We'll bid goodbye to the year with a small bit of text lifted from Fowler’s Modern English Usage courtesy of the Confused of Calcutta blog:
"The colloquial form “quite all right” is an apparent PLEONASM, quite and all being identical in sense; “quite right” is all right, and “all right” is quite right, but “quite all right” is all quite wrong, unless indeed all right is here used in its sense of adequate but no more, and quite is added for reassurance."
In either case, I think it's all going to be quite all right since we all need a bit of reassurance wherever and whenever we can get it. Looking forward to more surprises in 2009. Smile.
December 31, 2008
Paul's Toothbrush Collection
A collection of colorful toothbrushes at Paul Smith on 5th Avenue and 16th Street.
December 30, 2008
Horns Prohibited
This always happens right when you are in the mood to blow your horn. A DOT sign pops up that stops all the fun.Actually this reminds me of all those New Year's Eve horns that appear in the Times Square area. If you happen to be stalking around my neighborhood on Wednesday night, please cool it with the horns this year.
December 24, 2008
Subway Man and the City
An MTA worker with a bright orange flag stands precariously close to the third rail on the side of the subway tracks in Queens. As the subway was turning, I took this picture through the window of the train.New York City looms in the background. You can see the United Nations, the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building if you look hard.
Nothing Illegal
A group of men counting their money. They appear to be one of the many barbershop quartets that move from subway car to car singing up a storm this time of year. They were resting after a long day and counting up all their hard earned loot. They need to watch out for pickpockets with all this cash they are flashing around.
December 23, 2008
December 22, 2008
Christmas Chocolate
Fresh Belgian Chocolate. These delicious Christmas Chocolate Santa Claus are available at Leonidas on Madison Avenue.
December 20, 2008
Presidential Portrait
A few weekends ago, I was walking through Times Square late on a Saturday night after going to the movies. As I was walking down 42nd Street, one of the street vendors on the sidewalk caught my eye. If you've never been to Times Square before on a weekend night --it's a total scene. Tons of random people milling about staring at the neon lights and basically doing nothing since there isn't a lot to do there. Some crappy restaurants, a few lame clubs and lots of signs. They have all sorts of vendors on the streets looking for ways to make money by taking pictures, making caricatures, selling t-shirts, and a number of other things.This one guy stood out because he was making tiny clay portraits (sculptures) and they were very lifelike. I watched him make one and then decided to get one of my own. I sat in a little chair on the street while the crowds walked by and he moved the clay around for 20 minutes. And then miraculously he was done. He sprayed and mounted his work of art and I was on my way home.
Unlimited Nights and Weekends
Broadway and Houston. Post-snow storm. Verizon should use this as a new logo, it might increase subscribers -- at least below 14th Street.
December 19, 2008
Anne Hathaway's Graffiti Truck
Even celebrities drive graffiti trucks in New York City.I swear I saw Anne Hathaway get out of this bright red truck while making a Christmas delivery in Queens. It's no surprise that she had this song by Martha and the Muffins blaring out the open windows. The coolest thing was that she was singing along, "...I know it's out of fashion/And a trifle uncool/But I can't help it/I'm a romantic fool..." Go Anne!
December 18, 2008
December 17, 2008
Snowy Flag Basket
Some snow in the city. Patriotic evidence collection device in Cooper Square near St. Marks Place.
Little Mitten meet Little Glove
It snowed today. Two little ones will need new gloves or mittens for Christmas.1. Found: One lost glove in 57th Street Subway station
2. Found: One lost mitten in front of Carnegie Hall
December 16, 2008
Last Stand for Newsstand
One of the last of the old style newsstands in the city. This one won't be around for long. Hopefully the new one won't be as crooked, though it is kind of charming the way this one leans over to the side. The shiny new ones are being installed at a feverish pace around the city. This old style one was located directly across from my house. I think I bought some candy bars there once or twice. It's been replaced with a brand new one.Cemusa, a Spanish company, has a $1 Billion "street furniture" contract to replace all of the 330 newsstands, 3,500 bus stop shelters and 20 public toilets.
This photographer documented most of the newsstands in the city as part of her NYC Newsstand Project.
December 15, 2008
Ears Like Coke Bottles
A fashionable young man loitering in Times Square. He has Coca-Cola bottle caps lodged in his stretched ear lobes. According to One Tribe Organics: "Stretching is not an exact science and should not be taken lightly. There is never any guarantee that your ears will shrink back up. If you are going to stretch, please make sure that you will be comfortable at that size as an old wrinkly person, and with having your children and grandchildren ask you why you have huge holes in your ears. "
The Phone is Tapped
A sticker on one of the few remaining payphones in New York City. It does makes you think for a second that maybe all payphones really are tapped. (Courtesy of the Patriot Act)
December 14, 2008
December 12, 2008
Marisa Tomei's Illegally Parked Graffiti Truck
A Graffiti Truck this afternoon on 6th Avenue. Illegally parked. The driver was listening to this song by the Human League from their Travelogue LP at an ear-deafening volume. I know she doesn't own a truck like this, but it would be fun if Marisa Tomei drove this around New York City. Philip Seymour Hoffman could ride shotgun. They were both in the movie, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.
Blankets at Barneys
I saw some colorful cashmere blankets ($285) last weekend at Barneys that I really liked. I want one for Christmas. I like the colorful ones, but the super large, super expensive one ($4,100) is amazing.
December 11, 2008
Seven Pounds Screening with Will Smith
There was an advance screening of Seven Pounds (the new Will Smith movie) tonight in Times Square at the AMC 25. Afterwards, Will Smith and Rosario Dawson talked about the movie and answered questions from the audience for about an hour. It was a really fun event.
December 10, 2008
The Central Park Zoo
The Central Park Zoo is open year round and has all sorts of wonderful animals. Two of the most popular "guests" are the polar bears, Ida and Gus. There are so many great animals to see including 61 Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins, a Fairy Blue Bird from Southeast Asia, a Scarlet-chested Parrot from Southern Australia, Colobus Monkeys, three species of Tamarins, California Sea Lions, Red Pandas, Japanese Macaques, Mandarin Ducks, and Swan Geese.No trip to New York City is complete without a trip to the Zoo, located in lovely Central Park. Since 1908, Central Park has appeared in over 240 feature films, making it the most filmed public park in the world.
Pictured above is the Arsenal decked out with green lights for Christmas. The Arsenal is the second oldest building in Central Park and was build between 1847 and 1851. It was designed by Architect Martin E. Thompson as a munitions depot for New York State’s National Guard and as a strategic position to deploy troops to the city, or to either shoreline. Over the years it has been used as a police precinct, a museum (the precursor to the American Museum of Natural History), a weather bureau and an art gallery. Today it is the office of the Parks Commissioner. It's located right in the middle of the Zoo.
December 9, 2008
5:30PM Graffiti Truck 4
Another one about to cross 6th Avenue. Too bad I only had my cell phone camera.
5:15PM Graffiti Truck - 3
It looks like today turned into Graffiti Truck Tuesday. They were spotted all over the city. This one was idling on 56th Street near 6th Avenue.
10AM Graffiti Truck - 2
A sharp looking graffiti truck with 12 tags moving Hwang's Meat down Park Avenue on Tuesday morning.
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