I celebrated my birthday on Wednesday with style. Tiby arranged for an action-packed day that began with a shopping trip to Reminiscence (I felt the need for a new coat to ring in the fall season), continued with a powerful day at Chelsea Piers and ended with an evening sail in New York Harbor aboard Shearwater Sailing’s 1929 schooner. It was truly a blast. Please enjoy the photos below.

“Pimp-Lite”

Sporting a luxurious crimson velvet opera coat.

Pins beware!

Enjoying the harbor in style.

There’s a new captain in town. (Or, “Sit down bitches, I’m at the helm now!”)

A shot from the bowsprit- very cool indeed. Thus ends the birthday photo display. Please join us at Fat Cat (75 Christopher Street at the corner of 7th Avenue) tonight at 7pm for an evening of billiards, ping pong and a few casual pints of scotch.

On Tuesday afternoon, August 19th, the world was blessed with the arrival of Anna Rose. She weighed in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces. I would like to thank and congratulate my brother Dennis and sister-in-law Noelle. Anna is quite the stunning specimen. Many newborns appear to have just stepped off the mother ship-prematurely. Anna, however, arrived ready for the fashion runway. She is a Leo and I’m sure the world will hear her roar very soon!

It was a smashing day for a parade. The sun was shining, but it was not too hot or humid. Tiby and I parked ourselves in camping chairs on Montgomery Street to take in Jersey City’s Puerto Rican Day Parade.

The photos posted below are from my little camera, and the tart comments that accompany each image are from my tiny, yet very active mind. I like to think that I notice what others do not- which cuts both ways, mind you. My lens and thoughts centered on the cheap and irrelevant merchandise for sale, the glad-handing pols dragging themselves along the parade route, and the many military-style law enforcement vehicles that were on display.

Given the way people can behave when in large crowds in the time of an omnipresent Oprah and easy access to Oxycontin, this was an uneventful, and therefore good parade- no drunken riots or acts of random destruction. I hope that you enjoy the photos- especially the one of former Mayor Bret Schundler- it’s a gem.

All parades of note must start with crap peddlers. After all, how can one expect to

celebrate national pride properly without an inflatable Sponge Bob in one hand and

a plastic Ninja sword in the other?

Get your flags! Three bucks a pop, or two for five dollars- made in Taiwan, of course.

Here comes the poh-lice, on stylish Harleys.

Here comes the Mayor- he’s in there somewhere.

Watch out! It’s former Mayor and aspiring B-movie zombie stunt double, Bret

Schundler, out to either press or eat the flesh of the Jersey City electorate.

Giant, yet cuddly looking Corrections “Rescue” (and Assault) vehicle- every parade and children’s party should have one!

Another menacing vehicle, seemingly torn from the pages of a Stephen King novel, representing the stiff arm of the law.

Real people playing musical instruments.

Someone stole the pool from the Holiday Inn.

An old-fashioned car- definitely parade worthy.

Old dude with cool ancient bike and many small flags.

Hot chick on fancy old truck. Well, that ends this crude photo essay. I hope you enjoyed it.

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Last night’s salon was a smashing success, and yes, I say so in large part because I was the organizer. We took full advantage of the gazebo situated at the center of Van Vorst Park in downtown Jersey City- it was a great way to spend a summer night.

Everyone sat quite comfortably in camping chairs as we discussed topics including:

1. Who will control information on the web.

2. 9/11- is it way past time that we move on?

3. New music and pop culture. (Bands recommended: Santogold, MGMT, The Felice Brothers, The Hold Steadies, Citizen Cope, Death Cab for Cutie and Peter Bjorn And John

4. Going green- is it a fad, or is it here to stay?

5. Luck- what exactly is it, and how do you recognize it? (Check out Sean O’Malley’s site “Luck: A User’s Manual” listed on the blogroll on the lower left side of this page.)

6. Can people be forced to take medication against their will?

7. The construction of transgender toilets in Thailand. (This is not a misprint or an attempt to see if you’re paying attention.)

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I saw these stylish, yet ghoulish shoes sitting on the curb just north of Jersey Avenue on Columbus in Jersey City the other night. It looks as if the owner did not discard them, instead it seems as if she was plucked right out of them. (Maybe Satan called her back home for a family barbecue.)

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The big storm meant that getting a seat in Manhattan would be
harder than usual.

My bike was in no mood to help me find a place to sit.

It seemed as if all things man-made were wearing heavy hats. Still no place
to sit.

The cars were resting comfortably. They had the day off.

More hats.

Where is Dennis these days?

I found a pink blanket.(The woman holding my umbrella took it
home with her.)

A semi-serious photo.

Aliens from Planet Bling opened a store. There was no seating inside.

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