3rd Ave, Hustle & Blow

Sometimes we all need a friendly reminder...

2nd Ave

(woah... been a while. sorry about the lapse in posting... certainly not indicative of the lapse in crazys around here...)

Towards the end of the month I always start to notice a rise in the amount of people trying to make an extra buck on the street. Gotta pay the rent somehow.

Like Poem Boy (who, by the way, told me writing poems on the street is his only job and he averages $15 per hour)... or the guy I saw last night who walks around with a cat on his head and when you comment on it he asks you for money (really mad didn't have my camera)... or this lady who stands out on 2nd ave, listens to music, and splatter paints everything... EVERYTHING... and then sells it. Not exactly sure who buys it, but whatever works, you know?

8.24.07 Midtown

What a day.

First, this morning on my way to work I was walking past the Waldorf and out comes Angelina Jolie, right in front of me. Then come the kiddos with their backpacks on, ready for school. I stopped to see if Brad was going to follow, but no such luck. Still - in the world of celebrity sightings, I guess that's kind of big time. (sorry, no pictures... I could have made a fortune though... there were no paparazzi, just me and Angelina)


Then, right after I passed Angelina and gang, the madness of the United Nations began. Cops, tanks, secret service, road blocks... it literally looked like a war zone. Here's a picture, but this hardly does justice what the roads looked like.


Finally, on my way home I see this giant motorcade coming. I don't know who was in the limo, but there were first normal black town cars with secret service men in suits, then black SUVs with the windows down and men inside with massive machine guns pointed out the window, ready to shoot. Then there were a few more black SUVs with men hanging out the back window with even bigger machine guns and binoculars. I saw later on the news that Bush was staying at the Waldorf, so maybe it was him. Or the President of Iran was there, too.


Anyway, life in the big apple continues...

9.23.07 Broadway

You know, I was in the children's choir growing up. Maybe my memory fails me, but I'm pretty sure we sounded nothing like this...

And by "nothing like this" I mean we were singing Salty's Great Adventures (a musical about a giant singing hymnal) and Santa's Frosty Follies.

An island somewhere in the middle of an ocean somewhere below the equator

You can't see it too well, but this mailbox made me laugh. "No Junk Mail" is written at the top. Apparently junk mail is a big problem even on the remote island of Waihiki. Go figure.

(PS - Upon returning home, I've decided I'm going to put the same thing on my mailbox. 52 pieces of mail, 47 of which are junk. Save the trees people; I don't want your credit card.)

5,722 miles from NYC

I'm posting this video not because it's particularly interesting or funny, but just because I like it. New Zealand was pretty. Go there. And if you can't go there, at least google it and look at the pictures.

7,067 miles from NYC

Apparently, Australian women are very large with extraordinarily broad shoulders. Needless to say, I didn't do much dress shopping while I was there.

8.27 Shoe shopping

If shiny feet = happy feet, I'm in a state of euphoria.

8.27 University

Something about this is very disturbing.

Am I supposed to be comforted by the fact that she's wearing wrist guards?!

8.25 12th Street

Football season! Maybe it's my Texas A&M roots, but I LOVE marching bands. Seriously. This got me so excited.

8.20 9th Street

Hello?? Does anyone notice? Does anyone care?? There is a dead guy in a box on 9th street.

8.18 West Village

Expected: A love note graffitied on a wall.

Unexpected: A love note to Anderson Cooper graffitied on a wall.

Only in New York: A love note to Anderson Cooper graffitied on a wall with a sleeping homeless dude and a bicycle.

8.17 I smell bacon!

Ok. I'm stretching the rules of the blog just a little here... this one isn't from NY, but I couldn't resist:

8.15 14th Street Louis Vitton Motorcyles

This is a new one to me... Louis Vitton motorcyle covers? Maybe my brand associations are off, but I don't picture don't picture Louis Vitton's target to be a bunch of dudes who cruise around on motorcyles, especially those called Killer, or "KLR" as it's so creatively displayed. I guess the dog-tote market just isn't what it used to be for ol' LV.

8.9 Free Tibet

Is it just me, or does this guy seem a little out of place?

8.8 Misery all over

Today was a pissy day in New York City.

Basically there are 4 means of transportation here in NYC: subways, taxis, busses, and feet. On a lovely 96 degree, 96% humidity day like today, guess which one was the only one available?





Yep, feet.

Needless to say, I was not a happy camper (along with the other bajillion people in this city).


Not a good sign.
What is normally just a few people at a bus stop, today, were lines from one block to the next. And the streets were literally jam-packed with buses, most of which read "out of service." How fun!

At least people got creative. Like this guy, who soaked up the sweat with a makeshift paper towel bandana. Maybe next time I'll steal his idea and sell those suckers on the street. Might as well make a buck or two off of people's misery, right?

Maybe I should have done a little less of this (%$*!) and a little more of this...

8.7 Irving Place

Protestors, in the form of rats.

Not sure I understand it, but this giant blow up rodent greets me every morning outside the ConEd building. I could think of a much better welcome-to-your-day mascot, but I guess it could always be worse (as in real). I wonder though, do they really think this is going to help?

"Geez Marve, there's a large rat outside our building... maybe we should lower electricity bills."

8.7 William

I finally had time to stop and see Poem man. His name is William and he might be the coolest kid ever. I asked if he sold his poems and he said no, that they were custom written and by donation only. He asked me for a word - a single word - to give him inspiration for the poem. I stood there for the longest time going through different categories of words... nouns, adjectives, feelings, favorites... couldn't decide (this, after all, was a big decision) and finally went with "indecisive." Figures.

So here's the product of 10 minutes and $3. I love it.

8.6 Out and about in the EV

Sorry for the pause - I was in San Francisco. And we all know nothing interesting happens in San Francisco....

Anyway, back to the city.




Hmmm.... Something about this package strikes me as very suspicious.




Delavega has a lot to say...
(And what's with the Jew Tube??)

Some of it even makes sense.

At least Richard Flusser can sympathize with the sweltering humidity...

Resourceful

I could make a lot of jokes about this, but I think one simple question will do: Just where exactly do the eyebrows come from?
Very suspicious...

7.28 Saturday around the city

Meet Nelson.

Nelson + Elvis = Bliss

or maybe it's Intoxication + Elvis = Nelson

(sorry for the crooked video. I'm learning.)





This guy is one of my favorites. He sits in front of Trader Joe's and writes poetry for people on the street. If you can sell jewelry, clothes, chestnuts, fake dvds, insence, fruit, perfume and baked goods...why not poems, too? I haven't had a chance to stop, but I think he and I could be good friends.

No lie. This is what my friend Katherine and I did on Saturday morning.

Not the Infrared Sauna nor the Yoga & Pilates... the Whole. Body. Vibration. It was pretty much amazing. Check it out: http://www.rty30.com/ Don't laugh, it's legit.



Because why wouldn't you expect to see a flag troop in Chelsae?

7.26 Grand Central Station

People here really like to protest. They also really like Bush.



Somehow I find myself getting caught in the middle of a protest at least once a week. Maybe I should walk around with my own sign.

Either that, or just continue to get run over.

7.25 on 51st

I was almost to the subway when I saw this jewel. Being in research myself, I could identify.

Something about their propostition must've worked because I gave them a dollar. Maybe it was the little "anything will help" add on, or my overwhelming social burden to support the sciences.

7.24 At the doctor

Some days are better than others...

And the best part? This 1977 electroshock machine that's electrocuting my foot. It felt like tiny little men with tiny little hands giving you tiny little massages all over.

7.22 in Washington Square

Local troubadours... Does a Sunday afternoon get much better?

I'm not really sure where to begin... the pipe? the dumpster? the hair? the mystery bee hive in his lap?

The lady behind him receiving medical treatment??

Say grandma, where'd you get those shades?

Please take note of Tan Man Muscle Shirt's oh-so-believable hair... and the drummer... oh, the drummer.

Dancing grandma gives me the look. If you could have only seen her moves...

Summer.

Wish I had my suit.

Alert! Suspicious object!!

Dear creepy babydoll with spider legs, what are you?