The End Of An Era

Five Super Bowls appearances resulted in three championships for the New England Patriots during the early Belichek-Brady era, although both post-season losses came in the last minutes at the hands of Giants quarterbacked by Eli Manning in the last minute by the quarterback'sspectacular passes against a weary secondary and the result in 2012 mirrored the defeat of 2008, but in reality this year's match-up was determined very early in the 1st quarter by an intentional grounding call against Tom Brady, which resulted in a safety and a punt to the

Of course my sister calling during the game was the kiss of death.

"Are you watching the game?" I sat the game with a long-time friend in the West Village. Bill was a Packers fan. We had $20 on the game. It was a friendly bet.

"No." She was working on test papers for her college students.

"I can't talk. It's bad luck to speak with someone not watching the game." The damage had been done and then I looked over my shoulder at Bill's Italian wife. The director from Pescara was busy writing a film proposal. Two negatives made a positive and I relaxed a little with the Patriots leading by a point into half-time.

Madonna's greatest show on Earth was a disaster. She opened the set with VOGUE, her smash hit from the last century. Her dance routine reminded me of an aging quarterback running from a blood-thristy linebacker. She was slow. Faster than me, but I wasn't on stage before a billion people. When play resumed, I wallowed in a quiet calm with a Brady score.

It wasn't enough and the clock ticked away with the Patriots. The Giants had the ball and marched down field.

I bit off three fingernails and gnawed them smooth, then the Blue scored a TD with 56 seconds to go.

Damn the safety, damn my sister, damn VOGUE.

I couldn't get it out of my head.

Madonna, that old witch had ear-wormed me and maybe the Patriots too.

Brady's Hail Mary pass into the end zone resulted in nothing.

Game over.

The Giants win.

I can't remember the score, but I rode home to Brooklyn on the A train listening tomesctastic Giant fans recapping the Superbowl. I really didn't hear them, because my ears were ringing with VOGUE.

The curse of Madonna.

The bitch.

Back at FortGreene I put on some MC5. Soothed by HIGH SCHOOL I told myself it had just been a game. It was easy to believe the lie.

To hear the instrumental version of the MC5's HIGH SCHOOL please go to the following URL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6XV2OblHvo

Gong-gyeog, Gong-gyeog, Gong-gyeog

My mother loved the Pearl Harbor movie TORA TORA TORA. TORA TORA TORA meant 'attack attack attack' in Japanese. Gong-gyeog, Gong-gyeog, Gong-gyeog translates the same in Korean. This week North Korea has suggested to Russia and the UK that they abandon their diplomatic missions in Pyongyang before April 10, stating that the government will not be able to safeguard the embassy after that date. Nations neighboring the communist state are weighing the threat level to their countries. South Korea has sent two Aegis missile destroyers to sea, as the North Korea transported two mobile launchers to a secret site on the the eastern coast. Most rational minds understand that Kim Jong Un's strike capacity is strictly conventional, since the NK ICBMs cannot deliver a nuclear warhead. Most observers agree that the Supreme Leader's bellicose statements are designed at cementing the people behind his regime. China's patience with its long-time ally once "as close as lips and teeth" is wearing thin according to the Telegraph and states that North Korea no longer merits much respect among ordinary Chinese, who have taken to insulting Kim Jong-un as "Fatty Kim" or "Fatty the Third", in reference to his father and grandfather, on the Chinese internet. Fidel Castro has urged calm, although Beyonce and JayZ, America's # 1 pop couple are in Cuba this week. North Korea has no plans to attack the island 90 miles south of Key West. Maybe they are privy to something the rest of us don't know after speaking with Dennis Rodman, who was in North Korea talking basketball with Kim Jong Un. Didn't he go out with Madonna. See below for the range of North Korea's missiles

Madonna At 18

Three years later Madonna came to sublet my apartment on East 10th Streeet. The walls were as smooth as lumpy pancakes. The bathtub was in the kitchen and the WC had an overhead chain. "I'll think about it." I never heard from her, but she was in my apartment for ten minutes. I bet she has no memory of that moment, but I remember everything, even though she wasn't as cute as this photo.