It is the first day of 2012 and I have decided to continue the daily tradition of posting to my blog once a day. Although I intended to do a written blog post at least weekly this years PostAday will be “A Year In Pictures”.
I am not a dedicated football fan by any means. If I’m out and around though and either the New York Jets or Giants are playing I can not help but be glued to the screen watching each play. I was having lunch with my wife today at a local hamburger chain and saw about 20 minutes of the Giants game. To say I was disappointed in their performance today would be a bit of an understatement. Yes I know it was a bit cold in the New Jersey today but it didn’t seem to be an issue for the Red Skins. On the field the Giants looked as if they had already lost. You would think after last weeks huge win they would be feeling pretty positive about possibly doing something with the end of the season. The NY Giants that have won a decent handful of Superbowl showed up last week to play the Cowboys and then went and hid in a cave someplace for today’s game. Without a doubt they did not show up to play today. Football rant and most of the NY Football season over. Enough said.
That is all I have to say.
Peter Weis
If your in the NY city area looking for a fast cheap eat follow your nose to the “The Spot”. The Halal Guys on 6th ave right by the Hilton Hotel. You know you are the right spot when you’ve been standing online for 10 minutes. The area is surrounded by impostor chicken and rice carts, but don’t be fooled into thinking they are all the same. If your into sauces, every one likes the mystery white sauce. If heat is more your style they have a killer hot sauce. Use it sparingly or you will be feeling the burn.
AES.
(Total reading time 1 minute)
The AES or Audio Engineering Society made its way to NY this year again. For three days audio engineers, producer, and studio owners get together to geek out with all the new gear and play be seduced by large knobs, blinking lights and high end recording software. Year after year you see the same new products. There is always an up to date version of Protools, the “industry standard” for recording. Vendors are selling the newest version of the same technology. This year only one little product stood out to me. It was an ipad app for $1. I don’t personally have an ipad yet but little apps like this make it hard to resist. The app was created by Moog. Moog changed the face of music when it started making the first synthesizers many years ago. For the average home studio recordist or composer they are an expensive addition to the studio. Even older model Moog synths can still be worth $1000′s. So this little $1 ipad application put the power and technology of Moog on a touch screen, with all kinds of additions that would only be possible on an Ipad.
What I find even cooler is that amongst all the booths at the show, with vendors selling high end audio equipment in every direction, Moog used there expensive Jacob Javits floor space to show off an application that sells for $1. That is cool.
Moog get it !
Thats all I have to say.
Peter Weis
Another Trip to Eatly
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Today I needed to go to Paragon Sports in New York City to pick up a new pair of running sneakers. Paragon is 5 minutes walking distance from Mario Batali’s Eatly other wise known as food heaven. As luck would have it there also was a liquor tasting going on this afternoon. Different vendors were set up in a small section through out the market offering taste of their different italian liquors. The were a number of limoncello’s to try as well as a few berry liquors and even a peach liquor that ended up coming hone with us.
After a 2 hour walk my wife and I returned to the area this time browsing through an outside market of street food. Do not be fooled by the term street food, everything available was made with high quality ingredients and tons of flavor. I enjoyed not only a chipolte pulled pork taco, but a organic nitrate free hot dog with jalepeno mustard and sweetened catsup and potato chips.
We finished up the afternoon back inside Eatly sharing expressos. The flatiron area is turning into a foodie heaven.
Thats all I have to say.
Peter Weis
I was doing research today, following up on something talked about in the antique restoration class I am taking, and came across this fact.
In the winter of 1780, New York Harbor froze, allowing people to walk from Manhattan to Staten Island.
This came from an article about a time period in history called the little ice age. Colder then normal weather patterns around the earth can be found in everything from art to scientific data. While I do not think we will see the wooly mammoth rise again and walk the earth I did find it interesting that at one time it was so cold you could walk from manhattan to staten island, straight across the frozen harbor. The Statue of Liberty would have need a warm winter coat and good hat to keep warm that year.
I’m not ready for winter yet.
Thats all I have to say
The Museum Of The Moving Image is a hidden treasure for film students and movie lovers alike.
This museum has been on my to do list for a while. A few weeks ago my wife had read an article about the on going Jim Henson exhbit, which gave us the final incentive to make the trip. After a double shot of expresso in the near by Starbucks we headed in. Admission was very reasonable, only $12 per person and the building was not over populated with tourist like many of the big New York City museums. The building is divided into three floors. The first has a small cafe, screening rooms and educational rooms. The second floor and parts of the third floor contain the installed exhibits, and then the remaining space on the third floor showcases the temporary Jim Henson Exhibit.
There so many cool things that brought memories of your favorite movies back to life. Masks from Star Wars, Ms Doubtfire, a mohawk wig used by Robert Dinero in Taxi Driver sit against the wall encased in glass. There are also set drawings, pre production models, costumes and props on display.
Besides the Jim Henson exhibit, the third floor also has many interactive activities for children and a huge collection of vintage cameras, movie equipment, and televisions. To think that you can record video from a phone that now fits in your pocket is mind blowing.
For the cost of admission this was truly a cool afternoon.
Little italys great September feast happens every year. It celebrates an Italian saint.
You can smell food from any direction. You walk. The streets are filled with people and vendors producing and consuming a variety of fried foods. Desserts tempt you from behind the protection of glass chilled glass. This is new Yorks grand finale of summer street fairs.
Boiling Hot
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Its the end of July and the middle of summer. It only seems right that the people freezing during the winter, aching from hours of shoveling, and longing for warmer days, would start to complain about the heat. I personally prefer summer of winter anytime. Its not that I do not like winter. I actually love the snow. Its the frigid days in between snow storms. When the peaceful blanket of white snow turns dark with slush and mud. Eventually after a day normal driving the entire road way begins to look like a snickers slurpee. Not a great subject for a snap shot.
Now we march through the summers first heat wave. Yes the sweat is nasty, at time is just won’t stop. The electric bill sky rockets from the use of as every functional air condition, fan, and dehumidifier. And the water bill heads north as well in attempt to hydrate us, clean us, and keep the lawn from turning brown. Ah yes summer.
One more day heat tomorrow, then back to more comfortable temperatures. I’ll take this over wearing long johns and heavy socks to sleep any day.
Thats all I have to say.
Peter Weis
