The NEW YORK CHRONICLES: The SIMPLE PLEASURES of LIFE

Monday, January 23, 2012

The SIMPLE PLEASURES of LIFE

Oh to the simple pleasures of Life. Truly the best things, simple, inexpensive or free, uncomplicated too. They soothe and satisfy. What are they? Different for different people, reading a book, watching TV, listening to Records, or just rocking on a porch chair. Simple and satisfy.
For me, living in New York's Greenwich Village and being way out of 20s and 30s, and pretty far into my 40's of learned to enjoy the simple pleasures of my life.
I awaken each day. Rise from my and on my way to the bathroom hit the power button on my 1970's Weltron Space-Helmut Radio. It's tuned to 1010 Wins All-New Radio, and this is one of just a number of simple pleasures of my life. Yes, listening to 1010 Wins News Radio, "All The News All The Time" as they say. Their slogan. I commune with nature and listen to the News, all the news. I get the weather, local news, entertainment (the latest on Brad and Angelina, George Clooney, whatever happened to Charlie Sheen? Last years news.), World News and current events like like now the 2012 Presidential Primaries or the latest on the Costa Concordia Shipping disaster in Italy, they found 2 more bodies today, bring the death toll to 13 unlucky souls.
I listen to the radio, it's old fashion and I love it. Old Tech that has been around since the early 1920's. And it's pretty much the same these days, in all its Wonderfulness. Yes I Love it. I remember loving it with great passion listening as a very young child, the Four Seasons driving around in the car (a Green early 60s Plymouth) with my Dad, or listening to the GE Radio at home, The Beatles, Supremes, Shirelles. Listening to the radio all my life, and never ever tiring of it through the years. How could you? Well if you listen to most of the crap music they make these days. But you don't have to. There is all sorts of choices; all Kinds of Music; like Classic Rock Stations, Jazz, R&B, Crappy Hip-Hop, Oldies Stations 101 WABC, Talk Radio, News Radio, this that and every other thing. Radio is great, and TV nor Computers nor anything have been able to kill it.
Listening to the Radio, a simple pleasure of life.
Well back to the morning ritual, listening to the Radio as I commune with nature if you know what I mean. I have a great book that I read as I listen and _ _ _ _, 365 Days of
The Rolling Stones. 365 pages with 365 Wonderful pictures of The Stones and little tidbits of info. It's quite fun.
I wash my hands and brush my teeth. I watch a little bit of morning TV. Make a quick breakfast, Oatmeal, a couple Fried Eggs, Egg Sandwich, or maybe just a fresh Banana, very simple.
Switch over to music radio, the Oldies on 101 or some Classic Rock. Jump in the shower listening to some Stones, Beatles, Marvin, whatever. Get dressed, turn on the
cel phone, pack my bag with Laptop, Hotspot, books, and what-not, and it's off to The Tarte, my daily morning pit-stop for Coffee, i read, I write, relax, chat with cafe friends. I just love it, a Simple Pleasure of Life, morning time at the local cafe, Coffee in hand, laptop, books, friends, yes it's good.
Then it's back home, make a little lunch, charge the battery of the laptop, hang a bit, listen to the radio, the Simple Pleasures of life. Finish up and it's back out for my second cafe stop of the day, unless I have some running around to do, to the bank, by personnel or home essentials whatever.
Then head up to work. Work and head back home, for some simple pleasures of life. Put on the PJs, put on the TV, lie back on the sofa, watch TV and relax, The Simple Pleasures of life.

PS ... "Later that day," while at Corrado Bakery Cafe on Waverly Place in Greenwich Village, another Coffee and beautiful Brazilian Music on the stereo.
Bosa Nova. Lovely songs sung by a young Astrud Gilberto. She sings Corcavado and it brings me back to my ex-girlfriend Dante. She was 10 years younger than me. A student at Columbia University. I was teaching her many things; about Music, food, different ethnic cuisines, art, literature, what-not. Well I was playing a Astrud Gilberto cassette and when Corcavado came on, she just melted hearing the words, "This is Where I Want to Be In Your Arms Until Life Fire Lights its last ember," something like that, it's a lovely beautiful song sung by many Brazilian artists over the years but especially beautiful when Astrud sings it. "A Simple Pleasure of Life."

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

COFFEE a CAFE

The SIMPLE PLEASURES of LIFE

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NEW YORK and The $3.00 PBR

New York and the $3.00 PBR, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer has been a God-Send to many New Yorkers. As you all know, the US Economy has been in the Shitter for the past 3-Half years or so.

Many people are out of work, and many who are working, are taking home Half-as-Much Money or more of what they used to make. People have had to buckle down and give up or curb many things they enjoyed previous to the current state of our economy, which is in almost a Depression Era State.

Yes, everybody says that we are not in a Depression, we're in a recession. Those are the Rich and Well-Off talking. To many, the state of our Union and their feelings are of Depression.

So, because of the Terrible State of our Economy you have given up eating out 3 times a week, you buy less clothes, spend less on Entertainment and any number of things and you haven't had a vacation in the past two years, maybe more. You given up a lot. We all have.

Now when it comes to socializing, going out for a few Beers or Cocktails with some friends, you've had to cut back on that too. But hey, you gotta draw a line somewhere, and everyone is entitled to a few drinks to unwind every now and then. But if you live in the Great City of New York this can be a costly undertaking, especially in this day, and of all times, to be having a Boom in The $14, Sixteen-Dollar-Or -More-Cocktail.W hat is a Poor Working Guy or Working Girl to do??? Well Boys and Girls, let's Thank God for that great thing of wonder and the Bars and establishments who so graciously and kindly serve it, The $3.00 PBR, That's right, a $3.oo Beer in The Land of The Over-Priced $16.00 Cocktail, Manhattan, New York, NY..... It's quite Sad, Greedy too.

Yes, Thank God and let's thank the Kind-Heart proprietors who serve $3.00 PBR'S or any Beer for just $3 or $4 in a New York Bar. You are doing you fellow man a public service and we thank you for that. Whoever you are, you are to be commended, and Shame-On-You, all those places that serve $14 PLUS Cocktails. "RIP-OFF" !!! Wish the masses would Boycott these places and patronize places like Blue & Gold Bar, 7B, and anyplace who has a heart. Bars that serve 3 and 4 Dollar Beers.

I just have to say, it's great to go to a place like Blue and Gold Bar on East 7th Street and know that you can have 3 or 4 Beers for just $12 to $16, accounting for a Buck a Pop for the Barkeep. Now that's pretty good. I have had the best times hanging at Blue & Gold with some friends. You sit at the Bar or get into a nice comfy booth, drink your Beers ($3 PBR'S), relax, listen to the Music, Chit Chat, and just enjoy, and it's not going to cost you The Shirt Off Your Back.

Yes, you can have 4 Beers, tip included for the price of 1 Rip-Off Drink at one of those Rip-Off Joints. And if you are Dumb enough to have four drinks in one of those places, guess what it's going to cost you? About $75 my friend.

Well, do the Math, and if you can afford $75 for only 4 drinks, God Bless You. And if you can't, you've got an alternative. Right, your local $3.00 PBR Joint. They're a God-Send.

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke