Backstage at the Bridal Show

The Bridal Show at Milk
New York City. iPhoto by Elderta

I occasionally work as a model dresser for high fashion runway shows. It's actually quite fun. The models and staff are usually nice, the designers friendly (though a little wound tight) and the clothes are super fantastic.

Believe it or not, but runway modeling is harder than you think. And don't worry, I know you won't believe it!

And Closer To Home... Too Close...

Photo from the New York Times/Reuters/Chip East

A small bomb went off in Times Square last night at around 3:43AM, in front of the Armed Forces recruiting booth in the heart of the Square.

Take the Newtown Creek to the BQE

Newtown Creek Trip
Summer, 2007
Video by Elderta

This video was taken on a trip up the Newton Creek. We usually only go about a quarter mile up the Creek, but on this trip, a smaller group took the Creek further up until we reached the Kosciuszko Bridge. We went a little past the bridge and hung out for a bit at a small bird sanctuary.

The Newtown Creek is still very industrial and is not quite as clean as the the East and Hudson Rivers have become over the last few years. However, it's getting better. Or at least I like to tell myself that as I'm kayaking in a small boat and watching the Creek bubble up from the massive 17 million gallon oil spill that still exists under the Creek bed.

I Dream of Summer

A Future Park
Brooklyn Waterfront, Summer 2007
Video by Elderta

Just a short video from last summer of some kayakers from the Long Island City Community Boathouse. We had just spent the day kayaking down the East River to the Brooklyn Bridge. On the way back to the boathouse in Queens, we stopped by a small cove that one day may be a animal and bird habitat and park.

I want summer to come so I can get back out onto the beautiful water that surrounds New York City. April seems so far away.

24 Hours of Outdoor Winter Dance

Somehow, I survived. It wasn't easy, and I certainly got a little taste of what life on the streets would be like if I had no home, but all in all, it was one of the best nights ever. Can you imagine staying on the street all night in the middle of winter just... dancing? I love New York. Except for those stupid-ass Cabaret Laws. Whoever heard of such a thing as dance being relegated only to specially licensed places? In New York, if you go into any bar or restaurant and someone puts a tune on the jukebox or the band starts to waltz away, don't you dare tap your foot or the dance police will be coming your way. Anyway, to find out more, go the Metropolis in Motion site, join the mailing list, write a letter to your City Council person, and most of all, DANCE!

Here's a little video (that won't sync with the vocal track... ack!) from the 22nd Hour of the Marathon when a group of London tourists stopped by.

Friday Cat Blogging

Doesn't Paikea look peaceful? All Buddha and Zen-like, eh? Well, don't believe the hype. All my baby wants to do is play, play and play some more, don't you know it! Instead of Paikea, she should be named, "Play-ah" but it's too late to change her name. And don't EVEN try to pet the Play-ah... no no no!

Really, she is sweet, she's just one of those kitties who would prefer not to be petter.

Anyhoo...

I've been a bit busy this week, so light blogging for me. I've noticed a few friends have nominated me for a "Human Equality Award" over at the Koufax Awards. While I'll never win, it's just a honor to be nominated, thank you, thank! Hmm... where have I heard that before?

My time this week has been taken up with working with the people from Metropolis in Motion. Do you know that in the five boroughs of New York, it's illegal to dance in bars and clubs that don't have a cabaret license? Yeah, you heard, me: ILLEGAL. It stems from the 1920s, and there's a whole bunch of history and reasons behind it, but we're working to abolish this portion of the cabaret laws to allow dancing in the local bar if you want to. Find out more at the website, and be sure to sign the petition here.

OK, gotta run, but until we meet again... which should be sometime this weekend.

Adieu.

I was just saying on New Year's Eve...

... that I would like to one day eat at Sardi's... when word came along today that Vincent Sardi, Jr., son of the founder of that famous Times Square establishment, passed away. Another New York ending, another New York era.

From the New York Times:

Mr. Sardi ran one of the world’s most famous restaurants, a Broadway institution as central to the life of the theater as actors, agents and critics. It was, the press agent Richard Maney once wrote, “the club, mess hall, lounge, post office, saloon and marketplace of the people of the theater.”

Mr. Sardi understood theater people, loved them and was loved in return. He carried out-of-work actors, letting them run up a tab until their ship came in. (At one point, Sardi’s maintained 600 such accounts.)

He attended every show and made sure his headwaiters did the same, so that they could recognize even bit players and make a fuss over them. At times, he exercised what he called “a fine Italian hand,” seating a hungry actor near a producer with a suitable part to cast.

He commiserated with his patrons when a show failed, and rejoiced with them when the critics were kind. He distributed favors, theater tickets and food, rode on horseback with the local police, and acted as a spokesman, official and unofficial, for the theater district.

Mr. Sardi was born on July 23, 1915, in Manhattan and spent his early childhood in a railroad flat on West 56th Street, where his parents took in show-business boarders. In 1921, his father took over a basement restaurant in a brownstone at 246 West 44th Street.

The Great White Way bows its head to you in thanks and farewell.

Holiday Gift Idea, Only $5000.00

Bryant Park Christmas Market, New York City

Just in case you know someone who needs a life-sized steel replica of the Predator. Just in case.

Is Kate Moss's Moon Real?

Great Jones and Lafayette, New York City

I was standing in front of the Acme Bar and Grill, where Dick Cheney's Holiday Spectacular is playing at the subterranean Ace of Clubs (which used to be aptly named Under Acme). Two girls were about to walk into the restaurant, and one says to the other, "That is not Kate Moss's ass. That has to be airbrushed. There's no way she could have an ass like that. It's too poofy."

Whether it's her buttocks or not, they are certainly splayed over Lafayette.

You be the judge.

Worst Places to Take a Dump in New York

I've gotten a bit political lately, and frankly, I'm tired of it. So, on to something really important!

It's rather difficult to find a public toilet in NYC. I mean, REALLY DIFFICULT. One of the golden places use to be the Plaza Hotel. You could walk into the lobby, obstentiously to look at the interior or just be a tourist, but then wander 'round to the olde toilette located on the first floor. New Yorkers used the public restrooms at the Plaza for those times when you just happened to be in the neighborhood and needed someplace to go. Oh well, those days are over at the Plaza: It was bought by a group that will turn it into condominiums and an updated hotel. So, I have the feeling that for 2.5 million dollar residencies, there'll be no more free dumps there.

Billionaires For Bush at the Plaza Hotel, Republican National Convention, 2004

Anyway, Gothamist.com (I love those guys!), posted a link to some guy who is doing an envaluable public service in letting us know where not to go if you need to go. I have the feeling the bathrooms on his site are either Unisex or Men Only (but if the men's room is bad, I can only imagine what the Woman's Room is like!) Unfortunately, when you have to go, you just have to... go. Oh well. Hold your nose, take some practical advice, and visit New York City and NY's "Wost Places to Take a Dump."

Ick!

Dancing is not a Crime! - Oh wait, yes it is!

Has anybody noticed how hot everything is right now? I'm so hot I can't even feel my skin anymore. And that's really weird.

I haven't posted in a while as I've been avoiding life, conflicts, projects, and things in general. I'm in a malaise and goodness only knows how I'm going to get myself out of this personal quagmire.

But enough of me, how's the rest of the world? Hmmm... let's see, I can sum it up in one word: crappy. C-R-A-P-P-Y. CRAPPY!!!!

Hell; we're about to all go there, at least according to the Bible-thumpers as the Middle East explodes; Iraq is still harsh, and now Turkey seems to be a tad upset as the Kurds are restless on the Turk's Southern border. Oh joy, oh bliss, oh rapture.

Oh... scratch that last one.

So into the fray is a bit of local NYC politics. In the five boroughs of New York City, it is illegal to dance in a bar, club, theater, etc., where three or more people congregate and where food or drink is served. So, no swing dancing, no moshing, no tango, no jazz tapping, no nothing, unless the venue has paid the city of New York a sum of money which legally allows patrons to dance.

There are currently 244 active cabaret licenses, a number that fluctuates depending on approvals, fines, and dormant licenses.

Sounds like, I don't know, Taliban country, eh? Well, I've been hearing that even in Afghanistan you can dance now, though I haven't been able to confirm it.

Back in 1926, these laws grew out of the jazz era in New York, when the races were mixing and the dance was hot and heavy; the last thing anyone needed was a meeting of the... coloreds and the whiteys. A Prohibition definition of lewdness was being regulated, and somehow, in 2006, the laws are still on the books. The background has changed, but the laws are still used to wontanly crack down on New York nightlife and keep our citizens in line.

There's been a few lawsuits in the past several years attempting to get rid of or modify the laws. Most attempts have been failures, though Paul Chevigny was able to strip the regulations concerning musicians: for years New York musicians had to have a license to play. One blight on their record and they could be denied the right to make a living by being denied the right to play. This law was stricken back in 1991. Musicians all over NYC went HOORAY!

Now, the last vestige of these laws lay in the anti-dancing portion of Public Law 20-359 regulating Public Dance Halls, Cabarets, and Catering Establishments in New York City, presumably one of the most enlightened places on Earth.

The bottom line is that dancing, my friends, is illegal in New York.

So, since all politics is actually local, on July 22 from 2-4 PM, there will be a protest at the corner of 5th Avenue and 79th Street, in view of Mayor Bloomberg's house. We are hoping to move the Administration to change the law and allow dancing while developing other regulations to control noise, overcrowding, and whatever else the City of New York needs to do to make places safe physically while allowing dancing.

So, see you there!

When: Saturday, July 22, 2006 from 2-4 PM

Where: At the corner of the Honorable Mayor Bloomberg’s home.
East 79th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Take the 6 train to 77th, the M79 or M2L buses to 79th and Fifth, or the M1, M2, M3, or M4 buses to 79th and Madison.

July 4th Kayaking on the East River

On a Kayak, East River Near Queens, Looking Toward Roosevelt Island and Manhattan, July 4, 2006

Lately, I've been doing something that I've dreamed about for the last ten years: kayaking on the rivers of New York City. In over 20 years of being in New York on and off, I'm one of many millions of New Yorkers who have looked longingly toward the water, either with desire to be in it, on it, or far away from it!

I was very lucky indeed to be on the water during the July 4th fireworks. Being out there in a small boat, with many gigantic boats, and watching the works together was a 4th I won't long forget. I'm very happy that I was able to do it and very happy that things are such in my life right now that I can enjoy the rivers of New York. It's good to be alive.

I took a few photos, but a moving boat and fireworks don't really go well... but it's kinda funky... I kinda like it...

On a Kayak, East River, Near Roosevelt Island, July 4, 2006

FLEET WEEK!!!!

Yes, you thought only those gals from "Sex in the City" loved Fleet Week (May 24-31), but think again... it's one of my favorite 'Holidays' in the City. In fact, my friend Liz and I love to call each other when we see a gaggle of see-through and white-panted fellows on the New York streets. What is even more delicious is that not only can one see hot American sailors (and some not so hot looking ones, too), but also sailors from all sorts of countries. In the past, I've seen sailors from Britain, Germany, Spain, Greece, and Holland.

I think I'll have to make a date with Liz to head around Times Square and go sailor watching. It's such a wonderful New York sight to see!

Some Flickr examples:

Four Sailors and a Starbucks
Sailors at Chilis, Times Square
Foreign Sailors
Three Sailors in Times Square
Two Camos and a Gay Flag
Dress Marine at World Trade Center with Camo Camera

This is What Plutocracy Looks Like

We Billionaires For Bush were hanging out at the United for Peace and Justice mass rally in New York City on Saturday, poking fun sticks at the hoi polloi, who just loves it when we poke them with our witty repartee.

Here we are showing them what plutocracy looks like.

About an hour into us standing in front of the Chase bank, a guard came around and told us to tell the rally folks not to take pictures of us in front of the bank. Yeah, we'll get right on that. It was of no moment, however, because the sun was just about to stop shining on our side of Broadway and our glory, so we moved across the street to stand in front of Best Buy. Which was as good as standing in front of Chase and a tad more ironic anyway.

More about the rally at BlueJersey.net and thanks for the photo and vid.

Pop vs. Soda

On a lighter note from "Cheney's Got A Gun," go and vote in the great "Pop versus Soda" controversy.

You can vote if you're in Canada, too.

The Great Pop vs. Soda Controversy

I grew up saying 'pop' in Michigan. I now say 'soda' in New York. I'm still scarred from the ridicule I was subjected to when I first moved to New York in 1984. I still cry at the laughs I endured from the elitist soda snobs of the Northwest.

Pop does sound funny, though.

NYC City Hall Electronic Voting Machine Meeting

So, I'm on this lady's political list, and she sends out bunches of emails a day about the shape of the political world. Sometimes she sends out actions as well. I won't be able to do this, but if you're in NYC, and feel like trotting down to City Hall on your lunch break, there's a meeting on the use of electronic voting machines in NYC.

Mark Crispin Miller will be giving testimony. Lots of people should attend and show the City Council that electronic voting machines need to be accountable down to the last vote.

PLEASE ATTEND!

Committee on Governmental Operations
hearing, Monday, November 21, 2005, 10:00 AM-1 PM

on the 2005 Election and the Help America Vote Act

Council Chambers, 2nd floor, City Hall, New York, NY
N or R train to City Hall
4 or 5 or 6 train to Brooklyn Bridge

1-2-3 to Park Place

Vendor will be there with their DREs and OpScans

My political friend also urges you to write local newspapers. I believe writing to local newspapers is a state-wide issue. Here's an EXAMPLE letter:

PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITORS OF YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPERS IN NEW YORK. HERE IS A SAMPLE THAT WAS SENT ON TO ME THAT I MADE MUCH STRONGER (NOTE FROM THE POLITICAL LADY)

To the Editor:

Soon all counties throughout New York State will be upgrading their old lever voting machines. As a voting citizen I'm deeply concerned about which technology will be used to count my vote. I want to feel confident that the voting machine will be secure, reliable and cost effective. I believe that the best choice is the paper ballot counted by the optical scanner. But it seems that if left up to the corporate vendors of voting machines this will not be an option for the county Boards of Elections.

Representatives of the New York State Board of Elections, who are in charge of certifying the machines that county commissioners will choose from, have recently claimed that they cannot compel voting machines manufacturers to submit their optical scanners for certification. This is an outrageous position, given that citizens, state and county legislators, and newspapers all around the New York State are calling for adoption of the paper ballots and scanners rather than expensive, insecure, error prone touch screen computerized voting machines that the vendors would prefer to sell us.

In a huge state like NY, it's absurd for the Board to claim that they have no power to require vendors to submit scanners--unless we now live under an oligarchy instead of the capitalist system. The market is king under capitalism and we, the people, are the market. The Board of Elections is supposed to represent the voters not the voting machines manufacturers, unless they have been hopelessly compromised by undue corporate influence. If that is so, the members of the New York State Board of Elections should be investigated for possible corruption.

Random Woman to Sudan

I work in the Bronx and live in Brooklyn. Needless to say, it's a long trip home on the subway. If you've ever been on the New York City subway, you know that a seat is a precious thing during rush hour, and as I get on the train toward home at the penultimate stop on my particular subway, I normally get a seat immediately. I read a lot, try not to engage too much, and get annoyed when someone tries to squeeze in between my big butt and the big butt next to mine when a space in between is smallish.

So I'm reading this past Sunday's New York Times Magazine article on Colonel Nathan Sassaman ("What the War Did to Colonel Sassaman"), who recently retired from the Army after men under his command forced two Iraqi cousins to jump off of a bridge, killing one. Colonel Sassaman would still have his job, if he had chosen to tell the higher ups that he knew about the incident. Instead, he chose not to tell his bosses, and now he's back in Colorado as a civilian.

But that's not this story.

So I'm sitting my big butt in a seat, and there's a smaller seat between me and another woman with a big butt, and a small woman wedges in between us. I'm a little annoyed, but I know that I've done it before, and hey, if the seat is big enough and if your butt's not so big, and you can squeeze in without causing serious turmoil, more power to you.

When the random small woman sat down, she pulled out a letter, which looked like it might have been faxed. Now how do I know that? Well... on the subway, it's very easy to peak over your shoulder and read someone else's reading material, when something catches your eye.

Like the United Nations letterhead on the top of the letter she was reading.


Needless to say, in this day and age, it's something that catches your eye.

She had gotten on at 42nd Street, not far from the United Nations building at 42nd and 1st Avenue. It started: "Dear Ms. C, We are pleased to inform you of your new temporary assignment in the country of Sudan."

And yes. I did feel like a smuck for begrudging her a seat between my big butt and the other lady's bigger butt.

I'm pretty sure it was her letter. She was reading it much too intently. I only caught the first few paragraphs, but essentially, she was off to Sudan for an assignment, doing who knows what for a period of time. I contemplated asking her about it, but she got off at 14th Street, and well, you know, I was looking at something that was none of my business anyway.

The only thing I can say, is that I wish you well, Ms. C.; good luck and bon voyage.

NYC Under Media/Mass Transit Threat

We have a little breaking news here in NYC, there is an heightened state of alert on the subway. Mayor Bloomie and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and an FBI guy just spoke. The threat was heard by a news network two days ago and was asked not to break the information. The information is "credible but uncorroborated." So we'll see what happens. Both the Jewish and Islamic holidays have started, so it's no wonder there's a little tension going on now. Today I'm home sick, and no subway for today, but if I feel better tomorrow, I've got to go to work. I live in Brooklyn and work in the Bronx. There's no way I can't avoid the subway. But it'll be ok... If I blog again, you'll know that it all worked out...