for your VINformation

Click the pic to see what I saw during game 2 of the Yankee/Philly 2009 World Series…

One of my directors asked me what I did for Halloween. I told her, “I skipped Halloween this year, I wanted to watch the Yankee game.” Her response, “That one comment is so telling. I’ve learned so much about you.”

I guess it does say a lot…

On Saturday, November 7, 2009 – 3pm-6pm. I will be going to the opening reception of the New Rochelle Art Association’s First Annual Art Exhibit at the New Century Artists Gallery in Chelsea.

I’m going, not just as a lover of original art, but as the brother of one of the artists!

I’m very excited my sister was chose to be in this inaugural New Rochelle Art Association’s New York City showcase of Emerging artists. I’ll be there to support and maybe, if I can afford it, buy a new piece of original art… if you’re in the neighborhood, stop by!

From the Press Release:

NEW ROCHELLE ART ASSOCIATION GOES ON THE ROAD

The New Rochelle Art Association is traveling to New York City to present a group show at the New Century Artist’s Gallery on 530 West 25th Street, 4th Floor, in the Chelsea district of New York City. The opening reception will be on Saturday, November 7, 2009, from 3-6pm and is open to the public. The show will run from November 3 to November 14, 2009 and gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

New Rochelle Art Association president, Jesse Sanchez says, “The New Rochelle Art Association has had a yearning to expand it horizons for some time. As a not-for-profit gallery which focuses on exhibiting the art of under exposed and emerging groups, we felt New Century Artists was the right fit. We are excited about the opportunity to have our work seen by the broader public of New York City.”

Theresa Beyer took her inspiration from traditional quilt patterns. Her collages use watercolor and Japanese Washi paper. She says of her work, “I find quilt patterns fascinating, but I don’t like to sew, this way I don’t have to. I love how you can play with values and the same patterns can look very different depending on how you arrange the darks and lights. My work is looser than traditional quilts, I don’t feel obliged to stay within the lines.”

Cristina Cerone will be displaying a group of small collages and photos from a series called “People, Places and Things”. Liming Twanmoh will present her intricate and detailed paintings made from dried flowers and leaves. Gina Kingsley’s work is fused glass. Joy Malone will show her New York photographs that are created by layering multiple exposures on a single image. Patrick Bancel will show one of his intricately crafted and hyper realistic paintings. Louise Stern’s collages are from a series entitled “Mystical Links”. Jesse Sanchez’s ‘All We Are?’ is a mixed media work that is introspective and expressive. Priya Tambe will show her figurative sculpture.

The New Rochelle Art Association was founded in 1912 when a number of artists living in the city met together informally in the studio of Alta West Salisbury and organized the group. In 1914 the NRAA sponsored its first annual juried show to celebrate the opening of the new city library. Some of the noted participants in that show of 140 entries included: sculptor Robert Aitkin, painters G. Glenn Newell, Remington Schuyler, A.G. Heaton and illustrators Norman Rockwell, Joseph P. Leyendecker and Victor Forsythe.

When not in New York, The New Rochelle Art Association has four shows a year at the Lumen Winter Gallery at the New Rochelle Public Library.

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I’ve never been to a World Series Game – that changes tonight!

GO YANKEES!!

So, I’ve been collecting things in my basement to donate to the Salvation Army for some time now. It’s almost out of control. I went down there today to go through it one last time, bring some more clothes down and make sure everything down there was get rid of worthy – it was.

I’ve been real big fan of the Salvation Army because they actually helped me out after 9/11 when the Red Cross, did nothing more then give me a teddy bear, but that’s another story…

I don’t have a car, so it’s not easy for me donate, but they do advertise "call for pick up" so call I did.

I called yesterday and was told to call back.

I called this morning and was told to call back.

I called back and I was told to call back.

I should’ve stopped at three…

I called back and was hung up on.

Apparently, two one hundred gallon bins, two fifty gallon bins, two egg boxes and two giant bags of clothes with assorted small furniture is not worthy of a pick-up. The dispatcher was so rude to me, for absolutely no reason other than I could guess, if he scheduled my pick-up he’d actually have to work!

I’m very taken aback by this.

So now, it’s all going in the garbage, the poor and down trodden will have to do with out my cast-offs – and let me tell you, they were some really good cast-offs, also, I’m planning a one man, unadvertised boycott.

My Friend, Tim – he’s the silver man in the vid – made this video for Butterfinger and made it all the way into the finals – you need a Yahoo ID to vote, but really, who doesn’t have one?

Go vote, he could win $25,000!

The title is: Robochop – he’s currently tied for first place…

Yes, I know how it sounds, but if you’re like me and you like it hot and spicy, you’ll love Franklin’s General Store’s Jalapeno Pepper Jelly – it certainly isn’t your everyday jelly, but for a special hot treat you can’t go wrong! Click on the pic for ordering options…it’s not listed but I’m sure you’ll get a live person when you call to order…

This was written by my friend Mark – my straight boy-friend, there’s not much else I’m able to do:

According to recent reports, advances in cancer treatment are reducing overall cancer death rates. Yet, the survival rate for pancreatic cancer has not changed in 25 years. The survival rate is at best two years. My Mom almost made it to a year.

cancer

It’s this little word that means so much more. I remember hearing the word for the first time come out of my dad’s mouth. Sitting in the park at fifty-ninth and fifth with a hundred people walking around me I heard the word my Dad said. He told me that what they found on her pancreas was cancer. He said "cancer" and all I heard was him telling me that Mom was going to die. In my mind cancer equals death.

I didn’t go back to work. I cried, really I wept. Amy did her best to make me feel better but after doing research online about pancreatic cancer the tears started back up. You hear about people beating cancer. About it going into remission. Full lives lived.

That doesn’t happen with pancreatic cancer. You die with pancreatic cancer. I hate cancer. I really hate it. I want to punch cancer in the face and then kick it in the crotch.

I want to make cancer my bitch.

So this page, this walk that I’m doing on a Sunday in July, this is my way of kicking cancer in the nards.

If you know anything about me you know I’m an avid fan of the comic books. Bruce Wayne took up the mantle of the bat after his parents were gunned down by criminals. It didn’t take Batman long to figure out that he needed help in his quest. Batman recruited Robin, and from Robin came Batgirl.

I need your help.

This is my call to arms to kick cancer’s ass and I’m turning on my bat-signal to get your attention. I need you to give.
I don’t mean that I need you to give just cash. I know the state of the economy and that some people can’t give. I need you to give me some time. Something my Mom doesn’t have anymore.

Most of you are on Facebook. I’m asking you to post a link to this page there. (I’m not byast, if you’re on myspace then post there too.) I won’t even judge you if you tweet about it. If you’ve got a blog then that means I’ve probably read it or supported it at some point. I need you to take a second and tell your readers the info you found out when you looked at the wikipedia entry on Pancreatic cancer.

I’m asking you to turn on your bat-signal.

Cancer doesn’t have to mean death. Together with everyone I know, with everyone you know that I don’t, we can all help give people with pancreatic cancer a fighting chance.

m

To visit my fundraising page: Click Here

I haven’t been able to get to a game the past few weeks and I notice they’re winning in – a big way…

I’m thinking, I may be a jinx!

I can’t go to the next two Sunday home games – which is killing me on the inside, especially next week against the Mets – and if the winning keeps up, I’m thinking maybe I should go wearing a disguise…

As someone who’s worked almost his entire adult life in the customer service industry in the heart of New York City, Times Square, the closing of Broadway to car traffic is a godsend!

There was nothing worse than trying to make your way to work opposite the flow of pedestrian traffic on a matinee day in Times Square – if I were to puff out my shoulders and mow down a human-wall of people meandering up Broadway when I’m running five minutes late and wearing a tee-shirt which reads If It’s Tourist Season, Why Can’t I Shoot ‘em, I’d get a metal form the readers of the New York Post – now it’s a breeze.

I’ve heard so many people complain about the street closing BUT most of my discussions were with people who refuse to go above 14th St!

"What about business owners who need to get deliveries?"

"What about cab drivers who can’t drop-off or pick-up fares?"

"What about how long it’s going to take to get downtown?"

These statements came from people who:

1. Don’t own businesses
2. Aren’t cab drivers and never take cabs.
3. Know full well that closing the street will not affect subway service it’ll take the exact same amount of time to subway around town and now even faster to walk.
4. Don’t own cars!

Since the closure, I love it!

Granted, right now, the temporary beach chairs placed there by city government is a bit "white trash" but the idea of it all id brilliant.

I hope the people of New York will embrace this change and we start to see more and more pedestrian areas placed all over Manhattan. New York is a walking city, it’s part of what makes us special, to allow us places to set and take a load off is a great added bonus.

On Saturday, I got to work a few minutes, so I went out in front of the hotel and stood in the middle now closed Broadway at 45th. At 7 45 AM only the diehards are out – workers like me, tourists getting a head-start on the day and those doing the walk of shame still wearing last night’s outfit – and the peacefulness of Time Square was palpable. It was as if:if I stood real still I could actually feel the city’s heartbeat.

If you have no risk, you have no pleasure.

                – crazy designer lady on HGTV’s Curb Appeal.

I’m nothing if not brand loyal – and I seem to love my first basemen~

The new Yankee #25 is my new Yankee crush – Mark Teixeria – he’s got a great arm, a wicked swing with power to spare and he’s H O T – hot!

With not much money, I’m spending a lot more time at home, the recession has brought out the nester in me – or it could be eBay ‘09 – either way my apartment is undergoing changes. eBay has made it easier to purge – ’cause I’m making money doing it – it’s like having a mini-yard sale every week without going through the hassle of putting signs up around the neighborhood.

All the downsizing going on the the world – of which I’m destined to become a victim – has inspired me to downsize at home. It’s as if I’m on my own episode of TLC’s Clean Sweep – the much better older unsung sibling of Style’s Clean House – I’m drowning in clutter and I must cut my collections in half or die under it’s weight…

While I’m certainly not drowning in clutter anymore, I still have a lot – I’ve lived in my apartment 13 years, one accumulates a lot of crap in 13 years – I’m currently putting everything I no longer want or use down in the basement and plan on calling the Salvation Army next week to have them come pick everything up, I don’t even want a receipt – my charitable contributions never seem to affect my tax return anyway – so it’s all going away!

I want to repaint the living room and bedroom, in fact, I’ve even gone so far as to pick out the colors but, haven’t gotten to the paint store…

With Spring upon us, I’ve decided that instead of packing away all my sweaters for the season, I’d just get rid of anything with an X on the label – X as in XXL or XL – I’ll never need clothing that big again so why bother keeping them? Of course purging begets purging and I went through the entire closet! Shirts sized 17, size 48 jackets, size 40 pants – my goodness, I was huge…why didn’t anyone tell me?

I’ve actually found pants at the bottom of the bottom drawer of my dresser which actually fit my new, slimmer frame – who knew I had skinny clothes ? Not me!

Ok, I don’t even know what this post is about anymore, skinny Vinnie or purging – the two topics are very close in nature, but trust me, one has nothing to do with the other…I tried that in collage, it didn’t work…

Begin rant –

Health Insurance –

There are no government programs I qualify for – I’m not over 65, a woman with a child, disabled or a crack-head.

I make too much for Medicaid – the cut-off is $5,000 – I’m not eligible for Medicare (see above) and I can’t afford private insurance – $389.00 per month is the cheapest I could find…which I could easily afford if I didn’t have that pesky rent issue…

I spent about two hours calling and calling and calling all the phone numbers on the Foundation For Health Coverage Education website that my sister found for me. While everyone I spoke to was very nice and understanding they were unable to help…

I one point while speaking to Social Security, I point-blank asked, "So, if I was a drug addicted, pregnant teenage girl, I could get free health care and perscriptions for $10.00, but because I’m a 40 year old, while male, underemployed actor working in the meanest city in the world and living in New Jersey, I can’t get anything?"

The answer, ""Exactly."

Nice, real nice.

I guess I need to find a crack dealer, bottom out, lose my apartment, live on the street and get pregnant before my own government will step in and help out. Maybe it’s time to move to Canada.

Rant over.

While enrolled in the theatre department at Niagara University, in lovely Niagara Falls, NY I met and was befriended by a crazy redheaded triple threat – actor, singer, dancer, so few these days – named Wendy Zito.

Wendy informed me that she unique because her name was created by J.M. Barrie for his Peter Pan story- it was the first time in history the word was used as a girls name – I thought she was unique because of her fire-engine red hair, her thousands of freckles and her tiny mouth that when open to sing could knock down walls.

Wendy was a Niagara Falls local, and showed me all the short-cuts and local hang-outs and in turn, I discovered things she never knew about her own town to share – the cheapest liquor store, the fastest way to the Military Road Mall and a route from the campus to the nearest Multiplex which look all of ten minutes, instead of the usual thirty.

Wendy and I seemed to get paired a lot – I guess, because she’d make anyone look good – we had a featured dance in our amazing production of Kander & Ebb’s Cabaret – she – Sally; me – Dancing Waiter #4 – but we danced for two minutes, alone, spotlighted, stage left, cheered on by our cast mates and audiences and I felt like a dancer.

Wendy and I also had the opportunity to play the romantic leads in Day in Hollywood, Night in the Ukraine - a production at the local dinner theatre, I played Constantine opposite Wendy’s Nina – I still get goose-bumps when I think of her singing The Best In The World – if you’re a girl singer and you’re reading this, find a copy of that song, learn it and knock ‘em dead at auditions (words and music by Jerry Herman.)

Wendy lost her longest, hardest battle this week.

She’ll be missed. but I’m sure, the angles above will welcome her into it’s chorus and bestow her with solos before long.

Life IS a cabaret old chum…