NYC Wired — when New York had telephone poles

By Jack Brummet, NYC Metro Ed.

Telephone wires in NYC, in 1887. It had gotten this crazy just seven years after the first wires were strung. In 1888, a massive snowstorm toppled many of the wires, and New York soon decided to put them underground.

I've definitely seen wires like this in numerous cities in India. In Mexico, I mostly hang out in in a fairly small town (Bucerias) and while there are lots of wires running in every direction, the density is nothing like this, although in Mexico, they probably win the wires war by their liberal use of awesome splices using tar, rope, old frayed wires, and, of course, duct tape.

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Our irregular middle-finger roundup, including George R.R. Martin, Jennifer Lawrence, and other unknowns and luminaries

By Mona Goldwater, Signs & Gestures Ed.

Our irregular scheduled round-up of middle fingers we've collected, a couple from College Humor, and a handful of reader submissions.

Spring break

 

Jennifer Aniston in Office Space

The Graduate

 

The "douche probe" refers to a murder case/investigation

George R.R. Martin

Jennifer Lawrence

Michael Jackson

Ho ho ho

Paul sending camouflaged fingers

some TV stars I think

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Drawing: Faces #909

By Jack Brummet

[hand drawn 2 x 2' canvas with pencil and Sharpie.  Processed in PaintShop Pro]

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Drawing - Faces No. 908 - Four people in the audience at Sunday's Tom Robbins reading

By Jack Brummet


This turned interesting when I photographed it.  It isn't on the usual muslin/canvas I use but on these 2 x 2 feet sheets of transluscent material that feels all synthetic.  And these cool moire patterns, which your eye doesn't see, pop up in the photo.  

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Two great Ralph Steadman illustrations from Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas

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Photo: Margaret Hamilton with a printout of the Apollo 11 software

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Poem: Bad Timing

By Jack Brummet

He buys a coffee,

Using his last seven words.
He slyly eyes
His last pair of stunning buttocks.
He has zero orgasms, songs and movies,
Two red lights, six blocks,
13 minutes and 993 heartbeats left.
Every millisecond adds up:
Every variable conspires
To remove him from the census.
He steps in front of the car
Three seconds early,
Or two seconds late.
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The Bill Murray Five Dollar Bill

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Richard M. Nixon talks on his Jewish citizens

In a tape-recorded 1972 Oval Office conversation between President Richard Nixon and Rev. Billy Graham, the nation's best-known preacher agreed with a stream of bigoted comments Nixon made about Jews and their perceived influence in American life.


Graham: "This stranglehold (of Jews in the media) has got to be broken or the country's going down the drain." 


Nixon: "You believe that?"


Graham: "Yes, sir."


Nixon: "Oh, boy. So do I. I can't ever say that but I believe it." 


Graham: "No, but if you get elected a second time, then we might be able to do something."

*****

"You know, it's a funny thing. Every one of the bastards that are out for legalizing marijuana is Jewish. What the Christ is the matter with the Jews, Bob? What is the matter with them? I suppose it is because most of them are psychiatrists." –President Richard Nixon to White House Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman 

*****

"You know, the big Jewish contributors to the Democrats. Could we please investigate some of the c***s***ers? That's all." –-President Richard Nixon

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Drawing: Faces #907 — Civics Lesson: 16 Citizens With 16 Axes To Grind Wait To Testify Before The City Council

By Jack Brummet

This is the original artwork I created, on india ink scratchboard:

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Fruitfly kill off?

By Jack Brummet, Home & Garden Ed.

This is a pretty mundane question, but I'll ask anyway. In Seattle, at around mid-August we typically experience an aggressive and massive invasion of fruit flies (a/k/a Drosophila). They stick around for about three weeks before disappearing. During that time, you can't leave an uncorked bottle of wine (or vinegar) out, you have to put a napkin over anything fruity or winy or sugary you drink and you have to keep fruit and tomatoes in the refrigerator, a/k/a "icebox", and yes, I realize putting tomatoes in the reefer is a crime.

OK. So this year: bupkis. Not a single fruitfly has appeared! Are they extinct? Did global warming off them? Are they becoming like cicadas, only returning every few years? Or maybe they decided Ballard was just too slim pickings? I can't remember if we had fruitflies in Berkeley or NYC or not.

Has anyone else noticed this? I'll actually be happy if you have fruitflies. On a more sinister note, I used to hear bats every night in our Ballard/North Beach nabe, but it has been at least a year and a half since I heard one or saw their silhouette in the streetlight..

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The Cuyahoga River on fire, circa 1952

By Jack Brummet, Waterways Ed.

In 1952, the Cuyahoga River caught fire (the industrial waste in it actually).  People say that "the river that caught fire," was one of the major catalysts for the environmental movement in the late 1960s. 

At least 13 fires have been occurred on the River, since 1868.  The 1952 fire was the biggest and most destructive. 

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