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For most of my life Tuesdays were made more interesting by a tradition at what was once a great radio station, WNEW-FM. A station that introduced progressive rock to New York City, changed a generation from pop singles to album oriented and in maturity deserved the slogan "Where Rock Lives." The tradition that people from other cities probably remember from other stations was called "Two for Tuesday."
Since tomorrow is sort of special in WNEW-FM history, I have a few other videos to post besides the obligatory two songs. On June 9, 1982 someone went into the studios at that once great radio station and tried to capture a day in the life of progressive rock radio. It might not be so interesting if you're not into the nostalgia so just click the links below if you would like to see the goings on at the station 38 years ago.
Ah the things we do for love. This week might sound like a Vampire Weekend "Two for Tuesday" but it is an anniversary wish to Corey and Rachel. Rachel was a June bride but they sent out what I thought was the most creative wedding invitation of all time on April 24, 2009. Happy anniversary to a very creative couple.
Now I must give credit where credit is due. Navajo mailed that wedding invitation to me, probably on April 25, 2009 because she doesn't miss a thing. Since then I've had an obsession with posting the above video whenever I needed a lift. Thank you navajo.
For the obligatory second in a "Two for Tuesday" there is another Vampire Weekend song below the fold.
I thought you might like to see the sundown over the Hudson tonight just because it came as a surprise package. Just proir to sundown there was rain and thunderstorms going on all over the place.
While watching this through my west window there was lightening flashing my eastern windows.
During this beautiful sunset I was watching a a nightmare. Governor Christie live at the new PBS Lincoln Center studio, was just ten miles south of my window and the exterior shots from the studio was showing people running in the driving rain.
I loved this view. If you would like to see tonight's sunset from start to finish, there are twenty more photos below.
Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
Now I've justified this to myself in all sorts of ways. It wasn't a big deal, just a minor betrayal. Or we'd outgrown each other, you know, that sort of thing. But let's face it, I ripped them off - my so called mates. But Begbie, I couldn't give a shit about him. And Sick Boy, well he'd done the same to me, if he'd only thought of it first. And Spud, well okay, I felt sorry for Spud - he never hurt anybody. So why did I do it? I could offer a million answers - all false. The truth is that I'm a bad person. But, that's gonna change - I'm going to change. This is the last of that sort of thing. Now I'm cleaning up and I'm moving on, going straight and choosing life. I'm looking forward to it already. I'm gonna be just like you. The job, the family, the fucking big television. The washing machine, the car, the compact disc and electric tin opener, good health, low cholesterol, dental insurance, mortgage, starter home, leisure wear, luggage, three piece suite, DIY, game shows, junk food, children, walks in the park, nine to five, good at golf, washing the car, choice of sweaters, family Christmas, indexed pension, tax exemption, clearing gutters, getting by, looking ahead, to the day you die.
A few here who enjoy my flower fluff from the New York Botanical Garden might be surprised to learn that I live just a couple of blocks from another Botanical Garden. Wave Hill has a view that is similar to my many sunset diaries. Wave Hill is a truly fascinating legacy and this is a good time to remember some American who once held a deep respect for nature.
The Wave Hill grounds were not opened to the public until 1960 but before becoming the newcomer to public gardens, this New York City oasis had a long and very rich history as a private garden. The perfect location, rolling hills down to the Hudson River and vistas of the Palisades also holds two historic houses. Wave Hill was once the residence of "Darwin's Bulldog" Thomas Henry Huxley and Theodore Roosevelt spent summers there in his teen years. Both Mark Twain and Arturo Toscanini lived and were inspired by the sights and sounds of Wave Hill.
Below are some photos from this spring at Wave Hill and a few little stories about this New York City respite that seems so far from New York City.
Today as Mayor Michael Bloomberg was crowing about the fourth-graders reading scores New York City had an historic event. Obviously there are few things as important as the education of our young but the completion of The Manhattan Waterfront Greenway is a well deserved feather in Bloomberg's cap.
There was a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the fact that a stroll along the Hudson River will now take you from one tip of Manhattan to the other. I needed to be one of the first to enjoy the new Riverside Park walkway and went down to take some pictures.
The path that has been promised for decades is the final link of the Waterfront Greenway that stretches from Battery Park to Dyckman Street. Capital funds allocated by Mayor Michael Bloomberg paid for most of this nearly $16 million project that not only benefits New Yorkers at leisure. Now bicycle commuters can ride almost the entire length of the island without ever encountering an automobile.
A few weeks back I mentioned Dave Herman'sBruce Juice in the morning. More recently I've been forgetting to mention that this series is a dedication to WNEW-FM the place where Rock once lived, at least for me.
Eventually I'll need to dedicate a diary or two to each of the great deejays that made that station so special. Two that are no longer with us, "The Professor" Scott Muni who was also know as "The Fifth Beatle" and Alison Steele, the Night Bird Flying bring back many fond memories. I'm also planning to dedicate at least one diary to each of the graduates from that great radio station that have moved on to other things or continued programs that started at WNEW. At least one for Pete Fornatale who as a WNEW-FM deejay founded "Mixed bag," a program that can still be heard on public radio in the New York listening area. There should be another for someone I can actually recall reading the Sunday funnies on the radio, Vin Scelsa or "Bayonne Butch" of "Idiots' Delight" fame, another WNEW-FM radio program that can still be heard on the same NYC public radio station WFUV.
For today's story, there was one deejay at WNEW-FM who stuck out like a sore thumb and also moved on to public radio. "Nighttime host Jonathan Schwartz was a raconteur who would sneak in the Sinatra pop standards that he not-so-secretly liked better than rock."Jonathan Schwartz is still spinning the "old crooners" for old New Yorkers. The man who is known as a "virtual walking encyclopedia of everything 'Sinatra'" hosts the Saturday Show and the Sunday Show on WNYC.
Some flower photographers claim that bright sunny days are not good for capturing flowers. Some go out with reflectors, diffusers and big honking strobe lights on sunny days to get that perfect shot. For me it's a game, go out and find that flower at that moment that the bright sunshine works to the advantage of the observer.
Thursday was a glorious blue sky day wedged between two that were murky and dim, so I took both my trusty Cannon G-10 and Nikon Coolpix P90 to the New York Botanical Garden to find a flower where the strong direct sunlight was just right.
Spending the entire day looking for that perfect flower I thought that perhaps now I can articulate what I've learned about flower photography so far. I'm not meaning to blow my own horn but I've been running that play for a while now and I've developed a few skills in composition and dramatic effect.
I got a little too involved it this diary. That's why it's a day late.
There was no sunset tonight in New York. Well the sun set but it could not be seen around here. The photo below is 7:59 PM, sundown this time of year. At least the green of the Palisades can be seen for a change.
There was still some views worth recording. I don't know if others will enjoy tonight's view but I really like seeing the cloud formations change at the end of the day.
Change is good, so my usual start to finish is below the fold.
I have posted fourteen Van Cortlandt Park photo diaries at DKos and a few might think I'm posting photos over and over. These photos from yesterday may look the same but sadly after a harsh winter there are many trees missing from my favorite walk.
But my favorite for photos and probably the most abused tree in the park still stands. This is Van Cortlandt Park (last stop on the Broadway local) in transition from spring to summer.
I had not taken my lakeside walk and forest stroll there for over two weeks, a long time for me. Surprised by how rapidly the transition from spring to summer views occurred the forest is shady and the last of spring flowers can be seen floating on the surface of the lake. Everything went so green and lush so quickly.
Below the fold is another photo walking tour of my favorite slice of nature in New York City. Just a walk in the park.
Today was a very beautiful day in New York City. After a late night I never got out of the apartment and spent the day enjoying beautiful cloud formations and a strong cold breeze. The sky cleared in the late afternoon but the clouds came back for sunset.
The view tonight seemed like a few sunsets, so there are many photos below the fold. I hope you enjoy the show.
For most of my life Tuesdays were made more interesting by a tradition at what was once a great radio station, WNEW-FM. A station that introduced progressive rock to New York City, changed a generation from pop singles to album oriented and in maturity deserved the slogan "Where Rock Lives." The tradition that people from other cities probably remember from other stations was called "Two for Tuesday."
