Hazardous to your future

I'm talking about the weather and social networks, AKA Weinerville.
The heatwave is keeping me indoors.  On enviroflash you can find air quality reports and pretty much the entire northeast has a warning for certain people.  The certain people are of course those with asthma.  Not a lot of walking going on, but the heatwave will break tonight with thunderstorms.

About the temptation for some people to expose themselves on the internet.
Anthony Weiner, has been front page news, late night comic fodder, and a disgraced public figure.  He's not the first and he won't be the last.  Public exhibition is not uncommon. I've been on a subway when guys have exposed themselves, and was only made aware of those incidents because the women made an issue of it.  They probably made an issue of it because the subway was crowded with men and women and therefore they felt safe.  There are two kinds of public exhibition.  One is a crime and punishable as indecent exposure because "it is done in a threatening manner".  The other exposure when viewed as non-threatening and done to arouse or shock is called exhibitionism. The medical label of the compulsion to exhibit oneself is called Apodysophilia.  The difference between the two sounds clear, right, but who's determining if there is a threat.
In 1907 Annette Kellerman was arrested in Boston for wearing a one piece bathing suit.
In 2003, a 21 year old woman was arrested for appearing naked on the internet.
In 2005, 6 men were arrested and convicted in Chicago for nudity while participating in the "world naked bike ride".  Sentences ranged from fines to 3 months probation.  Once convicted you must register as a sex offender, forever, and some public areas are closed to you.  That "stunt" may have ruined their lives.
Then there are the sex tapes of celebrities on the internet, which quickly go on sale.  Not public indecency?
So the story:
Well, Anthony Weiner was possibly going to be the next mayor of New York City.  In 1991 at the age of 27 he was the youngest person to sit on the New York City Council.  When Schumer became Senator, Weiner who worked as an aide to Schumer ran for Schumer's congressional seat in 1999 and won.  He has won reelection consistently with large margins.  He is one of the few people in government who believe Medicare should be the National Health Care.  He has a reputation for working long hours and working his staff, ergo 3 chiefs of staff in 18 months.  Right now he's probably the loneliest man on the planet.  I appreciate the hard work he's done, in congress, and I hope he gets help.
There will be no pictures from me today.

Bessie Smith

Saw a good show: "The Devil's Music, The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith" starring Miche Braden at St. Luke's Theater.  The theater is in the basement of St. Luke's Lutheran Church and has about 300 seats.  Besides this show they are doing in rotation: Black Angels Over Tuskegee, Channeling Kevin Spacey, Sam's Romance, My Big Gay Italian Wedding, and Danny and Sylvia.
About the show:  Ms. Braden is a fine actress with a good voice, but it's not Bessie Smith's voice.  What Ms. Braden does do very well is tell and act the Story of Bessie's life and she does sing a good version of "I Ain't Got Nobody."
This is the first show I've gone to where an audience member's cell phone not only rang but she answered the call.  Quietly and for a short period of time but still a shock.
There were a number of things the show taught me.
Bessie was bisexual and because of her sexuality, heavy drinking and late hours her adopted son was taken from her.  Her first recording in 1924 sold 760,000 copies and saved Columbia records from bankruptcy.
In the 1920's she was the highest paid black entertainer, earning $4,000 a week.  "Private establishments" all around the country called "buffet flats" were where Blacks could gather after hours for food, drink, gambling, lodging, entertainment, and according to this show, group sex.
In internet research I learned Bessie lived between 4/15/1894 and 9/26/1937.  Her first job was as a dancer in a show starring Ma Rainey.  She starred in the Broadway show "How Come" with Sidney Bichet.  She fought with the producer and was replaced by Alberta Hunter.  J.D. Salinger wrote a short story "Blue Melody" that was published in 9/48 in Cosmopolitan, about an African-American blues singer. The story has been reported to be based on Bessie Smith's life.  Because Cosmopolitan changed his title he never wrote for anyone else except the New Yorker.
Edward Albee wrote a play: "The Death of Bessie Smith" which repeats a story by John  Hammond that Bessie died because a whites only hospital would not treat her.  That story has been discredited.  There were 2 ambulances, one for whites and one for  blacks, at the scene within minutes of each other.  But even before the ambulances arrived a doctor was dressing her wounds.  It was too late; she died in The Clarksdale African-American Hospital. 

Howl and St. Nicholas Church

Built in 1882 by Rutherford Stuyvesant as a part of St. Mark's parish; it was designed by James Renwick Jr. who also designed St. Patrick's Cathedral.  In 1937 it was bought by and became the Carpartho Russian Orthodox Church.  It is located across the street from Tompkins Square Park which is hosting the Howl Festival this weekend.  There are big inflated toys for the kids and theater performances.
Look at www.howlfestival.com for information about this yearly event.
Around the north and east borders of the park for about 3 city blocks there were 4' x 6' posters of individual art works.