Had to take this shot as a tribute to 2600

I Love NY...Part II

	Had to take this shot as a tribute to 2600. What's up with this payphone? I wonder if it still works? Speaking of 2600 I bought the current issue at the Tower at Lincoln Center. Last copy. It was awesome to think that people in NYC were buying that issue and reading my article. I felt like telling the clerk that I wrote the article on page 23 but stuff like that wouldn't impress a dude in a record store in NYC. Which is why I love it there because not much impresses me either. There is only a small subset of celebrities who impress me for example: George Peppard, Lee Marvin, Steve McQueen, Mr. T. And the only guy on that list who isn't dead is T. So anyway, celebrities can walk down the street in NYC and not get molested by anyone. Doesn't work like that in LA. I love the "So What" attitude of Manhattan.
	In NYC space is so tight people offer their roofs as development space.
	Car stacking.
	Stars fulfilled a life long wish by eating Chinese takeout in those cute containers. I have to say though, if you're ever in NYC stop by the Mee Noodle House on Ninth. You haven't had an eggroll until you've had one from there.
	Times Square. Notice the traffic cop. Only in New York would you see two traffic cops directing traffic under a functioning signal!
	This was along Ninth somewhere between 50th and 55th. Basically it says that if you walk by this sign you agree to be in our movie. Which I do!
	Obviously I'm fascinated by car stacking. This guy even installed some elevators on top of his parking garage.
	There are loads of strange boxes and things installed on NYC corners. I have no idea what these are. I thought it might be some sort of wireless repeater or something but then I saw one owned by Con Ed. I didn't get a shot of them but there are also 8 foot tall tanks of liquid nitrogen chained up every 10 blocks or so and covered with ice. Right there on the corner. They have pipes running into the sewers. They must be there to prevent steam from coming up through the grate. When steam does come up they slap a 10 foot tall orange and white cone over it to get the steam over the traffic.
	This is how you lock your bike in NYC. Another popular trick is to cover your bike in tape and paint to make it less attractive to thieves. I'm talking about globbing black paint all over your brand new--just picked it up--Gary Fisher.
	One of two Rolexes Sis bought on the street. Can you believe this? A ROLEX for $20 bucks! It stopped though so I'm taking it in to Birk's tomorrow for service. I'm sure I'm covered. Anyway, a cop came to shut down these vendors. As soon as the vendors saw them they packed up their milk crates and briefcases and started walking away. The cop is all like "Get out of here." Now normally the cops don't care about these guys but we were waiting in line for Conan tickets and they knew the line was full of tourists. (Then again, you can test the patience of the cops if you keep showing up in the same spot after a cop told you to split. Sis saw one cop overturn a table of DVDs right on the street.) Anyway as soon as the cop turned his back the vendors start busting out their wares again. It was like the ghosts in Super Mario that only chase you when your back is turned.
	In NYC FedEx and UPS put drop slots on the sides of the trucks. Things like this fascinate me. It's because I'm a diehard pragmatist.
	Didn't come out too great but I needed to post it to tell the story. Every two blocks there's someone selling something on the street. Some people have permits and some don't. This guy was selling books. Anyway, he's reading a book called "Japanese Made Fun" and he was totally absorbed by it. It just made me laugh.
	There's something so NYC about a guy with no shirt hanging out of a window.
	My peeps in Washington Square. They'll play speed with anyone for cash. There are signs all around (you can see one under the green lamp shade in the upper right) saying No Gambling but it's just for show. I was offered a few games but declined because I don't hustle people.
	The arch in Washington Square.
	Firemen taking a break at Washington Square. The crew is just out of frame eating sandwiches on park benches. NYC firemen pretty much get the run of the City.
	Webster Hall where I had to wait in line for 2 hours for Sis to pick up her ticket while she moved our luggage from room to room because we hadn't renewed. Ah well. I met some cool kids there. There were two totally punk ass dudes there who struck up a conversation with me. No shirts, scars all over their chests, filthy hair and whatnot. They left the line for some Cokes. They drank 'em and stacked them on a public phone. An hour later a guy came out with a garbage can for people in line. Then this punk goes over grabs his 2 cans and a Gatorade bottle someone else left and threw them all in the trash. That's NYC. Despite outward appearances everyone is so nice and friendly. Always saying thanks and picking up litter. I heard more "Excuse me's" in NYC than I did all year in Canada. It has to be that way though or everyone would go mad.
	This newstand will charge your cell in 10 minutes in a cell phone emergency.
	Took this to give a sense of the density of the city. Stand on any corner in Manhattan and this is what you'll see. Look at how the buildings just disappear into the vanishing point. How the City doesn't just sink into the ocean I'll never know. The weight of the buildings and infrastructure must be incredible. And every building goes down like 6 floor below the ground. That's where all the parking is.
	Anything you want to eat you can buy on the street. For that matter, you can buy ANYTHING at all on the street. There was a nice gentleman down on Front who even offered to sell me a bridge. Unfortunately, my credit card didn't clear but he took down the number and said he'd get right back to me.
	This guy was pushing his catering cart down 6th the whole way. It's easier than getting through on the sidewalk. And traffic doesn't care. Try that here and people would be writing editorials.
	Bryant Park. I'd be here about 12 hours a day if I lived in NYC. The park features a free wireless hotspot, has a public bathroom that was voted the best in America--quite a claim--is not taxpayer funded, and dates back to 1686. This park really is incredible: chess tables, movable chairs, and a reading room! People are encouraged to make the park their office. When I was there they had free movie night in the park. And they weren't artsy-fartsy craphouse movies. They were showing Jaws!
	St. Patrick's Cathedral. It's impossible to get a good shot in NYC because you can never get back far enough. I had my back up against a building and still couldn't get it all in frame. And there was no way I was even going to get more than the front door of St. John's; the largest cathedral in the world. And using a flash inside either of these buildings is like trying to light up the Grand Canyon with a Zippo. I've tried to take a picture of that sculpture of St. Michael three years running and still NO LUCK.
	Here we were waiting in line for standby tickets for Conan. We didn't score any. It softened the blow when I heard that Al Franken was the guest. Of course, I'd see Conan if it was "Al Franken and Michael Moore Trash GWB Night" but since I didn't get tickets it helped to think that all I was missing was that wiener. What a nerd. You can make out the bag belonging to a vendor in the lower right. There's a chick in a green shirt buying some "Chanel" sunglasses. This is where Sis bought a Rolex. The guy is walking up and down the line saying "Do you want to buy a watch or maybe a letter Q?".
	Fifth Avenue. Sis and Stars had job interviews but they forgot their resumes! Silly rabbits!
	No this picture isn't from another holiday. This is a view from Central Park South into the park. There's a guy there with his rowboat. Turn your body 180 degrees and you're faced by a wall of concrete. It's a row of expensive hotels where all the stars stay. It's like another world.
	Mars picked up some souvenirs at the Olive Garden. I love it there because they have the gayest waiters. They're the best.

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