A hopeful and lovely sound..
This is a dog-walking story too, in a way:
I often take Casanova (the eskimo pup) on a late-night walk to my favorite place in all of Gotham, St. Mark's Church. He cant go inside the grounds but loves the place as much as his mom does, though he sometimes senses the ghostly activity and bays.
A few nights ago I walked him there at 1 AM - it was very quiet on the streets. As we rounded the corner I heard the unmistakable lines of Alan Ginsberg's "Howl"
"who coughed on the sixth floor of Harlem crowned with flame..."
There was a young man standing on the church steps, copy of HOWL in hand, doing a reading of the epic poem to the deserted square.
A hopeful and lovely sound.
And THAT is why I miss NYC.
Then I assume you would have loved the little ceremony held right in the middle of E.3rd Street at the corner of Ave. B last weekend. The block of 3rd between C and B has been renamed.
Reverend Pedro Pietri Way.
Such a beautiful occurance. With his partner in poem Miguel Algarin -both were co-founders of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe where Ginsberg was an infrequent declaimer- presiding over the street ceremony at which a 12 year old spoke a wild, astonishing poem about the late reverend just as warm spring rain started to land.
Something was in perfect balance then and your blood just kind of slowed down a bit.
The grotesque idiot powers that be may lurch at getting the whole earth to fly off its hook but a small boy speaking a poem is the manifestation of our real destiny.
Reverend Pedro Pietri Way.
Such a beautiful occurance. With his partner in poem Miguel Algarin -both were co-founders of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe where Ginsberg was an infrequent declaimer- presiding over the street ceremony at which a 12 year old spoke a wild, astonishing poem about the late reverend just as warm spring rain started to land.
Something was in perfect balance then and your blood just kind of slowed down a bit.
The grotesque idiot powers that be may lurch at getting the whole earth to fly off its hook but a small boy speaking a poem is the manifestation of our real destiny.
Major Hell's Angel's dish on 3rd Street yesterday.
http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2007/01/29/developing_show.php
quote:A couple comments on Gothamist Contribute noted some issues around East 3rd Street today.
- Any idea what happened at the Hell's Angel house on E. 3rd St? Police tape and detectives were around when I walked by earlier this morning.
- Regarding the NYPD helicopter.
We live at 72 East 3rd, and there are snipers on the roof next to us aiming at the Hell's Angels who live opposite. There was a big ruck last night. I would imagine theyve got guns in the hells angels building.
- The bomb squad just bagged up the Hell's Angel's exterior cameras, and an armored assault vehicle has moved into position. Looks like a showdown.
Now it turns out the police presence is due to a woman being found "critically injured" outside the Hells Angels headquarters. The police have sealed off East 3rd Street. The police want to know if she was attacked inside the building and then dumped on the sidewalk. The police are apparently waiting to get a search warrant to enter the building.
http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2007/01/29/developing_show.php
I saw the full story in the Post or daily news today. Seemed that a 50-smth yr old Messy Bonnie look alike was crashing some party? ended up in some cat fight now the poor gyal is in a coma.
As a long-time resident of East Third Street, and a survivor of 3 or 4 NYPD SWAT raids on the Hell's Angels - all I can say is that the NYPD are ass wipes - blah blah blah about what "heroes" they are - they are fascist pigz - they cordoned off and blockaded the street for hours. We were prisoners on our own street - with those assholes screaming and yelling at those of us who live on the block and who wanted to come and go as free citizens about "the dangerous situation" yadda, yadda, yadda.
I hope the HA sue the crap out of the city and the NYPD again and get some more millions out of them - so utterly ridiculous. When ever there is a complaint against the HA, the NYPD prick pigz come swarming in and then accost everyone on the block who wants to leave or get back home.
I have to say that police-riot-photog Clayton Patterson was right there and got some candids of me arguing with the idiotic, brain-dead, numbskull, drivel-babbling cop. It was also reassuring to see Ron Kuby in action and adding up the dollar signs on the legal action that is sure to enSUE!
Empress, remember a thousand years ago the graffiti on this block across from the HA clubhouse? "When in doubt, bash them in the head." RIP -In memory of Vinnie.
As William Love (aka Jasmine Allspice) said to me when I asked him if he missed New York living in Miami – "I only miss New York when I am visiting."
I hope the HA sue the crap out of the city and the NYPD again and get some more millions out of them - so utterly ridiculous. When ever there is a complaint against the HA, the NYPD prick pigz come swarming in and then accost everyone on the block who wants to leave or get back home.
I have to say that police-riot-photog Clayton Patterson was right there and got some candids of me arguing with the idiotic, brain-dead, numbskull, drivel-babbling cop. It was also reassuring to see Ron Kuby in action and adding up the dollar signs on the legal action that is sure to enSUE!
Empress, remember a thousand years ago the graffiti on this block across from the HA clubhouse? "When in doubt, bash them in the head." RIP -In memory of Vinnie.
As William Love (aka Jasmine Allspice) said to me when I asked him if he missed New York living in Miami – "I only miss New York when I am visiting."
Hapi Phace, you poor dear, I hate the pigz 2. They are fascists. One night during a visit to NYC, We walk out out of the Golden Theatre after Avenue Q and two theatres down the crowd was massive, because Miss Julia Roberts was stinking up Broadway with her play that she was in. The pigz were yelling and not too gently handling the crowd, and shoving them a bit. I said a la Neil in The Young Ones, "Watch out it's the pigz"...all that commotion for an actress that looks like (in the opinion of Lois Griffin on Family Guy) she has a baboon's ass on her face! OINK! OINK! indeed!
It is almost a kind of weird bigotry against the HA. And these days the cops will take any excuse to totally go over the top with every kind of asset available to them.
I'm reminded of the F train party I attended about four years ago. The whole train was stopped on the platform before the Coney Island terminus. Then a battalion of cops stormed the train -to squelch harmless partiers. Swat teams tricked out with massive body armor, heavy machine guns, dogs; regular street cops seemingly out of place; and lastly and most menacingly a squad of outright goons, young guys in their early twenties all with shaved heads wearing blue windbreakers with absolutely no insignia or identification, they all carried one item, a truncheon the size of a bat.
I'm reminded of the F train party I attended about four years ago. The whole train was stopped on the platform before the Coney Island terminus. Then a battalion of cops stormed the train -to squelch harmless partiers. Swat teams tricked out with massive body armor, heavy machine guns, dogs; regular street cops seemingly out of place; and lastly and most menacingly a squad of outright goons, young guys in their early twenties all with shaved heads wearing blue windbreakers with absolutely no insignia or identification, they all carried one item, a truncheon the size of a bat.
Yes, it was ridiculous the other day. They wouldn't let me get to the building without a police escort. I told the bumbling cop who yelled at me from the police truck when I ducked under the crime scene tape at the other end of the block and started that I didn't need a police escort to get to my door that was 15 feet away. I said, "Then why don't you get out of that truck and escort me yourself?"
It was so over the top and nothing but one big pissing contest by NYPD. Dozens of NYPD cars and trucks, SWAT vehicles, armor, helicopters...a small army...and how much are we as New Yorkers paying for all this cock-size contest by NYPD? I would price that raid at around $300,000 just for salaries, fuel, etc...
It was so over the top and nothing but one big pissing contest by NYPD. Dozens of NYPD cars and trucks, SWAT vehicles, armor, helicopters...a small army...and how much are we as New Yorkers paying for all this cock-size contest by NYPD? I would price that raid at around $300,000 just for salaries, fuel, etc...
LOL Joe, I bet it was a cool million$! Half the cops were probably on overtime!
The HA building hasn't had a menacing profile for at least 8 or 9 years. This has been reflected in the very type of bike the guys park out front. Nowadays you can see actual dress bikes on the curb. A far way from the heavy choppers and custom parts-yard vehicles that used to dominate there.
And you can be sure you are now on Police video tape down at the 6th precinct Joe!
The HA building hasn't had a menacing profile for at least 8 or 9 years. This has been reflected in the very type of bike the guys park out front. Nowadays you can see actual dress bikes on the curb. A far way from the heavy choppers and custom parts-yard vehicles that used to dominate there.
And you can be sure you are now on Police video tape down at the 6th precinct Joe!
Loved this thread. I used to live in hapi's building, and when I saw the articvle about this raid in the times I was sitting at a break room table of a retail store and pointed out to a couple of coworkers that I used to live about "right here" in one of the photos of cvop activity.
It seemed like some thought that was glamourous, and others thought it was so glamorous i might be lying about having lived there.
It also brought up a lot of NYC memories, and i feel just like Bobby expressed with THAT IS WHY I MISS NYC, about Chi Chi's story about the guy reciting HOWL by himself. in new york the honored loon is soul stroking even to the bitter, but out here in nowhere, it would have no honor.
Anyway,,,I recall TRYING to get to Hapi's building...my building when I had to pee so bad i would DIE...but i couldnt cross 2nd ave ANYWHERE because Clinton was gonna drive down it in a little while. The weird thing is that I had taken up jogging for a brief period then, and earlier that day I was able to run over that walking bridge that goes over the FDR, and I ran right over top of clinton's motorcade which was the ONLY thing on the highway.
It was so senseless to me to later be trapped in this crowd and not be allowed right across the street to the adress on my license. I couldnt help but feel we were all being held prisoner as EXTRAS. (incidentally I was with tabboo and we ran into Nan Goldin and waited together for the road to unblock, but I couldnt hardly deal with her what with my being busy shifting legs.).
and furthermore...I never saw ANYTHING happening at the HA house that warranted anything like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKMYp1NBdlE
It seemed like some thought that was glamourous, and others thought it was so glamorous i might be lying about having lived there.
It also brought up a lot of NYC memories, and i feel just like Bobby expressed with THAT IS WHY I MISS NYC, about Chi Chi's story about the guy reciting HOWL by himself. in new york the honored loon is soul stroking even to the bitter, but out here in nowhere, it would have no honor.
Anyway,,,I recall TRYING to get to Hapi's building...my building when I had to pee so bad i would DIE...but i couldnt cross 2nd ave ANYWHERE because Clinton was gonna drive down it in a little while. The weird thing is that I had taken up jogging for a brief period then, and earlier that day I was able to run over that walking bridge that goes over the FDR, and I ran right over top of clinton's motorcade which was the ONLY thing on the highway.
It was so senseless to me to later be trapped in this crowd and not be allowed right across the street to the adress on my license. I couldnt help but feel we were all being held prisoner as EXTRAS. (incidentally I was with tabboo and we ran into Nan Goldin and waited together for the road to unblock, but I couldnt hardly deal with her what with my being busy shifting legs.).
and furthermore...I never saw ANYTHING happening at the HA house that warranted anything like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKMYp1NBdlE
They should re-name Second Avenue "ATM Way". A Chase bank is opening on my corner at 10th Street where the Second Avenue Deli used to be (which BTW, I don't miss. The food was mediorcre, disgustingly overpriced and the owners were pompous bores).
I must admit it's the first time I've been enthusiastic about an ATM opening. Chase bought the Bank of New York, where I've banked for years, so now I am not charged ATM fees at any Chase machines -- and soon there will be one right downstairs. Hope it doesn't make me a lazy cow.
I must admit it's the first time I've been enthusiastic about an ATM opening. Chase bought the Bank of New York, where I've banked for years, so now I am not charged ATM fees at any Chase machines -- and soon there will be one right downstairs. Hope it doesn't make me a lazy cow.
Remember when there were NO ATMs in the area (before those portable ones in deli's) there was just that ONE bank on Ave A around 4th st ...and that was IT!
Remember when there were no ATMS at all?
Iguess I am dating myself.
Iguess I am dating myself.
Remember when there was only horse carts and hasidem?
Remember when it was only Indians. Ok maybe a possum or two.
Chase bank has doubled the number of offices it has in Manhattan, according to their own media campaign. They have even put ATMs in local pharmacies too. It seems to be a war with WaMu and this new Commercial Bank that has sprung up like rot. -I guess Chase is trying to become the Starbucks of banks.
So, from time to time (when i remember!) I hang a seedbell from my fireescape..which seems to attract all sorts of interesting little birds.
Mainly sparrows but I have had some woodpeckers and yesterday one really interesting lil birdie who hung out all sunday morn on my window ledge.. i just googled him... and turns out he's an American Robin. How cute!
Mainly sparrows but I have had some woodpeckers and yesterday one really interesting lil birdie who hung out all sunday morn on my window ledge.. i just googled him... and turns out he's an American Robin. How cute!
Attachments
Images (1)
Anna where have you been. Robins are like a Ford or Chevy.
Now when you get some hummingbirds, that might be a rare thing. But they don't go for seeds.
And if you want a really exotic local bird, try hanging a used crack pipe from your fire escape. Presto! That's right. Its Messy Bonnie Raitt !
Now when you get some hummingbirds, that might be a rare thing. But they don't go for seeds.
And if you want a really exotic local bird, try hanging a used crack pipe from your fire escape. Presto! That's right. Its Messy Bonnie Raitt !
Robins look totally different in England so I had no idea what it was! Never seen one before... I think am a bird fancier!! LOL How odd and random but I watch the hummingbirds and doctor birds in Jamaica for hours... they have these tiny tiny birds about 3inch that are so cute there very like humming birds.
Messy Bonnie is a dirty bird with a small pecker I hear.
Messy Bonnie is a dirty bird with a small pecker I hear.