Bo Belinsky: Livin' the Life

A recent piece on Bo Belinsky can be found at Seamheads.com.

http://www.seamheads.com/2010/03/24/bo-belinsky-livin%e2%80%99-the-life/

Heading Up River with Joseph Conrad

Before becoming the target of lies, smears and general hate in the campaign for Mayor, I would say the worst thing about living in Cooperstown was the lack of reading time. Don't get me wrong - I do not miss the commute back and forth from Lincolnshire to Chicago for a fun-filled day of options trading. But having at least one hour per day to read, Monday through Friday on the train to the Loop, was a treat. I could could knock off a normal-sized tome, say 250-300 pages, in 7-10 days. I covered a lot of literary ground over 20 years.

Now it takes forever to get through the average book. I just finished Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim after 4 months. It's only 300 pages! I did read The Bronx is Burning, which I didn't like, during the same period, but that was the upstairs book, number two on my priority list.

Have you ever read Conrad? Jim was my third. Like many, I was introduced to Conrad via Apocalypse Now, based on Heart of Darkness. I've read Heart twice and like it, though it is slow and creepy. There's an aura to Conrad's prose. If you've seen the movie, and can remember the foggy scenes as the crew makes their way to Kurtz, that feeling of haunting claustrophobia, of something disturbing lurking just out of view, that's how Conrad makes you feel. The book has one of my favorite descriptions, of "the harlequin dressed in motley." That character is, in Coppola's movie, Dennis Hopper. I can never think of one without the other.

The Secret Agent is the most enjoyable read of the trio. Taut, oozing suspense, with a depth of character that puts it apart from the average anarchist drama. It's a story that Hitchcock would find appealing, and did. Sabotage, filmed in 1936, is one of Hitch's early best, the bomb in the film can sequence enough to still drive an audience up the wall with anxiety. The Secret Agent will blow you apart. It's that explosive.

So, back to Lord Jim. It took a long while to get into, even though it has one of my favorite devices, the unreliable narrator. Zeno's Conscience, by Svevo, and Ford's The Good Soldier rank high on my list of novels told by lead characters not quite grounded in reality. Jim is a difficult guy to get close to as a reader, and I couldn't understand Marlow's affection and attraction. Not my problem, I'm just the reader.

I pressed forward, ever so slowly, and last week decided I had to get this done. Once I hit the 100-page-left-to-go mark, it's full speed ahead. At this point, Jim has regained a stature of pride and dignity he professed to have had all along, though there was nothing on the page to back that up. Interesting enough, but with the end in sight, I was chomping at the bit to wrap it up.

Then, with one page to go, Conrad punches you in stomach with a sudden and emotional wallop that leaves you staggering. Then it ends. Boom, just like that. A steep cliff of a denouement, I must say. I had to read that last page or two over and over to make sure, and each time I was blown away. The description of Jim's last scene is so visual, I can see now why Conrad, though a very intellectual writer, lends himself to film so well.

As to Jim's story of redemption, I know of few of those types, some even named Jim, who might benefit from reading Conrad. There's still hope for you!

Putting the "Late" in Legislate

I admit, I kept an eye on the TV all day yesterday, and stayed up all night to watch the Health Reform voting. You'd think after losing my own election almost a week ago and being hit with a slew of vile lies that I would remove myself from any and all politics, but no.

As I listened to the arguments, pro and con, I thought back almost seven years ago. We were planning on moving to Cooperstown, and I wasn't sure how I would proceed in trading. My first order of business was to find health insurance. Since I was leaving Equitec, I had to find private insurance for the five of us. One call, the first, scared the shit out of me.

I was informed, right off the bat, that N. was uninsurable. Why? Autism. I couldn't believe it and protested.

"He doesn't cost any more than a regular kid. He has a couple of prescriptions, that's it," I argued, trying to keep a lid on my fear and anger.

"It's a pre-existing condition. No one will insure him."

Being autistic would preclude him from having coverage for a broken leg? For pneumonia? For cancer? It didn't make sense.

Everything worked out, as the CFO of Equitec offered me a trading account within one of the limited partnerships and, as long as I paid my way, access to the same health coverage I'd been under for the past three years. What a relief! Thanks Fred.

Now I get to pay $21,000 each year for health insurance. N. is fine. He ended up qualifying for Medicaid due to his autism, which takes a huge load off our mind going forward. He'll be 20 in August.

That experience was on my mind as I listened to the endless stream of House bills: HR 3590, HR 4872, HR Haldeman, HR Pufnstuf. Is health care a "right" or a "privilege?" Maybe it's neither. Maybe it's just something that as moral people we should all be concerned about. I'm no Christian, but I believe "do unto others" is the way to live. Shouldn't we care about the lives and health of all people? If we should, then a course must be set to meet that concern.

That's where the Republicans lost it last night. Minority Leader John Boehner screamed "Hell no you can't!" Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke, not on the arcane parliamentary process, but on the coverage of 32 million people, on the elimination of pre-exisitng conditions, the end of rescissions. Think about that last one. No longer can insurance companies kick you off your policy when you become too sick for their balance sheets.

Do I believe that the CBO score is unimpeachably correct on the future deficit reduction powers of health reform? I don't know. Do I share the GOP's belief that this bill will lead the nation to further expansion of health care provided by the government? Absolutely. These type of programs only expand, they never lessen.

And why is that bad? Forget the "we'll become European" claptrap. What is so terrible about making sure Americans are given adequate medical coverage. Again, I won't speak as a knowledgeable Christian, because I can't, but isn't it true that we are supposed to look after those less fortunate? Isn't that the tenet of most religions, of most civilized societies?

Rectangular Solace

My love for cards has never been limited to baseball and sports. My earliest memory involves Beatles cards, when I was, what two years old. I find that hard to believe, but it's true. Unless they were still available in packs for a couple of years after 1964. I don't know.

I bought cards, or had them bought for me would be more accurate, and they were always tossed out with my permission. It wasn't until early 1972 when I began buying older baseball cards after noticing dealer ads at the back of The Sporting News. I figured, if I was buying old cards there wasn't a lot of sense in throwing out the new ones.

In the 1970's I attended the two card shows each year in Manhattan. The dealers were into the hobby for its own sake. As a teen, it was heady scene to be surrounded by vintage memorabilia and actually purchase some. I'd save my birthday money and Hanukkah money and hit those shows with $100. I got every Koufax card, a smattering of Mays and Mantle (neither my big favorites), and some great sets - the 1959 Fleer Ted Williams, the 1969-70 Topps Basketball Rulers, and so on.

During college I put my yearly collecting on hold, a bit ashamed of the hobby, but, once I graduated I caught up on the sets I'd missed form 1981-84. And I started to go back to shows. I had a huge amount of 1967 Topps cards and vowed to finish the set. I'll never forget going with K. to a show and completing the task, save one card.

"I can't believe they didn't have that Red Sox team card," I said to K.

"No, he said he had it in another box." I hadn't heard that, she had. So we went back and got it. Save by K.

There's a lot of card related tales that mean much to me and very little to you. Sometimes my interest in the hobby wanes, sometimes it roars back. After losing the Mayoral election, I find myself passionately thumbing through the 2009 Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, acquiring courtesy of T.W. who found cheap copies near his Clinton home.

I've been scanning Ebay for cards, a Roger Staubach autograph here, some 2000-01 short print Heritage Basketball there. It's nice to turn to an old friend, my oldest really, for a little mindless cardboard joy.

A Few Week's Worth of Stuff

When we last met, I had just gotten back from a two day break from campaigning.

Here's some scattered happenings since then.

1) Campaigning has filled most of my days and been great. I completed knocking on every door in the Village on Thursday. It's not that small a place when you hit every person. And when you make a point of trying to talk with people, as opposed to only jamming flyers in their doors, it takes a while. Though not everyone was home when I popped in, I spoke to hundreds of people, many who I never see in my daily travels. Very enjoyable, very informative.

I also appeared on local access TV for a 1/2 hour interview and participated in Candidates Night at the County Courthouse. Those were fun as well, especially the latter as residents get a chance to ask questions that are on their mind. The feedback from that night has been incredible.

2) The usual 2-3 movie per week schedule is still intact. I saw The Invention of Lying, a mostly unfunny Ricky Gervais film. It may be the first Gervais project that didn't crack me up. It is pretty subversive, though, on its out and out shot at religion.

There are a few Robert Altman films I haven't seen. Sad to say Thieves Like Us with Kieth Carradine and Shelly Duvall, was one. Finally caught up with it and, like all Altman flicks, it's a treat. Quirky, muted story that packs an emotional wallop and leaves you with the feeling that you've watched real people. It's easy to forget how great Duvall is now that she's out of the spotlight, but, man, she delivers.

What is that quality, exactly, that makes a horrible movie so enjoyable? I watched Dolemite last week in my ongoing effort to cover "blaxploitation" films. Such bad acting, such terrible editing, a boom mike that makes appearances throughout. But when the actors take a peek at the camera as they leave the room, it's a hoot. 1970's film nudity is, as I've mentioned before, unnerving. Since the actors are not creations of a plastic surgeon, but real people without clothes on, it feels like a real invasion of their privacy to be peeking in. Dolemite has the most troubling nudity since Schindler's List, but Spielberg wasn't trying to be sexy. Dolemite is and it is the worst assortment of naked flesh I've ever seen!

The best movie I've seen lately is Moon, directed by Duncan Jones, formerly known as Zowie Bowie. He was, and still is, David's son. I can't really get into it without revealing too many plot points, but let me say it is a worthy addition to brainy sci-fi classics like 2001 and Blade Runner. It's that good and will stick with you for days.

3) Writing has taken the back burner, especially Katz Komments. I have finished a book proposal that an agent was interested in, which is, as I think about it, a huge deal. We'll see how that plays out. I did knock out a couple of Maybe Baby stories, and the new issue of ragazine has two pieces of mine. (http://ragazine.cc/category/music/). I'm also writing a bit for Seamheads, a solid baseball site. An article appears here: http://www.seamheads.com/2010/02/20/the-scapegoat/.

Slowly, time permitting, I've also been working on a sample chapter for a proposed book on N., our autistic son, now a college boy. That's the primary focus now that some time has opened up.

4) I finally bought some albums I've always wanted, some old Eminem, Wu-Tang. Fun stuff. Of actual new releases, I love the new Soft Pack CD and appreciate Paul Lukas' leading me to the band last year when they were still called The Muslims. The new Vampire Weekend is pretty good, except the song "White Sky" is an absolute musical rip-off of Paul Simon's "Crazy Love." Ringo's new disc is typical of recent Ringo, but more enjoyable than the last few. You get what you expect from Mr. Starkey, which if your sensible, is a bar set fairly low. Yet, I persevere, not quite the Beatle completest, but a fair approximation.

So that gets us up to today. Hopefully, there won't be as big a delay until next post, but I know you'll all understand.

March 16 - Election Day in Cooperstown!

Where Have We Been?

It's been a hectic few weeks - working on two book proposals, writing Maybe Baby, campaigning for Mayor of Cooperstown. So what gets the shortest shrift - Katz Komments. Sorry about that, but it's bound to continue at this pace for the rest of the month.

With the rest of the family on their way to Death Valley for a week of dehydration, N. and I ducked down to New York City. We went straight from Cooperstown to Bleecker St. A quick stop into Bleecker Records resulted in a nice find - a Speedy Keen (he of Thunderclap Newman fame) solo album for only $1.99. Then across the street to John's Pizza to meet friend/author/guru Michael D'Antonio for pizza and advice.

From there, we checked into the Hilton, just south of Central Park, and laid around watching cartoons until we headed back down to Murray Hill to meet our cousin J. and his girlfriend B. at Baby Bo's Cantina. Great food, the type so missing from our life upstate. I can tell you, having dinner with a 24 year old makes you feel a bit ancient.

Much to my surprise and delight, Paul Lukas of UniWatch became suddenly available to hang out and quickly made his way across the bridge from Brooklyn to meet us upstairs at Old Town. Paul is a great writer, effortless storyteller and completely revealing. I need to keep that in mind as I work on a book proposal about N.

Next day was the focal point of the trip - the Tim Burton exhibit at MoMA. It's a must see. The amount of art work that director Burton has produced is overwhelming. He's a sick fuck, let me tell you. Of course, some well known props were given front and center exposure - Batman cowls, Edward Scissorhands costume, Mars Attacks! posters (my fave).

Searching for a good burger, N. and I returned to the Village to Stand4. Amazingly good food and shakes to die for. Remember the $5 shake from Pulp Fiction? Stand4's regular size is $6. Travolta would've stormed out of the joint.

With time to kill before we headed for our overnight in Staten Island, I asked N. if he would go to a record store in Williamsburg for an hour. He consented and off we went to Academy Records Annex. Thank God for the iPhone! We found Stand4 through its magical powers, as well as Academy Records.

Readers know my idea of heaven is to be surrounded by LPs. To walk into Academy Records and encounter a full house was unreal. Imagine, a crowd of people browsing, listening and buying albums. It was like walking into a time warp. Got some good stuff too - Eddie Cochran, early Roger McGuinn, Sammy Davis and Count Basie together.

The best part of the S.I. trip was plowing through my cousin's collection of 45's. I was impressed that he had so many and, though he is technologically-averse, he actually plugged in his turntable and we listened to his singles. We even put on my new copy of Leapy Lee's "Little Arrows."

Now we're back. Lots to do, again, things to write, doorbells to ring. But I wanted to say hi while I had the chance.

A Brief Note on Passing Strange

I've been out on the street lately, going door to door in my campaign for Mayor of Cooperstown. It's fun and informative, and has cut into my posting (which is fine).

A couple of nights ago I watched Spike Lee's latest, a filmed version of the musical Passing Strange. I know nothing about current shows, so had no idea what to expect, but I do make a point of seeing every Spike film. They're usually very good, sometimes failing at the end. He often seems to be lost when it comes to nailing down that final scene. Even Malcolm X, a towering achievement, has a lousy ending with various celebrities chanting "Malcolm," followed by an explanation of his importance. Come on Spike! The story has its own ending - he gets shot!

Passing Strange is the story of Stew, a black rock and roller, who had a band called The Negro Problem. Young Stew leaves a comfortable LA youth for the adventure of Amsterdam and Berlin, deserting his mom. The songs are stirring, the call and response tunes uplifting. It's very funny and the staging is bare. The band and actors constantly interact, adding a surreal and warm feeling to the show.

What I particularly loved is the construct of Stew, on stage the whole time, watching his life laid bare on stage night after night. And believe me, he's not always complimentary of his choices and actions. When actor Stew and real Stew stand face to face at the end, both wearing a red shirt and black jacket, it's striking.

As much as he can, Spike shoots the musical as a movie. I was struck by how fine the acting was. Many scenes are more movie-like than play-like, the leads making those small gestures that translate well on film and get lost on stage. It made for an emotional 2+ hours. By the end, I was a bit weepy, not because I saw myself in Stew, but because we all have our own family issues that make us miserable, in all sorts of ways.

See Passing Strange. It's not on anyone's radar, especially in these Avatar dominated times, but is as fine a film as I've seen recently.