Ghosts in the Machine

Getting ready for a Saturday night of performing in Times Square. Obviously they don't have makeup booths for this sort of thing.

Times Square Mural

Times Square Mural is a massive artwork by Roy Lichtenstein that is installed in the 42nd Street Subway. It's 6 feet tall and 53 feet long. If you're a fan of his work, tere's also another enormous Roy Lichtenstein artwork on 7th Avenue around 51st Street installed in the lobby of the AXA - Equitable building. There's actually a lot of public artwork installed all over New York City. You could spend a whole day looking at it all for free. I ought to develop a free artwork tour of New York City. I could charge $20 a person. Of course there are plenty of museums that have great collections and if you know when to go, you can get in for free or next to nothing. Friday night at MoMA and the Whitney are Pay What You Want nights and you can go to the Metropolitan as their admission is a suggested donation at all times. If you don't mind getting a dirty look from the person who sits behind the counter you can give them a nickle or a dime or whatever you think is appropriate. The Guggenheim doesn't offer any sort of discount ever. Some smart corporation that appreciates art ought to sponsor a free Thursday or Friday night at the Guggenheim.

It's really hard to believe that nearly a half a million people come through the 42nd Street subway station every day. That's a lot of people.

Party Like A Rock Star

There was a massive rain storm that blew through town on Saturday night. Despite the rain and hurricane strength winds, I ventured out to see the new Matt Damon movie "Green Zone" in Times Square.

The rain also didn't discourage the four guys standing in the door way of Embassy Electronics from trying to drum up a little business for themselves. The intrepid young African businessman with his back to the camera (who for obvious reasons didn't want his picture taken) asked me in a very thick accent if I wanted to "party like a rock star." He then told me he had free samples of cocaine and marijuana.

Winter Wedding

I suppose if you had to calculate the cost, it's a lot cheaper to have a weekday wedding in the middle of the winter in Times Square. You can invite the world....for free. Plus every one of the guests can get a souvenir "I ♥ NY" t-shirt for only $2.99.

Street Grinding in Times Square

Work on the city streets occurs at all hours of the day and night. So it not surprising that a crew is hard at work grinding up the streets at 11PM on a Wednesday night in the middle of Times Square. Traffic gets blocked, pedestrians are rerouted and the noise level goes up about a hundred decibels.

What I love best is that they have the most fearless guys in all of New York City operating this heavy machinery. They just really don't give a fuck. It's late at night in the dead center of the busiest city in the world and they're grinding up the pavement with one of the scariest looking machines ever invented with lit cigarettes dangling out of their mouths. Awesome.

Descent into Times Square

I'm starting to like these entering Times Square pictures. Though it's such a non-place that you're never sure you're there until you're not there anymore.

Times Square Skate

I haven't done this in a long time, but I broke out my skateboard and skated through Times Square on Saturday night on the way to the movies on 42nd Street. (I saw (500) Days of Summer. It was very good.) 7th Avenue is newly paved so it was smooth sailing right through all of the traffic.

The return trip home up 6th Avenue was a lot bumpier. The pavement on 6th Ave is really not very conducive to skating. It's not really pavement, it's more like grooved concrete. Wouldn't you know it, I fell down hard on my hands and knees between 46th and 47th streets. Luckily, I escaped with just some minor scrapes and cuts on my left knee.

Through These Doors

Live Girls Girls Girls Girls. It's like Motley Crue + extra.

I ❤ NY

A stack of I ♥ NY t-shirts in a Times Square area store.

4 for only $10. At these recession-era prices, I highly recommend skipping the sale at Bergdorf Goodman and instead buy eight of these shirts for $20. That way you'll have one to wear every day of the week and an extra one for when you spill your iced coffee.

Portrait of a Girl

A girl in Times Square.

Oyster Bar

I've never been here, but I do like their neon sign. It reminds me of one of those really old school New York joints. This restaurant is on 7th Avenue in the 50s, just north of Times Square.

10 for $1

You can't buy many things in New York City for $1, except for a handful of postcards. The stamp costs more than the postcard.

Men in Blue

These are some of the massive numbers of NYC police that were on duty last night to arrest the crowds of drunk people from New Jersey that descended on Times Square for the annual New Year's Eve celebration. Of course, many of these police officers would admit that they were mainly on duty to check out the teenage pop sensation Jonas Brothers who performed in the bitter cold.

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.

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. "

Sex in Times Square

Saturday night. Uncontrollable urges. Times Square. After midnight.

A Man with a Plan

Bank of America. Times Square. Wednesday night.

Obama in Times Square

Making a surprise appearance, Barack Obama just happened to jump in front of my camera in Times Square the other night. He appears to be drinking a Pepsi.

Don't Tickle Me

An enormous Elmo walking through Times Square. I think he has a weird voice. His city vendor license is hanging from his neck.

Shoeshine, Mister?

When you are rushing through Times Square on the way to an important meeting, there is always time to stop and get a quick shoeshine at a portable cart set up right on the sidewalk.

It seems to me that we often take these types of sidewalk conveniences for granted in the middle of the city, but they don't have these in Phoenix or Cleveland. Also it's a great place to multitask and make a phone call while you get your shoes super shiny. Getting a shoeshine in the city costs anywhere from $3 to $5 (depending on the tip). In 1936, a shoeshine was only a nickle!

Notice the newsstand in the background? It probably won't be there for long. This is a relatively new one, but all of the rickety green metal newsstands scattered throughout the city are slowly being replaced with new sparkly silver ultramodern stands. You might also see some large colorful round signs across the street if you look closely.