Mermaids Mark The Summer's Opening in Coney Island

OK. Interesting...

As you can imagine, the disaster in the Gulf loomed and many mermaids were very unhappy about it; some showed up dirty from the oil spill. Fortunately, there was no shortage of volunteers to clean them up.

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These mermaids got on the boardwalk. They seem happy.

She found peacock feathers somewhere...

Aerial performer on the boardwalk. Interesting

Aaaargh. Pole dancers?

This year the Mermaid Parade dre big crowds because of the weather--unlike last year when it took place under a downpour. New was the Luna Park that opened there recently. Coney's history of entertainment goes back to the early 20th century. The beach is free--a rarity around here--the boardwalk is decent, and the whole area is just a subway ride away.

This year's King Neptune was Lou Reed and Queen Mermaid, Laurie Anderson. Luna Park and the old landmark wooden roller coaster,Cyclone, first opened in 1927.

Lou Reed and Ms. Anderson

For the Birds

During Science Day at Pace U. This was the "Birds of Prey" demonstration. 

Elvis, the white hawk. He gave us a nice performance!

This is my home away from home... where I spend lots of time working. And, that's my old car parked in front, not exactly legally but "we" don't get tickets.  I moved it soon after I took the picture.















Old building in Beacon, NY. This little town on the Hudson river is up & coming. Lots of galleries and interesting old buildings.



Below, a shot from the walkaway of the Bear Mountain Bridge looking north at the Hudson valley.

I started enjoying Pepsi more after I visited its headquarters in Purchase, NY. They have a nice spread there with lots of interesting art and it's free to the public. You can spend a few hours leisurely walking around, and it's not too crowded. I guess the gate and the guard keep most people out. Unless you know it, you won't make the turn into this property and inquire at the guard gate.

Left, capturing a rainbow at Pepsico Gardens.

Cool Video: New York City from Above

I know this New York! Very nice video, a compilation of some 35,000 still photographs, shot last August in the heat of the summer. (links below the video)
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The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

Last Gasps of Winter

February left us but not before pelting the New York metro area with a snowstorm. We lost many trees because the wet snow and ice combination was too heavy on them. I drove through many secondary and tertiary roads and it was a bit dangerous as the snow-ladden trees hanged over the roadway while many branches & trees had fallen already blocking traffic.

Below a few pictures from the old village of Batsto in NJ.

Everyone tells me that they're ready for Spring. This weekend is really nice, with sunshine and temps in the 50s. I like snow. I like the seasons. All because the earth is a wobbling drunk! 

I left work just in time before being snowed in. [picture below]

Heavy Snow Keeps Falling in the Northeast

UPDATE: FEB 25.
As I'm writing this, the wind is howling outside, the heavy snow will freeze tonight, and a fire place would be just right to sit by and watch the big snowflakes cascading. My work place shut down at 1 pm, even though the storm that started last night prevented people from showing up this morning. I grabbed lunch with a colleague at a dingy Indian place that serves Halal food. Then getting home was a treacherous trek.






....
February 2010

If it wasn't for the problems such storms bring along, it would be totally magical. I haven't been able to take pictures of all I've seen in the last few days, but most of the surrounding areas look very pretty. The ugly stuff is buried under lots of snow. Today was a "snow day" so no work, except in this modern world there's a computer and Internet access there's always some work to be done. Got some exercise digging out of my cottage and freeing my car.

These two are at the Croton Landing, on the Hudson River. Further north the river is mostly frozen. The Hudson is a very slow moving river. Actually the tides bring salt water some 40-50 miles north, from the New York harbor all the way to Newburgh, NY.

Below during a rare lull of the snowstorm. Behind me the frozen river.

Below, and the very first one on top of the page, are scenes from my place of work. Yes, I did walk around while the snow was falling. The tree branches heavy with the white stuff, some frozen rigid. When the actual snow stops falling from the sky, the trees shed some of theirs and it's snowing again even at the slightest of breezes!

The last one overlooking the frozen pond.

PS>To those who have been bugging me.... I don't do Facebook, even though I have an account there. I don't add stuff, I don't add friends (hard to ..unfried the 3 ones there already), don't log in for months. Maybe next summer I'll revisit the issue. But, I do blog here and I include many pictures I frequently take as I experience life.

Clicking on the pictures opens them bigger.

Randomly in January of 2010

A view of Sandy Hook, with frozen patches of the inlet. In the far distance, New York City and the boroughs. During the summer this spot is very popular as Sandy Hook has many nice beaches and the surrounding area has lots of bars and restaurants. there was always a big traffic problem with the old drawbridge when it opened to allow boats to pass.
The new bridge that connects mainland NJ to the barrier island. Sandy Hook on the left, Seabright on the right. The old bridge (to the left of the new) has been dismantled.
All these pictures above were taken from the top of the Twin Lights--a New Jersey historic site.

...
The Max Fish bar in the Lower East Side was a place I'd go for a cheap beer and great atmosphere. Things have changed since I was in college.. The coffee shop next door seems nice too.



I don't yet know what to make of this month. I had some leisure time without being particularly productive. Some days go fast some others very slowly. The way we perceive time is rather relevant. Overall, I think, the trick is to have many distinct memories--as many as possible. Some days, indeed weeks go by and I couldn't tell you what I did during that time.

Have you thought how different of a person you'd be if your memories were expunged? You'd be a totally different person. Our brains have great capacities for storing memories; those neuron connections that constitute what we remember. I read somewhere that emotions play a very important role in remembering stuff.

I'm tired of the cold
Here I'm standing on a pier on the frozen Hudson river by Peekskill, NYBeacon, NY where I go to see new exhibits in art galleries.

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.