NYC musts: Flushing meadows

Image: Wikipedia

Anyone who visits NYC simply has to visit the Flushing meadows/Corona Park in Queens. The park is full of incredibly ugly, seemingly abandoned concrete buildings from the 1939/40 and 1964/65 World's fairs. It is a stunning place that many tourists (and New Yorkers) seem to be unaware of.

My personal favorite is the Queens Museum of Arts, situated right in the middle of the park, just next to the big world globe fountain. My friend Anders recently blogged about the museum's NYC panorama.

Tillbakablick

Foto: Balettakademien

Hörrni, var det ändå inte bättre förr?

Tisdagstema: En/ett

Today's Tuesday theme: En/ett (one). Especially for you, an umbrella.

21 elephants in NYC

Did you know that in 1884, P. T. Barnum helped to squelch doubts about the stability of the Brooklyn Bridge by leading a herd of 21 elephants over it?

Let's get some shoes

Just got back from NYC where I came across Miz Mozz shoes. Nothing too unique, but still adorable somehow.

Conversations at a high-tech dinner table

Dinner is ready. Tom sits down at the dinner table. Paulina gets her computer and sits down right next to him.

T: No, please. Not.
P: Not what?
T: No computers during dinner. Please.
P: Just five minutes? I have to check my emails. I'll die if I don't.
T: Well, OK. Five minutes then.
P: Thanks. You can even count the minutes. I don't need more than 5.
T: Alright.

While Paulina is trying to check her emails on a slow connection, Tom opens up his laptop and starts watching YouTube videos. Paulina looks at him with anger. Tom doesn't notice. After 5 minutes of desperately trying to access her email account Paulina slams her laptop shut and runs into her room, crying. Tom runs after.

T: Honey, what's the problem?
P: Pfff... *sob* *sob*
T: Come on, why are you angry? What did I do wrong? Tell me.
P: Can't you see what you did wrong? Are you blind?! *sob*
T: I have no idea! What is it? Tell me.
P: Pfff...Don't you understand? YOU STOLE MY BANDWIDTH!

****

If there is something - anything - that this example can teach us all. Please let me know.

Live free or die

Photo: armedamerica.org.

Let me tell you about this country that I live in. You've probably already heard people talk about it; USA is the country of fear. And it is. We are all afraid of being attacked, abused, hurt, injured, molested, raped, stabbed, shot, killed, hit, bitten, and battered. But most of all, we fear the thought of not having the possibility to chose. We hate the idea of having to obey somebody else's orders. We defy the concept that other people may have more knowledge about certain things than we do. We are all more or less like three-year-old toddlers, screaming "I can do it myself!". And although it is rather obvious to everyone, including ourselves, that we can't manage on our own, it is the notion that we are all free to do what we want that counts in the end.

"Live free or die" is what they say in New Hampshire. I think I know what they mean.