Ponytail--Celebrate the Body Electric

Sunset Rubdown--Stadiums and Shrines

First Contemplation

Do an examination of the room and come up with escape routes while covering electrical outlets with foil packing tape. Frame a clover leaf and let that serve as the creation. It will be over soon so dedicate the rest of the day to the deep resonation of humming. Your body will become uncorked and relief will wash over you. The floor will wobble a bit as though on a pivot. Food will take on the smooth sheen of a brass knob. The heat of the room will build as you approach the telephone. A pleasing voice on other end will guide you through the harsh passages. Music from another room blending harmonically with your humming. A fascination with the past will evaporate. All will be forgiven. A plate of paper will serve as your backup. It's been really nice getting to know you. Have a great day.

Broke

What are you putting into it
what do you hope to get back
from this life
what can you hold in your arms
late into the night
without crushing it?
Try to mend yourself with
old pieces of felt and glue
it's not going to be alright
because the televison
said the memories are
getting more distant
now that you can't remember
where you got beat up
by everyone with an older
brother, older than you even
the rocks tossed angrily
at the kids with dirt clods
in the tree fort we were all cruel
unusual and seeking punishment
eating green apples
until you got sick
I carried you home
in the dark try to
remember what I tell you
because I'm not telling you
again

Clinton & Baltic

In Central Park under our Geodesic Dome after viewing The Buckminster Fuller exhibition at The Whitney

Two More Photos from Ironman Lake Placid '08 from John Hirsch

The incredible and totally punk John Hirsch took these photos of me as I lined up for the swim start at Ironman Lake Placid. Great photos John! John Hirsch is not only an incredible professional triathlete, he's also an attorney and a great coach to many. John is always turned up to "11"-- and he makes everyone around feel the same way too--just look into my eyes, that's the look John brings out in people. Yay!

You know, it's funny, but I think I was actually smiling all day--in spite of the rain and the inevitable pain. I guess that's why I keep doing these things.

I did it! Ironman #5 is in the books!

There were torrential downpours all day (to put it mildly) which added a bit of zest to the descent into Keene where it's easy to hit 40 mph without even peddaling. Whew. All-in-all I'm happy with the results. 11 hours and 9 minutes which put me at 22nd in my age group out of 268. I even got to run a bit with the pro Bjorn Anderson, who was having a tough day in the rain. My best wishes also go out to my friend Mandy Braverman who had a serious crash into a signpost while barrelling down a hill at 35mph. She only suffered a concusion and some bumps and bruises, which is quite lucky.

Here's some highlights of Elizabeh and me after I got body marked and one of me on the bike and one of me finishing. More to follow.

Live from Lake Placid

Three Modes of Humility

1) You might want to get over your feelings of anxiety by buying some goods and services from some people that look sad about what they gave up to keep the job they're doing for people like you.

2) There are always going to be some people whispering something in a new coded language--you need to be ready for them.

3) It's all about the hazards of thinking you don't really exist.

Three Occasions When a Wise and Good Choice Can Be Made

1) If there is a burning sensation in your throat or a dark hole in your brain the size of a pin sucking in on itself -- making the light throb or flicker with a broad weepy episode in a convenience store. That's when.

2) During a dream about a hole in the wall where you can throw tools and watch them melt in the orange light. That sort of fantasy dream outlet is just not there anymore for contemporary Americans. Keep it real and make the wise choice now.

3) When you are hauling something and the cable snaps and whips back at you with such velocity that it severs something in your lower extremities. This is almost too real to make a good choice but surprise yourself and those around you with your perseverance. The choice is yours.

It's Elizabeth's Birthday!

Top Six Books of July 2008

1) A Worldly Country: New Poems -- John Ashbery
2) Goodbye 20th Century: A Biography of Sonic Youth -- David Browne
3) Selected Poems -- Frank O'Hara
4) Insomniac -- Gayle Green
5) Compulsive Acts: A Psychiatrist's Tales of Ritual and Obsession -- Elias Aboujaoude
6) The Flu Season and Other Plays -- Will Eno

Poem for Early Risers

I can't get you out of bed without hitching my thumbs under your collarbones and tugging at your overlord.

At the Sonic Youth/Feelies show -- Battery Park, NYC -- July 4th

What we saw, or could see: The two women smoking to the right spent more time taking pictures of one another and then looking around to see who was watching them than they did watching the show. Goddamn kids nowadays. Sonic Youth on the other hand, sounded good enough to eat. The Feelies brought back floods of memories, so it was kind of bittersweet watching them. It felt really good to be alive and just totally fucking rocking out.

Whenever we looked down we saw this:

Numb Gallop

It's interesting not saying anything
that could get you hurt--or spanked
by your palsied hand. In midlife
there is a sonic boom and then
the room smells of eggs and teeth
and little gets done when crisis
adds your name to the list in glittery
crayon all sparked and dazzled
with the ketchup or is it blood
that you crave when your face
is spent from ear to ear? It's all
I can do to keep this motion
going. A wad of cash
gets you a good seat, but
not good enough
to see through now.
Have a pleasant night but
not so pleasant that you stop
tapping on the window.
That means hello.

The Feelies are back! (Thanks Jon)