Clock the Climate

Lets take a few minutes together.

New york is getting cold. Fall television programming is in full effect. We’ve pulled out the air conditioner and wear sweaters at night. The landlady hasn’t turned on our heat yet, or if she has we haven’t felt it, so in addition to leaving curt messages on her machine, we have taken to putting heating pads under are butts while we enjoy or weekly half hour sitcoms. We also watch some dramas, but I wont get into that right now. I’ve pulled out my autumn wear, but haven’t unearthed the scarves and long underwear that the winter wardrobe entails. I will suffer the cold for as long my skin will allow. I appreciate weather. I am not afraid of its change.

The city actually gets livelier during the colder months. Everyone is back in town. The skyscrapers are filled with taxpayers. Students trudge along the avenues. Bars and restaurants get crowded, everyone is open for another drink. In the summer people escape. They visit family members in other states. They take vacations across the Atlantic. They go where there are lawns or beaches or quiet spaces where they can think. They leave the city to its own madness. They take off for a while. But when winter comes they are all back in position. Behind their desk or in front of a stove or standing in line waiting for their number to be called. They get back to the race. The city brings back their purpose.

Soon we will look down at ourselves and see layers of clothes. We will fumble with our metrocards wearing thick, protective gloves. We will stamp our feet on the welcome mat before we go through the door. We will leave our umbrellas at home and tighten the string in our hoodies. We will browse in heated shoe stores, looking for fur-lined boots, then brace ourselves for the arctic blast before we step outside. We will tighten our plans to minimize outdoor exposure, we will be punctual and efficient, and avoid waiting at all cost. We will become quick again, like we were last winter.

**********************************************
If you can only see art through a microscope, is it really worth anything? I'm not sure, but these mitesize pieces are interesting to me, so thats worth something, right? My friend sent me this cartoon. Is it funny? I forget. Another friend of mine is helping these guys on a very good looking documentary about the history of techno music. You should check it out. What you should not check out is this video. At least dont check it out if you have even a modicum of respect for hip hop legend Doug E. Fresh.