Category: Musings

Stay of Execution for Astroland!


You’re my wonder wheel
Originally uploaded by ultrahi.

Some good news from New York – the Astroland Park in Coney Island has been given a year’s stay of execution. The park, a big favourite with New York photographers for years, was due to close at the end of last season before being demolished and replaced by a much contested development. Now it seems the development itself has been stopped, at least temporarily, as ‘environmental concerns are addressed’.
So for those New York photographers who don’t already have way too many photos of Coney Island, you now have another season to get them. Woo!

FuBar Crushed by Crane!


Deidre & Johnny @ FuBar
Originally uploaded by ultrahi.

I can’t believe I just read this – FuBar on 50th street in New York has just been crushed by a crane! This was the great little dive bar I used to hang out in all the time when I first came back to NYC in May 2004. Wow.

The owner John LeGreco (picture above with Deidre) is OK as he had arrived late for work, but at the moment they’re worried one of his bar tenders is in the rubble. Fingers crossed this isn’t the case. Four construction workers died as they were on or around the crane when it came down. Sad news indeed. My thoughts are with everyone down there.

A Sunny/Snowy Day in Ottawa


Canadian Parliament
Originally uploaded by ultrahi.

Yesterday Miette and I popped up to Ottawa for the day. The morning weather was absolutely stunning so managed to get some lovely pictures of seat of Canadian rule before my hands froze off (it was -10c). Then after a quick break we came back outside to grey snow showers – the perfect illustration of why you have to take photos right away when the weather’s in your favour!

So with crap afternoon weather ahead we hid out in the wonderful National Art Gallery, the original inspiration for my love of Anish Kapoor having seen my first sculptures of his there in 1994. It was actually my first time back in Ottawa since then, and it was certainly different seeing it covered in thick snow and ice, rather than hot, sunny Jazz festival days. Ah, the memories.

Richard Feynman, Interview with a Genius

Richard Feynman is one of the geniuses of the 20th century, not only winning the Nobel prize for Physics, but also for being able to explain complex physics theories in a manner that even dumb Physics degree students (like me) can understand. Feynman was also involved with developing the bomb at Los Alamos that later went on to destroy Hiroshima, and hearing him talk of his and everyone’s elses’ reaction at the time is somewhat chilling.

This video is only part one of six, all of which should should up in the related videos if you go direct to youTube.

Last Night’s Lunar Eclipse


Lunar Eclipse 20th February 2008
Originally uploaded by ultrahi.

Last night was the last lunar eclipse for a few years, so we were pretty happy that a) it was a beautifully clear night and b) we could see the moon from our balcony – so we didn’t have to stay outside in the -17.9c freezing cold to watch it. I was too lazy to put my tripod out for the full sequence, but here’s a pic from when the moon was pretty much totally eclipsed.