What, pray tell, You ask, is this contraption.
Well, Yours Truly will indeed tell.
It is a Vacum Cleaner in the basement of Church of Ani, i.e. Babeville.
To be confused with Asbury Hall.
YT was in one of the green rooms with Charles Gayle, Mary Oliver (award-winning violinist, not award-winning poetess), and Han Bennink, when this turn-of-the-century central vacuum (or vacum, back in thee day) was noted lurking in a dark corner.

Saw Han and Mary perform in Rochester, last night at Hallwalls it was all Gayle/Bennink, a sold-out event.
Afterward, met a pal of several of the jazz musicians in the room, Gaskin, of TO.
Fred Lonberg-Holm told me he'd be down and so YT steered him towards accommodations nearby so he could avoid that long and boring road back up there.
Technically west, not north.

Today received my medium (sadly, not small) Obama hoodie, which I'm washing for the second time so it's not too stiff for tonight's Bruce Jackson opening at the venerable Albright-Knox Art Gallery. All wide, black & white prison images from down south, hung in the Clifton Link - relevant subterranean walls.

On the radio now: Harley-Davidson is cutting jobs and production.
Read earlier that most women the world over claim that they're buying no new clothes this year.
YT finds this to be rather extreme, and probably untrue.

The Empire State has a new senator. Who.
Paterson says decision was not based on gender, sexual orientation, and the like.

Who Love. Love who.

Nancy J. --
Thank you for being part of the most open inauguration in our nation's history.
As we begin the work of remaking America, we must draw on the common hopes that brought us together this week.
I'm counting on you to keep the spirit of unity and service alive.

The above friendly note is from our new American rockstar President Obama.
Who looks absolutely beyond elegant in white tie.
Who lovingly (melt) whispered into Michelle's ear.
What a man.

Had a lovely time yesterday snowshoeing through forest outside of Rochester at Ganondagan Historical Site with Kennergy, up and down hills for hours.
Old pines mixed in with younger-growth, some nice old trunks harboring (undoubtedly) fuzzy little animals inside.

After snowshow activity had dinner with jazz pals Han Bennick and Mary Oliver and arts patrons/cooks extraordinaire Robert & Donna before H & M's gig at The Bop Shop.

Awaiting the music meandered over to a too-crunchy sushi joint and had some of the best sake around, black and gold. To warm up after maintaining an extreme chill.
Still awaiting musical action looked at nearby shoppes and noted this above sign.

Now off to dinner with Kennergy, Han, Mary before Han's Hallwalls gig with Charles Gayle.
A double-shot of Han B, as they say over on 97 Rock.

Love of jazz, and thrilled signs.

The latest in yet another Perfect ongoing series: Semi-Unintentional Self-Portraits.
This one was made at the residence of Bruce & Diane, during the fete for an auntie who was turning 105.
By all fam accounts, she is a voracious reader who had laser eye surgery at 100 to read unfettered from eyeglasses.
Yours Truly does prefer the French word, lunettes.
So last night there was a small gathering of pals to fete the new prez, at 888, sort of an unofficial clubhouse of the Middling City's glitterati, litterati, and FBati.
Speaking of FB, YT accidentally sent out the Obama in the (White) House party last night to invitees far and wide when what I intended was to send out an invite to the gang.
YT began to receive RSVP's from far and wide.
To some minor puzzlement.

The best news du jour is that YT's new and improved flashy flash site is up, running, doing its little slideshow magic - www.nancyjparisi.com - as if You did not know that already as YT is sure that she's at the top of the heap of those bookmarks.

Bookmarked Love.

This image made about 12:20 today, during our new president's speech.
Officially, he became president at noon.
Michelle Obama (watching the official transfer of power on steps) is wearing green gloves with her yellow suit.
Yours Truly is thrilled.
But not nearly as thrilled as about the main focus.

Photographed students at the BigU gathered to watch the Inauguration and when everyone was asked to rise for the oath, everyone in the room stood.
There were no dry eyes in the house.
YT among them.

And dearest Pahts gets to celebrate his birthday on this glorious day.

Love of oaths, and Glory.

++ This just in, from Big Orbit Gallery, seconds ago.
Winning this Best Of gig - and attendant solo exhibition - was truly one of the happiest days in the life of YT. Much like today. But with more fanfare centered on YT.

The exhibition's Best in Show award winner, selected each year by an outside juror, receives a solo exhibition in the following exhibition season and we have never been anything but genuinely thrilled with the resulting exhibits. Past winners of the Best in Show award include Alex Young, Geoffrey Allan Rhodes, Andrew Hershey , Michael Bosworth , Barbara Rowe, Robert Hirsch , Jena Cumbo, Laura Odell, Andrew Johnson, Joshua Marks , Nancy Parisi , Reed Anderson, Jackie Felix, Martin Kruck, Al Volo, Kurt Von Voetsch, Patrick Robideau.

For the upcoming edition of Big Orbit's Members' Exhibition we have decided to try something different. The "juror" will be a team of 3 past Best in Show award winners— Michael Bosworth , Nancy J. Parisi, and Patrick Robideau. Well known WNY artists all, they have a combined 40+ year history of artistic production and each embodies the spirit of Big Orbit Gallery. Images below link to their Big Orbit exhibitions.

Suddenly, minding my own Dem/damned business, I felt a healthy urge (diametrically opposed as opposed can be to W-esque unhealthy surge) to acquire an Obama sweatshirt.
So I wended my way over to DemocraticStuff.com
and did so.
They do not have smalls.

Yours Truly will wear it as proudly as she does her Blogger hoodie.
YT is oso proud to state once again that as one of the earliest Blogger customers (back when we had to PAY to keep adverts off our blogs), they thanked me for my devotion by mailing off some sportswear.

Tomorrow is another emotional day, the inauguration of Obama.
In honour of this historical moment, YT planned a gathering at 888, the same venue chosen for YT's Poll Results Watching Party.
If YT had not had gigs this weekend would have meandered down south to catch some of the happy hoopla.

Love of Hoopla and Happy Hype.

Yours Truly just this one will make a rare confession: I was like so NOT minding my own business this past Friday night as I wended about the Middling City in search of Zen and a demi-predetermined musical journey with dear Annie.
Secondmost on the quest for narrative and images was to see thee Jackie Jocko, stationed at his workspace piano inside EB Green's at Hyatt Hotel with their newly refurbed and freshly trendily-patterned lobby with giant blue globe that squeaks as it turns.
Above shows Annie with thee JJ - he insisted that she come up and do a little duet, a little hand-on-hand plinka-plinka.

So there we were and there was JJ.
Never before noted by YT were his little selfmade notes to himself with song titles along the front of the piano.
They are, he says, a tool for Ideas.
He regaled us with tales of the MC's brighter live music days when there were tasteful live music joints up and down the avenues.
One I most enjoy hearing about, Chez Ami, with its rotating dancefloor.
Imagine.
As the Shiney Apple's Rainbow Room with its own rotational floor, faces some more sad times with rent raising, and a struggle between landowner and tenants who made the place less elite and more welcoming to every icon-seeking Tom, Dick, and Harry.

Pianoside with JJ included some soothsaying by him once he learned our astrological signs - it was quite interesting and fairly spot-on and he admitted that decades ago he was more an astrological practitioner than now.
How listeners would not only request a tune but some sooth for themselves.

Our questful night included some drunken squaws dancing in front of their boyfriends' band and Annie nearly getting decked (pun not intended but now enjoying said pun so it will stick), a darkened room of excellent techno dj'ing and a sub-quest for Scott, the event's beneficiary. Are you Scott, Are you Scott, we asked and repeated throughout the club until we found the right man. One man offered, helpfully, that he could be Scott if YT really wanted him to be.

The MC is full of beautiful new fluffiness, a new pristine layer on what was hard and browned and worn.

Listening to John so I paraphrase, in happy light of what is in the works:
We all said we wanted Revolution and we all wanted to change the world.

Changed World Love.