GlitchNYC.com

No Subway Searches

I've ranted nonstop to anyone who will listen about the inherent stupidity of random searches on the subway. I've gone on about the fact that it violates the very freedoms on which this country was founded, all for naught. It will not increase security, only create the barest illusion of it at best.

Luckily, I'm not the only one who feels this way. NoSubwaySearches.org sums up rants into concise arguments and distills speeches and diatribes into handy flyers.

Good work guys.

NoSubwaySearches.org

11:43 pm | permalink | /life/nyc | 0 writebacks |

Follow up: Beastie Boys Photoshoot

Josh just sent me a quick email comparing the pictures I took of the Beastie Boys as they walked down 34th street back in October and their own blog. It's not one of the photos they were taking with the pro photographer, (still waiting for those to show up!) but it's cool to finally know what they were in town for.

The album where their clothes match is: 10.03.04: New York City, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom, VH1 Hip-Hop Honors

2:13 am | permalink | /life/nyc | 1 writebacks |

You Can't Go a Day In New York Without Bumping Into Someone You Know!

So here I am, sitting in Chipotle eating my Burrito Bowl, when I see a big bouncer guy come and kind of "clear the street." He's got a few production assistants, but generally, it's a very low-key event. They don't make everyone move, just basically securing the area.

I'm kind of used to this. Between the movie/TV show shoots which seemed to always be going on at Wagner to living in NYC where a camera crew comes through Times Square about once an hour, it's usually no big deal.

Next thing I know, three guys in colorful shirts just kind of appear on the scene. I don't know if they just got out of a car or came up out of the subway or what, but it was surreal. The photographer was a few feet ahead of them taking pictures, and they walked right by the window I was looking out. And to think I almost sat facing the wall!

I think I knew who they were from the moment I saw them, but it was tough to convince myself that I was really sitting there with a pane of glass separating me from the Beastie Boys. I kept thinking that maybe it was a spoof - I mean, where was the mob of people, the adoring fans? Had they really managed a guerrilla photo shoot on 34th street without attracting any attention but my own?

Long before I'd made up my mind if it was really them, I'd had my camera out and was snapping pics. I mean, what the hell, it's digital. If it's not them, I'll have a good laugh about it later!

After I finished my lunch, I went out side and did a discreet walk-by. I was going to snap a few better pics, but I decided I didn't want to intrude, as they seemed to be getting away with the covert shoot and having a pretty good time. Two of them were standing with their arms up at 45 degree angles, palm to palm, and the other one was beneath holding his hands like a gun. Very funny stuff, and I wish I'd been quicker on my camera, but I have a feeling you'll be able to see that picture on an album cover or promo shot soon anyway.

That, and the security guy was about 3 times my size. Never the less, I had to go back the way I came to get back to work, so I walked right by them again, and looked right at them. Definitely them. It's funny how they can seem so young and full of life yet look so old at the same time!

Check out the rest of the (limited, crappy) pictures I snapped from inside Chipotle BeastieBoys.com

12:25 pm | permalink | /life/nyc | 0 writebacks |

Bedlam in the Subways

Travel in New York City ground to a halt during the rush hour commute today, due in large part to what's left of Tropical Depression Frances.

All during the night one arm of the storm, still spinning just off the Appalachians, Frances let loose on our metropolis, soaking us with 12 hours of steady rain, and 2 1/2 hours of torrential downpour.

This all added up to flooded tunnels, soaked tracks, and major delays on of the transportation systems in the city.

I got some pictures of the congestion at 42nd street between the 7 and the A C E after the N/R lines and the 1/9 lines were shut down for "water/signal problems." In particular, check out this movie of people going nowhere fast.

Seeing this many people all crunched together reminded me of the blackout, except replace the strange euphoria of that day with an angry "I'm late for work and my boss is an asshole" attitude.

That, and it was around 120 in the subway - so hot that my camera fogged up every 5 seconds. If you watch the movie closely, you can see the fog encroaching in from the corners even as I shoot.

5:59 pm | permalink | /life/nyc | 0 writebacks |

Green Roofs Come to NYC

New York is starting to push the concept of "Green Buildings," offering incentives to designers and builders to include environmentally friendly concepts into their structures. The "Green Roof" is a main feature of this movement, providing a landscaped park on the top of the building as a community space and also to help regulate water runoff and heat.

On the large scale, if enough buildings were to change their massive black-tar rooftops to "Green Roofs." it would both lower the temperature in the city by 2-3 degrees and significantly reduce the amount of rainwater runoff the sewage system needs to handle. Check out the article in Natural Health's July Issue for more information.

O C V Architects are one of the main proponents of the Green Building initiative in New York, and they're designing Common Ground's Christopher Nels Larson Residence. Presumably, once phase 2 of construction is complete, the rooftop will be refashioned into into a landscaped park. I can't wait to hang out up there and eat lunch, all while helping the environment. Mmm... Tasty activism.

1:09 am | permalink | /life/nyc | 0 writebacks |

Business Unusual

As the bomb scare finished and traffic began to flow back up 8th ave, there was a general feeling of "it never happened." The city went back to working as it does, traffic resumed its frantic, honking pace, and we all slowly returned to work.

Just then, an announcement came over the loudspeaker from the building super, in some sort of eastern european accent.

"This is building managment! All clear, business unusual..." (ruffling, mumbling heard in the background) "... Uh, umm. Normal business is resumed"

I've put up some more pictures from Rey, and cropped up some of Tate's gigantic 5 megapixel ones, including some of the one-man bomb-squad.

4:37 pm | permalink | /life/nyc | 0 writebacks |

Pictures uploading - bomb scare just a scare?

Well, it seems they're letting people through.

Funniest moment: they start letting people through, and Tate, hanging out my window taking these pictures, goes "oh boo! Boooooohhhh!"

1:54 pm | permalink | /life/nyc | 1 writebacks |

Live From the Bomb Scare

Well, my friend Josh is late for his interview here at Common Ground, and we know why! You can't get in or out of our building right now due to a bomb scare right across the street!

I was just out there getting pizza while they were closing the block. Weird.

Right now, 8th is closed from 34th to 36th, and there's a bag by a white van in the center of the 2 block police barricade. I'll post pictures and more news as it occurs.

1:36 pm | permalink | /life/nyc | 0 writebacks |

Funny New York Phrases

Gothamist linked to this page today when using the word metrotard to describe someone who can get their metrocard to work yet insists on trying, over and over, while you wait.

Big Mama'd is hillarious too: Big Mama'd (adjective): Being slowed on your exit from the subway by a large woman in front of you having trouble on the stairs.

Check out the rest of the terms here

12:26 am | permalink | /life/nyc | 0 writebacks |

The Almost-Too-Obvious Scratchiti Zamboni

The word Scratchiti, which I mentioned previously in reference to the MTA just passing it off as a common phrase on it's most recent "rules and regulations" flyer, has roots farther back than I expected. Examples of Scratchiti date back to the 70's in "Urban Art" circles, although the practice is generally viewed with disdain even by aerosol artists. Repetitively scratching straight lines into a hard surface doesn't really leave much room for art. It's also unclear exactly when and where the phrase scratchiti describing scratchings on hard surfaces was coined

While tooling around the net looking for the word's origins, I found a novel solution, at least for glass surfaces. I wonder if the MTA is using this already.

The Scratchiti Zamboni

3:36 am | permalink | /life/nyc | 0 writebacks |

The World Still Still Says No to War

Peace Rally Numero Tres. They're really getting their use out of that graphic!

At some point, they're going to get slapped for sticking these all over the place - this was on the 42nd Street sign.

11:59 am | permalink | /life/nyc | 0 writebacks |

Found Art - Spring + Broadway

11:54 am | permalink | /life/nyc | 0 writebacks |

NYC MTA Coins New Word: Scratchiti

The fine purveyors of subterranian transit here in New York have decided to ban the practice of scratching letters and words into the metal and glass of their subway cars.

This is nothing new or exciting. The weirdness is that they seem to have coined a new word to deal with the problem, rather than just lump the practice in with Graffiti and other vandalisim. At first, this poster was seemingly alone at the 28th Street stop. Now, it's showing up everywhere.

It's fun how the word defines itself simply by the context it is used in. Someone in communications and marketing at the MTA is having a good time with this, I suspect. Nothing like coining your own word, and then forcing it into the lexicon by posting it legally everywhere.

11:48 am | permalink | /life/nyc | 1 writebacks |

First Snow

4:15 pm | permalink | /life/nyc | 0 writebacks |

More Stuff in One Weekend...

I think all I have to say at this point is - wow.

I'll have pictures in /photos early tomorrow, but what I can tell you right now is that this year was a freaking banner Halloween.

See more ...

1:30 am | permalink | /life/nyc | 0 writebacks |

The blackout peopleout of 2003

There are so many people hidden in the cement pillars of this town... it's amazing when we all pour and splash out into the streets, flowing like water into any available space. There were some amazing images to capture thursday. I didn't get all of them, but I got a few

See more ...

5:44 pm | permalink | /life/nyc | 1 writebacks |