BOX SETS FROM JIM

Jim is an old buddy from the Music Center daze and is amongst my friends who are the most voracious of Music lovers of which my meager knowledge is appalling compared to theirs. This is saying quite a bit at least from my vantage point being "me" and I can get quite nerdy and wide ranging on the subject myself, of course mine is 20th century pop/rock tunes and I barely scratch the surface of the barely scratched.

A handful of my friends are comparable to Paul Bunyan in the breadth and width of Music Facts and Encyclopedic Recall, I can only hope to attempt to copy Babe the Blue Ox but my life has been peppered with great instructors.

So Jim has gifted me quite a few complete Box Set collections in the form of MP3s and I figure for time capsule sake to put down some brief descriptions concerning my opinion of the se Audio Delites.

Thanks Jim.



DECCA Records - Strange Pleasures/further Sounds of the Underground (Decca) - After being willing victim to the wonderful collection "Lullabies For Catatonics" this one comes off a bit of a dud, somewhat dated which should not bother me but nothing grabs me outright whereas "Lullabies" was killer track after track. Decca records may have had the wrong A & R department working for them and trying too hard to stay with the times. Lots of Orchestras on some of these recordings as was the flavor of the time as well as the Guitar Freak Out.

A Brief Hospital Of Time - Maimonides Hospital 6/14/19 Brooklyn, New York

What the hell, this is basically an online personal diary for myself and I plan on visiting a hospital as little as possible during my time on the planet so why not take photos, put down some memories and make the most of it which to me is try to have a good time.

The only two moments of discomfort were having a urinary catheter inserted for about 15 minutes to collect my pee and boy do I CANT STAND those things (the catheter that is) and getting an insertion point (spelled hole in my body) sutured which I had to hum during so as not to get air in a lung pocket plus one moment of confusion as I came to after being anesthetized in the recovery room as they were still finalizing well, my recovering.

After the admittance department down in the lobby you are asked to get your ass up to pre-op. The wait was not terribly long, maybe 75-90 minutes I believe before you walk over to what they call an operating table, lie yourself down and in my case ask for an extra blanket and get the paltry pillow fluffed up before they CUT YOU OPEN.

In my case it being a routine Biopsy they only had to insert a camera with a cutting/suturing device in my back but I was not informed of the Lung tube that was also placed and that is keeping me out of work for a few days, I am enjoying the time off and catching up on lots of Music listening though.

After the recovery process you are eventually given a room, this I have no memory of now that I am trying to remember it but I was somewhat mobile and in no way close to deaths door like my previous stay in a wonderful Hospital facility (its a building with lots of patients in it).

I made it in time for Lunch and boy this is the exciting part. What they say about Hospital Food is all true but Maimonides seems to have perfected preparing their savory delights to be even blander and tasteless than expected.

In the photo is a piece of Chicken on the bone (but I don't like chicken on the bone) and of course no salt or seasoning is provided as per Hospital Food, Health issues and people with sky high blood pressure (my pressure was good), Carrot Coins (as they are dubbed on the lovely in-house menu) and White Rice but the chef decided to jazz up this starchy side it would be a good idea to add some Cinnamon, now I know Cinnamon brings down blood pressure but as I said my pressure was fine GIVE ME SOME SALT.

Actually it would be easy enough to sneak in a shaker of salt but who thinks of these things prior to visiting a Hospital either with an appointment and especially when rushed on the fly to the ER, fortunately mine was a scheduled visit.

Cristina had arrived by this time and we were BLAH-BLAH-BLAHing probably mostly about her mother who I must add has many odd ways about her is stubborn, immature, nasty and childish.

Did I say we don't get along ?

I think I went to move my lovely dining table away from me and there was noticed,...

BLOOD !!!

What a perfect place to be in to stem the flow however. Cristina informed my nurse Marie and her instantaneous reaction was,...

WHAT !!!

She probably thought I was hemorrhaging but it was just the I.V. tube coming loose.

Silly little thing.

So we spoke more about her mother as I pontificated on WHO ADDS CINNAMON TO RICE !!! I suppose it must be a known recipe but did not appeal to me so Cristina volunteered to RAID THE PANTRY for me and she did, bringing back some various juices and a Roll she also got for herself a lovely Fruit Salad. It must be stated here that I am all for raiding the Food Pantry and have done so in previous stays but I tend to limit my open thievery to the pantry which is relegated for the patients use.

For some reason Cristina did not add two and two together and notice what the sign by the door read.

The sign Read STAFF ONLY which basically means Staff Only so in essence and all probability she stole a nurse or doctors food. My nurse Marie was somewhat eyeing the Fruit Salad herself, maybe it was hers.

Next on duty was my night nurse, her name was Priscilla but as I misread the bulletin board thought that her name was Priscilla Calypso, of course this had to be mentioned to her and also the fact that she sounded like an exotic dancer (stripper), double agent or finally to my projected guess at her professional calling an ice cream manufacturer, she felt it sounded more like an ice cream flavor to which I replied "Mango"

Priscilla was very nice as was Marie but a few hours later she had to (previously only threatened to me) insert a urinary catheter and as I have said I am no stranger to those and I CANT STAND THEM !!!

Well it was only for several minutes and she was not an unattractive girl.

The night passed, I slept a little and at some point someone had closed the room door so it was nice and dimly lit for a few of my waking hours in the middle of the night. Night turned into day and before I knew it time for Breakfast (the most important meal of your day) and I was hopeful that I would be discharged on that same very day which was relayed to me a few times was pretty likely, I also hoped they were not serving EGGS for Breakfast it being another Food I can not take (I am writing this for anyone reading this, I know I don't care for Eggs).

AND Breakfast was EGGS !!!

So I had instant Coffee and unsalted margarine on a Challah Roll, at least they got the roll right.

Had a very nice conversation with a nurse type woman of whom I did not quite catch her name but we got along famously and she felt the same way, we spoke of many things healthwise and she was easy to speak with, as soon as my lunch arrived she got the hell out of dodge to let me eat in peace but I did get to converse with her about the meal asking "are those potatoes or Grits ?"

That sad plate in the photo is supposed to be Pot Roast.

The Meat was inedible, tasteless and somewhat fatty, the potatoes which they appeared to be were of the bland type as in they could not possibly be blander and once again those God Damned Carrot Coins !!! This plate went virtually uneaten.

In that solo cup is the demonic combination of Shredded Carrots over Pineapple Chunks in some kind of disgusting Creamy sweet sauce. If there is a recipe somewhere for this please burn all copies.

So I had weak Tea and unsalted margarine on a Challah roll, at least they got the roll right.

Cristina had brought me a Ring Ding and Twinkie (both Peanut Butter) as per my instructions but they were already gone and my nurse type woman friend had pleaded with me to dispose of the leftover Sushi from the night before and pre-made but unrefrigerated sandwich that Cristina brought along (according to my plan of Food Abominations in the medical facility expected) in case of bacteria growth.

She was a very nice woman.

Word finally came down the pike after two separate X-Rays that I was to be discharged but just as I was getting dressed and my stomach was STARVING dinner was served and I could not resist.

After all how badly could they mess up Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Well, they tried their best. Overcooked Pasta, Tomato Sauce of an unknown nature (but thank god not ketchup) and Meatballs a level below Chef Boyardee.

Of course while I was eating (and of course I offered Cristina some) we spoke of Cristina's mom and how being a proud and racist Italian how much she loves the Subway Sandwich shop Meatball hero. Now to me the Subway Meatball Hero is edible as long as you know what you are in for but anyone who is Italian and knows what a proper Meatball is would not be caught spouting such wisdom unless being nailed to a cross or some such physical debasement like staying in a hospital.

Told you I got along with Cristina's mom.

On the way out.

GODZILLA:King of the Monsters - UA Sheepshead Bay 5/6/19 Brooklyn, New York

Frank said "Never in my life did I expect to see an Americanized high budget version of what is basically Destroy All Monsters" and I certainly concur with this thought, while not boasting a gaggle of Kilaaks or an SY-7 rocketship we do get whats important, nameingly The Big G accompanied by Mothra, Rodan and Ghidrah (Ghidorah as the new spelling goes) harking back to the lineup from the film Ghidrah, The Three Headed Monster so whatever way you slice it G-fans worldwide and us two were riding the crest of extreme high anticipation and Legendary Pictures paid off in spades.

My initial and standing impression after first viewing is that I care nothing for the human characters in the film and aside from Mr. Watanabe could care less if their characters lived or died, character driven as this must be to relate to us mere humans is the reason this is not just a Huge WWF Brawlfest and we need earthbound situations to move the plot along of course.

This brings us to the Brawlfest aspect.

A feast for the eyes aimed at the heart of Kaiju fandom as things unraveled very quickly, a must see a few more times to catch nuances that went by fleetingly onscreen and need to be examined more thoroughly OR I can not wait to view this film again. Rodan in particular impressed my synapses more than expected but I suppose I was not expecting as much from The Bird Is The Word. Of course aside from Godzilla my main point of intense interest lie with Ghidrah, a favorite of my cinematic life and I was not let down in the least bit. Menacing, Majestic and Monstrous.

The post credits scene took me off guard as well since I was assuming it would be Kong related and was only slightly so. I am writing this too much as a review and not enough as The Experience so here is some Experience below.

A visit to 18th avenue from Frank just is not a visit to 18th avenue from Frank without a stop off at Silver Star, this shall continue as long as there is an 18th avenue and a Silver Star gracing it.

Frank got his usual Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, Malkito tried his first Egg Foo Young (and became a true fan of Duck Sauce) and I chose a Lunch Special portion of Sweet & Sour Pork, We all had Wonton Soup.

Then off to the film we travelled for an hour on the B4 bus.

My Facebook post as this happened is worded.

LEAVE THE GUN, TAKE THE TAKI'S - We are steering young Malkito towards the way of the "gangsta". Why pay over inflated candy prices at the concession stand when you can do what we did, smuggle in a concealed snack. Can you spot the TAKI'S (snack food) in the photo ?