Palisades State Park, New Jersey

Yesterday I crossed into New Jersey, on purpose. It gets a bad rap mostly. Most of it is beautiful, but people usually retain the images given to them upon exiting a tunnel, crossing into it from Staten Island, using the PATH train, arriving/departing using Newark Airport, or watching the Soprano's and The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Those things are sadly real but they are in no way representative of the entire state. I ventured across the George Washington Bridge yesterday to spend some time at the Palisades Interstate Park which abuts the Hudson River just across from Yonkers and Westchester County in New York.

The Park begins just south of the GW Bridge on the New Jersey side, and stretches north for about 12 miles and ends just above where New York and New Jersey meet up. At its widest the Park is only a half a mile wide, but inside it you will find over 30 miles of hiking trails, 4 different picnic areas along the Hudson River, 2 public boat basins, 3 scenic overlooks, places for fishing and crabbing, blah blah blah... you get it.

There wasn't much traffic yesterday and it only took me about 30 minutes to get from Manhattan to the Alpine Picnic Area (where all of these pics were taken). It was a super easy drive, just off the bridge and onto the Palisades Parkway North. From there just follow the signs for the park entrances. The Website lists some public transportation option from Manhattan and some of the surrounding areas of the park, but none of them seemed descriptive enough for me to trust their accuracy.

Of course no visit to Jersey is complete without some music right? The past few days I have been listening to Boys & Girls - Martin Solveig (Feat. Dragonette) Super perfect summer fun from the French Producer/DJ and the ridiculously fantastic Canadians that call themselves Dragonette.

Another song I have on super heavy rotation lately is Tigerlily - La Roux. La Roux is a British duo/band of the moment with an electro-pop style that I cant seem to get enough of. Their Album dropped today in the UK with an expected release in the US sometime in September. I guess all good things...

NYC Pride!

Gay Pride Weekend has arrived here in NY and the big parade is tomorrow. Ladies and Gentlemen if you haven't started already, go out get get your PRIDE on. This year is the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and we as the LGBT community have 2 things to do both during the festivities and beyond: First, we owe it to our LGBT forefathers... foremothers... foreparents, to take full advantage of the freedoms that their courage afforded us. And second, to be as brave as they were and to fight to secure even more freedoms for the members of the LGBT community members who have yet to be born.

And if you are straight (but not narrow) come on out and show the world that we are in fact, all equal.

Oh right, and have fun bitches! Take pride in who you are. Take pride in each other. Take pride in your community. Take pride in your differences. Take pride in changing the world.

Fore a look into what gay life was like pre Stonewall check this out:

STONEWALL 40: Our History Before Pride and Rainbow Flags Shared via AddThis

Music for JULY

Some of these are old, and some of them new. Either way, these songs are current obsessions and what I will be listening to in July:

I Am Not A Robot (Starsmith's 24 Carat Remix) - Marina & the Diamonds

Vedo In Te (Vencie Remix) - Airys

Wish I Stayed - Ellie Goulding

Help Im Alive (The Twelves Remix) - Metric

No Reasons - Vega

Now I'm That Bitch (Sam Sparro Remix) - Livvi Franc

Release Me- Agnes

Salty (Justin Faust Remix) - Division Kent

Burial (DJ Mehdi Remix) - Miike Snow

Listztomania (Classixx Version) - Phoenix

Starry Eyed - Ellie Goulding

My Name's Breezy - Make The Girl Dance

Method of Modern Love - St. Etienne

Paris (ft. Au Revoir Simone) (Aeroplane Remix) - Friendly Fires

The Pleasure Principle (Eli Escobar Remix) - Janet Jackson

Unpredictable (Flairs Remix) - Tahiti 80

No Kryptonite (Baxter Beez vs Ben&Chico Remix) - Division Kent

Audacity of Huge (feat. Chris Keating) - Simian Mobile Disco

New In Town (Fred Falke Remix) - Little Boots

Heavy Cross (Fred Falke Remix) - The Gossip

Stand Back (Eli Escobar Remix) - Stevie Nicks

Miracle - Sally Shapiro

Don't Upset The Rhythm (Dave Aude Edit) - Noisettes

Better Off As Two - Frankmuisk

L.A.

So I flew out to L.A. yesterday. Just for the night, because I can. I didn't stay long, just about 12 hours, as a matter of fact just about the time it takes to fly there and back. Anyway, I have been to L.A. many times before, I even lived there briefly when I was much younger. This time I just wanted to hit the ocean, so I went down to Manhattan Beach. Not the nicest, but it has that sort of 'come and knock on our door, we'll be waiting for you' 3's Company vibe. I didn't get there until 5 pm or so, and so by the time I checked into my hotel and got to the water it was almost 7 pm. I just walked the pier and took in the beauty of the Pacific Ocean. Chillier than I thought, I wished for a light jacket. Bulletproof - La Roux was making me happy as I took some pics of the surfers.

I walked from the pier up to a a Mexican Restaurant called Mucho. Not the most original of names, but the decor was just the right mix of trendy and comfortable. The food was better than I suspected, and I finished everything on my plate and washed it down with a blood orange margarita which was in a word, divine. I thought of having a coffee before heading back to the hotel, but decided against it as it was almost 10 pm. I went back to the hotel, applied a cucumber mask and turned on my iPod. Audacity of Huge - Simian Mobile Disco accompanied me to bed. So I got up this morning and headed back to the airport. I will be back in NY by 6 pm. not the worst way to spend 24 hours, is it?

MOON

I went to the Landmark Sunshine down on Houston this past Saturday to see the Duncan Jones Directed 'Moon'. Today is Tuesday, and I am still thinking about it. Tremendous.

Sam Rockwell, whom I never had much of an opinion of until this film, is extraordinary as Sam Bell, an Astronaut working in a lunar space station that is mining the surface rock for Helium-3, which is used as a pollution free form of power that provides energy for 70% of the worlds population. Sam is alone except for Gerty (a machine voiced by Kevin Spacey) and finishing up the last days of a 3 year contract before returning to his wife and daughter. You get the feeling that Sam is ready to crack from loneliness. Sam leaves the station to do some check ups on the exterior of the station, there is an accident and Sam wakes up in the infirmary.

I won't say more about the plot, but what happens in the film from here is less Sigourney Weaver, and more Ray Bradbury. The story relies on our earthly ethics, emotions, greed and technological advancement and not on lasers, aliens and solar systems. Honestly, I am still asking myself questions about it. Go see it and let me know what you think. Click here to watch the trailer.

The film opened last friday in limited release in NY and LA. It did well on its opening, so it might see a larger release in the next few weeks.

St. Maarten/St.Martin

I spent a week on the island with friends and it was fantastic. We sprawled on the beach, sunbathed by the pool, sipped frozen cocktails, had a BBQ, ate the freshest seafood possible, gambled, danced, swam, and participated in all around general hi-jinks. Good times were had by all. There are a few songs I couldn't stop playing in my iPod. Wish I'd Stayed - Ellie Goulding is one of those songs. My last post included a song by her too. I am just really into her right now. Shockingly she is yet to be signed. Check out her out on her MySpace Page. This track was produced by Frankmusik who in case you are unaware, is sorta hot right now.

We stayed on the French side of the Island. Stunning. The Dutch side was great as well, don't get me wrong I mean I love the Dutch, but the French side just had more charm . It had me longing for Lisztomania (Yuksek Remix) - Phoenix. I mean this is hardly the first group or style of music one would bring to the table of things typically French, but Yuksek is an up and coming electro artist based in Paris. Again check his MySpace. Clearly I was just looking for a segue.

Another song I was having a slight tropical obsession with was I Am Not A Robot (Starsmith's 24 Carat Remix) - Marina & the Diamonds. She is another one that is just killing me lately with her style. She has an EP out on iTunes, and the rumor is there will be a full album out sometime in 2010. Fingers Crossed. Check her MySpace as well.

SUMMER?

I know that Summer doesn't officially start until the 21st, but the past 2 days have been perfectly beautiful and sunny. It makes me feel like summer may actually be here. Sadly, I just checked the forecast and it is supposed to be overcast and rainy for the rest of the week. So my advice is to take this song Starry Eyed - Ellie Goulding, put it on your iPod and get out into the sunny warm weather while it lasts.  Recently for the first time, I took the ferry and went to Governors Island. My suggestions are to pack a lunch (mine would of course include a good bottle of white), grab a book, grab your iPod, find a companion and go have a lazy day laying in the grass and being silly. The photos here are all from Governors Island.  Hopefully in the coming weeks, Summer will be here full force and the possibilities of how to spend each beautiful day will be endless.

Actually now that I think about it, this warm sunny Sunday deserves this song as well Miracle - Sally Shapiro

Hmmm, now I am on a roll I think because this one should be on any summer music playlist too.   Seb - News For You