Sunday, February 11, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Laaadies and Gentlemennnn! Welcome to Friday Night Fiiiiiights!
I wonder if there is a streak of violence coming out in me...first rifles and now boxing. A friend of mine invited me to see some amateur boxing in a basement of a church and it sounded so seedy and wrong, I simply couldn’t resist.
It was hard for me to see someone hitting (and kicking) another person. The bloody nose or swollen eye for entertainment felt morally wrong. However, the crowd, made up of mostly white former frat boys now “professionals” probably in law or finance, wanted more blood. When there was a 5-10 second lull in the violence, I’d inevitably hear, “What are you dancing or fighting? Come ONNN!”
The most surprising aspect of that whole night was the civility in the ring. Boxers shook hands with each other after the fight and then would shake the hands of each other’s trainers. One Thai boxer did a little ritual praying while his opponent waited respectfully for him to finish. The physicality and grace of these fighters was impressive, their bodies trained for months for this one night. I’m taking an artistic anatomy class now, so I spent quite a bit of time trying to see the various muscle groups as they ducked, punched and kicked. Hello Serratus anterior and Sternocleidomastoid! (Yes, I know I’m a geek)
And how could I forget, the requisite scantily clad women who walked around the ring holding signs for the round count. One in particular walked with hips swaying, tossing her long brown hair. The men went wild. One aging frat boy kept on yelling, “Call me!! Calllll meeee!” while holding his hand to his face like a phone. Um, even if she could somehow telepathically get your number from that, she wouldn’t call you. Just a thought.
After becoming numb to the violence and done with observing the stellar crowd around me, it was actually very boring. Incredibly boring. Oh, look he got punched. Oh, and now the round is over, it's the sexy girl again, the guy's asking her to call him again, now the boxer's eye is almost swollen shut and a doctor's looking at it. Yawn. How odd that a night of violence can induce such tedium.
After a few hours, I managed to slip out into the bitterly cold night glad this little experiment was over.
I wonder if there is a streak of violence coming out in me...first rifles and now boxing. A friend of mine invited me to see some amateur boxing in a basement of a church and it sounded so seedy and wrong, I simply couldn’t resist.
It was hard for me to see someone hitting (and kicking) another person. The bloody nose or swollen eye for entertainment felt morally wrong. However, the crowd, made up of mostly white former frat boys now “professionals” probably in law or finance, wanted more blood. When there was a 5-10 second lull in the violence, I’d inevitably hear, “What are you dancing or fighting? Come ONNN!”
The most surprising aspect of that whole night was the civility in the ring. Boxers shook hands with each other after the fight and then would shake the hands of each other’s trainers. One Thai boxer did a little ritual praying while his opponent waited respectfully for him to finish. The physicality and grace of these fighters was impressive, their bodies trained for months for this one night. I’m taking an artistic anatomy class now, so I spent quite a bit of time trying to see the various muscle groups as they ducked, punched and kicked. Hello Serratus anterior and Sternocleidomastoid! (Yes, I know I’m a geek)
And how could I forget, the requisite scantily clad women who walked around the ring holding signs for the round count. One in particular walked with hips swaying, tossing her long brown hair. The men went wild. One aging frat boy kept on yelling, “Call me!! Calllll meeee!” while holding his hand to his face like a phone. Um, even if she could somehow telepathically get your number from that, she wouldn’t call you. Just a thought.
After becoming numb to the violence and done with observing the stellar crowd around me, it was actually very boring. Incredibly boring. Oh, look he got punched. Oh, and now the round is over, it's the sexy girl again, the guy's asking her to call him again, now the boxer's eye is almost swollen shut and a doctor's looking at it. Yawn. How odd that a night of violence can induce such tedium.
After a few hours, I managed to slip out into the bitterly cold night glad this little experiment was over.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Charlton Heston is my new hero
What an odd place to find a anti-gun, bleeding heart liberal from New York. But oh the strange and wonderful things we do to satisfy curiosity!
So welcome to the Charlie Elliot gun range in Maysville, Georgia.
Gun shell.
More gun shells...rusting.
Yours truly, eyeing a target down range. I've been told my form is horrible but the rifle was so heavy I couldn't really hold it up on my own and I was a little afraid of the kickback.
To be honest, it wasn't as fun or as cathartic as I thought it would be. For the first 10 minutes, I embarrassingly and uncontrollably shrieked every time a gun was fired. However, it was fun to try to get a tight pattern on the target...but after a while, the cold soaked in and my shoulder began to hurt from the kickback. I’m glad I tried it though. Next time, onto hand guns! Woohoo!
So welcome to the Charlie Elliot gun range in Maysville, Georgia.
Gun shell.
More gun shells...rusting.
Yours truly, eyeing a target down range. I've been told my form is horrible but the rifle was so heavy I couldn't really hold it up on my own and I was a little afraid of the kickback.
To be honest, it wasn't as fun or as cathartic as I thought it would be. For the first 10 minutes, I embarrassingly and uncontrollably shrieked every time a gun was fired. However, it was fun to try to get a tight pattern on the target...but after a while, the cold soaked in and my shoulder began to hurt from the kickback. I’m glad I tried it though. Next time, onto hand guns! Woohoo!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Georgia Aquarium
Calling themselves the world's largest aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium was indeed pretty damn big. How insightful and perceptive of me.
Japanese crabs
Sea anemone
Jellyfish
Shark in a very cool ceiling tank thing.
Japanese crabs
Sea anemone
Jellyfish
Shark in a very cool ceiling tank thing.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
I Heart G.R.I.T.S.
Went down south again to visit the family in a yearly ritual of dread and obligation.
Commerce, GA. Old farm equipment.
Close up of farm equipment.
Commerce, GA. Ice crusher.
Atlanta, GA. In a Christian bookstore looking for a large print, NIV translation, red leather bound Bible for my mother. After cursing loudly and taking the Lord's name in vain numerous times while trying to find the bible, I found some annointing oil to wash away my many sins.
Nothing more needs to be said.
Commerce, GA. Old farm equipment.
Close up of farm equipment.
Commerce, GA. Ice crusher.
Atlanta, GA. In a Christian bookstore looking for a large print, NIV translation, red leather bound Bible for my mother. After cursing loudly and taking the Lord's name in vain numerous times while trying to find the bible, I found some annointing oil to wash away my many sins.
Nothing more needs to be said.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Sunday, December 10, 2006
More night pictures
Ah...Christmas in Brooklyn!
Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn.
Close up. This tasteful LED tree changed colors, sporting the traditional holiday colors of pink, blue, green, purple and white.
Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn.
Close up. This tasteful LED tree changed colors, sporting the traditional holiday colors of pink, blue, green, purple and white.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Food edition
For which we give thanks.
Wild turkey in Battery Park
Sinister butcher in Sunnyside Queens. Check out the cleaver to chop off little Bessie's head in the lower left...right after the he strangles her with his beefy arms.
And everyone knows, Thanksgiving isn't thanksgiving without the requisite can of cranberries. Thank goodness the good folks at Ocean Spray thoughtfully give us directions on how to produce a perfect can shaped log of cranberries and corn syrup.
Yum.
(And sadly, I'm not being sarcastic here. I actually love canned cranberries far more than the homemade kind ruined with additions of orange, ginger and other crap that don't belong with cranberries)
Wild turkey in Battery Park
Sinister butcher in Sunnyside Queens. Check out the cleaver to chop off little Bessie's head in the lower left...right after the he strangles her with his beefy arms.
And everyone knows, Thanksgiving isn't thanksgiving without the requisite can of cranberries. Thank goodness the good folks at Ocean Spray thoughtfully give us directions on how to produce a perfect can shaped log of cranberries and corn syrup.
Yum.
(And sadly, I'm not being sarcastic here. I actually love canned cranberries far more than the homemade kind ruined with additions of orange, ginger and other crap that don't belong with cranberries)
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Williamsburg Savings Bank
I think I might be the last person to post pictures from the Open House NY event a few weeks ago...but here they are, finally.
close up of mosiac
close up of windows
Thrilling, no?
close up of mosiac
close up of windows
Thrilling, no?
Monday, October 09, 2006
Hispanic Day Parade
I usually abhor parades...boring spectacles of floats with B-list celebrities, unwieldy balloons and the requisite marching bands. However, on my way to an OHNY site in Rockefeller Center, I stumbled onto the side streets where people were getting ready for the parade. Just wonderful. You could feel the energy and excitement as everyone cranked up the music, got dressed and practiced dancing in the streets.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Sky Mirror
I just had the most wonderful, I heart NY kind of days. I took a lot of pictures which I'll post in the next week.
Let's first start with Anish Kapoor's Sky Mirror in Rockefeller Center. I orginally intended to see the rooftop garden as a part of OHNY but the line was SO long that I skipped it and watched the preparations for the Hispanic Day Parade instead (pictures coming soon).
Let's first start with Anish Kapoor's Sky Mirror in Rockefeller Center. I orginally intended to see the rooftop garden as a part of OHNY but the line was SO long that I skipped it and watched the preparations for the Hispanic Day Parade instead (pictures coming soon).
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Moving day
Work moved from Soho/Tribeca to the Financial District.
Brooklyn in the morning. The view from my desk.
Where I used to work 5 years ago.
Brooklyn in the morning. The view from my desk.
Where I used to work 5 years ago.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Butterfly
Went to Central Park the other day and saw a guy with a huge butterfly kite. It was taller than he was and when it was in the air, it looked so surreal and wonderful.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Seattle
Another friend of mine got married and I went to Seattle to celebrate. We had only a day to poke around the city and have a look-see. I think I should visit again...
Totem pole with pigeons
Exit ramp sign
The Experience Music Project is housed in a fantastic building designed by Frank Gehry. I'm not sure how the red and sky-blue sections of the building will stand the test of time but right now, it's simply wonderful. A handful of folks paid the $20 to get in and came out with mixed opinions. In general, those who didn't know anything about music, loved it...while those who actually played instruments, etc thought it was a waste of money.
I really love the way the building interacted with the Space Needle.
Self portrait reflected in the EMP.
Totem pole with pigeons
Exit ramp sign
The Experience Music Project is housed in a fantastic building designed by Frank Gehry. I'm not sure how the red and sky-blue sections of the building will stand the test of time but right now, it's simply wonderful. A handful of folks paid the $20 to get in and came out with mixed opinions. In general, those who didn't know anything about music, loved it...while those who actually played instruments, etc thought it was a waste of money.
I really love the way the building interacted with the Space Needle.
Self portrait reflected in the EMP.
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