A friend gave me this wonderful book, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, back in the 1980s inscribed by its author, Chris Van Allsburg. Unlike Van Allsburg’s other books (Jumanji, Polar Express for example), he did not create these illustrations – or so the story goes. Where did they come from, you may wonder? The story [...]

While not as publically-proclaimed as the 21 may 2011 Rapture, Harold Camping has declared this friday, 21 october, the real deal. “We can be sure that the whole world… will be annihilated together with the whole physical world on October 21, 2011.” What the believers did Camping’s previous declarations didn’t come to fruition, and sent [...]

I’ve been walking this city for along time. When I arrived, New York was a raw city. I knew where to walk, and where to avoid. But the one thing I could always rely on, if things got a bit dicey, were gas stations. They were always nearby as a safe haven. Well, it’s a [...]

Star date 9.10.11: On September 8, 1966, the first regular episode of Gene Roddenberry’s TV series Star Trek aired, launching one of the greatest sci-fi franchises in TV and film history. For true Trekkies who know most everything about Star Trek, there are few surprises in space.com’s infographic that details the series’ first 45 years. [...]

What’s wrong with getting a little emotional? Even though baseball is generally a non-contact sport, it’s still a sport – let them get a little excited, dammit! Put those archaic, gentlemanly rules aside once in a while. After watching the emotionally-charged Yankees at Boston game on Tuesday night, the Yankees’ won 5-2. By game’s end, [...]

Right – wrong title – but come on, it works. Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene shut down most of the US mid- to north-Atlantic coast throughout the weekend of 27-28 august 2011. Wandering about post-tempest, these images caught my eye and summed up what Manhattan felt like on the morning of sunday, 28 august – the good [...]

My curiosity about global and personal happiness continues. For the curious g readers, you’ve already been introduced to my inquiries in The world has gone happy, Smile when you say that, and the happiness quest ~ overrated? Adding to this conversation is the documentary, The Economics of Happiness. With life becoming increasingly stressful for many [...]

Injury. Slip of the tongue. Two rogue alarms. Unextinguished fire. Extreme heat. Sounds Shakespearean, right? But the show must – you know – go on. And it did. I was given the gift of Shakespeare. But not just by any troupe – it was the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) hosted by Lincoln Center, and in [...]

I stand corrected. It seems that Riverpark Farm is not the first example of farming in Manhattan (since roughly the 17th century.) While strolling in lower Manhattan yesterday, I spotted this happening in urban agriculture: The Parks Department teamed up with the Battery Park Conservancy and several area high schools to plant crops in an [...]

Now, I’m sure all the curious g readers know that back in the 1600s to mid-1700s, most of upper Manhattan was rolling farmland. Do I hear a yes? The original city of New York began at the southern tip of Manhattan and slowly expanded north. While lower Manhattan was dominated by Five Points and other [...]