Happy New Year, 2012.

The sense of time is relevant as Einstein observed, though he had motion and mass objects in mind. He theorized that the faster the object the slower the time. Amazing concept. I think the scientific discoveries are truly more fascinating than fiction, especially the fiction we were given as truth when we were kids.

Scene at Rockefeller Center with the famous xmas tree on the left

 Yet, it's nice to have occasions to celebrate, and this is a good time to do so. Since the early days, humans celebrated the winter solstice, when the sun was being reborn and the days began to get longer. It was a time when little could be done outside due to the weather, and apparently beer was readily available!

A NYC landmark, Radio City hall, view from 6th Avenue.

From my perspective, time moves faster or slower according to the mood and the particular circumstance I'm in. One thing for sure--and I think the older among us will agree--time is way too short and way to fast. In a few hours, we'll mark the passing of another year and celebrate the arrival of a new one, because it's what we make of time!

In 2004, the year I got my first digital camera, the Hudson River froze in December.

Nothing really happens at midnight Saturday. It's not a solstice nor any special point in our revolution around our sun. It's us who give meaning to time... and, that's a good thing.

Happy new year to all, and I hope 2012 is exciting, rewarding and fulfilling.

Maybe Lady Gaga Is Controlling Our Weather

This past weekend we've had some nice weather, in the 50s, though when the sun goes down the cold returns as a reminder that this is winter. But, for New York, it's been very mild. It feel a bit weird actually. Like lady Gaga's outfits. The windows at Barney's (Madison/61St) are all Gaga!

I know NYC is consumerism central, but some of the stores' windows are nicely decorated for the holidays.

Do you know that all this glitter, the expensive shops, the $30 hamburgers, and the overall extravagance in NYC is supported by tourism and about 65,000 people of the super wealthy elite? Yeap, most NYorkers can't afford most of the expensive stuff. NYS and particularly NYC have the worst wealth & income distribution in the US, and among the worst in the world! Something to keep in mind when you hear that NY has streets paved in gold...