Playing Tourist

Occasionally because of my 12 hour a day TV habit and then months of mind numbing engineering workload I forget I live in NYC.

So to keep it real I play tourist. Last time it was at Governors Island now Saturday it was at the American Museum of Natural History, then a quick pass through Central Park, and finally see what's new a the Columbus Circle.

Thanks all that is great in technology because even with my 3 year old camera I took 542 images. For those of you not old enough to remember if this were film it could take a backpack full of boxes and about $100 in 1982 money.

Here are a few select images for mostly my enjoyment.

The front of the AMNH.
They're having a horse exhibit and some painted horses surround the museum.

Love the gorilla in the Akeley Hall of African Mammals.

No wonder they died off they're to skinny.

Imagine when they sneezed.

One of my favorite animals is that on that is outlined, imagine the size of that beast.

Even these mammoths were small compared to that last beast.

This is part of the Horse Exhibit, shhh no cameras allowed.

Great rodeo posters.

Here finally an image of me, enjoy.

Lizards and Snakes: Alive! another exhibit except everything here is unstuffed and living.

I see why so many get bit these things are so still.

My second favorite image of this vibrant green snake.

The Canadian Lynx is hunting a little rabbit that is too dark to picture.

Moose fight.

Two bears and a fish soon on FOX.

Guggenheim Hall of Minerals they have some stunning pieces.

For you Olympic fans here is the original gold, silver, and copper.

On to the Rose Center for Earth and Space where I saw Cosmic Collision.
It was the best documentary I've seen in a while, narrated by Robert Redford.

Regular rhinos, they have such sad eyes.

Right before the last call at 5:45PM I took this picture of frogs in action, these are stuffed.

Across the street in Central Park they were given balloon rides.

For $25 you can go up on a tethered balloon and hope the line doesn't break.

Ok, I got no idea why this bride was dragging her dress through the park but the bottom of the dress was filthy.

At the Columbus Circle Time-Warner shopping Center we are remind that it ain't a mall.

Street scene a must when talking about NYC.

Inside the mall shopping center very nice, but none of the books I wanted were there.

I saw four exhibits in the AMNH but I had a ticket if you didn't have one it would be about $80. Plus a simple lunch in the museum cost about $25. Just a fair waring.

Highs & Lows since 8/8/08

Olympic Opening Ceremony
Great, beautiful, skillful, etc.

My favorite part was the raising of the Olympic rings.

NBC's Olympic Coverage
Horrid. Tape delays are ridiculous in a modern world. I said it last Olympics please show each event live on one of your 7 NBC channels and if I choose to TiVo it then I will. If not I'll just not watch the events and go online for the results.

Bernie Mac
50 years old when he died! This guy was funny I watched nearly every sitcom he was on.
He had a reality show, another sitcom, and 2 movies coming out next season. That is such a shame.

BBC America
So many interesting shows on this channel and freakin' Cablevision/Optimum does not carry this channel.

J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets!
Yes we got an old, semi-retired, crybaby, with more bumps on his head than dimples on a golf ball. I do think it's a good thing. Welcome to NY/NJ Brett Favre .

So your remaking my childhood...

Fine then I want more candy and a TV in my room.

Wait you just remaking my favorite shows and movies, never mind.

Robert Englund has been out promoting his new movie Jack Brook: Monster Slayer and let it slip about his older productions which as far as he knows he will not take part in.

First he reveals that the newest Freddy Krueger movie will be a remake with a budget. Oh yeah Billy Bob Thorton is in line for Freddy Krueger.

Second he reveals V the great sci-fi series is being remade. The script has already been partially leaked here.

He did make the point that hardly anyone watches the original King Kong but that the remake by Peter Jackson was awful with a nice ending.

I haven't watched any of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, or other horror remakes because they look so bad.

I saw The Hills Have Eyes both remake and original on the same day. While both are B level the original is far superior.

Got Brick'd

˙sǝlʎʇs puɐ sǝɹuǝƃ dılɟ sǝıʌoɯ uǝɥʍ ʇɐǝɹƃ ʇ,usı

Finally saw the movie Brick recommended by Dani. I agree with her assessment it was like walking through a 1940's detective novel. I do recommend it but then again I've been deep into crime-dramas over the last two months. Love the posters.



If you like this one then I suggest Fresh starring Sean Nelson and Giancarlo Esposito it is the ultimate kid turn vigilante/detective movie.


Moving to my lack of TV reviews.

Well simply put they're awful. Plus other sites like TV Squad and AOL get the shows up to a month in advance and ruin any hope of posting a fast review. So unless something catches my eye I won't bother. My original hope for this blog was to visit movie sets like Amy but my lazybones and scholastic goals shut that down. So while I'll try to keep this site TV related it may transform.

Doctor Who: Journey's End
Fantastically sad.

Gone Baby, Gone

Finally a decent flick. Don't worry I won't ruin the plot or even try to review it but since it is so rare that I enjoy a movie I'll just say if your a fan of crime stories or a Boston hater this movie is for you, effing A.

This is not a mind bender but very well acted and of course it's less about the crime and more about the people. Now I want to read the book which is even more rare for me.

Reality Bites Now Your Wounded

One reason I hate reality shows, besides the obvious, are the lack of updates.

I'll admit to watching While You Were Out, What Not to Wear, Moving Up, and others. The problem with these shows is that they have no follow-up.

I loved the PBS documentaries because after a few years they would always add an update, granted is was to say that the subject/animal/environment of the documentary is now dead.

This Old House, Hometime, and New Yankee Workshop were good with updates but the episodes were never played in order.

Extreme Home Makeover

The joke of home remodeling shows. It's where they take unstable households and give the ridiculous homes, it's like Pimp My Ride for houses. You know that it can't end well but we never see what happens.

A year or so ago we heard of one girl who had a house built for her then the family kept the house after the gave her up.

Now comes the Harper family.



Given a house, no mortgage, scholarships for the kids, and community support. So what did they do the got a loan for the same value of the house started a construction business and then lost both.

What I want is regular updates. I'd watch these shows on a regular basis if I knew I could see stories like the Harper's. This is real life. People are given a chance and either they succeed, fail, or stay the same but at least we get a drama.

I want every episode of these reality shows updated. Where is Justin Guarini or that chick who got a new wardrobe in season 1 of What Not to Wear.

I give the idea for free. Make a blog with every reality show and full in depth updates.

Tripping

The farthest I'm getting away this summer involves the subway, a bus and whatever ferry happens to be free. Plus I'm still on the hunt of local filming.

Going to lower Manhattan I saw the pink fliers indicating they were filming around The National Museum of the American Indian but didn't stay long enough to find what it was named.

I went to an art exhibit above the ferry landing and also to Governors Island. Why? Because they're free. Rescue Me, 9 1/2 Weeks and a few other movies and TV shows have been filmed on or around the island.

Enjoy...

The Waterfalls #1

The Waterfalls #2

The Waterfalls #3

Leaving the slip.

Love the brick homes.

The entrances just fascinate me as I imagine coming home to my own private island.

You know I took a semester of architectural history.

Snapple machines may not be authentic to the time period.

The gym inside the arch.

Ye olde abandoned theatre and emergency shelter.

What's that in the distance? Zombies?

Oh no! Zombie babies!

Must...escape...island!

Safe back on the main land of Manhattan Island.

I get it your playing the building through the organ, yeah very artsy.

Finally safe on the subway. I can go home and watch some TV. A real New Yorker knows what train this is. Care to guess?

Outside There's Sun

Made a little trip to Governors Island in NYC so while I sort through the 259 photos I leave these two videos to enjoy.

Here is one in the maritime building above the ferry landing. It is an art project called Playing the Building: An Installation by David Byrne.