The Mermaid Parade in Coney Island: A Splendid Way to Spend the Solstice & Greet the Summer!

Coney Island is part of Americana

There's something to be said about enjoying the outdoors when at past 8 pm I was wearing sunglasses! More so, when I was on a boardwalk in Coney Island during Summer Solstice, June 21st, On this--the longest daylight of 2008--the Mermaid Parade took place!

You can see the tens of thousands of people who were there in the picture below, taken near the end of the pier looking back at the beach & boardwalk area.


As in many places near the water, the area is considered a prime location, so developers want to tear down most of the existing buildings and replace them with high-rise (and high-priced) apartments and retail shops. The amusement section is to be reduced by 80%. Coney Island needs an face lift but this shouldn't happen with abandon, without preserving most of its historic character. The community's needs and wishes should also be accommodated.

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The mermaids were very happy. Everybody seemed happy on that sunny, glorious day.

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The boardwalk was the place to be. There were several free music venues. Below, a dancing party is going on. Note the old man on the left side eating corn; he was dancing too, having a blast because he got to eat! There are homeless people everywhere and Coney Island is not exempt.

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A couple revelers

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The rising moon over Manhattan on Solstice

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Tree, Sweet Home: A land mermaid's home, I guess.

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These scenes are from the boardwalk. The parade starts on Surf Avenue and loops around the boardwalk. I think they go around twice.... Or, maybe I was seeing double!

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This year's King Poseidon and the Queen Mermaid. The perpetual, unelected mayor of Coney Island and his Chief Justice. Rev. Billy (King Poseidon) is an activist--check the link for more info, including this year's parade. The Queen (a.k.a. Savitri D) went on a hunger strike after the parade for 3 days in order to attract attention & support for the community's efforts to stop development that would destroy the character of Coney Island.


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Look, a beautiful mermaid for "Obama 08"! There is a level of activism surrounding this event, not necessarily partisan, but, you know, this is New York! Let's also say, that this kind of event does not attract the conservative types... You know, the uptight ones, those who know God's mind and want to shove their morality down our throat.


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This band--Venice Beach Muscle Club--was good!

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The sideshow/freakshow is a staple of CI

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The Cyclone! Yeah, this rare (surviving) wooden roller-coaster opened in 1927. Not the fastest, or the fanciest, or the scariest, but definitely a landmark.

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Parading on the boardwalk

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PS> I don't know why clicking on the pictures leads to a dead-end.

Update: I designated all my albums on Picasa as "unlisted" which means general links to them and/or searches don't work. If you want, email me and I'll give you the links to them, so you can see these and more pictures on line.

George Carlin is up in Heaven Now!

Oh, no, we lost a good one: George Carlin, May 12, 1937 - June 22, 2008.

As Curt Vonnegut would put it humorously , "he's up in heaven now!"

Lake Minnewaska & Lake Awosting: Two Jewels in a Nearby Mountain Range.

The Magnificent Lake Minnewaska, on top of a mountain (looking northeast). The moon has risen, over the clouds.

There's this place I discovered many years ago. It's about 75 miles north of New York City, in the Shawangunk mountains--known locally as the Gunks. I know, gas prices and all, but it's worth the expense of getting there. If you like the outdoors, and the countryside, this is a great day trip. If you want to avoid the Throughway (and the tolls), from Rt 17 take Rt 208; it's a good alternative that goes through some nice areas and small villages.

These waterfalls run throughout the year, but in early Spring or after heavy rains, they swell. Many visitors miss this part of the park, but this means it's not crowded!

I've done a little camping in the Gunks, and further to the north, in the Catskills, though for the most part it's kinda rough. In the Minnewaska area I go mainly for biking or hiking in the woods. There are miles and miles for hiking, rock climbing, swimming, winter cross-country skiing, and other outdoor activities. I visit the area several times a year. It's nice to enjoy with company or without. But, if you bring someone along, make sure they like being in the outdoors and they can do without modern amenities for several hours.

A colleague of mine and I were making plans to go mountain biking up there back in early May when we heard that the area was "closed until further notice due to a fire activity." Some 3,000 acres had been burned. Darn. So, I didn't know what to expect when I got to Lake Minnewaska this past Sunday, in mid-June. I went through the little town of New Paltz, up though the mountains and drove into the park. Everything looked as beautiful as ever. The blaze must've been on the other side of the mountain. Later, in the distance, I saw some brown patches amidst the lush green of the forest.

The weather was perfect, mostly sunny, not too hot or humid. I had a wonderful time biking from Lake Minnewaska to Lake Awosting. The latter is a bigger lake accessible only by a long hike or biking, so it doesn't get the crowds the former lake gets, especially on a busy weekend when the weather is nice.


Above, Lake Awosting's "beach area." Officially, swimming is only allowed when a lifeguard is present (that day until 5:30pm), but, you know, how can you resist? Quietly, we all enjoy the cool waters of this great lake, as needed, after a long walk or biking. Just watch for inclement weather, because it can change fast.

Below, the Awosting swimming area as seen looking down from a ridge. Some of the surrounding ridges are really high. Much of the paths in the park are near precipices. To the opposite side of the official swimming area, the fire took place, and the lower "Awosting carriageway" is closed. I don't know why, maybe there are fallen trees. That pathway is a fast one, several miles downhill to the lower parking lot by the entrance to the park.



There is an interesting story connected to the picture below. A few years back, I was caught in a thunderstorm and rode it out near where my bike is pictured. It was late in the afternoon, enjoying a swim in the lake when the weather changed too fast; OK, maybe I should have gotten out of the lake much sooner and headed back. I tried to bike out when the first raindrops fell, but soon I was caught by the storm. It was the first time that I was so exposed up in a mountain, in a severe storm, with lightning striking all over around me. Deafening noise, a strong smell of the ionized air, and blinding flashes. I figured if this is the end, I better enjoy it. Once I realized there was nothing I could do, I relaxed. The drenching rain was cool, refreshing, and familiarly soothing!...





I'm standing on a little beach where most people swim. It can be crowded and noisy until 6 pm; it's not a great spot to swim, except for the great views. Behind me you can see the stone house on the top. It belonged to the last owner of the land, before the land was acquired by New York state. That house hasn't been occupied in the last several years. Why, if this was my house, I'd live for ever.

Below one of the path connecting the two lakes. Not all of the paths are so wide or even.


There are also some interesting rock formations throughout.



Here is some more info on this area. Minnewaska State Park Preserve. And, the official NY State Parks Service. Below, the Gunks from a trip last Autumn.

Governor's Island: A Seclusive Place Opens up for New Yorkers

On a very hot June day, what better way to explore a relatively obscure place in New York City with cool ocean breezes and spectacular views? Despite this small island being right there--between the southernmost tip of Manhattan and Brooklyn--it has not been a popular destination. Partly because of its history of a military installation (old fort-like stuff, not modern), and its later use by the Coast Guard, Governor's Island [click the link for more info] remained seclusive. Now there's an effort to revitalize it and already there are interesting events taking place!




Scenes from the New York harbor. The ferry takes less than 10 minutes to cross.
At one time, 3,500 people lived on Gov's island, mostly military personel and their families. The US Coast Guard vacated the island in 1996. Since, it had remained closed to the public, only to open recently, from May to early October, Fri.-Sun.


Most of the buildings have character, even those that are in bad shape, like the one above and the abandoned theater below.


Above, parts of an old "castle." Below, the financial district; the ferries to Staten Island, Gov's island, and the Statue of Liberty leave from the piers to the right. This is the view from Gov's island looking north.


Above, the Staten Island ferry between Manhattan and Gov's Island. Below, an old chapel that's not being used.


Some of the pictures show the surroundings in the New York harbor. The one above, shows the Goldman Sachs tower in Jersey City, NJ. The one below, the financial district at the tip of Manhattan.
The theme, this past weekend, was the "roaring 20s" (probably the 30s too). So, there were many people dressed in period clothing, merchants selling old stuff (ie, hats, records, etc), and the highlight was this band that played period music--and people danced to it.


They had style...
Most of the buildings are closed because they're dilapidated, but a few have been restored and used as galleries.

The Sculptors Guild will be exhibiting on the grounds and in designated houses until the island closes for the winter

"Uncontacted" Tribe Found in the Amazon. Seem to Want to be Left Alone.

UPDATE, June 23, 2008

Since this story was picked up by all the major media, they now feel embarrassed to admit that the photographer that "discovered" this tribe lied! Yeap, he made up the story. This tribe has been "known" for decades, like many others, but the intent was to try to save those primitive people from modern society, hence the hoax.

I don't think this was the right way to help these people. Yes, it brought attention to the issue, but a hoax is not a good way to start a campaign--even if such a campaign has merit.
Here's the story of the plot, the cover-up, and the confession.

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(Funai/AP Photo)

Did you hear about an "un-contacted" tribe in the Amazon jungle? It's amazing that in the 21st century there are primitive people who have been living totally isolated from the rest of humanity. I don't know if a fly-over constitutes contact, but judging from the pictures, the members of that newly discovered tribe didn't like it. They appear to be shooting arrows at the airplane with the photographers!

If people want to be left alone, I'm respect that. But, this issue got me thinking about a subject I hadn't thought before. I'm grappling with several questions, such as:

• if the two civilizations (theirs and ours) are so far apart, it's likely the stronger one will impose itself on the weaker one
• primitive people are, well, primitive, with customs and morals different than ours; should we judge them? how about if they practice cannibalism?
• are there any benefits from establishing contact?
• sooner or later, the outside world will invade their domain, so is it better if it is done today with care and proper respect before the commercial companies exploiting the Amazon get to them--and, judging from recent history this encounter has been deadly & catastrophic for the tribes
• what are our obligations towards a primitive people?

I'll be following this subject.... Meanwhile, chime in with your thoughts.

More pictures of this tribe, here.

Another landing on Mars with more discoveries to follow!

Also few days ago, the robotic explorer Phoenix landed on Mars! We have the first pictures from the ground of the Red Planet! [above is an artist's rendition of the landing; click on it for more info] I just found it amazing that in the span of few days human beings send a mission to Mars million million miles away, while some other human beings live in the stone age.