Link's Blog

I was visiting a friend who lives in a doorman building. I know their procedure (rather complicated if you ask me), to say where are you going and then they ask you for your id, copy the info in a log entry and call the person you are visiting.

I walked into the lobby, pull out my ID and told the doorman, “Apartment 312 please”, then from behind me, this guy pulls out his wallet and flashes a cop badge to the doorman and says in loud voice:

-“I’m going to the fifth floor” - Notice that he was not uniform.

The doorman (an older gentleman), very slowly looks at the badge, then looks at this dude and asks:

-“Can I see an ID?”

The “cop” starts blabbering:

-“You know that my badge is enough ID, you are not supposed to ask me for my id!” - Doorman, still unimpressed asks again.

-“Can I see an id dir?” - The cop pulls an ID and throws it in the counter.

-“You know I can talk to your supervisor and get you in trouble for that! But I go to let it pass! I don’t have to show you anything but my badge”

The doorman took his sweet time login in the cop info, and returning the id (that the cop snatched all offended) and reply

-“Peter, you can go now.”

The cop walk pass the gate furiously while saying something about him being a cop and not having to show id to any doorman.

After that, the doorman did the same log in process to my ID and I was free to pass.

This got me thinking. 

Who was in position of power here? The cop will do trough no matter what, but the doorman was not impress by his feather ruffling, and purposely slowed him down by taking all the time in the world to follow the protocol. Doormen have unions, so the cop could have not been able to do anything to him if he wanted to. 

In our modern society, the ones in power are the ones who let you in places, it could be a doorman at a fancy apartment building, or a hostess in a restaurant, a bouncer at a club, a check-in agent at an airport gate, etc. I have learn (and witness some examples) that newyorker are not easily convinced or impressed with name dropping, or attitude, and that the worse line you can tell a gate keeper is “Do you know who I am?”

One of the coolest gifts I got this past birthday weekend was a record player. Yes, a good old fashion, vinyl record player. 

My roommate hooked it up to the sound system and I went down to Bleecker Street Records and bought my very first record: Queen’s Innuendo. 

I have vague memories of records as a child. My parents had a nice sound system and my dad tells me that as a little kid (1 or 2 years old I guess), I would climb to the turntable and turn it on, so I would spin. 

When I finally put my Queen’s record in the turntable and drop the needle, the sound started flowing… what a difference. I have always heard that record players have better sound than that CD and MP3s, but I had no idea that the difference was so much. 

While listening to the record, I started thinking in the different features that a turntable is missing, but, of course, it doesn’t need;

There is not shuffle setting, so you have to listen to the whole album in order. There is no mix playlist, so you only listen to one artist, in order, until the record ends, then you flipped the disc.

Soon I bought two more records: Beetles’ Please, please me; and Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. My collection is already growing. 

There is something very intimate about a record collection. You have to make a choice of whom you want to listen, and then not get to far as you have to flip disc sides. Only one artist at the time, in a pre set order. No shuffle, repeat, continue playing, playlist, fast forward or rewind, or pause (only stop and start from the beginning) and I was ok with that. 

I remember my first month in NYC.

I was lonely; I could barely yap a few words in English. I was in a very uncomfortable living situation.

I knew nobody in the city and finding my first job was very hard. 

I promise to myself that if I am ever in a position to help somebody, I would.

About a week ago, a former high-school classmate contacted me. He just moved from Spain to New York City, and he was skiing me for some job leads.

Remembering my struggle when I was in his position, I send him job bulletins from my company, and asked him to send me a copy of his resume so I can fix it.

Then one week passed. I figured he either found something else or he was no interested in the jobs offered.

Out of the blue he contacted me again, asking me for a job as an assistant. Unfortunately, that job just got filled. 

A new job bulletin got issued and I forward it to him. And another week passed…

Then he contact again, asking about the courier job. I call HR and the job was still available so I asked him once again to send me his resume and to apply for the position online. I will then contact the HR directly and ask them as a personal favor to at least give him an interview. 

Two days later he send me a photo of his resume! It looks like he took it with his camera phone and texted it to me. The “resume” was not only unreadable, but it was still in Spanish AND with all his contact information from Spain. 

I wrote him back asking him to at least type the resume and update the info. He sends me an email with only his US info. I replied again explain to him that I am trying to help him, but I do not have time to retype and translate his resume. “Come on man!”

Finally he sent me a one-line email:

-“I don’t want to be a bother to you, so if this is to much to ask, just forget it man” 

And that is the last thing I hear from him…

My Birthday is today!

What have aI done with my life?

I am running out of time. I was supposed to have ALL my debt paid before I reach 35, and have bought at least one apartment before I turn 36. 

Either way. I am bless in many ways and I know that the path is long and always uphill.

Yesterday, May 5, I was in a silent protest in front of St. Patrick’s

I am not the heavy Catholic, but i am surronded by people who are. 

Cardinal Dolan, make a series of comments in his personal blog that could be misinterpreted.

Basically, he states that we are all welcome at the church as long as we wash out hands, meaning, we clean our hearts of sin, and/ or do not commit any sin. Then he lists a few examples being the last one a coment about same- sex- attraction .  

“The Church loves, welcomes, and respects a woman or man with a same-sex attraction …  while reminding him or her of our clear teaching that, while the condition of homosexuality is no sin at all, still, God’s teaching is clear that sexual acts are reserved for a man and woman united in the lifelong, life-giving, faithful, loving bond of marriage.”

 Hard to understand; but what I got from this quote is that Gods love your if you are gay AND if you are celibate. So, if you happen to do a little as to kiss somebody of the same sex, then you hands are dirty and you are not welcome in church. 

As a silent response to Cardinal Dolan’s comments, some people (me included) went to St. Patricks with the goal to quietly and respectfuly protest Cardinal Dolan’s idea. We dirty our hands with charcoal and showe up on time to mass.

When we arrived to the church, we were recieved with 4 police cars, 8 uniforme NYPD office, nd a detective from the Police Commissioner’s LGBT liaison unit. The detective informed us that the Cathedral would prohibit us to enter because of our dirty hands. 

Soon we were approached by Kevin Donohue, who identified himself as being in charge of operations for the cathedral. Sadly, Mr. Donohue’s tone was both cold and scolding. What astounded me most was when he said that we could enter the cathedral so long as we washed our hands first.

When we tried to explain our points of view, Mr. Donohue turn around, and walk away. Soon, the main gates of St. Patrick were closed for us. (literally, he closed the large steel doors of St. Patrick, so we wont come trough the main entrance with dirty hands)

A crew of reporters showed up, and interview some of us. 

We stayed in front of the cathedral, surrounded by cops, a very nice LGBT liaison detective a a Mr. Kevin Donohue, who did nothing but look down and us with disgust in his face.

When the church open its door again to let the people out, we stand on a line with our hand open. Some people ask what was this about, and everybody agree that Cardinal Dolan was incorrect.

Apparently love and acceptance is a gift easily denied by church leaders. 

Here an article about it at the Huffington Post

This past weekend I was in a seminary….

No praying, but landscaping.

The theatre company I belong to, Stages on the Sound, score the rights to a beautiful, outdoor Amphitheatre in Huntington, NY.

The Rosemary Amphitheatre was design by Frederick Olmsted, who, among other projects, designed Central Park in New York City.

The place was designed and built in 1911, with a 1913 opening season… exactly 100 years ago.

When Roland Ray Conklin died, he left his state to the church, and the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception was built.

The house that overlook the amphitheatre and where Mr. Roland and Mrs. Rosemary Conklin lived, burned down and soon the beautiful amphitheatre was forgotten.

Many years later, 87 to be exact, a friend of the presiding bishop (who lives in the Seminary) stumbled on the forgotten amphitheatre and the next chapter of the Rosemary Amphitheatre began.

Last weekend a crew of dreamers hiked to the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception who offer us rooms and breakfast, and for the first time in many years, the Rosemary Amphitheatre was cleared.

We shopped trees that were growing on the stage, we removed a LOT of nut weed that had invaded the seating areas, we clean the moat (no water in the moat yet) and we seeded new grass.

It will take a sometime and a lot of effort to have the amphitheatre look and feel the way it was when Mr. Roland Ray Conklin presented it to his wife as a birthday present, but we shall keep working on it.

Working at QSAC I was bound to meet some its clients: Autistic people.

Since last month, we have a snack cart that goes to each office selling fruit, cookies, drinks, chips, etc. The guy who pushes the cart is an autistic person. His name is William.

William must be in his early 20’s. He is about 5’7”, skinny, with big glasses and a very sunny disposition. 

-“Hello, my name is William and I have snacks for sale. I have fruit, cookies, chips and drinks. Would you like to buy anything?”

This is every day (except Friday). 

-“Hello William  my name is Link, and yes, I would like something” - This was my reply the first week. The following week, I would just say -“Hello William. Yes I would like to buy something”

For the first 2 weeks, William will introduce himself to me, like it was the first time he ever meet me. But after a while, he learned my name. Well, almost:

-“Hello Tink, would you like to buy some snacks?I have fruit, cookies, chips and drinks”

-“Hello William. Yes I would like to buy something”

Last Monday, I was in the office break room getting some coffee when William came in pushing his snack cart. He saw me and said:

-“Hello Tink, would you like to buy some snacks?I have fruit, cookies, chips and drinks” - and I replied.

-“Hello William. Yes I would like a cookie for my coffee”

Yesterday, I was in the copy machine doing something, when William walked by:

-“Hello Tink. Do you like video games?”

-“Yes I do like video games” - William’s eyes lit up at this answer.

-“What games do you have?” - 

-“God of War” - THis is the one game I was playing last (about 3 weeks ago)

-“What else?” - William replied 

-“Gran Turismo”

-“What else?” 

- ” The Legend of Zelda”

-“What else?” 

-“Need for Speed”

-“What else?”

- “Grand Theft Auto IV” 

-“I like Grant Theft Auto , do you have Grand Theft Auto II?” - He was really excited to hear a game he had played.

-“No, I have GTA 4” 

-“I have Grant Theft Auto 2. Do you like Grand Theft Auto 2? My favorite character is Vito. Do you like Vito too?”

I did not know what to respond. To be honest, I have never played the Grand Theft Auto game series. I have the game, but I have never played it, so William made me feel a bit silly as he clearly knew the game very well.

Thankfully, William’s caregiver came to fetch him. 

-“See you tomorrow Tink!”

-“See you tomorrow William”

The following day the week continued.

-“Hello Tink, would you like to buy some snacks?I have fruit, cookies, chips and drinks”

-“Hello William. Yes I would like to buy something”