The chilly tones emanating from Vince Clarke's synth-pad last night at the Beacon Theater should have been more than enough to break the heatwave that has taken over the city. Then again it was Yazoo (a/k/a Yaz) performing in NYC for the first time since 1983 which also meant Alison Moyet singing her pipes off which almost set the stage on fire.And so, last night, one of my all time dreams came tru...

Oh lordy, the heat! Still, yesterday evening I managed to get to the New York City Council chambers pretty sweat-free. And I was pretty shocked by how many people were in the room which made it hard for me to find a seat even as an honoree (as I recently mentioned the City Council was observing the 198th anniversary of the independence of Colombia).Colombian singer Cabas was in the audience but lef...

Long time readers of this blog know that during the early days I tried to write down my recollections on finding that a friend had been assaulted on the streets of Queens in August of 2001 and subsequently passed away from the injuries a few days before 9/11. 35 year old Eddie Garzon had apparently been the victim of a brutal gay bashing.Two years ago 38 year old John L. McGhee was arrested by poli...

Something huge happened today but few of you might know - or care. Nevertheless, for someone who has worked with hundreds of HIV positive individuals - straight and gay - who met every possible requirement to gain immigration rights in the United States EXCEPT for the fact that they were HIV+, this is a victory long time coming.Tonight I will share this with you: Political pundit Andrew Sullivan (p...

Tomorrow is supposed to be 92 degrees and sunny. If it's like today, it will be a gorgeous day since - thankfully - the humidity has been relatively low.BUT, and this is big a big but: I'll be wearing a suit and tie.As friends know, this is definitely not my usual attire. I just hope I don't turn into sancocho soup with all that hot weather!The occasion is an event at City Hall to recognize the 198...