Cool New Archie Stamp

Rockland County's number one Postal Lady spread this news...

Archie is a stamp!!

Betty's here...

... Veronica too...

A cute stamp!

Comes in a one sheet set with three other comic book icons...

I wonder what they are drinking??? Can you still get a rootbeer float in this day and age?

Thanks to Postal Lady !

It's Always Something

So... much of my free time seems to be enveloped in tech related stuff lately... a new notebook computer, and a new desktop. ... And I'm still getting used to the Android phone...

I spent most of yesterday trying to set up the new computer...

Wouldn't ya know it???... My old monitors don't fit the new computer... So I had to go buy a new monitor this morning... Oy!

I got a 23" Samsung HD for $200 at Best Buy...

My geek friend is off in Peru with his girlfriend for the summer... When he gets back, I'll see if I can have him rescue and adapt my 18" previous monitor to give me a second monitor on this here brand new Acer desktop...

I had two monitors on the old Acer and I really got used to being able to have several projects going at once on different monitors.... especially great for blogging, editing photos and multitasking with social media...

It's been a humid and hot couple of days so fooling with the tech stuff in air-conditionined comfort is a perfect weather-appropriate activity...

Meanwhile, my apartment is filled with packing materials and cardboard boxes until I know that all this stuff works...

You Can't Cheat An Honest Man

Saw the WC Fields exhibit at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center... "The Peregrinations & Pettifoggery of W.C. Fields".

A nice exhibit in their smaller Vincent Astor Gallery on the Amsterdam Avenue side of the library...

Lots of posters and ephemera... And multi-media presentations of Field's motion pictures and radio broadcast appearances...

Much of Field's humor about drinking too much was thought to be funny back in his day. Not unlike when some of Bill Maher's makes constant tiresome references to being a stoner... or Alec Mapa makes Ambien jokes.

But unlike his contemporaries Fields also created a loveable cartoon-ish character that is still distinct and iconic well into the next century...

The exhibit is worth seeing if you're in the area or are a fan of the performer or his varied genre...

The Peregrinations & Pettifoggery of W.C. Fields
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

Now through August 21, 2010
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
(212) 870-1630

A New Acer Project

OK.... So I've had it with Windows Vista...

After a brief respite, my two year old Acer started sputtering again...

I'd blamed Firefox... I'd blamed the 30,000 photos stored on there. I'd blamed and disabled numerous little apps, scans, and dybbuks....

Now, I just blame Vista....

So, I picked up another Acer desktop at J&R today (Windows 7) and can now enjoy (?) the long arduous (can that be enjoyed?) process of loading in all the apps, wizards, and widgets that will serve me well in the coming months (and years, I hope!) ahead.

Anyway.... It'll take a few days to get it all fully up to speed...

... These things take time...

Meet My Friend Rachelle Rak

She's released a new album and video, and I'm all for helping my friends get hits and business... So check out Rachelle Rak...

Set the Tone: Small, Simple, Subtle

"There is just as much enjoyment to be found in the small, simple, subtle things as in the big, noisy impressive things".

-- Ralph Marston

Celebrity Sighting: Carol Channing

Carol Channing!?!?! Broadway Legend! Icon!...

She's 89 and a half years old. (Looks 25 years younger with the energy and wit to match)

She looks fabulous. Her own hair with a pony tail poised on top for that perfect dumb blond signature look of hers...

She was up at Barnes and Noble at Lincoln Square on Friday for a conversation with a talented female impersonator, Richard Skipper, who has devoted his entire career and a chunk of his life, (and apartment display space), to Carol Channing! He made a perfect host! (See RichardSkipper.com)

Her husband, Harry Kullijian, was there too. They've started a foundation together...

Details of her foundation and her new CD are on her CarolChanning.org website...

Does she do her own web design?? Um. That'd be a bit of a stretch...

Facebook Privacy Concerns? Not So Much

Facebook just suggested three "Recommended Pages" for me in a row: George W Bush, the NRA, and a nationally known performer that I've personally known and can't stand... Even with all the private data they so notoriously collect, Facebook obviously doesn't know ANYthing about me... Ha!

Who Needs Crossword Puzzles?

Have yet to even fire up the new Asus Notebook, purchased last week, to see if it even works... I more/less dread the whole fire up procedure with all the new settings and the new log ins and new password creation... And it's Windows 7... A whole new operating system to me... Meanwhile, J&R wants me to complete an online survey about my purchase and offers a chance to win $1,000. Yeah, sure.

Will have to unplug this here Acer desktop and plug that Notebook into the direct Internet line to do all of that annoying but important set-up stuff... Maybe later today.

Massive humidity is supposed to roll in later today (Friday)... The budding weekend is supposed to be another true scorcher... Again. real feel temperatures well over a hundred for Saturday and Sunday. This New York City summer has been a record-breaker. And so, I continue to de-clutter and clean and learn new technological geeky stuff in air-conditioned comfort...

Eventually, I'll have to re-think a home network. I still have a five year old router on the floor that hasn't been plugged in for years... I seem to recall mysterious drops in Internet speeds when I had it installed last time... And then customer support at the ISP was deliberately unhelpful when they knew there was a router in the works... Probably better routers are available these days...

These things all take time... And my beloved computer geek ex-neighbor and great guy, Moe, is off gallivanting around Peru with his girlfriend til Labor Day. Silly kids! I shouldn't let them take vacations when I have my break... But they didn't ask permission... LOL

Meanwhile Amazon tells me my brand new Canon zoom camera is already in the mail... That will require a learning curve too... Though I'm hopeful that many switches and buttons intuitively match my current Canon camera (which I still adore and is in good as new shape)... That's why I went with Canon, for the familiarity of controls... We'll see...

And then I have to figure the whole transfer to the Desktop and then upload to Flickr connection for the new one... Oy!

Finally uninstalled the Windows Live One Care product yesterday. Microsoft abandoned it, and has now launched a freebie program... After some research, I installed a free AVG Virus program instead... It comes more highly recommended overall than the Microsoft Security Essentials. Have yet to see how AVG'll affect the desktop speed when it kicks into scan mode, though...

The culprit to my recent slow 'puter issues was the free Ad Aware program... After an uninstall, things are back to speed...

Still trying to figure out if I need Zone Alarm Firewall to replace the Firewall that was in One Care... It looks like Windows Vista has a Firewall in the old Acer already... But I dunno...

Well, all these technologies are supposed to be good brain exercise for the aging brain... Better than crossword puzzles that other brain stimulating prescription for brain health for the technically inept... I have no patience for crossword puzzles. Boring.

Technology?? Dynamic!

Guess I really ought to go see if the new computer works before the warranty runs out...

Have a good weekend, peeps...

Nooks and Crannies

I've been spending several long days doing deep cleaning and de-cluttering... 12 hours a day isn't uncommon... The place is starting to look goooood.

This is the time of year to do it. Too hot to go outdoors in the heat of the day, and warm enough with the A/C's that you don't feel chilled while dealing with all the water...

But I have a lot of new-found respect for my Mother... She scoured and mopped and dusted and scrubbed those floors SO MUCH MORE frequently than I ever do around here. Seems like it was weekly that we couldn't walk across the kitchen floor to get to the cookie can til those damned floors were dry...

Me? Don't even ask how often I clean mine... I wouldn't tell you the truth anyway...

This old 1930's constructed apartment of mine has the original built-in wood (oak?) cabinetry from floor to ceiling. It's all been painted to hell over the deacdes though, but I'll bet it was quite handsome back in the day...

Right after I moved in, I took off all the cabinet doors which really opened things up and makes stuff easier to grab... Occasionally, a bowl needs a quick rinse for the dust if it hasn't been used in a while... But generally the stuff that's on these shelves is used practically daily...

Today, for the first time, it's dawned on me why people rip out these old kitchen cabinets... This old woodwork is a BITCH to keep clean... Kind of impossible actually... Especially all the nooks and crannies down at floor level... Sheesh.

Who needs the gym or yoga class when you're contorting every which way to clean this sucker??

I know I'm not alone... Because after pulling out one of the ancient oak drawers I came across a 12 cent coupon and a register receipt from 1980... So the last time that particular cranny was cleaned it was at least thirty years ago...?!?! Maybe forty or fifty? Ack! Disgusting. Needless to stay, I haven't even used those drawers in that corner since I moved here...

Kitchen renovation just moved up to the top of my big ticket item wish list...

Wednesday's Word: Mooks

mook (n.)


1. A loosely adhered-to marketing term used to refer to an adolescent to twenty-something male who shows off and makes a scene of himself. A mook personifies the adoption of trends for the sake of commercialism and the mindless celebration of childish masculinity. Particularly featured on mtv 2. That guy at your high school who used to be really popular when he was an underclassman, but now he sleeps with popular girls to get attention.

Usage: "Donner tweeted that he got two new tires put on by a couple of mooks on Northern Boulevard..."

Source: Urban Dictionary

The Blogging Minority

"Where the Bloggers are Concentrated" by Teddy Wayne in yesterday's New York Times on the demographics of  people who blog. (Source of data: Sysomos) ...

Seems that only 7.1 percent of all bloggers are over 51. Yikes, that's me as of my last birthday! Hm...

Vast majority are 21-35 year olds and they make up 53%... 

Blogger sex splits evenly between male/female...

The USA has nearly 1/3rd of all the bloggers in the world...

Set the Tone Monday: Quentin Crisp

"Once we have mastered the gestures, the voice, and the words that will express our chosen image of ourselves, we are prepared to leave that place that has so far been our hermit’s cave, our athlete’s gymnasium, our actor’s sound booth. Having progressed from making to doing to being, we are ready to move out into the world".
-- Quentin Crisp

Not Enough Hours in a Staycation Day

OK... So here's another random blog post... Just to clear your blogger's poor bursting head...

Loads of new pictures on Todd HellsKitchen Flickr page.

This city is pretty quiet... Weekend beach and mountain vacations? The heat? The humidity? All of the above?

I saw Inception today. It's mighty damned complex... Film is clearly not intended for the ADD inflicted... Sheesh... All the critics that recommend you see it twice are saying it cuz it's hard to figure out the first time... Leonardo DiCaprio always does absolutely nothing for me, and I could never sit through it again...

Had a great steak dinner afterward at Applebee's in Times Square. Had never been to an Applebee's before... New York Strip was tender and well seasoned. Broccoli was crisp and perfect! And garlic mashed was delicious and less calories than a baked potato, according to the menu details... Who knew? (Thank you, Postal Lady!)

George Steinbrenner has been dead for a few days now. Time for the media to stop treating him like he's a saint. He was NO saint!...

It's hot today! But humidity wasn't too bad. Since I was walking near the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market I decided to stroll over and snap a coupla new pics... Some of the dealers get annoyed when you photograph their stuff... So you gotta do it like a secret agent sometimes...

I ordered myself a new Canon digital camera... it'll have a 12x zoom lens... Stay tuned...

Whoopi Goldberg says Mel Gibson isn't a racist.... She says he's a bonehead... Alright then!

Did I ever mention that I caught the Fountain Gallery's latest show? Open Mind is a Group Show of works from Swedish artists? ... That I've been spending some time in the Clinton Community Garden?...

...That I've been trying restaurants for the very first time like Goodburger? That Basera is my new favorite Indian restaurant? Totto Ramen is totally terrific! I did the newly renovated McDonald's on Eighth Avenue that is reputed by some to be the greatest McDonald's ever? That I had a burger at the Parker Meridien Burger Shack?

Recent Charlie Rose Brain Series on PBS has completely changed my view of mental illnesses: depression, bi-polar disorder, grief, and schizophrenia.

I can't decide whether to move my desk... It would certainly make it easier to clean and declutter it! But re-attaching all the cables and electronics is always a killer!

There's a new Dark Shadows movie in the works with Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins... Vampires are so *hot* lately... (Both lit. and fig. Woof!)

I'm drinking way too much iced coffee lately...

My aqua blue Fiesta Ware butter dish makes a great parking depot for keys, wallet and misc pocket stuff in my foyer. Do people still use butter dishes for butter, anyway? really?

I caught all the latest shows at the American Folk Art Museum on Friday night.

Reese's McFlurries were only temporarily available at McDonald's?? Whaaaa? And the promotion is finished??? Say it isn't so....!

God is doing for me what I cannot do for myself... He keeps dribbling Cold Stone Creamery chocolate ice cream down the front of the t-shirts that He thinks need to be weeded out. Let go and let God!

Browsed Urban Outfitters and Uncle Sam's Army Navy in Greenwich Village yesterday. Their dog tag machine is broken and they don't know how to fix it. Too bad for them.

I so hate when restaurants open their front walls onto the sidewalk and let in the heat and humidity during mid-summer heatwaves...

I'd LOVE to know what Bill Clinton thinks about this economy and joblessness mess. I wish Obama would him Recession Czar or something. Fast! ...Before we get any closer to mid-term elections!

I still have so much I want to do on my NYC Summer Staycation List... And a couple Daycations here in neighboring states are on my mind too!

More narcissistic up-to-the-minute random insanity on my ToddHellsKitch Twitter Profile. also available in the right SideBar of this here Postcards from Hell's Kitchen blog.

Good News, Bad News, News

The good news is that Al's Soup Kitchen ("The Soup Nazi" from the Seinfeld episode) is re-opening in a couple of days at his West 55th Street former location...

The bad news is that Piece of Chicken is gone... The kitchen has been stripped and location is gutted...

And Sacco's Pizza is closed... But just for renovations... And is slated to reopen on August 1st or 2nd...

Damn! All of this talk is making me hungry...

Updates at 6:45pm: So, I ventured out in a junk foody Saturday night frame of mind and aimed for Philly Slim's Cheesesteak... They, too, are vacant and gutted...

So tried Goodburger for the very first time. Double cheeseburger was, indeed a good burger. Ate in the back, very clean and nice. Good A/C, too... The brownie was soft and cake like. I prefer my brownies chewy not gooey. Only had a couple bites of it...

Friends were saying earlier that the new Shake Shack has looong lines. I don't do lines.

In the mood now for a Coldstone Creamery Peanut Butter Perfection... This after being disappointed the other day that the Reese's McFlurry at McDonald's was just a temporary promotion that is no more...

Celebrity Sighting: Kelsey Grammer

Frasier star Kelsey Grammer strolling around a Border's at Time Warner Center an hour ago...

No one recognized him.

No one even did a double take...

New York City is good like that...

Celebs can often blend right in...

Dog Days of Summer

I'm off now to Washington Square to sight-see a bit before the next heatwave sets in. Heat advisory from noon today will be extended through the next few days at least. Haven't been down to Washington Square since they re-did the place with a multi-million buck renovation...

Hell's Kitchen has that distinctive mid-summer morning stench that happens with the heavy air mass that accompanies these dog days of July and August... We could use a few heavy thunderstorms to wash it all away... But they are predicting four or five days of Heat Advisories and that means more stench... (July 2010 is already an average of 5 degrees above the average July)...

The restaurants along Ninth Avenue that open their glass front walls are idiotic... Yes, they are saving on A/C costs, but customers like me breeze right by them. No way I want to sit in there... Sorry.

These vacation weeks fly by soooo much faster than the work weeks of the rest of the year. It's so not fair...

Bought a notebook computer the other day... Can use a few days of being locked up in air-conditioned comfort to fire it up for the first time and get to know it... There's always a learning curve with these things...

Also, want to really master the Evernote program, and finish deep-cleaning and de-cluttering could easily use a another full 12 hour day of indoor attention...

The other full day only made a serious dent...

Thursday Thoughts

I find funerals somehow oddly uplifting. They give closure to loved ones... And they also celebrate a lifetime.

And funerals remind the living to live. (Rest in Peace Bobby... The SRO crowd loved you for having loved them!)

"Life is Service"... That was the sign posted at the end of a hallway at a local college that initially inspired Fred Rogers to become Mister Rogers... According to the Biography interview TV documentary I watched recently.

Mr. Roger's was a personal hero of mine, and I was glad that I got to work with him on a TV project once... He had dedicated his career and life to helping children and their parents identify and express their feelings. How cool was that?

Service to others gets one out of their own head... Personally, I can recommend a couple classes of pre-schoolers with Autism or a class of teenagers with multiple disabilities to brighten anyone's self-involved dark days... Completely exhausting while energizing and enlightening...

Helping others somehow makes the helper's days better...

...It just does.

It's interesting...

Jay Brannan Returned to Ars Nova Last Night

Jay Brannan was completely brilliant last night at Ars Nova...

Was great to see him do in person what he's been doing for me on CD for a while now! (Did that come out right?!)

Jay had particular affection for, and history with, this venue...

Check out the whole 54/10 Music Marathon series at Ars Nova if you want to discover some new artists for yourself... As Jay remarked onstage "It's only $10, less than the price of a martini at the next place you are probably going"... (I'd add to that: Unless you are going to an AA meeting after! LOL)

This was my first time to Ars Nova... Great space... Warm, intimate, roomy, comfortable, and stylish. And they run a good operation...

One of the other performers on the bill last night was especially interesting too... Lana Mir.

Photo from AnotherFormOfRelief.com

Reflective Tuesday in Hell's Kitchen

The Boss died today... That's NY Yankee's owner George Steinbrenner to those of you out-of-towners...

Meanwhile, I'll be pulling out the dark suit later today or tomorrow to go pay my respects to the family and loved ones of Bobby Spillane, a Hell's Kitchen friend and neighbor!...

Had a nice visit over to the Chelsea Community Garden this morning before the rain...

Always a peaceful mecca in the heart of Hell's Kitchen to pause and reflect...

Rest in Peace Bobby Spillane

Sooo sorry to hear upon my arrival back here in New York that neighbor and friend Bobby Spillane died...

Take it from me... Bobby was a sweetheart of a guy...

Damn, what a horrible tragedy...

So many will miss you, Bobby!!!

Peace!

(Daily News article about Bobby Spillane)

Set the Tone Monday: What Do You Want?

"When you know what you want, and want it bad enough, you will find a way to get it."
- Jim Rohn

Site of the Week: SoundSleeping.com

It's Sunday morning...

Wanna sleep late this morning??

Here's a fun site for little mp3's of sleep inducing sounds...

Try SoundSleeping.com

And dream about the guy in the picture... Although you might have trouble sleeping if you do...

Read: Helldersburg Completely Sucks!

As if I don't hate this little burg already... Now the Helldersburg Public Library is blocking my Internet access to Men's Health Magazine!!!??? I can't wait to get outta here!! (Read: They censor you in Helldersburg!)

Wanna see a most unpretty sight??? Look along the side wall of the Helldersburg Walmart during a smoke break and see the likes of all those employees sitting in the dusty dirt along the wall (and hot shadeless sun!)puffing away amidst their own cigarette butts... (Read: I'm glad I don't work at Walmart. Er... I'm glad I don't work in Helldersburg!)

Inside Walmart... Two morbidly obese ladies... In electric motorized wheelchair carts cuz they are too obese  are scooting around the junk food aisle. The mother grabs a jumbo box of  Drake's Coffeecakes... The look-a-like daughter behind her hollers: "How about the Barbeque Fritos??"  (Read: You have to bite your tongue a lot when in Helldersburg!)

At Helldersburg McDonald's, I get up to go use the bathroom in my Mickey Mantle t-shirt...  I come back and the whole town of elderly discount coffee drinkers are talking about Mickey Mantle... What are the odds (Read: They watch you in Helldersburg!).

At the register at McD's: "We no longer accept $50 or $100 dollar bills". This is the multinational corporation: McDonald's! Buy a stupid counterfiet sensitive marker...Or train your damned staff... (Read: They live in constant fear in Helldersburg!)

Over at KFC, I watched  guy in a wife beater (Poor fashion choice for this guy) and grime stained hands (Wash your hands, dude)... woof down two Doublicious nightmare sandwiches, two orders of WesternFries, and a Mac and Cheese for lunch. I doubt if that was a Diet soda. (Read: Health Insurance companies should raise premiums on Helldersburgians!)

Back here at the Helldersburg Public Llibrary, I try to look at the New York Times... Librarian tells me they are five days behind! (Read: They don't care about news from an outside big city like New York here  in Helldersburg!)...

Site of the Week: BedBugRegistry.com

Bed bugs.

These little things creep me out... Because an infestation can be devestating...

And they can jump into your backpack or something and head home with you...

Sooo, before checking into a hotel, check BedBugRegistry.com for a report of unofficial sightings...

Also, it might be good to brush up on protocols how to do your own bed bug inspection...

Whenever I see some upholstered furniture or a mattress laying outside for trash collection, I wideberth it...

Ew!

Helldersburg Trip Summer 2010

Time for my annual summer sojourn to beautiful downtown Helldersburg...

I'm at the library... Helldersburg Public Library turned off my library card cuz I hadn't used it in 365 days... They have a lot of rules in Helldersburg...

Hotter than blue blazes down here. Worst than New York in heat and humidity... How did I ever grow up down here??

My father has the home A/C set for 80 degrees... Lovely. Also, there's no fan...

Oh, and my folks refused the digital TV converter, too... Cable or dish is out of the question... So no TV...

My ONLY link to the outside world is the free Internet table at the Helldersburg Public Llibrary... And in 60 minute increments only. (The rules again)...

I had the good sense to get Sirius satellite radio in the rental car for $5 per day... So at least, I can slip off in the car and consume some music and news updates from civilization... And consume some A/C, too...

Why are all these Helldersburgians (Helldersburgites?) all here at the library on these computers??? These should be reserved for out-of-towners only, I think... But they didn't ask my opinion on their rules...

I would come up with a few new laws if asked...

1. No more Republicans in Helldersburg

2. Racial integration must be encouraged... Too many white people around here...

3. Helldersburgians need to lose weight...

4. Pickup trucks are hereby banned...

5. And air-conditioners must be set to 65 degrees and cable TV and Internet is required in every household...

Hitting the Road

Time for the summer side trip. Be back soon.

Wednesday's Word: Fame Whore

Fame Whore, pronoun

def: An individual who is willing to do anything, regardless of how humiliating or demeaning, to achieve notoriety; often involves appearing on multiple reality television shows and/or having "private" sex videos "leaked" to the press.

Usage: Former spoiled sport champion Kobayashi got arrested trying to crash this year's hotdog competition and undermine the legitimate success of the great American sportsman Joey Chestnut? That's because Kobayashi is nothing but a cheap fame whore.

P.S. Yes, Joey Chestnut is a fame whore too... LOL

Adapted from Urban Dictionary

Perfect Birthday Report of 2010

Yes, it was a Happy Birthday, yesterday!...

I got a sweaty birthday man hug from the hunkiest soap opera star that I know on the corner of West 54th and 8th in the heatwave of the July 5th afternoon...

Got a new Yankees cap and some cards and hugs at the clubhouse yesterday on 46th and 8th in the late afternoon...

Birthday dinner? A chicken salad on multi-grain bagel that I smuggled into...

... Toy Story 3 in 3D at my favorite movie theater (The Ziegfeld on West 54th) which turned out to be the perfect birthday choice of a film, combining toys from my own childhood with a sweet coming of age(s) tale...

Had another Reese's McFlurry in the evening... My latest addiction!

Got a twilight kiss at West 55th and 9th from my favorite comedienne, Broadway and Sex and the City star who reminded me that my back hurts because "we're getting old"... I feel better already...

Enjoyed countless postings on FaceBook from people from all walks of my many lives: childhood in Baltimore, high school, college, family, show business career friends, grad school, and current teacher colleagues... Facebook is such great fun that way...

My PO Box got hard cards, my email box was full of virtual ones, many voicemails, a YouTube video dance called The Pinocchio, thoughtful Applebee & AMC gift cards, and fellow bloggers left comments right here on Postcards from Hell's Kitchen...

Twas a Happy Birthday, indeed...

Perfect really.

July 5th, 2010

WEATHER: Heat advisory in effect.

BIRTHDAY's TODAY: P.T. Barnum, Edie Falco, Huey Lewis, Katherine Helmond, Shirley Knight, Dolly the Sheep, and Todd HellsKitchen.

IF TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: Born July 5 - Your Year Ahead by CafeAstrology:
You are likely to form or cement positive bonds with others, particularly with people who help you to assert yourself in a positive manner. You are learning to go after what you want with more confidence, and you are also learning to see your capabilities more realistically. Your imagination runs high this year, and you might find yourself working on creative projects with increased confidence.

GOVERNMENT OFFICES Closed.

POST OFFICES Express Mail only; self-service kiosks are available at the main post office, on Eighth Avenue at 32nd Street, but there is no regular postal service.

BANKS Option to close.

PARKING Sunday rules in effect.

SANITATION No pickups, street cleaning or recycling.

FINANCIAL MARKETS Stock and bond markets closed.

TRANSPORTATION New York City subways and buses will operate on a Saturday schedule. Metro-North will operate on a Sunday schedule on Monday July 5. Long Island Rail Road trains will operate on a Sunday/Holiday schedule on Monday July 5.

TRIVIA: Lanford Wilson wrote a play titled The Fifth of July.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY: On July 5, 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeated Jimmy Connors.

Set the Tone Monday: The Stuff That's Different

"Sometimes the thing that’s weird about you is the thing that’s cool about you... When you’re young, and even at times when you’re older, it’s hard to fathom this: What needs to be nurtured is the stuff that’s different, that sets you apart from the pack, rather than the stuff that helps you blend in".

-- Maureen Dowd

Joey Chestnut Once Again Rules July 4th!

All hail Joey Chestnut!!

He once again woofed down many more hot dogs than any other competitor at the Nathan's Famous hot dog eating competition...

What an athlete!

What an esophagus!

What a champ!!!

What a gas!

No, I wasn't there in Coney Island today... I watched it on ESPN HD from the air-conditioned comfort of my own Hell's Kitchen flat screen tv...

Congratulations Joey Chestnut!!

And thank you to Pepto Bismol for sponsoring this great American sporting event!

The 3rd of July!

When the humidity has been low like it has the last few days... The thought of staying inside and doing chores seems impossible...

So, I've made full use of the last few days... out in the elements...

So, several blog posts and Flickr uploads are standing by for when I get the desk time to put it all together...

Right now, I'm just home with Sacco's pizza and have one eye on the couch...

Hope you're having a great few days yourself!

Museum of Art &Design: Alive or Dead?

Went to see an interesting and eerie art show last night (After El Centro steak salads with friend Danny)...

Dead or Alive?, presented by the Museum of Arts and Design from  through October 24, 2010, showcases the work of over 30 international artists who transform organic materials and objects that were once produced by or part of living organisms-insects, feathers, bones, silkworm cocoons, plant materials, and hair-to create intricately crafted and designed installations and sculptures.

Spice Skulls by Helen Altman was most intriguing to me.

49 spices, wire, glue, J-hooks
6 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 7 in. (16.5 x 14 x 17.8 cm) each skull
Courtesy of the artist; DCKT Contemporary, New York.

Dead or Alive? features new site-specific installations and recent work by contemporary artists from around the world, including Jennifer Angus, Tim Hawkinson, Jochem Hendricks, Damien Hirst, Alastair Mackie, and Levi van Veluw among others.

The Museum is just north of the Hell's Kitchen border at 2 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019 212.299.7777.
General: $15
Students/Seniors: $12

Thurs. 6:00 - 9:00 pm: Pay-What-You-Wish

Just Another Staycation Day in New York, New York

Here's Yesterday's Staycation Day  in reverse order tweets...

These next 9 issues of Time Out New York magazine are the most valuable of the year to me... As I'll actually have the time off to do some of the stuff.

Forever 21 Opens in Times Square: ... http://bit.ly/arEUVP

Smartphone needed a charge at 6pm. Coincidence. Cuz so did I! LOL.

Saw half of Open Mind show at Fountain Gallery... But the back half was closed for a gallery meeting. No prob. I'll go back again soon.

La Cage IS available for the evening performance... But at only 30% discount. Should be 50% off like the rest! Greedy producers! Boycott!

Polish Tea Room for shrimp salad on whole wheat toast, side of coleslaw & coffee. Wasn't in a blintz mood today. But those are the specialty...

"Happy Social Media Day!"

Sitting in Bryant Park on this last day of June... What an incredibly brilliant afternoon... Can only hope that July will take the hint.

Here at the NYPL main branch, they have a ledge in the main reading room with paper NYC telephone directories. How quaint is that?

I always love exploring the inside of the New York Public Library on Fifth Ave and 42nd St. Sitting in the reading room. Taking photos, too

Took another peek at the Declaration of Independence at the NYPL before it departs on July 31. Includes autographed manuscript by Thomas Jefferson.

Listening to Todd Robbins' super fun raggy versions of I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover and Give My Regards to Broadway in Bryant Park at lunchtime.

These damned TV stars on Broadway make it too hard to find bargain tix. Frak u Kelsey Grammar & your stoopid legendary hit TV show Frasier. Get off my Bway, bitch! LOL

A friend thought they might have a spare matinee ticket to La Cage Aux Folle on Broadway. But... Nah. Just stopped by TKTS booth. They don't have it either

The High Line pics from this morning's outing are now up on my Flickr page .

Damn, I hate it when my desktop computer freezes... I know I do a lot of multitasking.... But still....

I see my Motorola Cliq smartphone is still rated superior by PC World Magazine. 4.5 stars outta 5.

Nice walk up thru Chelsea along 8th Ave. Hopped a bus w/ my free t/fer through far more hectic midtown area. Lots of photos yet to upload.

Anyone wanting an ideal place for quiet morning meditation in Manhattan... Grab yourself a bench on The High Line. They open it at 7am daily

Catching a bit of early morning sun on The High Line overlooking Washington & Little West 12th. (Formerly the infamous Mineshaft nightclub)

Decided to head to the High Line. It opened at 7.30am and it's too gorgeous a morning not to go. Hope my camera battery is charged enough.

Cool blue-skied no humidity morning in NYC... Perfect!

Just enjoyed the hell out of counting the 70 days off that lie ahead... So great! But I'll STOP counting now as they dwindle and live each DAY AT A TIME!

Summer Vacation from school schedule: You think it has rural roots? Based on the agrarian calendar? Wrong! Reasoning is based on life in the city! http://is.gd/d9MGW