On our phones and out of our heads

I am now old enough to remember how things used to be. Cars looked different, people wore clothing that looked different, and, most crucially, we didn't all have cell phones.

Perhaps it should be no shock that we now find ourselves incapable of going anywhere without our phones for even a minute. People seem genuinely unable to be doing anything without recording and sharing something with anybody who will notice. Dinners, trips to the park, and sadly, concerts/events - every moment people spend in any of these scenarios is captured and broadcast.

Concerts are the worst. As soon as an artist comes on the stage, out come the phones. Phones are getting larger, so when concert-goers do this, they obstruct the view of anyone behind them. There is also a particular breed of degenerate who will use their tablet to take videos. It drives me insane.

The worst part is, these people are wasting the money they spent on tickets, and missing the spontaneity of the performance they are attending, preferring instead to upload the video to Facebook or post the picture on Instagram, or whatever the hell it is they're doing.

Are modern humans incapable of experiencing anything anymore? Is it too much to bare, just enjoying something while it happens?

Evidently, the frustration many feel nowadays will soon become a thing of the past - rather than struggling to access social media in a black hole that inevitably emerges at festivals and other large events, venues will soon begin providing wireless systems to make such urgent communications more accessible. What a relief!

The only solution is to throw your drink. Just aim at the person blocking your view, and try to land your half finished beer square in the middle of their screen. I doubt they'll keep their phone up much longer.

Job Hunting

I am looking for work. Still. The holiday slow-down seems to be in full effect. It's never a good idea to have so much free time you can spend stressing out about this stuff.

Meditations on the World's Fair

Were you aware that the Worlds Fair was still a thing? If you didn't, you aren't alone. Awareness of what are today generally referred to as World Expositions would seem, at least anectdotally, to be quite low.

Well, maybe that's not quite accurate. Awareness of the 2010 Word Expo, held in Shanghai, seems to have been no issue at all. Approximately 70 million people attended the event between May and October of that year. Other World Expos have also had large turnouts, in terms of both visitors as well as participants.

So I suppose that what I really meant to say was that awareness of these events is at an all time low in the United States.

New York City hosted World's Fairs in 1939 and 1964/65. The remnants of these still stand in Flushing Meadows Park, in Queens. The structures are impressive, even if they have largely been left to decay, and parts of the Park which were designed for the event are still evident. Recent visits to Flushing have made me think about the meaning of World's Fairs, and why these events seem to have disappeared from the American consciousness.

The Unisphere, erected for the 1964/65 NY World's Fair, was an engineering marvel

World's Fairs have long been intended to showcase a nation's achievements in science, technology, agriculture, engineering, exploration, and ultimately, their power in general. The Fairs became popular during the late 19th century, when technological advances allowed many industries to grow and change rapidly, and in the case of the US, seem to have culminated with displays of mid-century space-race prowess. Governments, companies, and various organizations take the opportunity to showcase their greatness in various fields, and large structures are normally built for both practical reasons (pavilions intended to house the displays,) as well as for symbolic reasons - the Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World's Fair.

Over time, participation in the Fairs became expensive. In some cases, governments have been reluctant to pay membership to the International Exhibitions Bureau, the body which sanctions Expos. Many Fairs have become travesties, their operating companies going bankrupt as a result of the huge costs associated with putting them on. Some Fairs have even gone bankrupt while the event was taking place. 

The US has not hosted an Exposition since the 1980s. However, Expos continue to take place across the globe, and though there is almost always an American presence at them, no one here ever seems to know that these proceedings are even happening. I am not convinced too many people even care.

Does this country even still have achievements it wishes to showcase? We scarcely make anything at all here, so industrial technology is more of a novelty nowadays. As the Europeans were landing a probe on a comet, the authorities here were sifting through the ashes of a commercial spaceflight test that went awry - our national space race has been handed off to private enterprises willing to take the risk so that people may one day fly slightly outside of the Earth's atmosphere at great cost. It's not exactly the kind of thing that would make people as excited as, let's say, the Apollo missions. 

The US does still produce a lot in terms of technology. I would be willing to guess that there has been far greater attention paid by the press in recent years to "Mobility Week." Evidently, this is a convention that showcases everything related to mobile technology, and is expected to draw tens of thousands to it's upcoming convention in Las Vegas. As impressive as the science and engineering behind mobile technology may be, I can't say that I would find it as inspirational as seeing a manned spacecraft. I am not even sure I would find it more interesting than a trip to the T Mobile store down the road from me. I think this would be the case for any number of internet technology conventions or auto shows that routinely take place all over the United States 

Views of the Pavilion and Observation Towers

There is no question that this country leads the world in technology. Perhaps it is my own sense of how mundane and ordinary such technologies are that makes feel this way. It just seems that being the best at apps or social media is not the same as the endeavors to which we were committed in the past. It may also be the case that some of our greatest scientific and academic achievements are not widely being celebrated in our news media. Perhaps we are also overlooking impressive accomplishments in architecture, where American architects still compete with designers from other countries for bragging rights. But why? Why would we look past all the things we still do so well? Are we just too used to being at the top?

That might explain why Astana and Shanghai are cities in which you might find a World Expo. Developing economies and societies appear to be much more focused on telling the world that they are achieving great things. India has made impressive advances in it's space program, China has become an economic powerhouse, and countries like Kazakhstan look as if they have bright futures. Might this be a case of an aging power readying itself for retirement? Is the US looking to accomplish anything else? Are we looking to engage with or lead the world in any other fashion than with our military? More to the point, will we always be a nation that puts little value on events that happen far away from us? That might explain why some viewed our showing in Shanghai as being less than stellar:

In the end, the US Pavilion offers no vision of the future. Like so many of the busted malls at home that it so closely resembles, the US Pavilion is fragmentary and momentary, not the beacon of hope the Expo hosts expected or that the American people deserve. For a long time, pre-opening polls listed the (in concept) US Pavilion as the most highly anticipated attraction for Chinese Expo-goers, after the giant red China Pavilion. No longer. A week before the Expo, China Daily, the nation's official paper, has removed the US Pavilion from its list of important things to visit and see at the Expo.

I may be reading too deeply into this. I may also be attaching greater significance to World's Fairs/Expos than I need to. It just seems like if everyone else is taking great pains to show the entire globe that their society is engaged in something big, we might want to do so as well. I sometimes wonder if Americans don't care to attach importance to this kind of global exchange, as if being unaware or uninterested in what everyone else is doing is part of our national character. It's a bit like calling it a World Series because one city in Canada may have a shot at celebrating. In this case, however, everyone else is playing, and we don't even realize the game is taking place. 

I am willing to concede I may be wrong, but I am not convinced that too much of what we do or produce as a nation is all that inspirational, or that when it is, it is not celebrated in any meaningful way. I hope that changes. Surely we need more to be proud of than just events from our past. What will we say in the future if we don't share our current accomplishments with the whole world?

Sculptures, Mosaics, and Inscriptions at Flushing Meadows Park

As Winter Approaches

Again I have gotten caught up with many things. But as the temperature drops, I am reminded of how much I like winter in NYC. As per a reader request, here are some pictures from last years very long, very snowy winter season.

I have some other articles in the works, and I can promise there is more to come for this blog.

I present to you - a City Snake in the Snow, as seen in Astoria Park.

I have more snakes to share with you, and more things to complain about, more to follow soon!

Saying nothing on 9/11

I could sit here and write about where I was that day 13 years ago. I could talk about what our country has been like since that fateful day. I could reflect on the lives lost or the wars fought or the question of our safety and security. I could put forward or refute some conspiracy theories regarding the events of September 11th, 2001.

I plan on doing none of those things.

It has been a while since I have written anything. When I last posted something it was about how the modern world kind of sucks, and the way 9/11 is commemorated is most certainly an example of that. There is no denying the magnitude of that day and of the events that followed. It changed our national story and affected people across the globe, so it's understandable that we would all be made very aware of what day it is. However, it seems like there is less effort spent on reflection or commemoration than on making statements that let the world know that we are reflecting and commemorating. Does that make sense?

I suppose what I am trying to say is that we live in a world where reflection is a thing used to take self portraits, as opposed to an active method of listening to ourselves.

To me, reflection means slowing down and really thinking about something. It means considering a subject deeply and personally. It ultimately requires us to come to terms about how something affects us, or how an event has shaped us. I believe reflection is an action, but one that requires focus. To reflect, we need to be still. Unfortunately, that is becoming harder to do.

Every little thing gets shared with the world now. Every moment, no matter how banal, is broadcast to anyone who will listen. Before anyone accuses me of singling out friends on Facebook who wrote something heartfelt about 9/11, I'll remind you that most media outlets report on trends they see on Twitter, which is why today, for some reason, I saw a headline that read "Area sports teams remember 9/11 with #NeverForget". The story details how High School sports teams have used Twitter to mark the occasion. That's not a story. It's nothing. It is a waste of time and bandwidth to even publish something like that. There's nothing there that indicates anyone reflected on anything, only that the teams used a hashtag to remind everyone what day it is. That really isn't anything, is it?The "article" does have a paragraph that made me double to check to see if it was from a parody site. I have added bold print for emphasis, though it isn't really necessary:

Hagerty High Sports called for action saying, “Let’s do more than a moment of silence today, instead talk constantly about 9/11 and how it affected you and others #NeverForget.”

Could there be a better example of what I mean?

The lack of reflection goes beyond social media and smart phones and all the other stuff the kids like and I hate. We live in a society where someone is always trying to sell you something or make you aware of their brand. National tragedies may once have been off limits, but that time seems to be behind us now. Last year, AT&T was forced to offer an apology after they ran an ad that people felt was exploitative. To be honest, I feel like this is probably one of the less horrendous kinds of 9/11 marketing I have seen. But that hasn't stopped a number of companies from doing the same this year. Evidently there few companies as patriotic and reflective as FleshlightFleshlightFleshlight.

This kind of thing seems to be everywhere. Who can forget a local Marriots sincere desire to remember the fallen - "In remembrance of those we lost on 9/11 the hotel will provide complimentary coffee and mini muffins from 8.45 - 9.15am." 

Consider that for a moment. Whoever concocted this tribute could not slow down and reflect long enough about the days importance,  a half hour of muffins and coffee would be seen as some kind of statement. This is Kennedy-getting-shot moment for this period in history, a day where everyone can remember where they where when they learned about the attacks. A day that changed everything for our entire nation - commemorated with miniature pastries and watered down coffee.

A visit to ground zero and the newly opened 9/11 museum offers little by way of reflection. The reflecting pools are beautiful, and the site, now open to the public without a wait is actually a very nice space. I really cannot imagine how else the site could have been used. Yet it is a noisy, crowded place that gave me an unsettling feeling when I visited in June.

Because of the nature of the events that took place there, it draws many tourists, much as Civil Way battlefields do. They come, by the thousands, to look at the footprints of what were, at one time, the tallest buildings in the world. But they are there, with screaming children in tow, smiling for the camera and taking selfies, as if they were in front of Niagara Falls. I wanted to be mad about it, but as nice the memorial is, it is a lot like a park. There are benches, there is grass, large fountains. Set at the foot of the nearly-complete Freedom Tower, the memorial serves as the only large expanse of open space south of Central Park. Aside from a few guards who remind people not to climb on the wall of names that surrounds each fountain, there is nothing to suggest that ground zero is a place of reflection. It's merely an attraction.

To be completely honest, I have no idea if the September 11th museum is much better, as I have not been. But it would not be a truly American place if it did not have a gift shop. No trip to the depths of national anguish would complete without a hoodie, a keyring, or a baseball hat. It was the 9/11 cheese plate, however, that convinced me never to go. Seriously, take a look at that link. There is simply no time to reflect when there are so many opportunities to capitalize on your visitors. So, today, I am saying nothing. Not on Facebook, not on Twitter, not even here. I would rather sit silently with my own thoughts. Staying present and still are things that I already struggle with as it is, but I would hate for a reflective moment to be completely vanish amid the noise and the sales and tweets.

A new sense of dread

It's hard to put my finger on when I started feeling this way, but I think the modern world kind of sucks.

Now, I am no Luddite, and I certainly enjoy the comforts of contemporary living. Air conditioning is currently my favorite example. I also enjoy modern medicine, modern conveyances (primarily the subway,) and a great number of modern ideas.

But it really seems like there is no mystery anymore. It seems like it's a lot of the same stuff everywhere you go. You see the same stores, see the same cars, eat the same food, hear the same jokes, hear the same music.

This might be all in my head. I tend to have a desire to be in another place or another time fairly often. I would like to not romanticize the past so much, and I certainly don't think everything about society or day to day was superior in another time. I just can't shake the feeling that we are missing something from our lives collectively.

I really worry about people these days. We all seem so unable to look up from our phones. I saw a lady get on an escalator at Grand Central with her phone out. The escalator was not working, but she just stood there, waiting to go down. People were having to move around her, and she did not seem to realize that she was completely in the way. I cannot think of a situation that sums up these vague feelings better than that.

I feel like I am going to start exploring this notion further in the coming weeks. NYC is a great place to think about all this. People howl that "old New York" is disappearing, and while I wouldn't know first hand if that is true or not, I often find myself thinking that maybe it's true. Maybe New York is turning into all the other places I have lived. Sadly, I am not so sure it is happening just here. Those other places, like Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area, are slowly starting to resemble every other place.

Are corporate interests, advertisers, and developers to blame? Probably, but I doubt exclusively. Are individuals, with a love of distraction (Facebook) and convenience to blame? Sure, though there must be other reasons.

I am going to keep thinking about this. I am going to keep thinking about why this bothers me so much, and what I think I can do in the face of a modern world so intent on mediocrity and homogeny.

City Snakes are known to molt throughout the summer. An adult has shed it's skin and continued on it's way.

Long Island City

This younger specimen was spotted near the Court Square subway station.

Adrift

I have been feeling lost lately, like I am drifting in the wind. The dog is getting to go out and play more than usual. I struggle to find purpose, she finds small purebreeds to chase around. I would like to think there is something to learn from the dog, but I watched her try to eat partially chewed food off of the ground.

World Cup Wrap-Up

Before the start of the 2014 World Cup, I was sure I was going to hate it. I wasn't feeling the excitement I normally feel during the days weeks leading up the start of the competition. I should have knows those blues would not last.

On a personal level, I credit this with the sudden freedom to watch as much or as little of the Cup as I wished, due entirely to getting laid off. Suddenly, I didn't have to go back to a toxic work environment, and now I had plenty of time to see all the games.

The truth, however, is that what made this World Cup so great was that is was one of the best competitions I have seen in years. I won't go into too many details, as the punditry an analysis continues this week, following Germany's win over Argentina.

I will say that a few things stood out for me:

1. There were several matches that were complete maulings - most famously, Germany's 7-1 thrashing of Brazil.

2. There were some wonderful underdog teams that proved to be giant-killers, or at the very least, proved to be very tough for bigger nations to beat. Costa Rica is by far the standout among this group of teams, but I think Chile and Colombia deserve a great deal of respect for their performance as well.

3. Spain imploded, which was a shock to all. Italy was worse than I thought they would be, France was much better, and England were dire - all of them were unremarkable and went home fairly early.

4. The Dutch somehow missed the chance to lose in the final, opting to lose in a semi-final instead. Argentina, who were completely underwhelming, played their best game in the final.

And, the best part of the whole competition (for me, anyway)...

5. The USA managed to exceed everyones expectations, including their own. They played some tough games and escaped the group of death. Teams that played the USMNT played them with respect, and the USA can only feel pride at their performance.

Now, we wait for the start of the premier league. Once that begins life again will have meaning.

City Snake Adventure Tours of NYC

It's been an interesting few weeks.               

                                                                                 

It began with a trip to California for a wedding, and to visit my family. To keep it short, it was nice to be there, but as I normally do, I felt an immense sense of excitement to be back in NYC.

The day after we returned, I was laid off.

Now, this should seem like something that would upset me more, but really it has been a tremendous relief. I disliked working there, disliked the increasingly toxic nature of the environment there, and disliked many of the people I came into contact with regularly.

I am now in a position to seek a new career path, as well as to watch the World Cup uninterrupted.

When we first moved here, I found myself becoming a little unhinged. With no job, I sat at home applying for positions for hours, leaving only to take the dog out and to go running. I am not making that mistake again.

I took a trip to the Met, ground zero, Roosevelt Island (via tramway), Tudor City, and Grand Central

 This picture does not do justice to how large and impressive this painting is.

I find these places to be inspirational. Their architecture, their history, their significance - these things gave me a lot to think about. I saw a draft of the declaration of independence, an exhibition on children's books, spoke with protesters angry at the Chinese Communist Party, and discovered parts of the city I had never before been.

A field trip is always a good thing, I cannot recommend it enough.

World Cup Ennui

What I am about to write is more shocking to me than anything else I have ever shared.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup begins on Thursday, and I have never felt less interested. Normally, as the date rapidly approaches, I begin to experience and extreme level of excitement. After all, it determines which national team, and therefore, which nation, is the best. It showcases the greatest talent, the most exciting players, and the global passion for a sport enjoyed (almost) everywhere.

I normally begin to find myself in the throes of "World Cup Fever", a 6 week long malaise characterized by screaming, heavy drinking, getting up at odd hours, a shirking of life's duties, and night terrors. I will go much of the summer with a sore throat, hoarse from games played on the other side of the globe. I compulsively post the TV schedule for upcoming matches, and meticulously fill out my WC chart, and plan my days around games.

I now find myself in a strange place, completely unexcited, disinterested in the one event I am sure to see plenty of coverage about. I cannot seem to figure out why, though a few reasons do come to mind.

I watch a lot of Soccer. All year long, I watch it. I follow the Premier League, I watch all of West Hams matches, I read all the news, I talk to people with the same obsession. Is it possible I have burned myself out? As time has passed, I have only become more interested in the sport, and have found more ways to think about it. Am I possibly in need of a break? I do like having "summers off" from the game. It allows me to watch baseball or rugby, gives me an opportunity to sleep late on weekends (something I normally do not allow myself during the season,) and, perhaps most importantly, gives my fiancee a much needed break from one true vice.

Is it the rather uninteresting nature of the last few World Cups? As excited as I have been every time, the reality is that some people have considered a number of recent competitions to be a little lackluster. Certainly there have been some less than thrilling finals, save for some theatrics. I can't help but wonder if I have just been hyping this competition to myself for as long as I can recall.

Another consideration might be adulthood. During past cups, I have been a student, or have been in the midst of periods of unemployment or underemployment. This has allowed me to watch every game. Every single match. The entire competition. I am faced now with the reality of having a job, of having responsibilities, of having obligations to which I have committed myself months in advance. Some part of me can't help but wonder if what I am feeling is a sense of "sour grapes" - this is going to be a boring World Cup because I can't dedicate a third of my summer to it.

Certainly there is much to hate about these kinds of events, this World Cup in particular. Brazil is experiencing even more unrest, following many months of protest and aggravation, which, while about many issues, are inextricably linked to the World Cup. John Oliver's take on this has been circulating the social media world in recent days, and he does a wonderful job of summarizing the many things to hate about 2014:

And yet, with only 3 days to go, I can't help but feel I will start to become very eager for the cup. One of my earliest sports-related memories is watching the 1990 world cup final with my dad. In fact, I have watched every world cup since 1990, including a number of finals with my dad. I have watched the US National Team get steadily better with friends. I have gathered with complete strangers to share joy at games that were completely inconsequential. It is the very nature of these shared moments that play such a big part in why my level of enthusiasm is normally so great. Will I, come the end of this week, finally feel like my normal self?

D-Day at 70

I once sat in the living room of house in which I lived with two other roommates, discussing our grandfathers. "WW2 in HD" had just premiered, and it inspired a rare moment of household-wide reflection. We considered how much our they had achieved and how many stories they could tell, particularly as all of our grandfathers had served in some capacity or another between 1939 and 1945. That they had served, witnessed the terror of war, helped to shape history, to then continue achieving great things was particularly incredible to us. 

Between the three of us, our grandfathers had fought against the Germans, Italians and Japanese in the Pacific, in North Africa, and in the case of one of my grandfathers, in Vichy-controlled Syria, acting as a sleeper cell in case of German advances into the Levant. They had gone on to become a professor, a doctor, a founder of a nation, a business owner. They were community leaders, respected amongst their peers. They married, had children, and then grandchildren. 

The discussion we had about our grandfathers left us feeling profoundly sub-par. By the time they were 30, they had helped to determine  the course of western civilization, has established themselves in their careers, and were building families. In spite of how silly "the Greatest Generation" sounds, it seems so fitting for men that had so much determination, and who had shown so much courage.

It is that same sense of insignificance and inferiority that I feel today, the 70th anniversary of the D Day landings. The courage and determination exhibited by the men who were there is nothing short of astounding. 

The Second World War would last another 8 months in Europe, another year in the Pacific - there would be many more acts of courage to follow. Yet there is a symbolism attached to Operation Overlord that cannot be diminished. The images of Americans, Britons, and Canadians storming into France through German fire, in order to open another front in Europe and thus defeat Hitler, represent the bravery and resolve of allied soldiers in all theaters. 

Alongside the men of the allied forces were Poles, Czechs, Frenchmen, Belgians, Dutchmen, Australians, New Zealanders, Norwegians, and Greeks - soldiers from all over occupied Europe, who also participated in this day. 

I have been moved today by the many articles about the anniversary of D-Day. The Atlantic published pictures of Normandy then and now, which are fascinating. There have been tributes made all over the world of social media, which have been very powerful.

I have felt extremely saddened though, as I consider that this generation is continuing to fade away. Again, I can't help but think of my grandfathers, who both passed years ago. As their contemporaries become but a memory, we lose the connection we have to their unparalleled bravery. We will forever rely on footage of their battles and literary accounts of their bravery, but few of us still have the privilege of hearing them tell us how they felt or what they saw.

No one can put to words the importance of what they did, and we can scarcely come to terms with the immensity of the sacrifice made by the thousands who died on the beaches of France. But we owe it to ourselves to try, at least.

Joseph Tserman

I am quite accustomed to hearing buskers on the Subway. They normally step into the car, play a portion of their song, and then stop so they have enough time to ask for change before exiting at the next stop. Presumably, this is so they can try their luck in another car, or another train altogether.

I really don't mind hearing performers in the train stations, positioned in high traffic areas or even on the platforms. I have heard people playing classical music with exceptional skill. I have listened to people playing traditional music on folk instruments from every corner of the globe. I have seen the officially sanctioned artists, as well as more risque musicians who play for their own enjoyment. I usually enjoy these experiences, and if I don't, it is not a problem, as I know I'll be on my way in minutes.

The people who play on the train, however, almost always annoy me. There are a few reasons for this:

1. I am listening to music on my headphones. This is my time. This is when I zone out for the ride, or when I leave my workday behind me. I do not want to have to hear someone over my own jams.

2. They are not usually very good. There are a few exceptions of course (Queensboro Plaza Clarinet man), but by an large these are not people I want to have serenading me.

3. I really hate being asked for my attention and being denied a full song. I don't care if we just got to the station, FINISH THE SONG. ALL OF IT. TO THE END.

It is strange then that I feel like Joseph Tserman is such a wonderful performer, and that I am genuinely looking forward to hearing him on my next ride on the N or Q train.

Joseph Tsermans music is not normally the kind of thing I would like, much less listen to. His songs are slow, depressing tunes, set to violins and slow pop beats. He sings in what I believe to be Russian, or at the very least another Eastern European tongue. The music blares from speakers contained within a collapsible black shopping cart, the kind elderly people always seem to have, which he wheels into the car with some difficulty. You can hear him whether you are talking to someone beside you or listening to your own music, as the entire train car fills with the sound of his voice and his maudlin soundtrack.

Yet for some reason, I love it.

Joseph Tserman doesn't care if you want to hear his music. This is not to say that he is uncaring or rude - he is neither. When you tip him, as I did, he puts his hand over his heart while singing, and bows his head graciously. He does the same for anyone who puts money is his cap as he walks about the car, bowing and making gestures of gratitude. But he does not care whether you want to hear him or not. He arrives on the train with his cart, turns his soundtrack on, and proceeds to sing his heart out. He doesn't seem to give a damn whether or not you want to hear him.

Another reason I love his performance is that he seems so damn sincere. It's not to say that other performers lack sincerity, but I am just not wowed by some bored looking girl, playing her uninspired version of Lorde's "Royals" as I travel through the depths of Manhattan. Joseph Tserman looks like he means it, and he certainly sings like he means it. His face look anguished, as if some long forgotten agony were suddenly spilling out of him for all of us to feel. He looks like he might shed a tear as he recalls some personal horror, his voice wavering for just a second as his baritone enouncements reach their climax. You cannot help but feel the raw emotion.

What I love the most about Mr. Tserman is that he will sing a song in it's entirety. The songs are too passionate, too reflective (I think - they're in Russian after all) to share only partially. He will start a song, and he will keep going until it is over, not stopping even as the train doors open at whichever station we have stopped. He respects you, the audience, enough to give you everything he has.

I don't care if I can't understand him, I don't care if the songs are depressing, and I don't care that I have to turn my music down as he sings. I love it. I love that he will do it no matter how much it seems to bring everyone down, which actually might be what I like the most.

Joseph Tserman is the greatest on-board performer in all of the NYC Subway system. Perhaps, if you are lucky enough, you too will have a chance to hear him.

Memorial Day

It would be so easy to write about people fighting for our freedoms, or about thanking those that have served. It would be easy to write about patriotism, and all the things that make this nation great. It would even be easy to write something poetic about the meaning of this day.

It is much harder to write about the reality of why we need this day.

Today is the day set aside for Americans to recall their war dead. Beyond conversations about duty or sacrifice, there is the loss of a parent, spouse, sibling, or child. Friends are lost, and communities altered forever by the death of a soldier.

Beyond any meaning we can attach to why someone is taken, often in terrible circumstances, there is also the reality that families grieve the death of a loved one, their lives turned upside down.

Memorial Day is so much more than ceremony, prose, or flag waving. It is a day of mourning.

Regardless of how you feel about patriotism, war, or politics, I am of the strongest belief that today is a day to reflect upon the profound sadness or nations losses. It is with the greatest sorrow that we have, in every generation, had to have Memorial Days where those we remember are not from the pages of history books, but from our yearbooks and photo albums.

Today we mourn those taken from us, and all of those whose deaths touched us.

Boerum Hill

Saw this fully grown adult male in Brookyn on Friday night. A fine specimen, he showed no fear as we walked past.

Predator and Prey

I have often been asked about the role of City Snakes in their local ecosystem. Specifically, people want to know if they have natural predators. The answer is yes.

City Snaked do provide a food source to birds, rodents, reptiles, small mammals, and even other City Snakes.

This week, I received a picture from long time blog supporter and City Snake enthusiast @akgspan. He captured the moment a City Snake in Austin, Texas fell prey to another urban animal species.

Though it saddens me to see a City Snake falling victim to a hungry bird, such is the circle of life.

Positive Mental Attitude

I have always been a skeptic, and I have, for most of my life, been a pessimist. I have become a little bit less skeptical and more positive and optimistic. In doing so, I am seeing the results that many had promised me I would see.

I was always told "you can do anything you set your mind to." Now in some ways, this nonsense. It's missing the second part, which is "be realistic and do your research." A great example might be deciding you want to be an Astronaut. In theory, you could become one, provided you meet the requirements. But then the questions isn't so much about if you want to go to space, it becomes a question of if you have "distant visual acuity of 20/100 or better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 each eye," or a degree in physical science or mathematics. So maybe you want to be an Astronaut, but you can't because of eyesight requirements, or because while visiting the cosmos interests you, studying physics does not.

Yet I have found that applying positivity and optimism to my thought processes has brought some measurable results. It has allowed me to have the courage to pursue big, often scary changes in my life, such as two major cross country moves, starting new jobs and career paths, and getting engaged to the person I love. Being optimistic has helped me to push through many challenges, such as dim employment situations or financial difficulties, allowing me to keep a clear mind and think more rationally.

Being positive alone won't do everything, but it makes facing challenges and meeting goals much easier. It helps me to stay focused on what I want and where I want to be. It also makes me considerably more pleasant to be around. I can get derailed by stress and negativity, and I sometimes go into a tailspin of terrible thoughts. I can physically feel my negativity as I become tense and angry. It is not fun for me or anyone around me.

My skepticism remains, though it has lessened in some ways. I still believe a good dose of skepticism is necessary to navigate the world in which we live; a world rife with charlatans and know-nothings, trying to persuade you to give them money or join their cause. However, I also think that keeping an open mind, and at least listening to ideas about which you may have suspicions is a good thing. It has helped me to grow as a person, and I think has allowed me examine things in a more nuanced way. It should be noted that I still do not think that shape-shifting reptilians belonging to the Illuminati are in control of really anything.

Having this outlook is something new to me, and I think I rather enjoy it. It has certainly been much more helpful than my age-old attitude of negativity and pessimism. I would urge people to try applying positive thinking to their own lives, particularly in regard to the way that they meet challenges.

30th Drive, Astoria

An older male, enjoying the nice spring weather.

Big City Snake!

This is largest City Snake I have ever seen! At more than 20 feet, this adult female may be one of the largest in Queens.

I wish I could say this was a bigger deal, but it is nothing in comparison to a 33 foot City Snake found near Battery Park in 2008. My find would also seem small compared to a City Snake found in 1972 in Harlem. At the time, it caused such a commotion that the police had to be dispatched to deal with the crowd. 

Still, this was a very exciting find.

Bizarre City Snake Mating Ritual

This was a picture I took some weeks back as the snow began to melt. As the weather warms, City Snakes will seek to reproduce. Their behavior during this time is mysterious and captivating.

7/1941

     'Hitler's greatest weakness', Stalin told Harry Hopkins on July 31, at their second meeting in the Kremlin, 'was found in the vast numbers of oppressed peoples who hate Hitler and the immoral ways of his government.' These people, Stalin added, 'and countless other millions in nations still unconquered, could receive the kind of encouragement and moral strength they needed to resist Hitler only from one source, and that was the United States.'

From Sir Martin Gilbert's "The Second World War"

West Village City Snakes

Here are a few varieties of City Snakes we found in the West Village.

A few hatchlings in search of food.

An older female.

Bookstore Panic Disorder

There is a special kind of anxiety that I get at book stores and libraries. I get this feeling almost nowhere else, and I really have to refocus myself so that it does not paralyze me completely. I am talking about BPD - Bookstore Panic Disorder.

Last weekend my fiancees dad was in town. He informed us of his intention to buy us books with a gift certificate he had to Strand Books here in NYC. Strand is, at least by my standards, a very nice place. They have new books, used books, rare books, etc. It is always extremely crowded, and it always feels a little exciting to walk in.

But I felt a powerful sense of dread. This happens every time I am in one of these places. I get a kind of anxiety that seems inexplicable. I begin to freak out, I become indecisive, confused, even a little sweaty. That's when I know my BPD is kicking in.

I get this feeling when I look at tables filled with history books, autobiographies, books about foreign affairs, and all sorts of non-fiction. How can there be this much knowledge? How can anyone have the time to absorb all of this information? How will I keep a job when I commit myself to reading ALL of these books?

Then I turn around and I look at the fiction. I remember that I don't read enough fiction - meaning I have told myself that I ought to read more fiction. I worry that I have not read enough of the classics, or that there are so many foreign writers whose work has been translated so that I may read their stories. I think about all the current literature that's out there, that I should be reading. WILL I EVER READ IT ALL?

At this point I have to calm myself down. I remind myself that I read for two reasons:

1. For pleasure - I like reading. It makes me happy, simple as that.
2. To learn - I want to know more, and reading offers me that opportunity.

I have to remember that I will probably never know all that there is to know. About anything. I have to remind myself that as long as I am enjoying myself, that's all that matters - there is no required reading list in life.

I suppose that it is a good thing that this is what brings me anguish. So many people in the US simply don't read. So many people look at reading as a chore, something to be done only when forced.

I suppose that it's also ok to admit that some books suck. I tried to read Moby Dick because I read that it was great. Someone else made me believe I needed to have that experience. Ultimately, I did not care for that experience. I was bored. Sometimes a book is not what you want, even if it universally accepted as a "must-read."

Ultimately, we walked away with a half-dozen new books. Thus far, I have resisted the temptation to begin any of these while my lengthy book on WWII remains unfinished. I have my work cut out for me, though.

I think I may not have enough real problems in my life.

Queensboro Plaza/Long Island City

Some City Snakes as seen in Long Island City. Now that the weather is warming, expect to see more.

 This large female is searching for food on the tracks.

 Young male.

This one must have just hatched!