on the couch

Sit down and tell me your problems.

lock down

They even lock up shopping carts!

going home

via the manhattan bridge

via cab...

She is crazy!

pass it along..

as seen in the Brooklyn Downtown Star

This was something to fill out and send to the newspaper. I wonder how many of these they get a month??

independance day

I am officially registered to vote now! I'm a card carrying member of the Independence party. Sick of both the Democrats and the Republicans, this seemed the best option. The party mission seems to be to the point and all inclusive. Now I gotta study up on all the east coast
voting issues!

blogging the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

Yesterday I decided to head out and check out the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. It's relatively close to my house and it only costs $5 to get in, I would highly recommend it! This was what I first saw when I entered, the Japanese Hill and Pond Garden. It was filled with really green water and lots of large koi. From here I walked all over the place and below are some of the highlights. One of the most interesting things about the BBG is how quiet it is inside. There are all kinds of trees that are really large. The great thing was that there was hardly anyone inside the gardens. Just me and the old ladies! Also, the food at the garden cafe was actually good and decently priced. Oh, don't forget to stop by the gift shop, lots of cool plants and fun things!

lily pool terrace (BBG continued)

These were two very long ponds that had all sorts of interesting lilys in them. There were also an assortment of goldfish to round out the color in the water. It was amazing how clear the water was, they must have some mighty fine filtration going on.

tropical pavilion (BBG continued)

This was my favorite, always is. There were huge banana trees and all kinds of crazy lush plants with flowers. All of the greenhouses are climate controlled to suite the plant species inside. I'm gonna go here in the winter and hang out! Kinda like a mini vacation.

Steinhardt Conservatory (BBG continued)

This was part of the indoor greenhouses, and this section was the aquatic and orchid area. These crazy tropical lilly pads were big enough to hold a baby!

cherry esplanade (BBG continued)

This was an amazingly large field that had nothing but cherry trees on it. It looks like it would take quite a while to mow all this grass!

rose garden (BBG continued)

Wow, did this place smell good! Most of the roses had already bloomed, but the smell was still quite strong.

native flora garden (BBG continued)

The funniest thing about this area was that it contained the only three trees in the whole BBG that had any writing on them at all. I guess only real NY trees have graffiti on them.

lock it up

This apple tree was locked up... For safety

two best friends

hit me with your best shot

These two were riding toward each other at full speed. They seemed to like crashing into each other... probably because they have bikes. Even the little kids have bikes, damn, I want another bike. I'm still on the look out for one. Kids in Brooklyn seem to be more trusted to go outside and play, unlike in the suburbs where it's "dangerous".

going digital

Doesn't quite apply to a phone camera, but it's close enough....

Technology analysts IDC released the response to a new survey on digital photography habits today, and the results are interesting. Some highlights:

• While 1/3 of digital camera users never print anything, more then 10% print every picture they don't delete.
• The average number of pictures digicam users take per month is 75, and increasing.
• 14% of digicam users take more than 100 pictures per month.
• 15% of respondents never delete any images. 6%, on the other hand, delete everything they take (presumably after printing them).
• The total number of digital pictures taken per month is increasing at the rate 18% per year.
• While the number of prints per month is expected to grow 29% per year, the use of home printers is declining in favor of retail kiosks.
  

Some people print a lot, others doen't ever, but everyone is taking more photos. We're all stars now in a reality show.

collect them all

Theses are a small part of the 'Homies' collection that resides at my house. So far my favorite is a toss up between the mom with twins and the nun with glasses. They sale these in the 50 cent machines all over town. They have become something of an addiction. Be warned!

tattoo idea...

This was inside a workshop by my house. The guy that worked there seemed not to care when I asked if I could take a photo. Almost like I was one of many that constantly ask for a photo. For the record, I have only seen this shop open twice, both times today when I was jogging by it.

weird toy chairs

These cardboard models are in the window of the local art supply store.

crossing

Danger!

construction in progress

This is the construction site right next to my place. The second floor is beginning to emerge, and the sounds coming from that place are getting louder.

brooklyn subway waterfall

While I was taking this shot the subway conductor yell that "they all ready know about the problem". So I looked back at him and he yelled it again. I said thanks and kept taking the photo, and that really bothered him. He proceeded to inform Naomi(who was also taking a photo with her new camera phone) and I that "they also aren't sure where the water is coming from". Even as the train was pulling away he felt the need to stick his head out the window and scream it ONE more time. Shouldn't he be worried about driving the train?

mommy where did all the cars go?

kids taking over, again

This time they shut down a main street and set up another blow up structure. There was no water involved this time, BUT there was a guy riding around on a horse. Not sure where he got it and what he was doing with it, but it seemed appropriate.

it's official

I now have a NY state drivers license. I looks really fake, not sure if it's gonna fly on the West coast. Looks like I had some shady guy from Queens make me some slap dash thing from his home printer. Also, the laminate that they use has some type of sparkle in it which makes my hair look like I have blond highlights. Great. When the photo was taken I had my headphones on. Now I'm a DJ as well.

its rampant...

arranged colors. pretty.

deep in the heart of brooklyn

This is where the subway runs above ground through the middle of B-Town. It's the brown line, the J, M, and Z trains. I felt like a terrorist taking this seemingly boring photo, but I took it because I like the converging lines. I was waiting for officer friendly to stop and ask me lots of questions. Any time I want to take a photo of anything dealing with buildings or public transportation I always wonder if I should. Who wants to deal with the cops? Not me, thanks!

some like it hot

Sincerely, yours truly.

funny purse

What does this really mean? It makes no sense! Naomi found this at the 99 cents store. Who is your daddy and what does he do? He walks on water, thank you.

night time critical mass ride

It was, as I later found out, a "silent ride". Right after I snapped this photo the bikers stopped at a red light. One of them walked up to me and gave me a pamphlet. It listed a TON of bike related things to do over the course of the month. All of them in different boroughs of the city. To bad my bike was STOLEN or I might be able to attend one of them. They also have a special gathering for 20" wheels or under. BOOHOOHOO! I HAD 20" wheels. Stupid thieves.

brooklyn press

Today I was assisting a photographer who was shooting inside a newspaper printers warehouse. It was pretty amazing. I've never really seen a real printing press in action. The miles and miles of paper that they consume in one day is amazing! The roar of the presses in action, the smell of news print ink, and the tireless workers was indescribable. I want my own printing press right away! This photo shows one of the paper technictions inspecting a paper being printed. Apparently this warehouse prints all the ethnic papers of New York. All around were the signs of Jewish papers, Arabic ones right next to spanish ones, followed by Caribbean ones waiting for shipment. Really cool. Although one may not find this as cool as I. Seeing that, as I thought, going to the Natural History Museum for my birthday would be fun. Friends didn't think it was so fun, but I did get more enjoyment out of hearing them mock and wince at yet another "stuffed animal" or "taxidermy exhibit." I digress.

only in brooklyn

sad posting

This marks a first for brooklyn fix, a posting without a picture. The reason for this you might ask? Well, I lost a recent and dear friend this weekend. MY TRUSTY BXM BIKE! Someone stole the god damn thing! I've only had it for 2 weeks, and POOF! Gone! BOOOHOOMAMAHAHAHAHAHA. How did it get stolen you might ask? Well, initially I thought it was my own damn fault, but after later inspection I am left scratching my head. I left the bike at a subway station and locked it up with the HUGE chain and even bigger lock, an "american lock" and a chain big enough to kill someone if you swung it at their head. When I returned to claim my wheels the only thing left behind was the lock and chain. Not broken, not smashed, but lying there with the lock WIDE OPEN. My first thought was that I hadn't closed the lock all the way, giving me the false impression that it was secure. I did one of those double takes and said to myself "nah, my bike must be around here somewhere, and that lock and chain lying on the ground aren't mine" Low and behold they were. Later, after the shock wore off I did some experimenting with the lock to realize that it is virtually impossible to semi-close the lock. It will either stay open or stay shut nothing in between. With this knowledge in hand I was left thinking "what the fuck?" So, the next door neighbor informed me that he has heard of people having "master keys" that open any lock. This might explain why the lock was open, but it doesn't account for the fact that the thief left the lock. Why not take the whole damn thing? I'm at a loss for words and now on foot once again. After searching the internet to possibly comfort my loss I came across this survey done by Kryptonite locks (They make the most bad ass locks around, and they cost a fortune.) which shed some light on my plight:

Kryptonite's Top 10 Worst Cities for Bike Theft

10. Honolulu, HI
9. Minneapolis, MN
8. Philadelphia, PA
7. Austin, TX
6. Boston (includes Cambridge, Allston, Somerville)
5. Washington, DC
4. San Francisco, CA
3. Miami, FL
2. Chicago, IL

Drum Roll Please....

1. New York, NY

Fantastic! The great search for a new bike begins. I'll keep you updated.

and another!

This time the dog is in on the water action.

can you hear me now

Don't use T-MOBILE this is what you get! Naomi's phone broke in TWO! Luckily she can still answer the phone, but unfortunately she can't hear what anyone is saying nor can she tell if there is an incoming call unless she watches the phone to see if it lights up. Nice one.

jail or brooklyn apt.

You be the judge

techno savy religious freak

you're a winner

sidewalk grafitti

It seems to be a cross between a fence and people?

fast acting

The bigger image is a poster for the US Open with funny writing. Made me laugh really loud.

subway workin

laughs all around

I was riding my bike in Park Slope and saw this establishment. It was all lit up like a club and the blinds were closed. It looks like a front for something else.

smallest dog in town

Cute beyond belief. It was so small and moved so much that I couldn't get a photo of it's face. Fluffy was about the size of a large man's shoe. It was walking with two women and a child. When I asked to photograph it the older woman picked it up around the neck and plopped fuffly in front of me. It didn't matter though because the dog made me laugh so much. It was sooooo small. I wanted to dress fluffy up with a small hat and play music on a busy street. Small dog with hat + music = $$$

new building

This is going up right next to my place. Anyone wanna bet if it will ultimatly look good or bad?

mega cheap

Every neighborhood seems to have at least half a dozen of these suckers. This one is especially grand because of the perceived two story height. Don't let them fool you! I went inside and to my disappointment it was only one flippin' story!

where the trains used to sleep

getting around town

I recently got a BMX bike. I don't do any tricks on it, but there are pegs on the rear wheels. I forget they are there and when I go to push off I ram the back of my leg into them. It always leaves a nice mark. The stencil has a funny mushroom shaped head/helmet. Kinda odd.

a brooklyn backyard

Complete with dog. He likes to eat everything.

a whore grows in brooklyn