Another Side of New York

One last picture from New York City. As we walked up Lafayette Street through SoHo, we passed this person tucked beneath the scaffolding of a building being rehabbed. Note the small placard on the cart that says Smart Way. The paper handbills in the upper right advertise Mama's Food Shop.

Back to St. Louis tomorrow: Fifty-9

On the Island Where I Was Born

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A long day in Manhattan, that unique island where I arrived into the world, with my wife, my nephew Michael and the incomparable Ming the Merciless of NYC City Daily Photoblog. We started the day at South Street Seaport for a half-hour boat tour of the New York City Waterfalls Project, more about which later.

Then a hike past City Hall and the NYC Municipal Building into Chinatown for dim sum brunch at the huge, crazy and delicious Jing Fong Restaurant. More walking up Mulberry Street into through Little Italy, NoLiTa, SoHo and into the East Village. We walked through the Union Square Greenmarket where we met Joseph Ades, pictured above, who sits at the northwest corner of the square selling stainless steel, Swiss-made vegetable peelers. This English gentlemen slices and dices with more aplomb than Ron Popeil could ever manage. He's a New York institution.

From there we took the subway uptown to Central Park after visiting the Apple Cube at 59th Street and Fifth Avenue. The striking entrance leads to a cavernous underground store. The young man in the second photo, standing outside the entrance, may be examining his new iPhone. The group trekked through the park to Bethesda Fountain and on to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where we nearly collapsed with exhaustion. It was a wonderful day plunging back into the places I loved as a boy and adolescent. Ming could not have been more generous with his time.

TOMORROW: One last picture from New York - the other side

The Fourth of July in Ridgewood, New Jersey

According to my esteemed brother-in-law, Melvin Mark, Ph.D., Chairman, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, the caption for this picture should be:

When you're serving Corona to friends, don't be shellfish.

He suggested that I offer the photo to Corona for one million dollars, plus another million for the slogan. Seems reasonable to me. I get a commission on his part 'cause I put it on the Web.

My (other) sister and brother-in-law have a family tradition of extravagant Independence Day parties. The photo is but a sample.

TOMORROW: What happened to Ming the Merciless and Strangetastes when they took on NYC with cameras for weapons?

All images and text © Saintlouismodailyphoto and Melvin Mark, Ph.D. All use or reproduction prohibited without the express permission of the aforesaid. And I mean it. I'm a lawyer.

How To Increase Your Photoblog Traffic

Dogs or babies. Does it every time. Add a big fake plastic tongue and you just can't miss. I want to tell you. it will draw more visitors than the best architectural photo you ever made in your life. Princess here was featured in the PrideFest parade. I once saw a South Park episode about a gay dog. No idea whether our proud parade pooch caught that one.

FOURTH OF JULY UPDATE

I'm visiting family in Ridgewood, New Jersey, in the suburbs of New York City. The town has the big regional parade. These marchers are from the local American Legion post and proud of their military service. We thank them and their colleagues for all they have done for us.

I took a lot of pictures at the parade. There will be a set of them on my Flickr site when I can get some edited. Big fireworks tonight. If it doesn't rain, pix here in the morning.

TOMORROW: The Fourth of July in Ridgewood, New Jersey

Thursday Arch Series

I like this Arch photo because of of its sense of monumentality. It makes me think of a gigantic steel hammer thrust into the ground from the sky. Note the tiny people at the lower left. I just wish &#%@$! Blogger didn't compress the life out of the pictures we upload. Mitch from Minneapolis taught me to oversaturate the colors before posting an image. This still has much less richness of color than I want, particularly the tans and greens at the bottom. Any other suggestions?

Flying to Newark today to spend the holiday weekend with my family in the New Jersey suburbs of NYC. Big plans for Saturday: New York blogger extraordinaire Ming the Merciless and I are meeting to see the New York City Waterfalls project by boat and shoot them until they dry up, followed by an aimless photo trek around Manhattan. There is an amazing connection between me and Ming. In a city of eight million people, he lives on the very same block in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens where I grew up. Like Humphrey Bogart said to Claude Rains at the end of Casablanca, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

TOMORROW: How to increase your photoblog traffic.

Bzzzzz

This my absolute favorite group from the PrideFest parade. They represented a florist, appropriately enough. The bee in the back of the car and in the picture below is the Queen. And all so happy. Must have lots of honey around.

Photography tip: two things helped make this a better picture. First, fill flash, and I mean a full strobe unit, not a weensy on-camera flash. The picture world be dull without it. Second, a willingness to sit or lie in the street.

TOMORROW: Thursday Arch Series

CDPB Monthly Theme Day: "No..."

Friends of this blog know that I am incapable of following the company line on theme days. BOOORRIIINNG. I've been wracking my brains for something out of the ordinary for today and couldn't come up with anything. No good "No..." signs around here that I could find. Then I thought of the wacky perturbations of my language in Japan, like the "No Smorking" sign. Did I see that myself or come across it on engrish.com? (Which, by the way, is a laff riot for English speakers.)

Well, by happy coincidence, I'm studying Japanese. My wife and I will visit for the third time in October. We are just fascinated by the country, even though it involves consuming large amounts of raw fish. And sometimes for breakfast. (That'll wake up an American better than a venti triple latte chased with a can of Red Bull.) Before our last trip, we took several months of conversational Japanese tutoring. Now I'm trying to brush up my miserable skills. Nihongo wa sukoshi wakarimasu demo josu jarimasu sen.* Big time.

Now, to get to the point, the character above is "no." Kind of elegant, isn't it? "No" indicates the possessive (Mr. Tanaka's dog - Tanaka-san no inu) or the English word "of." It is a hiragana, a Japanese word or sound for which there is no pictogram character (kanji). Something you need to know when you're over there. And that, gentle reader, is the most roundabout way to get to the monthly theme you may never find.

* "I speak a little Japanese but I am not skilled." Japanese speakers, please correct me if I messed this up.

Just Say No with 172 City Daily Photo Blogs today. To check the waves of prohibition as they rise around the world, click here to view thumbnails for all .

Or, pick your negation one by one from the participants:

American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Ararat, Australia by freefalling, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Aspen (CO), USA by IamMBB, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Bandung, Indonesia by Harry Makertia, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Birmingham (AL), USA by VJ, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Brantford (ON), Canada by Nancy, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Brookville (OH), USA by Abraham, Bucaramanga, Colombia by Fernando, Bucharest, Romania by Malpraxis, Budapest, Hungary by agrajag, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cavite, Philippines by Steven Que, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Château-Gontier, France by Laurent, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chennai, India by Shantaram, Chennai, India by Ram N, Chesapeake (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Cincinnati, USA by Erik Laursen, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Corsicana (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Delta (CO), USA by Bill, Duluth (MN), USA by Sun Dog Press, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, East Gwillimbury, Canada by Your EG Tour Guide, Edinburgh, UK by Dido, Folkestone, UK by Piskie, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA by Gigi, Gaia, Portugal by m+p, Geneva (IL), USA by Kelly, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Gun Barrel City (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Hampton (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Haninge, Sweden by Steffe, Hanoi, Vietnam by Jérôme, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Jerusalem, Israel by Esther, Katonah (NY), USA by Inkster1, Knoxville (TN), USA by Knoxville Girl, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Lakewood (OH), USA by mouse, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Lisbon, Portugal by Maria João, London, UK by Mo, London, UK by Ham, Lynchburg (VA), USA by Timothy, Mainz, Germany by JB, Melbourne, Australia by John, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Poly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Misawa, Japan by misawa mama, Monroe (GA), USA by Tanya, Monrovia (CA), USA by Keith, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Munich, Germany by Troy, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Delhi, India by Delhi Photo Diary, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, New York City (NY), USA by • Eliane •, Newcastle, Australia by Julia, Newport News (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Norfolk (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Ocean Township (NJ), USA by Josy, Oklahoma City (OK), USA by ananda.tashie, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Palos Verdes (CA), USA by tash, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Petoskey (MI), USA by Christie, Phoenix (AZ), USA by Cheryl, Poplar Bluff (MO), USA by Tricia, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Portland (ME), USA by Corey, Portsmouth (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Posadas, Argentina by Lega, Pretoria, South Africa by Sam Ruth, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Ramsey, Isle of Man by babooshka, Reykjavik, Iceland by Vírgíll, Riga, Latvia by Riga Photos, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Rouen, France by Bbsato, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Salem (OR), USA by jill, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by atc, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sequim (WA), USA by Norma, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, Springfield (IL), USA by Aubrey, Stanwood (WA), USA by MaryBeth, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Stouffville, Canada by Ken, Stratford, Canada by Barb, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Suffolk (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Julie, Sydney, Australia by Ann, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tamarindo, Costa Rica by David, Tel-Aviv, Israel by Olga, Tempe (AZ), USA by angie, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torun, Poland by Glenn, Toulouse, France by Julia, Trujillo, Peru by Giulianna, Turin, Italy by Livio, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Victoria, Canada by Benjamin Madison, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Virginia Beach (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Washington (DC), USA by D.C. Confidential, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Williamsburg (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine,

TOMORROW: BUZZ OFF