Seemed the program I was taken to was different than when I phonebanked last weekend or something, and after a few attempts was unsuccessful. So I had to give up. Will try again tomorrow.

Instead, we had plans to attend the alternative St Pats For All parade today started by our friend, and great gay activist and Irish immigrant Brendan Fay, who was arrested repeatedly for attempting to march in the March 17th one down 5th Ave. He organized it about 15 years ago and it's turned into this really wonderful, very inclusive celebration of the diversity of NYC, which of course extends to the whole world.

There are always colorful troupes of cultural ethnic dancers from all over the world, local youth groups, political clubs, marching bands, fire trucks, school kids and of course proud gay folks.

We were there to march with the Bernie people behind their banner, along with our three-month old. After a bagpiper serenade began the festivities, along came the marchers and one was a Hillary group, with a green banner for the occasion. There were probably a half dozen, maybe 10, kind of conservatively dressed. I held my blue Bernie sign high in the air, and that was acknowledged positively by several people marching by. No one seemed to acknowledge them; they were kind off to one side of the street looking almost like an unsure afterthought. Different story when the Bern folks came up, who of course were near the back. We spread out across the entire street, a colorful gaggle that included "Beagles For Bernie" "Kids For Bernie" and folks young and old, male and female all carrying signs. The entire way of the march people we were met with pretty consistent applause as we came by. Lots of young families and even little kids brightening up, clapping and in one instance, chanting "Ber-nie, Ber-nie!"

Good day out and energizing. DeBlasio was there too but didn't see him; would like to have given him an earful of disappointment about his "progressivism." Maybe we're in our own bubble, but everyone I was with thought he could take NY. I do too, but haven't looked into it enough. Is that naive, have there been any good polls?