Testing 9/11 Tribute Lights
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
Alerted to look @NewYorkology
Katz’s Neon
Monday, September 6th, 2010
Shooting hand-held at night without flash presents some challenges. The natural lighting and the movement blur of the people is appealing. But holding the camera steady enough at the required slow shutter speed is a bit chancy and the digital noise with my Panasonic DMC-FZ35 in low light exposures is very ugly. I’ve resorted to a much heavier Photoshop hand than usual for me.
Whatever Happened to Samantha Raven?
Sunday, September 5th, 2010[Update, Sunday the 5th] I spent a fairly uneventful hour and a half sitting in front of the cemetery. Only two people stopped to look at the placard, and neither wanted to be recorded. Fortunately I had the company of fellow East Village blogger, the lovely and mysterious Goggla, who kept me regaled with neighborhood stories.
I did hear from one neighbor who convinced me that Samantha’s wing had healed enough for her to fly away on her own. He told me of seeing her on the tops of the buildings on the south side of 2nd street, which are only accessible by flying (Previously, Samantha got to the tops of the buildings behind the cemetery by climbing trees and flying down to the roofs). Also he saw her on First Avenue. He knew nothing about a male raven, and surmised that she just picked herself up and moved on when her wing healed. Unless someone else comes up with some information, I’m going to call this case closed.
This coming Sunday, the 5th, at noon I’m going to take this placard and sit in front of the Marble Cemetery on East Second Street in the East Village and see what happens. Hear whatever the neighbors and passersby have to say, record their memories of Samantha. I’ll be recording video and/or sound. Come and share your memories. I’ll make a video with whatever I get. Noon to 1:30 or later if things get interesting.
Samantha was rescued and brought here from Wyoming a couple of years ago, she has a damaged wing. The wing seemed to be healing somewhat this past year in the cemetery. She had more mobility than before. Samantha survived the harsh winter weather of 2009/10 in the cemetery.
The rumor I’d like to confirm is that a male raven heard her plaintive calls this past Spring and spirited her away with him. But I’ll listen to any story you have to tell.
Remembering Hope
Sunday, September 5th, 2010
Time’s Up takes their shopping-cart bulldozer to reclaim the site of the Esperanza (Hope) garden in the East Village.
Stay or Go?
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
These walk don’t walk signs took a beating this past winter with all the snow getting into the works and shorting them out. Many have not yet been repaired.
Dealing with Seasonal Allergies without Antihistamines
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010This is a re-post from two years ago. I added the helpful gif below for your edification and amusement.
I’ve always been annoyed that at this beautiful time of the year, just when the air cools, I unfortunately also start to sneeze and itch from airborne allergies. On general principals I avoid taking man-made chemicals into my body, without absolute need. Many antihistamines cause drowsiness and slow reaction times. There is also some concern that they act in a way similar to other chemicals that have been shown to promote cancerous tumor growth. So here are a few things I’ve found that help me deal with my pollen allergies without antihistamines.
Tell me your favorite natural remedy for pollen allergies in the comments. I’ve used homeopathic remedies with some success in the past, but I find the methods listed above to be more reliable.
Twist Wall at Night
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
LES Night
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
Trying to rescue the pixels from digital noise, I applied some filters. My camera is pretty noisy in low light. Essex and Stanton Streets.
American Apparel was throwing off enough light to illuminate this scene. That’s a toy truck on the right. Orchard and Houston Streets.
