MTA Transit Museum

What? I heard it was good exercise...

(Note - The subway cars are fully accessible and open to the public; and certainly, no museum exhibits were damaged during filming.)

Eddie's Nightclub

Unlike the BBC, I can't even claim that Rob Sherwood DJ'd there...

Dominica

The diving in Dominica was great; actually saw a couple types of fish that I had never seen before. There are 350 rivers, many waterfalls, hot springs, freshwater lakes and views of the Atlantic and Caribbean from high in the rain forest. It was simply the lushest, least populated place that I have ever visited. There were giant ferns (the type that you see depicted in natural history museums towering over the dinosaurs.

We hiked to Victoria Falls, a two hour round trip hike crossing/wading a white water river 5 times. I've been trying to coin the term "white-water hiking" to describe our adventure but while it seems to inspire amusement, I have yet to hear anyone else use the term. The day we were there the rains had been heavy and the river was rushing and swollen. We had to use a rope to make the first crossing to avoid being swept downstream; the rest of the crossings were easier - we were able to get by with just a human chain. Everyone was bruised after the hike and quite a few were actually bleeding.

After we finished the Victoria Falls hike, a camouflage-wearing Rasta named Moses, who has a farm near the trail head, made us lunch. We ate a vegetarian stew from gourd shell bowls and used spoons made from coconut shells.

There is another 6 hour hike through the "Valley of Desolation" that I would have loved to have gone but it would have meant losing an extra day of diving so we wouldn't get the bends from being at a high altitude soon after diving.

The most brilliant thing about Dominica is the total absence of large all-inclusive resorts. There are only small hotels and guest houses. It was a blast. One of my all time favorite vacations, due in no little part to my vacation companions, the Semrads.

Despite my expression, I actually like this old photo. The outfit, not so much. Funny, I really don't remember shopping at Value City.

American Cannibal

I just got home from seeing the independent film American Cannibal at Cinema Village on E. 12th St. between University and Fifth Avenue.

The movie is a thoroughly entertaining and absolutely hilarious documentary about reality TV, trading one's ideals for employment and the American obsession with fame.

Check out the trailer and then check out the movie.

More eavesdropping on the 2/3

Today, on the 3 train I heard some guy say, "SOBRO - what's that shit? Calling the South Bronx, SOBRO... How queer. I guess the City doesn't want anyone to know that it's still the Bronx."

Two Great Bakeries in Astoria, Queens

Sadly... neither seem to have a web site.

The first is "Le Petit Prince" at 33-09 Broadway in Astoria, Queens (near 33rd on Broadway; 718-777-3040). The quaint shopfront drew me in (OK, maybe sentimental connotations related its name were also at play) but once in... I didn't see any of my favorite desserts in the cases. The selection was great - - - madeleines, macaroons, napoleans, eclaires, etc; I just have simple tastes - - - vanilla cupcakes, plain cheesecake, etc. Well, not a lot more etcetera but you get the point. However, the desserts were too pretty (and I love dessert in spite of my simple, anti-chocolate preferences) to walk out without buying one. So... I randomly chose some pistachio pear dome mousse thing decorated with a handmade white chocolate star and a spun sugar ladder. I don't know exactly what it was but it tasted phenominal! I will make the two train trip back out to try their other selections.

I was able to indulge my more purist bakery inclinations at Parisi Bros. Bakery located at 30-17 Broadway (the corner of 31st and Broadway under the N/W tracks; 718-728-5282) in Astoria, Queens. I smelled the bakery a block before I saw it. The Italian bread had a perfect crusty exterior and a light but chewy interior. The sugar cookies that I bought were also excellent. The extra that I purchased and took into the office disappeared in seconds. Parisi also had a great selection of other breads, biscotti and other traditional Italian cookies. I still hope to find a good Italian bakery closer to my home in Park Slope but all my future visits to Astoria will definitely include a stop at Parisi's.

Overheard on the 3 train on Ash Wednesday

A female American passenger, presumably in an attempt to be a good "tour guide," was explaining to her male companion with a British accent why some of the other people on the train had crosses marked in ash on their foreheads. As accurately as I can remember, she said, "Catholics get palms on Palm Sunday and hang them upside down in their houses. On Ash Wednesday, which is today, they burn them and use the ashes to make those Xs on their heads. Some other religions do it too but Catholics more so; because of all the idolatry." She then immediately segued into telling him about a club in Manhattan where "everybody sits in old wine barrels."

Patagonia's New Spokesmodel

Thomas Midgley's Legacy

Thomas Midgley developed both tetraethyl lead (aka ethyl, a lead additive used in gasoline) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Admittedly, although well aware of the dangers of lead poisoning and the threat that CFCs posed to our ozone layer, I had never heard of Thomas Midgley until I read Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything." Well, I guess if you're responsible for two of the biggest environmental calamities of our time, you really don't brag about it.

Pout gives no reason to pout

I have problems with mascara. I've tried dozens of products but they all seem to leave smudges under my eyes. Unless, I use waterproof and then I end up losing some lashes when I remove it or with Blink's "Kiss Me" (a chemical engineering marvel that's worth trying) by 1 AM, it's flaking and getting in my contacts.

I had plans after work one night last week and admittedly, I wanted to look pretty so I made a lunchtime run to Sephora for some basic supplies. While checking for a travel-size blush from Pout, I asked the brand rep for a mascara suggestion and told her about my smudging problem. She recommended Pout's "Black Eyes." I was skeptical because it had a really skinny wand but she was smudge-free; so, I bought one.

It's been a happy, smudgeless week and it didn't even run with all the watering that my eyes were doing this week due to the wind and cold. I think I'm finally ready to practice some brand loyalty with my mascara.

Little help please...

Spoon, Led Zeppelin, Seal, Black Flag, Rolling Stones, White Zombie, Alice in Chains, Cypress Hill, Dead Kennedys, Smashing Pumpkins, Eagles, Cars, Lemonheads, B52s, Garbage, Bee Gees, Matchbox 20, Great White, White Snake, Eels, Gorillaz, Pixies, Madonna, Twisted Sister (?), Scissor Sisters, Guns 'n Roses, Beach Boys, Police, Cowboy Junkies, U2, Nine Inch Nails, the Cult, Black Crowes, Ratt, Blur, Hole, Dinosaur Jr, Blind Melon, Sex Pistols, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Rusted Root, Iron Maiden, Queen, Prince, Fifty Cent.. Please fill me in on any others I missed. Are the guys in suits supposed to be the Blues Brothers? It doesn't seem to fit... Clicking on the photo should open a new window with a larger version of the pic.

A friend sent me the jpeg; so, I don't know if this part of a contest or just an ad for Virgin Records.