Hey guys.
I really tried coming here to post something. The last two weeks I've came here, something always came up, and I would end up putting it off until later. September 25th, I would've posted something, but after having a martini rush and meeting Patrick Ewing in a club, I was throwing up my martinis Saturday morning, and was feeling the after effects for the rest of the weekend. (Note to self: if you don't eat, don't drink.) October 2nd, I would've posted something then, but I had another chapter with Tammy. Nothing to elate about, but I wanted the weekend to end with a great note.
The Tuesday that passed, I performed a gauntlet special at work; on my day off, I work from open til close. 8:30AM to 6:30PM. I get yelled at, cursed at, and shitloads upon shitloads of work tossed at me at once. It was fun. I missed getting my stuff back from the cleaners, but the race there was fun.
I lie.
It was no friggin fun.
I had to run to the cleaners the very next day, and get my stuff out. Why go through all that? So I could go to:
Jazz @ Lincoln Center Presents: Al Jarreau
Oh, man! What a time, and what a $75.50 well spent!
I spent the previous couple of days deciding what seat I was going to get, that when I was finally ready to order, there were no front row seats left! I ended up ordering mezzanine seats at about 8:30 clockwise from the front of the stage. In other words, I was supposed to be at the left side of the stage, yet closer to the exit than I would be the stage. But when I finally got there, not only was I way off base...
I ended up right above the stage, close to the musicians! Now that was some good seats, and only for $75.50! Imagine, I was ready to plunk out $130 for tickets, but at least with those tix, I might have been called out by Al Jarreau to sit at a half-full front row.
Now the venue is at the Jazz @ Lincoln Center, so you figure that I was heading to the Lincoln Center, right? Ha, that's what I thought too. So there I was at Lincoln Center, and something told me to look at the confirmation stub for my ticket, and lo and behold, the auditorium is near Time Warner at 60th Street. Six Manhattan blocks later, I wait for my ticket...
And get reacquainted with the CD 101.9 photographer again!
The very photographer that got Al Jarreau to sign my t-shirt at last year's Smooth Jazz Concert at Central Park. The photographer who went to the Smooth Jazz Cruise presents The Rippingtons. Ah, we had some nice word exchanges, and then it was off to the mezzanine level. There, I sat next to a old couple of jazz aficionados who happened to notice that I am a twentysomething. Yeah, I was one of the lucky ones with a broader taste, I boasted. In the booth to my right, another couple chatted amongst themselves about my iPod in it's Vaja case (more on the upgrade later.) The male asked me whether it indeed was an iPod; upon getting his answer, he got a feel for the case, and noted it's sturdiness. His wife then whips out her 2nd generation 10GB iPod, filled with Al Jarreau's work. "Every song he did or ever thought about doing is here, my friend," she boasted.
Deborah Raft kicked things off. Intro to da Man. Performed some of his mellow jazzy pieces. The musician solos were off the hook, including the bassist scatting Michael Jackson's Human Nature while on bass. The drummer was tight, scatting to the drums at times while playing. I'm telling you, all of Al's accompaniment were true professionals. Da Man then goes on to say support the original American music and buy some records. Unfortunately Al, they don't sell records no mo'. They call 'em CD's now...
Fan participation was not an issue, as me and my new fellow iPodder were singing to his music. While he acknowledged the presence of the audience above and around the stage, he didn't really take notice of us until we really sang to his music. I didn't want to bring to much attention to myself at that point; I was probably the only twentysomething Jarreau-fanatic at the concert. So I stayed low-key for the rest of the performance, up until the end, when I called for an encore. And of course, da Man returns, and does Agua de Beber. My only complaint: No Roof Garden! No Spain, I Can Recall! No Superfine Love! Other than that, I can't complain.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Midnight Sun
Al Jarreau
Accentuate The Positive
Afterwards, I got hungry. So I looked at the playbill to check out the eateries around here that JALC recommends. One caught my eye: The Churrascaria Plataforma. On West 49th Street and 8th Ave, I figured while in the rain (which was all week this week, & coincidentally, since Tammy went to London for a week), I'd work up an appetite en route. I get there, and there's a huge appetizer bar full of shrimp and fish. I had fun with the hot shrimp, and cold shrimp. They make you flip a lid once you're done appetizing; they bring out a platter of mashed potatoes, rice, collard greens, broccoli, and other mixed vegetables. And every two minutes, a waiter offers you meat! From steak, to chicken, to pork, to turkey wrapped with bacon, you name it, they had it! Man, those Brazilians know how to eat! I can't believe that I allowed myself to get punked with some appetizers, that I wouldn't get to try all the meat! Next time, and, there WILL be a next time, I'm just flipping the lid, and going straight to the main course.
All in all, for $60, including two drinks, the C/P is a great place to eat. Brazilians can definitely throw down.
Good times. Good times.
The iPod Nano, The "One More Thing" Event presents: iPod: Generation V
Okay guys. Essentially, besides making iPods either black or white, they made one iPod long and super thin, and the new iPod is wider and thin still.
My only thing is this: no firewire??!! The whole purpose of FireWire was faster/more stable file transferring on Macs. It's supposed to be a benefit of being a mac user. But I notice that since the announcement that Intel's making chips for Apple, we have regressed to the way of the PC. Note to the nuts that did away with firewire: If we're on a PowerBook, without a high powered USB port, how in the hell are we supposed to sync our iPod with our music, without 3rd party hardware!!???
** deep breath **
I'm okay, I promise.
I checked out the Nano in person (see 9.11.05 fotolog), and it's really that small! The ability of flash drive means no gaps or wait between songs! That's a great plus. However, I could've told the world way back then that the front casing is scratch-prone. I just hope the new iPod doesn't share the Nano's fate in that regard. Other than that, the Nano is a mere flashy device designed to grab the attention of the fashionable.
Now that the new Pod "does video," will I invest in this iPod?
Probably not.
When I think about the 60GB iPphoto I have now, I rarely take advantage of the photo capabilities, unless I was showing off the pics I took the night before. The main reason I bought it was to have 60GB of music, and to see the album art was a bonus. Unless, something drastically happens to it (and the way it acts up now, that possibility is no longer too far gone), I will stay loyal to my iPphoto.
The Cell Phone Wars
Yep, it's still a issue.
I'm still having second doubts about switching to Nextel. And on that same note, second thoughts about staying with Verizon. But what you see are the three options that I have set forth, and have until November 8th to finalize. For those working commission, I know there's Sprint, Cingular, and T-Mobile. Thing is, I left T-Mobile behind to go to Verizon; so I figured I'd do away with GSM (even though it's the worldwide cell service.) Sprint owns Nextel, so they should be one and the same, right? Time for some research:
Staying WIth Verizon
Pros:Best Service going for me. Friends in the Verizon circle means less minutes. Treo 650 looks hot right now.
Cons:Had the service for quite long time. No cool phones available, aside from the Treo 650. Upgrade means getting new contract which costs me more money a month.
Deciding Ratio: 3 in 3.
Switching to Nextel
Pros:Most of kliq population, and co-workers, on Nextel; meaning more walkie-talkie, less minutes. Switching means getting new contract similar to my present contract for the same money. Walkie-Talkie feature is cool. Flip-phones are cool. i930 with Windows Mobile is even cooler.
Cons:Service while to me is unknown, is half and half to all who use it. Sprint owning Nextel could mean bad news for me. They really don't have any cool phones either. I'm paying extra for voicemail and caller ID!!
Deciding Ratio:5 in 4.
Now, the options:
A - Stay With Verizon. Get the Treo 650.
$250. With a camera. Palm PDA system. New features could mean more $$$ to spend. Bluetooth; but restricted to headset usage. Good reviews. No flip function means exposed display. Get to use vaja case (for $100!) 5 in 4.
B - Go To Nextel. Get the-top-of-the-line i930.
$350. Camera, with flash. Windows Mobile. Walkie-Talkie. Flip-phone, in every sense of the word. No bluetooth, at all. Availability is quite shaky (so shaky, it's not on the Nextel Website. Getting this means still means I have to find one for my brother. No review or knowledge is available on this phone. 4 in 4 (4 in 5 if price is a factor upon final decision.)
C - Go To Nextel. Buy one i860, get one for my brother for free.
$250. Camera, with flash. Walkie Talkie. Flip phone, in every sense of the word. The most fashionable of all the phones. The Buy 1 Get 1 free opt saves me money when switching with my brother. Still, no bluetooth. Service/Reviews are good, not great. 6 in 2.
So, it's simple, right?! If you think so, let me know what option I should take. All responses in this department are welcome...
On the next post...
Tammy, Chapter 4
Life in general
Did I say I met #33?
A freelance? (Yeah, it's about time)
Where is everyone?!
Some more old friends.
Later.
