and now i have learned only a few hours ago
that the great Lillian Orlowsky passed away in her sleep last night
and it all seems so bitter sweet and surreal
and i am so grateful that i was allowed a chance to meet this wonderful
talented and gracious lady
rest in peace Lillian
you will be remembered
Monday, August 2
birthday bash
well dears
i must say this little blondacious bimbo
had the most fabulous birthday bash
shall i give you the details?
yes, yes, i think i shall
okay
first off
la cubana in her infinate wisdom
shipped me off to the soho grand hotel
to get me out of my apartment
and out of her hair for a couple days
then she met me for dinner the night before my birthday
and we had a huge surprise guest
ewainee
my long lost dear lovely bette midler look-alike and singalike pal
who flew in all the way from toronto to be with me
ewainneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
on the next day
the birthday...dum de dum dum
my best pal tralena
met me to take me shopping for an IPOD (hehhehe)
and then to a lovely lunch
at 3:30
i returned to the hotel for a nap
SNORE!!
then la cubana picked me up at 8:00
and we were supposed to go to my party dinner at some snooty
restaurant uptown
but she insisted we stop off and have one glass of champagne with ewainee
on the roof deck of my building
and then
you guessed it
SURPRISE!
a whole bunch of my pals were on the roof for a kicking party
not only did la cubana enlist my best boy toy pal miha ( miha-licious)
to do the catering which entailed tons of very fancy shmancy hors d'oeuvres
and a huge gorgeous cheese table
but she also hired via miha a bartender, waiters a chef and then
ay chiwawa (is that how you spell that?)
a five piece cuban band
and a DJ!!
and filled the roof with flowers, champagne, cosmopolitans every kind of booze ever invented and friends, friends friends
a giant waft of love
and smoked salmon!
tralena was there who had managed to button her lip and look bored when i said to her over lunch
you know id really rather just hang out with my pals on the roof
instead of going to some fancy shmancy place
my adopted parents jeff and alex were there (hi mom, hi dad)
my former college professor mary the marvelous (ooo la la)
my fabulous friends
anne marie and her hubby jamie (and a little one in the oven i hear), tai and her hubby anton (hey i have straight friends too!), carol and sandy(carol never left the dance floor not once, disco demon), elizabeth and a strange man who was hitting on her, ronny the ravishing, gus the great and my wild ham god daughter zora who got even for all my bad pickle jokes by giving me a jar of pickles for my birthday, my pal since the 7th grade!!! lauren, helen and her rocking cosmo, adeena with a mountain of brades that made her look like an exotic egyptian queen, hang on adeena is an exotic egyptian queen ...... tod….THE DUDE…(hey tod you are soo solid!) g-man and then a whole bunch of people left and a whole new slew of fabulous friends arrived Miha the majestic, Lizipoo the lovely and
even well after midnight when the catering staff went home and the food was broken down and the band packing up
ray, carinne and jules arrived and laura my all time favorite cupcake! woo hooo!
and at 2am! joanna, andrew richard and martina
and finally my beloved debbilah the opera star extraordinare dragged herself up the 6 flights of stars after singing somewhere two hours out of nyc
ahhh
at 3am
i told everyone
i love you all
now get the fuck out! ( i do have neighbors who sleep after all)
and somehow they were okay with that
hahahah
i only have two regrets dears
one that i did not know the chef had left the meatballs in my oven
and everyone at 2am wanted a meatball
i then proceeded to dream about them for two days only to discover them
fermenting in my oven last night
a las
i must have spanish meatballs sometime soon
my other regret
was that while i was in the middle of a toast to la cubana
who i saved for last after working my way around the room
roasting my pals who had evoked so much love for me in their toasts
they presented the birthday cake which cut me short in my "thank you la c " speech
and i think between my embarrassment about
being made a fuss over...
and the cake
and the well VERY rocky road la c and i have been on
i never really showed my full appreciation to her
so im kinda hoping she will read this post on my site
cause La C
you really did kick ass on this party!
also want to say that by the time you read this
i will be in a van with lizita
debbilah
and my two fat cats
enroute to Ptown!!
for a month of channeling my inner child
and hey
you dont turn 21
every day!
hahhahahahha
woo
hooooooo
oh forgot to mention this
i got some killer presents honey
top of the list
the dvdvcr from l and d
the hand blown crystal vase from m
the great set of hollywood style mugs and plates from r
and the sexy candle-abra from a
a full body massage darling from nancy and cyn...hey not from them
i mean they sent me the ^%$#&* gift certificate...sheesh you guys are so dirty
and of course the pickles from zora
FYI
i also got a gorgeous set of candles with no card
who gave me this?
i want to smooch you!
anyway
toodles to you all
this babe is off to new lands
but have no fear i will be posting from ptown
until then
all i have to say is
yeeeee haaaaaa
by the way
la cubana
thank you
| 
