NYC, Day One

By Jack Brummet

After a five hour and five minute red-eye flight on Jet Blue, Keelin and I landed at JFK at 6:05 AM.  We hopped on a bus that took us to the Howard Beach subway station, where we got on the A train (the train we rode to school and work every day when we lived in Brooklyn), switched at Columbus Circle for the No. 1 train (which was our train when we lived on the Upper West Side), and got off at 79th for our hotel--The Belleclaire, on the corner of Broadway and 77th Street.  It was too early to check in, so we went out for breakfast to Barney Greengrass "The sturgeon king" which is just up the street from our old apartment at 158 W. 84th Street (between Amsterdam and Columbus).  We always liked eating there when we lived here, but usually couldn't afford it.  I had scrambled eggs, an amazing plate of Nova Scotia salmon, a bialy, and Barney's usual lame coffee.  No one makes better nova, lox, sturgeon, herring, etc. than Barney.  Anyhow, the nova at Barney's is transcendent, if you like nova (very slowly code smoked salmon, with a very subtle smoke...not as dense or smoky or salty as lox).

Since we couldn't check in to our hotel in noon, we decided to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  There was a Franz Hals show we wanted to see, as well as a survey of historical Indian (the Asian Indians) painters.  And I always like to see their modern collection (The Klines, Warhols, Pollocks, Rothkos, etc.). Before I completely collapsed (I only slept two hours on the 'plane), I also went through the Roman and Greek marble galleries--always one of my favorites.  Usually, I also like to go through the Egyptian galleries too, which I may have to do this weekend.  But then there is the Modern, the Whitney, and The Frick, and The Guggenheim to consider.

More tomorrow (will try to visit the Occupy Wall Street protest/uprising).

one of my favorite warhol silk screen paintings

and it is huge--probably 20 feet tall

Self portrait in a parabolic mirror art installation at the Met

 

click to enlarge -- Autumn Rhythm,  by Jackson Pollock (and, yeah,

I know a lot of people don't like his work.  I do).

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Occupy Seattle, 2

D.I.Y Robot

By Jack Brummet

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Occupy Seattle

http://occupyseattle.org/







click to enlarge
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Breaking news: Chris Christie says "no thanks"

By Mona Goldwater, New Jersey Editor

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey once again announced Tuesday that he would not seek the Republican presidential nomination, saying that while he thought seriously about entering the presidential race, "now is not my time."  The Governor said he decided Monday night and told his family and aides this morning.  He said he went to the bed last night "knowing exactly what I wanted to do" for the first time in weeks.

Christie told reporters that he "felt an obligation to earnestly consider" the appeals made by various prominent republicans, up to and including former President George H.W. Bush, and former first lady Nancy Reagan.  Christie closed by saying he wouldn't rule out a run in the future.

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The Will of The People, II

by Jack Brummet
[digitized and enhanced analog drawing]

click to enlarge

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Poem: Frontier Justice

Frontier Justice
by Jack Brummet

1
A roiling thunderstorm clears the air
Like Wyatt Earp's peacekeeper

2
A bad beginning can be overcome
But a good end lasts forever
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The National Jukebox

By Jack Brummet, American Music Editor

A fantastic resource for the school, teacher, researcher, writer, student, and blogger is The Library of Congress digital archives.  The LoC has now mounted The National Jukebox, which makes historical sound recordings available to the public free of charge. The Jukebox includes recordings from the amazing collections of the Library of Congress, Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation, and other contributing libraries and archives, including an amazing treasure trove of ten thousand old 78 RPM recordings from the R.C.A. Victor catalog, all digitized and available for streaming (but not downloading).  Check it out.

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Send In The Clowns

Artist: unknown

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Painting: the will of the people

by Jack Brummet
analog drawing-->digital enhancements

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"Highly placed aides" to Chris Christie say he is considering White House run

By Pablo Fanque, Election 2012 Editor
illustration by Jack Brummet

After saying over and over and over that he would not make a run for the White House, sources close to Jersey Gov. Chris Christie say he is reconsidering his decision to stay out of the 2012 contest.

Staffers say that he is expected to decide soon. He has no choice; if he is running, he needs to start organizing the field for upcoming primaries and caucuses. There are filing deadlines coming up soon in the early primary states.

You may remember he has denied wanting to run all along. Just a year ago he said that "short of suicide" he wasn't sure what he could say to convince people that he's not running. With half the Republican party begging him to run, it has to be very hard to walk away from what is surely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

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The smartest first grader, ever

A first-grade teacher, Ms. Brooks, was having trouble with one of her students. The teacher asked, 'Harry, what's your problem?'

Harry answered, 'I'm too smart for the 1st grade. My sister is in the 3rd grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the 3rd grade too!'

Ms. Brooks had had enough. She took Harry to the principal's office.

While Harry waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was. The principal told Ms. Brooks he would give the boy a test. If he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the 1st grade and behave. She agreed.

Harry was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.

Principal:
'What is 3 x 3?'

Harry:
'9.'

Principal:
'What is 6 x 6?'

Harry:
'36.'

And so it went with every question the principal thought a 3rd grader should know.

The principal looks at Ms. Brooks and tells her, 'I think Harry can go to the 3rd grade'

Ms. Brooks says to the principal, 'Let me ask him some questions..'

The principal and Harry both agreed.

Ms. Brooks asks, 'What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?'

Harry, after a moment: 'Legs.'

Ms. Brooks: 'What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?'

The principal wondered why would she ask such a question!

Harry replied: 'Pockets.'

Ms. Brooks: 'What does a dog do that a man steps into?'

Harry: 'Pants.'

The principal sat forward with his mouth hanging open.

Ms. Brooks: 'What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky?'

The principal's eyes opened really wide and before he could stop the answer, Harry replied, 'Bubble gum.'

Ms. Brooks: 'What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and a dog does on three legs?'

Harry: 'Shake hands .'

The principal was trembling.

Ms. Brooks: 'What word starts with an 'F' and ends in 'K' that means a lot of heat and excitement?'

Harry:
'Firetruck.'

The principal breathed a sigh of relief and told the
teacher, 'Put Harry in the fifth-grade, I got the last seven questions wrong.
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