Fun with signs & cameraphone
Here are some interesting signs I've seen lately:
Below a window in a bar on Ave C.
But domestic objects are ok?
This one was in an NYC public school in Williamsburg. There's something vaguely racist and/or classist about this term and its careful preservation is odd- note that the old lettering of the sign has been painted around at least once and probably many times.
mike sold out at - 11:54
4.26.2006
Concrete Facts
I haven't written about politics related to work in a while, so I thought I'd drop this quote from Bagli's great analysis of the Freedom Tower/Ground Zero rebuilding effort.
Some experts are even wondering whether there will be enough steel, concrete and curtain wall to build the four towers by 2012 at the same time that two baseball stadiums, the $2 billion Goldman Sachs headquarters, the $1.7 billion expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Moynihan Station, 10,000 apartments and various subway projects are under construction.
This is something we've tried to take at least a cursory look at work. We estimated that there's some two and a half dozen concrete plants w/in NYC. Just guessing, there's probably another dozen or so w/in distance of the city in NJ. The funny thing about ready-mix concrete (the kind in the trucks) is that it has to be poured into the mold w/in a limited amount of time after it is mixed, typically 90 minutes. This drastically limits the places in the metro area, with its terrible traffic, that one can locate a concrete plant to service these projects.
Yet there are a number of concrete plants in the outer boros under real estate pressure from manufacturing neighborhoods becoming residential and getting rezoned for more development. And the only way to bring most freight into NYC is either by ship or truck. Rail freight is expensive in NYC & Long Island compared to the rest of the country b/c the only place to cross the Hudson is way up the river.
This is on top of the cost of raw materials for concrete and structural steel skyrocketing. And on top of the general inflation in the economy because of rising energy costs. My rough index of consumer inflation, the cost of a 16 oz box of pasta, has gone up from $0.99 to $1.29 at most grocery stores.*
So in conclusion, the harder it becomes to produce local goods b/c of rising real estate values, the more NYC loses flexibility in our economy and makes the region more vulnerable the volatile energy market. Glaven!
*Don't laugh, my Mom's index is the cost of a candy bar (it's surprisingly accurate- 300% back to 1975 and 1000% back to 1950).
mike sold out at - 23:38
4.23.2006
Look Out, Shrek!
Somehow, he found his way onto the third rail in the Nassau Avenue G Train station.
mike sold out at - 22:10
4.20.2006
Thrown to the Curbed
One of my photos from the party at 184 Kent last week got some love on Curbed, the NYC real estate-obsessed blog.
Enjoy.
mike sold out at - 16:41
4.17.2006
Playing with iMovie
So I wasted a full two hours tonight trying to learn iMovie and playing with my footage from last weekend. The results?
Milk Into Coffee, the Movie(qt, 10MB)
mike sold out at - 22:25
The Waterfront at 184 Kent
mike sold out at - 00:01
4.16.2006
Fun with the photobooth at Enid's
mike sold out at - 22:14
4.12.2006
Back in the Virginy-I-A
So I'm back in Reston for Passover. Lots of family stuff going on, but
more on that another post once I've digested it all.
One thing I forgot about living here is that in the spring, the water
tastes really funny. This has something to do with the development-driven
increase in run-off into the Potomac, where we get our water from. I
think that when there is a bunch of springtime run-off, the water
treatment plant has to crank it into overtime to get rid of all the crap
that is in the water.
Hence it tastes like a swimming pool and smells like glue. Mmmmm. Maybe
NYC's finest Eau de Catskills/Delaware/Croatan is spoiling me, but this is
pretty gross.
All in all, this wierd Virginia water is worlds better than dying of
cholera or catching Giardia.
mike sold out at - 00:32
4.06.2006
Destination: Greenpoint USA
By the Fleshtones
This song is brilliant: download mp3 (2.3 mb)
I was living on Avenue A (hey!)
The landlord called and this is what he had to say (hey!)
Your rent is overdue, as of today,
So pack your bags 'cause you're moving away.
(Destination Greenpoint USA!)
Sorry baby, I gotta move!
I got a flat, where I will not tell
Here's a hint I take the G Train and not the L
The housing market there is such
That I don't have to pay too much
(Destination Greenpoint USA!)
Gotta move, gotta move to Greenpoint, come on!
Girls there really blow me away
Out in Greenpoint, Brooklyn USA
Taking Polish lessons today.
(And the Northside's just a short walk away!)
Drinking beer and eating kielbasy
Knowing there's a barstool just waiting for me
(Destination Greenpoint USA!)
Sorry baby, I gotta move!
Update: Hat tip to Josh for corrected lyrics!
mike sold out at - 22:16
4.05.2006
Ninja James to the Rescue
A friend from a University in Virginia that I attended for a while has started a blog that amuses me to no end: NinjaJames. G-dspeed, little blog.
mike sold out at - 13:55
4.04.2006
Hallelujah!
***warning. semi-scatological humor follows***
I am just like you, only I digest lactose slower.* Please don't throw me away.
I've been able to get by with lactaid pills and avoiding milk products when possible. But today. Oh, today. I found my savior.
Kraft Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese.
I was about to make macaroni and cheese today when I looked at the package. For some reason, a message in small print had heretofore escaped my attention:
"Serving contains 0g of lactose"
I was stunned. Stunned. Previous research had turned up the fact that hard cheeses have little lactose, but I didn't think cheddar qualified.
Since I had no where to go tonight, and no one to impress/offend, I decided to do an experiment in the name of science. And Lordy, my lactose-pill free macaroni and cheese dinner was delicious and trouble-free. Praise Lactor, bringer of milk products!
