Some Art in New York... Visiting the MOMA

Portals to interesting stuff..

This time of the year I take advantage of some free time and do stuff around the Big Apple--which includes visiting museums. It's been several years since I last visited the MOMA (the Museum of Modern Art @ 53 Street), so I popped in the other day. Actually I enjoy modern art even though I think lots of it is a big joke played on the rest of us. Back in 2006, I wrote this post on my political blog. {also has a few more pictures from the MOMA}


The rabbit and the other stuff represent the frustration of a farmer whose artistic proclivities were shunned by the overbearing banality of the need to make a living by selling duck eggs in the village market. [yeah, that's my take on this; do you have a problem with it?]


Every rope has 2 ends. One lays here in a "J" fashion.
Woman & handbag. A must-have fashion item for the frequent flier.



Art is in the eye of the beholder, but I don't think it's always that obvious. If I were to apply the notion of higher art, then we probably can agree on many art forms and expressions. The rope on the wall doesn't do anything for me... other than making me release creative energy while contemplating the relationship between those higher-ups and those lying low on the floor of society--connected but the message of bondage is clear.... I now have a craving for soup!


The hanging skeleton was rather interesting as juxtaposed to the exposed stairwell. It could signify the inescapable reality that either you run up or down the staircase the monster will get you eventually.


Below, a big room with lots of posters that when placed together represent the colorful humanity--which, despite its small differences, can hang together in a beautiful mosaic!



I think I'll go back soon because when I visited on New Year's day it was so crowded that I didn't get to see everything. I did take some more pictures though many galleries don't allow it--so I didn't get any there.

Blue Moon Ushers the New Year.

Once in a blue moon they say! Well, guess what. The new year will chime in with a blue moon over us! This December we're having a second full moon. It happens every 2.7 years that they are 2 full moons in one month. I'm sure the revelers in Times Square will appreciate the moon glistening over them when they look upwards to see the ball drop during the countdown to the new year. No, I won't be among them.; I haven't gone mad just yet. Though, I have done it a couple times in very distant past--when it didn't really make any sense because they didn't have all those elaborate celebrations they've been employing in the last 15 years.

It's been a long while since I placed any great significance on the changing of the year. I know it's just an arbitrary moment. It'd make more sense to have it on the solstice, on December 21st, or in June. But, this doesn't mean I don't like to celebrate. Any chance to have a good time is welcomed.The picture at the top is from a full moon over Manhattan a couple years ago. The others are from (in order) Times Square, Bryant Park/NYC Public Library, Hudson River by the Bear Mountain bridge, and on a farm by Beacon, NY.



It's almost a tradition (with lapses a few years) that I watch The Snowman, an animation movie around this time of the year... when there's snow outside. I finally found and patched together the video parts. Click the link to see it.

And, this concludes my last post for the year, and, according to some, the last of the decade. See you on the other side....

;)

Merry Holidays and a Beautiful Year Ahead....[that makes more sense to me than, "Auld Lang Syne"]

I've greatly enjoyed Mr. Bean--Rowan Atkinson. I think his xmas bit is hilarious. That's my Season's Greetings card to you. Hope you enjoy it!



May the holiday season be filled with warm feelings and all else you long for. Happy new decade too! [even though it doesn't technically start until next year, but who's counting.... We celebrated the new millennium in 2000, not 2001. I wonder how year Zero was like....]





In this frigid weather, hell seems inviting, so why not this next piece by Atkinson..

Somewhere in the Universe....

Perhaps we needed myths to make sense of the world around us since we knew so little about anything. We are the very lucky ones to live in an age where science has revealed wonders about ourselves and the universe.... and, happily, the process continues.

December seems to be a month that most humans hold ceremonies and celebrate stuff and deities that give meaning to their lives. In this light, I wish everyone a great holiday season. I wish humans transcend their myths & superstition, and to open up their minds to exploration, to a great journey through life without the need to supernatural attributions. I wish for a better world where every person could achieve their own bliss and realize their potential.

Our earth is our only home. Humanity came so close to extinction but we made it so far. We're the only species that has the ability for so much good and so much evil. It should be our choice to support the conditions of the good life and take care of each other and our home.

Happy and healthy season and may the next trip around the sun be one of excitement and personal fulfillment.

Euro Settler in America: "I Have a Question"..."You Can Aks Me" Said the Turkey.

I took a few pictures on Thursday in NYC. It looks busy but it's nowhere near the regular activity on a given day. It may have been a bit busier this year because retailers are hurting and many opened their doors on Thanksgiving with bargains to attract shoppers. They couldn't wait for black Friday. Above, 42nd Street looking West, almost by Times Square.

Just a few days ago I was in Atlanta, Georgia--it's a big city but not like New York. It reminded me of Cleveland, a rather empty metropolis. I realize that I'm used to cities like NY, Boston, Chigago, SanFran, Seattle, and a few others. Yeah, I know, I live in Westchester where city slickers go to die of bordom.



Above, the Bethesda Fountain and the little lake with gondolas. Below, the myth of this holiday as often depicted in folklore.

As far as holidays go, Thanksgiving is my favorite one, just because it's non-denominational and I enjoy the crisp Autumn air, the food, the relatively quiet New York City (on Thursday), and the Friday off--long weekend. I don't want to think of the days when I couldn't enjoy this (or any) holiday because of work. Nowadays, I'm thankful that I have a great job that I enjoy. I'm thankful that I won't go hungry or shiver in the cold or feel threatened.

Can you tell that xmas has ..arrived? They've been pushing xmas earlier every year. Now by Halloween, we see xmas decorations and that awful repetitive seasonal music.
Enjoy this last Thanksgiving of the double zeros in the 21st century.

Another Glorious Atumn in the Northeast

Ah, glorious autumn in the Northeast! I wish I had more time this season to go out. I was planning to go up to the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts to also visit the Normal Rockwell museum, but work has intervened. Local drives within a 50 mile radius from home base this Fall only. As a result, I've gotten fewer pictures.


I'm so fortunate to experience such surroundings as part of my workplace! Yummy.


The two pictures below are from my favorite place New Paltz-Lake Minnewaska.

Below, a farmer and his ..machine. Did you know "George" means "person of the land" or a farmer?



This covered bridge is in West Cornwell, CT [see link]. I've seen many, some dating back to the 1800s.

New Island Festival... 400 Hundred Years of Dutch in NYC

Oh, the beautiful autumn... but, I'm still savoring memories from this past summer, and since I haven't posted here in a while, I'm going to go back a few weeks and post a few pictures from the Dutch festival on Governors Island.

This is the 400th years of Hudson sailing up the ..Hudson River. Henry Hudson was an Englishman but worked for the Dutch, who had a vibrant mini colony here in New York (New Amsterdam). We still have many places with Dutch names around. Anyway, it was fun to see so many Hollanders on a tiny island for two weekends in early September.

That was an interesting 40 minutes of raising this structure...
All free events..


Lots of music as you can see...
They were advertising the various shows...
Candy girls.... (somehow I caught them drinking beer!)
Governor's Island has many old buildings, most in really bad shape (to be demolished soon), but some under renovation. GI served as a military outpost, prison (Civil War), hospital, Army barracks, Coast Guard headquarters, and even hosted presidents R. Reagan and M. Gorbachev.

Modern dance...

Some of the art was way out there...

I became an instant fan of Ellen Ten Damme.... One of the most fun, crazy, energetic, multi-talented performer I've seen in a long time. Apparently she's well-known in Holland.

The biggest table where traditional Dutch food was served...

A Dutch farmer with an American cow--because his own cow didn't have the proper immigration papers!
Divera with her guitar Vanilla in Cafe Me...

Camping and Exploring Cape Cod in the Summer of 2009

<-- At the Marconi site. The beach and and Atlantic Ocean 100 feet below.

One of the things I enjoy of the warmer months is camping. I don't do the primitive camping anymore, that is, in the total isolation of the woods. Nowadays it's some nice national or state park where for a low fee I can enjoy a good site in a campground with toilets and showers.
The fire pit is only for smores and gathering by the fire after dark. Very little cooking is involved, mostly some scrambled eggs on a portable burner. The cooler filled with ice and cold drinks is a must. The rest can be had at the local stores.

My tent is rated for 6+ persons, but the tent makers are very misleading when it comes to this. Always go for a tent that can "accommodate" several more people that your actual needs. In order to fit 6 persons with sleeping bags in my tent, they have to be side by side... if not one otop of another. The latter may be OK on a cold night in the woods. A tent for 5-6 people is good for two adults plus their stuff. I bring along an inflatable queen size bed and an electric pump. Why not? Having a few amenities makes the outing easier on the body. A well-rested person can do 20 miles of biking the next day or not do anything at all. A proper shower--not under a water ..can but in proper facilities with warm water--is always appreciated. And, it's nicer to go to the bathroom where there's a proper toilet. Other than that, I'm roughing it.

Recently I spent one week in Cape Cod--or as they say there, on the Cape. They are peculiar those folks. South is North! You take Rt 6 South to go the "Lower Cape" which is in the North. The GPS and my compass agree. I'm not kidding, the locals have these cardinal points reversed! I didn't bother to ask them about the East-West orientation. As for time, it's a loose concept; like in other places you spend leisure days at; it moves at a slower pace too.

Nickerson State park has hundreds of camping sites and during the last 2 months of the summer it's not easy to find one free for several days. I suppose camping became more appealing to those who can't afford motels nowadays. It's $17/day or $15 for MA residents. I'd recommend this park, however when it's the busiest it's more likely to bump into stupid and obnoxious people there. Such people don't understand that the point of going camping is to be closer to nature, and enjoy the surroundings in peace and quiet.

Get this, for one day/night I had to endure really bad "neighbors." Kids are a problem because of their parents who shouldn't be parents because they don't have the required skills. So, problem number one: unmanageable children with yelling parents. Problem number two: gas-powered generator noise and fumes! Why the need for electricity? Ah, to power the flat screen TV and whatever else these knuckleheads felt they needed to bring to the woods for their convenience! Thankfully, we were able to separate ourselves by getting another site.

Cape Cod has many interesting venues and things to do. I'd recommend using a bicycle--bring one or rent. There is a 25-mile Rail Trail [CCRT] which is mostly flat & paved and it goes through woods, marshes, bogs, ponds, and a few country roads. Some of the beaches are also reachable by bike. Nauset Light and Coast Guard beaches are free to enter by bike and are gorgeous! Both are on the Atlantic Ocean.

The "arm" of the cape is far away from the mainland (MA) so it's possible (and rare on the East Coast) to see the sun setting in the water with all its beautiful colors. I watched some amazing sunsets at Rock Harbor beach. Usually on the East Coast, the sun goes behind a mountain, trees, or tall buildings. That's why Southern Florida, too, has beautiful sunsets.

I've taken many trips to Cape Cod over the years, but every time I discover something new. This time I stayed in the Brewester-Chatham-National Seashore areas. The two ends, Provincetown and Woods Hole are also nice. Hyannis is quaint with shopping and the harbor to the two islands. Martha's Vineyard is the bigger one. The presidential family is vacationing there now. Nantucket is small and can be easily toured on a bicycle in one day. I've cycled on both islands. MV is much harder and can be exhausting in the heat of the summer. I was there on a 4th of July, within a few days when John Kennedy crashed his plane in the sea off the island.

This summer flew by quickly. I did mostly day-long things, but I also had lots of work... not the paid kind, the must-do kind. House-hunting is not easy or quick.




Above & below: sunset and low tide at Rock Harbor Beach.

Chatham, located on the south and easternmost of the cape.
Chatham Light
Below, Coast Guard beach. Cape Cod had one of the very first organized and trained teams to warn ships and rescue sailors.

Sunrise at Sea Gull beach, near Hyannis.
Below, full moon over Provincetown.

Marconi beach. It's the site where Marconi set up his huge towers to establish wireless communications with Europe. There's been lots of erosion, so the structures are long gone. But, it's such a beautiful place. The picture doesn't do justice. The vantage point by the fence is maybe 100 feet above the beach. This is part of the National Seashore. At night, fires are allowed on the beach... just imagine the view from the top.... and the general experience.... mmmm


Someone is getting ready for some smores by the campfire...

Creating Memories... and, Recording Them.

Is photography a means to reinforce memories or there's something more to it?

Creating memories is what I think makes for a full life. Of course there are lots of other important elements but I believe doing something memorable every day is good. Obviously I can't say that I can do it every day, but I try. It doesn't have to be big. Actually, I don't believe passing time looking forward to big events. Yes, they can be transformative with big impressions left over, but it is the smaller things that make a bigger difference in life.

Let me explain. Going on a nice month-long vacation to a beautiful place is certainly a welcome event. Yet, what do you do the rest of the year? Taking smaller but much more frequent breaks to do something interesting--being with a friend, engage in a hobby or any other joyful activity--are more important. It is said that it's not the absence of stress but the lack of many positive events that make a person unhappy.

Taking pictures is a hobby I enjoy. A picture is like a mini story. Framing, emphasizing (or excluding), and even tweaking the appearance of the "natural" picture is what photography means to me. I took up photography when I was a teenager. I was given a good all-manual camera, no batteries except in the attachable flash. I learned how to estimate the required speed, aperture, ISO, and whatever else. And, it wasn't easy because it was slow. In the days of a 24 or 36 frame film, it took me several days if not weeks to go through it--unless it was a special event that I could go through a 24 frame at once.

Now, I don't remember using the one-hour processing, if that was available back in the days. Even if it was, there was no money for that. So, I had to wait several days to see the results of my shooting. I may have kept some notes about some pictures I had taken but it wasn't very practical to walk around with a notepad writing down what settings I had for what picture.

Anyway, while in college--for a good stretch of it--I had no money for such a hobby. I had a budge of $20 per week for food. That included all food at school & trips to the supermarket. Spending $5-7 on film, processing and prints was not an option. I gave it up. It was also during that time that my car was broken into and my manual camera was stolen.

After I graduated I took some pictures here and there with a small cheap camera. It wasn't until 2004 when I got my first digital camera that my love for photography returned. I still use that bulky Olympus, not-intuitive and (by now) old technology camera. Most of the pictures I have today are from this one. Any DSLR new(er) camera is big now and they all have great features--and much better designs that those available a few years ago.

However, a great camera is one that is being used. If it stays in the closet it's not all that good. My point is that sometimes the size/weight of a camera may prevent its owner from using it or carrying it around. That's why I got myself a Nikon Coolpix recently. It seems that I always have this one handy, in my car or attached to my belt. I've taken some great pictures with it. The most important thing is that I was able to take a picture because I had a camera with me! It sounds stupid but it isn't. I have pictures, a record of things I experienced, that otherwise I know I would not have had. On many occasions it wasn't practical to carry my big camera, so the little one came in ..handy! And, let me tell you, the small ones today pack oodles of features and capabilities.

As I'm writing this, the night is well worn. One way to relax before bed is to do a crossword puzzle or work on the pictures I've taken. I had used Photoshop once; too big; the Elements, a smaller version, may be more appropriate for many photographers. However, for most amature photographers, Picasa is a great photo program to have. It's part of Google and it's free. Try it. I have a Gmail account, but I don't know if you need one to be able to upload your pictures on the internet. Yes, you'll need to do that if you take many pictures. I've been doing this for a long time now. You can use Flickr or a number of other free programs/sites. For example, here's a link to one of my online albums: Hudson Valley You could also link only to single picture: Pier on Hudson.

If you take pictures at an event or for any occasion that you want to share them with many other people the only sensible thing is to upload them to the web. I do it through Picasa, then I sent the link to a number of people instead of emailing them a bunch of pictures. That way they can choose for themselves what to do, including downloading any picture they like. You can have those online galleries private so only those who have the key to them can see your pictures.

I think photography is a great activity. I'd recommend it. It's rather inexpensive. Same thing with writing. Thinking about expressing a thought, an idea, an image, etc, are all great for the mind. Happy trails fellow traveller!


PS> All the pictures here don't have a common theme other than I took them in New York state this month (July 2009). They are among many, not superb or artsy but I like them and that's all there's to them. By clicking on them you can make them bigger. I found out that IE does keep this available, but Firefox removes this option when I move the pictures around within the post. That's why on some previous posts clicking on the picts doesn't do anything.


UPDATE: As per request, and in order from top to bottom:
1. Amusement park; 2. Hudson river by Rhinebeck; 3. Coney Island; 4. Hyde Park; 5. Coney; 6. Lower West Side; 7. LWS; 8. Harriman; 9. Woodstock; 10-12. Central Park; 13-15 Esopus/Kingston; 16. Peekskill; 17. Kingston lighthouse; 18. South St. Seaport; 19. Coffeehouse; 20. Coney.

The Power of Culture and Indoctrination

It's been a national story soon after it happened on Sunday on a highway in Westchester, NY. Actually I was going to NYC on Sunday when I heard that the Taconic parkway--the one I take to go to NYC--was closed due to a horrific accident. It happened right by the place I work. I know the area well and I can't imagine how a driver could get on the northbound lanes and travel at high speed southbound (against the heavy traffic) for 1.7 miles before colliding head-on with another car resulting in 8 people dying, including several children. There are many questions to be answered and the investigation continues.

Immediately the references to God became apparent. Of course, they followed the same pattern: God gets only the credit for good stuff, not the bad. That he should be praised for allowing one child (of the 4) to survive the crash. The other ones, all under 10 years old, weren't deemed worthy of survival. God may have "special plans" for the survivor, etc. Prayers and special church services are now part of this unfolding story. It's amazing to me that people haven't figured out that even if there's a God he doesn't interfere; he doesn't alter the laws of nature that he allegedly created. Therefore, praying to any god or to the sun yields the same results. [George Carlin explains this one here.]

And here's a longer version. Do you find it offensive?


We all know that bad stuff happens all over the world, though usually we tend not to focus on the suffering for too long. It's not a bad thing, because otherwise we couldn't have a normal life. Obviously people have different ways to deal with adversity and grief. One common thread is religion. They pray. The want to believe that God is active in their lives (intervening) and he takes care of the departed souls. Making imaginary friends or any entity is an old phenomenon. Culture and indoctrination from childhood make this illusion all but real for most people. Very few of us have escaped this predicament. Hopefully, more and more humans will shed this prejudice, superstition, and this need for the supernatural.

The following video could be very challenging to those who don't want to see the obvious. It shows human behavior and thought processes that go against the logical, reasonable approach to everyday life--it ain't easy, but wanting to believe in something simply because it gives a false hope is not appropriate for grown-ups.



Well, are you up to it? Can you handle the truth? It's a bold question and a bold step to leave behind ancient explanations fit for people who didn't know any better. But, we do! And, we know that the universe doesn't revolve around humanity. We've progressed a lot, learned so much about the physical world and there's so much more to find out. Yet, have you pondered, how do we know things? What is the process, the tool we use to systematically discover, invent, and reason? It's the scientific process. This is the best method/tool we have to understanding ourselves and the universe itself.

Give it a try. But, be careful: once you take certain steps, you can't go back, that is, if you decide that you want to know--no matter what the truth is--you can't revert to being ignorant. It's like losing your virginity...

Oldies but Goodies

I've been away and rather busy the rest of the days--OK, this includes catching up on sleep--so I haven't posted in a while, but I have lots of stuff on backlog! Where to start? Let's see, how about something for the boys?

If I had lots of money, I'd definitely have a few cars, maybe 3, 4 or 5. Of them, 3 would be really classic, oldies but functional. I spoke to the guy who restores old cars; he showed me pictures of how he found them. They looked total junks, and unrecognizable. He puts lots of new parts, new engine, etc. He spent $9,000 on one--for parts only, because the labor is all his. He had just given that car to his daughter for a graduation present!

There are many clubs of owners of oldies in the US, and there are frequent shows everywhere. All the cars have to get to the show [this case was in a big parking lot in Peekskill, NY] on their own power. So, yes, they are all in good shape. They open the engine hood so you can see they have new engines or a rebuilt one with lots of modern parts. It makes sense.

Take a closer look at the Ford with the wooden cabin. It was built in the early 20th century (like 1921 or so)--not much later than the very first cars appeared in the US. I think the license plates of historic cars also show their year of production.

In one of the photos, there's the interior of a 1971 VW Beetle. When I was in college I drove one. It was built in 1971 and it was a fading yellow color! Ha! I had wheels, that was the most important thing. But that car was horrible on gas mileage, very wide turn radius, not very safe, no heat (AC? haha), and your face was a couple inches from the windshield! But it took me places, and it helped me with my social life.

In the end, the engine was consuming (or losing) as much oil as gas, so I had to junk it because the labor to fix the problem seemed exhorbitant to me back then. Then, I think, I got a Ford Pinto station wagon! IT was not an improvement... Didn't last that long though.

A Street Fair, A Museum, and A Movie Under the Stars

I used to work in the city and hanged out in cool places but then life happens and I moved out. First, a stint in New Jersey and then back to New York, in Westchester. Not exactly far from the city but not exactly within a distance that a spontaneous outing is ordinary. It takes planning now and a lot more leisure time to venture into the city. It seems that some of my friends who live in NYC find my company desirable and they drag me into doing something there.... I appreciate that. Maybe I shouldn't say it publicly but I do find things in the city to do on my own as well.... There just so many opportunities for such...

These couple picts are from the First Avenue Fair. The street was closed for several blocks and as you can see thousands of people attended. Free music and stuff too. All year long, there are street fairs/festivals in this very diverse city. And, remember, the city has 5 boroughs, not only Manhattan! Ever since I got a mag subscription to Time Out New York I've found lots of interesting events, but you can check TONY's site yourself for free: http://newyork.timeout.com/ .

Then it was the Metropolitan Museum. I go there several times a year. That's how you can really see it. It's so vast that one or two visits aren't enough. There's always something new on display. Yeah, I know the suggested admission price is $20--which is a bargain for a tourist--but if you're a New Yorker and want to visit often, I'll tell you in private how to get in for free or almost free....

The Francis Bacon exhibit (red banner on the left) is a delight to the morbid-prone individuals. I think the artist was a very disturbed person and his paintings reflected that. Not a fan, if you didn't get my drift.

However, the Model As Muse fashion exhibit is a great one; I recommend it. It has many topical and period treatments; I'm sure you find something of interest in the many rooms. Great displays too. Couldn't take any good pictures because they don't allow any photography. Think of that, fashion without pictures... Geesh.

Of course, I appreciate modern art but not all of it. Salvatore Dali's works (like the one ontop of the page) are interesting. Picasso was a genius, as well as many others. The pictures here (besides the girl) are of works I enjoyed during this visit.

I've been wanting to go to the Museum of Modern Art since it's been some 3-4 years when I last visited but haven't had the chance to do so. Definitely this summer.

Now, I don't want this to spread but the roof terrace of the Met is a must-go-and-see place. It's small and the museum doesn't really make it easy to go there. Ask for directions. There's only 1 elevator and 1 staircase that go there, so it's got to be your mission, unlike the rest of the museum where you can wander freely all over.

The roof terrace has some great views of Central Park and midtown. It also has new artwork. This time there was some metal structure, like bare tree branches that threatened to impale the unwary....

Who's this guy with that tiny camera? These windows reflect the whole terrace and they can frame a nice picture with the artword and the sky...

Strolling through Central Park can offer relaxation, excitement, exercise, entertainment, and great views. It's very diversified and I'm willing to bet that many New Yorkers (city residents) haven't fully explored this great public park. I know, I've seen the old pictures of disrepair; I've experienced the decay in the late 1970s and 19080s. It wasn't pretty.

But the park has been cleaned up, it's safe, and gorgeous. Above the Belvedere Castle, next to an open air theater. This tiny castle is accessible to the public. From there you can see the Great Lawn, Turtle Pond, and the Delacorte theater, as well as much of the park.

When you see lots of people with blankets and chairs and an inflatable big ..screen at dusk, don't leave, check it out. The many francophones milling around made it more intriguing. The reason was this movie, Home, by Yan Arthus-Bertrand. [hit the link and for the next few days you can watch it on YouTube]. The free screenings in NYC parks on Fridays are sponsored by the French Embassy, http://www.frenchculture.org/ Watch the movie [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU], enjoy the city, and have fun this summer. I'll be posting some more pictures as the summer goes on....

See ya...

PS. This post has clickable pictures... so, if you want to see them open up bigger just click on them. If you steal them and repost them, just give me credit.

A Good Trip Over Memorial Weekend

Got the chance to leave the city and venture to Vermont. Part of the fun, though, is getting there and returning via the beautiful Berkshires. Oh, yeah, I did my first camping of the year, by a river! The problem was that ..someone forgot to bring the tent poles! Well, I had to string together a concoction of a shelter... not bad as a couple of the pictures below indicate.



The "finished" product. Yeah, a bit tight, but without the flexible poles the tent can't be fully deployed. It was cozy though!

The College Experience

The following several pictures are from Williams College in MA. Once, I wanted to work there. It has a beautiful campus; actually the most of the Williams town is the college. Nice, neat, but probably long winters and not much else in the near vicinity. Ah, well, I teach elsewhere now. By the way, I got the students reviews for this past semester and they look really good. I guess most of the students I leaned on heavily didn't bother to evaluate me.

How would you like to dorm in the building below?

One of the scenes common this time around is students moving out of their dorms (pix below). I suppose it's OK for those who are returning, but it must be a very emotional time for those who have just graduated... I totally understand the feeling. There's a big difference between those colleges that attract local students and those whose student body is of out-of-staters. For the latter, there's a moment of separation and the knowledge that you won't see this place for a very long time, that those past 4 years are over, and that you won't see many of your fellow students again...

I don't know how many students do go back to visit the place they spent 4-5 years at, but most people do maintain the emotional connections to a place they got a valuable life experience, often the first one as adults away from home for such a long time.

I'd definitely recommend this, first for the academic value--the building of intellectual capital--and for the experience itself. Dorming or living by the place of study is also recommended....it's so much different that staying at home. I don't think many young students really appreciate the college-attending as much as they should; maybe in the last year they begin to realize it...

Moose project...

In Bennington, VT, they're doing a moose art project. Now many communities picked up on this theme of decorating animals and placing them around the town.. They're pretty!

Vermont's Attractions

Manchester, VT, is nicely located for many outdoor activities. OK, including shopping for those who might be interested; there's an outlet center there. But, for the rest of us, the Green Mountain forests are nearby. Plenty of recreational opportunities. In Dorset, there's this cooling hole called Dorset Quarry. It used to be a place where marble was cut from the mountain but it's been abandoned and now it's filled with water where people go for a swim or just hang out.

The first marble quarry in the US was opened in South Dorset in 1785. The lower part is visible from the road and it gets very crowded, but the footpath a while up the hill leads to the less crowded, clothing optional, water hole.

Above, someone is jumping into the waters. Below, you can see the marble cuttings. The whole place has many large marble slabs laying around...I wonder why...

Ah, the summer is still young... Many more trips to plan... Stay tuned...

PS>for some reason clicking on the pictures doesn't open them to show them bigger. Sorry, but I don't have the energy to re-upload them or tweak the html code right now.

:(

Spring has Sprung and the Action has been Local

As I wrote on my political blog, it's been a hard long couple of months but now I have some free time to catch up with friends and other projects. I was so busy that I didn't take pictures of our lovely campus in, appropriately named, Pleasantville.



Here are some of the pictures I managed to take over a span of several weeks this Spring.

A Fine Walk Through PepsiCo Gardens

This is what I saw recently at PepsiCo Gardens in Westchester, NY.

If you click on any picture in the slideshow, you'll go to my online Picasa album. Gorgeous day to stroll around. This modern art garden requires lots of walking, so it's best on a good day. There are about 45 sculptures strewn all over. I snapped pictures of most of them, but I have a few here. The gardens are located at Pepsi's headquarters and are free to the public.

A Pond and a Castle

Manitoga, NY
No particular theme to this post & pictures. The weather is getting nicer, so I've done a couple hikes lately nearby. The top picture is "Manitoga" landscaped by Russell Wright. The other two are a couple miles north on Rt 9D, before Garrison, NY. The trail leads to Rock Castle.

Spring and warmer weather have arrived but the leaves haven't really sprung yet. A few more weeks...

A Lake, A Stroll, and Gallery Hopping

I've been busy and a little lazy updating this blog here, but life is going well over all. Lots of new experiences and new places I discovered nearby. Last Saturday, I took a drive to my favorite park, Lake Minnewaska, and on the way back I stopped in New Paltz's Huguenot "village."

Then, crossed the Hudson river to my next stop, Beacon, New York. The latter is a happening place, at least judging from my last couple of visits there. Two weeks ago they had a huge St. Pat's outdoors party on Saturday when also many of the art galleries had opening receptions. Not sayin' whether I got loaded with wine & cheese...

Spring break is over; back to work this week.... and it'll be heavy loads until early May. No complaints though, because I've held some bad jobs in my earlier years, so I maintain a good perspective on what's good, bad and ugly. Enjoy the Spring. I'll get out to take pictures when nature blooms but haven't seen anything yet around here.

Miracle on the Hudson. (Or, how people crave excesses)

I'm a New Yorker, and most of us are used to witnessing the extraordinary, the weird, the big, and the profound. On the other hand, we are no different that many other peoples who want to use superlatives and ill-chosen attributes to describe events. The miracle on the Hudson, was the headline used for the US Airways crash on the Hudson river a few days ago. Within a few minutes of that wintry Thursday afternoon countless heroes emerged from and around the icy waters of the Hudson.

It was indeed very fortunate that all these passengers and crew of that jetliner survived the crash, but why is there a need to describe such an incident invoking the supernatural? Is it something we don't fully understand and cannot be explained by the laws of nature? I think not.

I also have a problem with the definition of hero. Not every person involved in a tragic event or experiencing something unusual, traumatic, etc, is necessarily a hero. For example, those who rushed to the scene of the accidents are not heroes but conscientious people, many professionals who did their job in an exemplary manner. Kudos to all. The captains (yes, there were 2 in the cockpit) performed admirably in putting their airplane on the river. Doctors save lives every day by being professionals and doing their best. Are they heroes?

[hero: mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability; an illustrious warrior; a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities;: one that shows great courage; etc.]

For me, nothing is devalued if exaggerations aren't used. There's no need to elevated the importance of something by piling up irrelevant and incorrect attributes. There's no need to include unrelated qualities and descriptions in order to make a point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [how many exclamation marks do I need to make my point more important?] I think the video above is poignant.

Really, I'm not trying to belittle the whole incident and the extraordinary performance by many individuals. It's time, however, that we emphasize the value in professionalism, good training, and readiness to meet the challenges. Praying or expecting miracles is a vane if not wasteful effort.

A New Journey on a Beaten Path

What I like about science is that it has explained many natural phenomena and, in my opinion, has made the cosmos even more magnificent. There are lots of stuff we don't know, but instead of just making things up--or, reciting the superstitions & ignorance of the past--science provides us with a tool to a greater understanding. This may not be what some people want to hear, but I find the miracle (not in any supernatural term) of human life amazing. We've become the conscience of the universe, in a tiny planet, smaller than the small speck of sand in a cosmic beach.

Here's a video made of 7,000 pictures that shows our spaceship Earth moving in along on a beaten path around our sun. Try to find an unpolluted sky at night and look up. Do that as often as you can. I now live north of NYC, where the light pollution isn't so prevalent, so the night sky is stunning!

Happy Festivus (no airing of grievances here) and a Merry New Year!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Ah, this is a great time for celebrating. The colder weather--at least here in the northeast--requires a cozy atmosphere. The winter solstice just took place, so the "new sun" will rise higher and higher for the next 6 months, but every season is nice to experience... all because our earth wobbles like a drunkard! ha!

Enjoy life and don't waste your time with pettiness and unnecessary grief.