Showing posts with label New York City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York City. Show all posts
Thursday, October 02, 2014
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Public Radio Pledge Drives Blues
I am an avid fan of National Public Radio--and local Public Radio, too. My local station is WAMU here in Washington, D.C.
Just because I hate to be reminded, I became a sustaining member about 3 years ago. Every month I give the station $40. I understand that I am one among about 9,000 fellow Washingtonians who support the programs this way. I also give a sustaining gift of $15 a month to NPR station WNYC dedicated to the program "Radio Lab". Nothing in life is free, and NPR is only if you don't take responsibility for the amazing things it offers, but choose to listen on a regular basis.
Monday, June 03, 2013
Lego Possibilities!
I found these awesome images of a vintage building restored in New York City that are just screaming out for a Lego replica! Ah, blessed muse of Lego inspiration...
And the Corbin Building also comes with Blueprints! Be still my latent Architect's heart.
And...and that is AND~ Elevation schematics for architectural features. Is this what Heaven is like?
And the Corbin Building also comes with Blueprints! Be still my latent Architect's heart.
And...and that is AND~ Elevation schematics for architectural features. Is this what Heaven is like?
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Vintage Postcards of New England Cities
More wonderful vintage postcards of summer from some of the places I've visited. This time I move from the Midwest United States to New England. We have a great nation.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Some Like It Hot!
For The Record!
It's hot but how hot? Let's put Friday's heat into perspective.
Friday Afternoon Heat Index Values
Newark, NJ: New all-time record high of 108 degrees. Breaks old all-time record of 105 degrees set on August 9, 2001.
New York, NY: Central Park topped out at 104 degrees. Second hottest temperature on record. Hottest temperature since 1977.
Dulles International Airport, VA (IAD): New all-time record high of 105 degrees. This breaks the old all-time record high of 104 set back in 1988 and 1983.
Baltimore, MD: Daily record high of 106 degrees. All-time record high is 107 degrees set on July 10, 1936.
Trenton, NJ: Daily record high of 106 degrees.
Philadelphia, PA: Daily record high of 103 degrees.
Atlantic City, NJ: Daily record high of 105 degrees. Old record high for July 22 was 98 degrees set in 1998. Second hottest day on record. Max heat index of 120 degrees. Hottest temperature recorded since 1969.
Boston, MA: Tied for 2nd highest temperature on record at 103 degrees. Hottest day in exactly 85 years!
Washington, DC: No daily record high set. However, peak heat index of 121 degrees.
Hartford, CT: New all-time record high of 103 degrees.
It's hot but how hot? Let's put Friday's heat into perspective. Friday Afternoon Heat Index Values
Newark, NJ: New all-time record high of 108 degrees. Breaks old all-time record of 105 degrees set on August 9, 2001.
New York, NY: Central Park topped out at 104 degrees. Second hottest temperature on record. Hottest temperature since 1977.
Dulles International Airport, VA (IAD): New all-time record high of 105 degrees. This breaks the old all-time record high of 104 set back in 1988 and 1983.
Baltimore, MD: Daily record high of 106 degrees. All-time record high is 107 degrees set on July 10, 1936.
Trenton, NJ: Daily record high of 106 degrees.
Philadelphia, PA: Daily record high of 103 degrees.
Atlantic City, NJ: Daily record high of 105 degrees. Old record high for July 22 was 98 degrees set in 1998. Second hottest day on record. Max heat index of 120 degrees. Hottest temperature recorded since 1969.
Boston, MA: Tied for 2nd highest temperature on record at 103 degrees. Hottest day in exactly 85 years!
Washington, DC: No daily record high set. However, peak heat index of 121 degrees.
Hartford, CT: New all-time record high of 103 degrees.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
A "Muggle" Is Not A Toy!
What's this? Harry Potter dancing!? Oh my, he's rehearsing for the opening of the latest revival of "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying". Good show, master Harry.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Today's Sermon #35
Who Has Seen the Wind?
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.
~ Christina Rossetti, 1830 - 1894
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Memorial
from September 1, 1939...........
Into this neutral air
Where blind skyscrapers use
Their full height to proclaim
The strength of Collective Man,
Each language pours its vain
Competitive excuse:
But who can live for long
In an euphoric dream;
Out of the mirror they stare,
Imperialism's face
And the international wrong.
...........
Defenseless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleaguered by the same
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.
~ W. H. Auden, 1907 - 1973
Friday, March 19, 2010
Art I'd Like To See
There is a new retrospective at MOMA in New York City of the performance artist Marina Abramovic. A snippet from the New York Times states, "For more than a generation, nudity, pain, grueling endurance tests and even bloodletting have been elements of a certain strain of performance art, one Ms. Abramovic helped pioneer. But they have never come together in New York quite as boldly or publicly as they have since the opening this week of the Modern’s new show." Which is an interesting overview of the artist's raison d'etre. And while some might find the content salacious, controversial, or even obscene, I have a whole other question: Is it relevant?
The power of performance art is it's cutting relevancy. It's ability to toss out an idea that demands attention and challenge our present paradigm. But what happens when these things are re-presented in a retrospective and slide into the land of quaint?
It's kind of the real discussion that I think would be the most interesting thing to come out of this exhibition.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
"Une Image: Quel Beau"
This is a photograph by the German artist Ingar Krauss that is currently on display at the Marvelli Gallery in the Chelsea District of NYC (until 02 FEB 08). I discovered it in a review of the exhibition in the New Yorker back in December. And it's just too radiant not to share.
The artist is known for his choice of unusual subjects vis a vis portraits. In 2003/04 he photographed juvenile inmates in Russian prisons. If you want a reason to contemplate such things, a google search of these photographs will take your breath away. This image comes from a series of photos taken of migrant farm workers. Of these images, Krauss explains, “Every year thousands of harvest hands come and go like birds of passage. The portraits of migrant seasonal workers show the internal dynamics of a recent migration. They have traveled long distances to work in Germany. The photographs are taken in the fields or in the evening in front of their shacks. They are the people who facilitate our affluent society and who contribute to it in a fundamental way." How much Germany (and Europe) is becoming like California (and the United States) is an ironic under-current in this exhibition.
Contemplate the image offered here: “Untitled: Klaistow”. It could as easily been “Untitled: Barstow,” or “Fresno,” or “Marshalltown.” And yet it is essentially even more than merely a social statement. It's a work of art. Peer into the subject: his face so angelic and his stare almost demonically transfixed upon us. His shoulders are muscular and youthful, while his hands display the swollen deformations of a pitiless manual life.
And consider his attire, particularly the apron. Its pattern of stain and filth seem to form an almost abstract landscape worthy of Turner or Moran -- a work of art within a work of art, a curious echo of the whole image. It's really one of the most stunning photographs I've seen in a long time.
The artist is known for his choice of unusual subjects vis a vis portraits. In 2003/04 he photographed juvenile inmates in Russian prisons. If you want a reason to contemplate such things, a google search of these photographs will take your breath away. This image comes from a series of photos taken of migrant farm workers. Of these images, Krauss explains, “Every year thousands of harvest hands come and go like birds of passage. The portraits of migrant seasonal workers show the internal dynamics of a recent migration. They have traveled long distances to work in Germany. The photographs are taken in the fields or in the evening in front of their shacks. They are the people who facilitate our affluent society and who contribute to it in a fundamental way." How much Germany (and Europe) is becoming like California (and the United States) is an ironic under-current in this exhibition.
Contemplate the image offered here: “Untitled: Klaistow”. It could as easily been “Untitled: Barstow,” or “Fresno,” or “Marshalltown.” And yet it is essentially even more than merely a social statement. It's a work of art. Peer into the subject: his face so angelic and his stare almost demonically transfixed upon us. His shoulders are muscular and youthful, while his hands display the swollen deformations of a pitiless manual life.
And consider his attire, particularly the apron. Its pattern of stain and filth seem to form an almost abstract landscape worthy of Turner or Moran -- a work of art within a work of art, a curious echo of the whole image. It's really one of the most stunning photographs I've seen in a long time.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Reason #1
It's "Fleet Week" in the city. Thousands of lonely (horny) sailors are let loose on the "Big Apple" each looking to take a bite.
Reason #3
Gay Rugby! It's the annual Bingham Cup tournament of Gay Rugby.
For more information, go to:
http://www.clients.yinteract.com/binghamcup/memorialweekend4.htm
For more information, go to:
http://www.clients.yinteract.com/binghamcup/memorialweekend4.htm
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Sunday, AM - the Met
How can any visit to NYC Museums be complete without a tour of the Met? Clearly one of the most magnificent museums in the world.
I spend my first hour basking in the works of Medieval Europe. Having become a fast devotee of the audio tours, an hour was gone before I even realized it. And finding the voice of a curator who I met through my ex-, Mr. C., on the recording was also a pleasant surprise. And my last two hours there were divided between visits to the special exhibitions of the drawings of Vincent Van Gogh and the splendors of medieval Prague.
Van Gogh was simply fascinating. With over 1,000 works attributed to him in his relatively brief (10 year) career as an artist, did you know that over half are drawings? In fact, the earliest portion of his career was exclusively drawings, because he believed that it was necessary to master drawing before attempting painting. This nearly perfectly apportioned exhibition takes you from his earliest works right up to his final drawings and you not only travel with him across the breadth of his geographical wanderings in the low countries and France, but you also see clearly the evolution of his genius and the obsessive passion he felt toward his art.
My final stop was a leisurely tour of the works from Bohemia in the time period of 1347 to 1437. It was a time when Charles II and his followers sought to make Prague the cultural rival of Paris and the other great cities of Europe. To that end, artists, architects, and artisans of ever type were imported, trained, and commissioned to build and embellish churches, castles, and public spaces with art. The exhibit includes everything from manuscripts, altar pieces, reliquies, and vessels of various types to monumental sculpture and architectural elements. I confess that I was rather "arted-out" at this point and so my focus was very selective. I would enter a gallery and perhaps only spend time with 1 or 2 of the works. A fine way to end the weekend!
I spend my first hour basking in the works of Medieval Europe. Having become a fast devotee of the audio tours, an hour was gone before I even realized it. And finding the voice of a curator who I met through my ex-, Mr. C., on the recording was also a pleasant surprise. And my last two hours there were divided between visits to the special exhibitions of the drawings of Vincent Van Gogh and the splendors of medieval Prague.
Van Gogh was simply fascinating. With over 1,000 works attributed to him in his relatively brief (10 year) career as an artist, did you know that over half are drawings? In fact, the earliest portion of his career was exclusively drawings, because he believed that it was necessary to master drawing before attempting painting. This nearly perfectly apportioned exhibition takes you from his earliest works right up to his final drawings and you not only travel with him across the breadth of his geographical wanderings in the low countries and France, but you also see clearly the evolution of his genius and the obsessive passion he felt toward his art.
My final stop was a leisurely tour of the works from Bohemia in the time period of 1347 to 1437. It was a time when Charles II and his followers sought to make Prague the cultural rival of Paris and the other great cities of Europe. To that end, artists, architects, and artisans of ever type were imported, trained, and commissioned to build and embellish churches, castles, and public spaces with art. The exhibit includes everything from manuscripts, altar pieces, reliquies, and vessels of various types to monumental sculpture and architectural elements. I confess that I was rather "arted-out" at this point and so my focus was very selective. I would enter a gallery and perhaps only spend time with 1 or 2 of the works. A fine way to end the weekend!
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Saturday, PM - Dinner
At my friend's suggestion, we met at Markt, a Belgian restaurant, @ 14th and 9th. Prior to arriving I spent some time investigating it online. The menu sounded intriguing; but previous patrons time and again denounced the service. So when I arrived early (around 6:30 for a 7:00 PM date), I went inside and made a walk-in reservation for 7. I was told that they had a table, but that we'd have to be done by 8:30 to accommodate a previous reservation. Is this perfect, or what? An hour and half to enjoy a meal, and the impetus for good service lay at the feet of the restaurant with a dubious reputation in this regard. So I immediately said, "Yes."
My friends arrived at 7 and we were seated. From this point forward we received the BEST service I have ever experienced in a restaurant! Everything was done in a timely fashion, and we were watched over by a distant, but very attentive server. I had the smoked duck salad with a lite lemony vinaigrette, and the "Gratin des Legumes" as my entree. Both of my friends enjoyed their choices as well. And for dessert -- an indulgence that I rarely partake of, I had the lemon-custard "flan" on an almond paste crust with a scoop of "beer" sorbet! Absolutely fabulous! We enjoyed tea and coffee with our meal, and the entire bill for three came to $88.00; which I augmented with a very generous tip (20%+) to express my appreciation for the phenomenal service. Perhaps contrived, but hopefully characteristic of this wonderful restaurant.
My friends arrived at 7 and we were seated. From this point forward we received the BEST service I have ever experienced in a restaurant! Everything was done in a timely fashion, and we were watched over by a distant, but very attentive server. I had the smoked duck salad with a lite lemony vinaigrette, and the "Gratin des Legumes" as my entree. Both of my friends enjoyed their choices as well. And for dessert -- an indulgence that I rarely partake of, I had the lemon-custard "flan" on an almond paste crust with a scoop of "beer" sorbet! Absolutely fabulous! We enjoyed tea and coffee with our meal, and the entire bill for three came to $88.00; which I augmented with a very generous tip (20%+) to express my appreciation for the phenomenal service. Perhaps contrived, but hopefully characteristic of this wonderful restaurant.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Saturday, PM - late Lunch
I enjoyed a late lunch in the expansive atrium attached to the Dahesh. The space was dominated by this over-sized sculpture of a table and six chairs. I didn't seek out the label, so I have no idea who the artist/s is/are or what the work is titled. Certainly Claes Oldenberg-esque!
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