On Friday afternoon, Mr. Philip C. Keating, cooper, was passing rapidly through fourth-street, South Boston, when he stepped on a brick, which was lying on the side-walk, and was thrown down, On attempting to rise, he found that he could not move, and was conveyed to his residence on Third, near E street, when Dr. Thaxter was called, and, on examination, the fibula bone of the left leg was found to be broken short off. The bone was properly set, and Mr. Keating was on Saturday morning, as comfortable as could be expected.
Source: News By The Mails, The New York Times, New York, New York, 16 June 1852.
Posted on 5 January '09 by admin, under new york. No Comments.
The New York Times writes about how no one wants to buy newspaper companies anymore. Of course, GateHouse Media’s woes get a mention. But they saved the money paragraph for the last:
Despite the long-term challenges, analysts and bankers think that buyers will return to the newspaper market, though they may be outnumbered by people who decide to invest in online news start-ups instead.
It makes sense. Printing news on paper and hand-delivering it door to door strikes me as inefficient. And the free market is supposed to weed out the inefficient and replace them with those who can delivery the most goods for the least cost.
And THAT is one reason for the drop in value for newspaper companies. Why invest in the print media when the market is just waiting for the inevitable?
Of course, some newspaper companies have problems beyonde those that are common in the industry right now. GateHouse stock closed at 44 cents Friday. I have no idea how it will close today, but even if the stock doubles in value, it won’t be enough to keep it from being delisted.
At least if GateHouse enters bankruptcy, there’s one thing that won’t stand in the way of the Journal Star being sold in one piece: Debt from the paper’s new printing press. I had been worried that anyone who bought the PJS would also get stuck with the debt for the multi-million presses. I’ve been told by someone who should know that this isn’t the case.
Posted on 4 January '09 by admin, under new york. 3 Comments.
Sound Wave
Written by Ryan Curtis
What do you normally do with all the empty bottles, old clothes, and worn out shoes that pile up over the course of your lifetime? If you’re like most people, everything is dumped in the garbage and shipped to a place far away. If you’re a little more ecologically minded, you’ll recycle or donate everything to charity. If you’re Jean Shin, you create works of art.
Glasscape
Jean Shin’s work seeks to bring beauty to the forgotten refuse that our society is so good at producing. She describes her style as such: “my work speaks of the optimism inherent in giving new form to life’s leftovers.” Her piece entitled ‘Sound Wave’, a sculptured tsunami made entirely out of old, slightly melted vinyl records, is currently on display at the Museum of Art and Design in New York City.
Chance City
One of her most moving pieces is entitled, ‘Chance City’, a collection of small-scale buildings made entirely out of lost lottery tickets. It is the essence of her art: she has taken something commonly regarded as worthless and turned it into something of worth. According to her website, a whopping $21,496 was collectively spent on the lottery tickets that ended up as part of the sculpture, tickets discarded by their owners within mere seconds of knowing they hadn’t won.
Worn Soles
This type of artwork highlights the sheer volume of waste our civilization mechanically churns out, without a thought nor care. While there are many artists working with discarded and forgotten materials, Jean manages to bring the items together in a way that makes us think about them in a new light. Previously, those vinyl records, lottery tickets, clothes and shoes meant something to us, and were very important in our lives. Artists like Jean Shin show us that not only are these things still of value; they are also still beautiful.
Thanks to Jean Shin for all images.
Source 1, 2, 3
About the author: Ryan was born in Virginia, and attended James Madison University, where he earned a BA in English Literature. His love of the outdoors and skiing drew him out to the Rocky Mountain West, where he is currently back in school at the University of Montana seeking a degree in Natural History.
If you want to find out all the latest news on the environment, why not subscribe to our RSS feed? We’ll even throw in a free album.
Posted on 2 January '09 by admin, under new york. No Comments.
The Second Buffalo County Hero Flight trip allowed many veterans to remember their time in the service and share some of their emotional experiences.
Hub Video by Sara Giboney and Kent Lutt.
Click here for the Second Hero Flight site with stories, videos, photos, blogs and more
Posted on 1 January '09 by admin, under buffalo. 1 Comment.
In The New Republic, Jed Perl exercises no economy of words in lambasting art from China and its growing global following. Based on a reading of “Chinese art” that does not apparently leave the island of Manhattan, Perl makes several questionable statements, often abetted by lack of knowledge, and Alan Baumler at Frog in a Well has already taken some of them to task.
I find some solace in Perl’s admission that: “This is not to say that there is nothing of value going on in China today: I do not know all there is to know about art in China. What I do know is that the work that is being promoted around the world as the cutting edge of new Chinese art is overblown and meretricious.” Fine, but this comes only after hundreds of words of under-informed negativity and no apparent experience with Chinese art that hasn’t arrived in New York or Venice.
Missing from Perl’s account is the pervasive sense of unease among many in Beijing’s art scene, both Chinese and foreign, as they have watched the transformation of spaces such as the 798 Art District into pedestrian mall commercial centers, and as they have watched some of the artists Perl criticizes grow their bank accounts with manufactured art.
That’s one of the things Angie Baecker and I tried to capture with our article in the current issue (No. 59) of Art Asia Pacific. We examined the plans and sentiments of some major art spaces and figures in Beijing leading up to the Olympics. And we found a mixture of excitement and trepidation, sometimes with both sentiments coming from the same person.
Totally unexamined by Perl, for instance, are the artists whose work rarely if ever engages political and nationalist issues. And others who openly criticize the government and the country’s history, even if with a certain care to avoid publicity that could threaten their livelihood. Then there’s Ai Weiwei, both involved with and vocally opposed to the Olympics. In the classic media formulation, his contributions to the design of the Olympic stadium are tempered by his criticism of the government. (”The Olympics are an opportunity to redefine the country, but the message is always wrong,” Ai says in our article.)
I would not discount the possibility that some of Ai’s repeated statements have been motivated by a desire for publicity. But for those who make their commentaries in private and whose art-with-message works face government scrutiny, the spotlight is neither welcomed nor sought.
Criticizing a country’s art without engaging even well-reported examples that don’t support one’s criticism is an art world example of the basic structure of [insert country]-bashing: Find some well-accepted tropes about the target country that are well-reported but unconfirmed by the critic, and then use them as the basis of an argument that makes no effort to engage the actual thoughts or facts of life of those involved.
Could it be that a critic writing in a derivative way in the milieu of China-bashing is just as guilty as artists who profit from market-friendly, easily digestible political messages?
Related posts
- Wasserstrom on the History of Chinese Boycotts (0)
- Venezuelan-Chinese Investment and an Industrial Showcase (0)
- Olympics Journalists Say More About Their Home Country Than the Host (1)
- Obama Says He Would Hear From Dalai Lama Before Going to Olympic Ceremony (0)
- Foreign Reporters and Scoripions at Beijing’s Wangfujing (0)
Posted on 31 December '08 by admin, under new york. No Comments.
Corpus Christi received word yesterday that have successfully made it through to the semi-finalist phase of Mrs. T’s Pierogy Pocket Capital of America Contest representing the City of Buffalo.
If you recall, Buffalo won title in 2006, but lost in 2007 to Binghamton.
Buffalo and Corpus Christi pierogied up their entry this year by holding the “Buffalo’s Best Homemade Pierogi Contest” as part of their annual Dozynki Harvest Festival.
You can see video of the contest and find out how to vote by clicking here.
We need to get the title back from Binghamton!
Posted on 29 December '08 by admin, under buffalo. 1 Comment.
This series of articles will preview the New York Islanders for the upcoming season. I’ll cover the general overview of the team, the goaltenders position, the defense and the forwards.
Overview:
The Islanders will open the season with a brand new coach (Scott Gordon, former star AHL coach) who will hopefully bring a brand new winning attitude with him as well.
The 2007-08 Islanders were not expected to make much noise. They suffered a large defection in free agency (Ryan Smyth, Jason Blake, Viktor Kozlov and Tom Poti all left the Island) and were counted out right from the start by the media. However, for much of the season, those same naysayers had to admit that the team had overachieved. Former coach Ted Nolan may not have had a lot of talent to work with, but he utilized what he was in the cupboard and kept the team competitive. However, a spate of injuries and a rift between Nolan and GM Garth Snow conspired This series of articles will preview the New York Islanders for the upcoming season. I’ll cover the general overview of the team, the goaltenders position, the defense and the forwards.to sink the team’s chances in the latter part of the year. Nolan parted ways with the team over the summer. The writing had been on the wall concerning the coach for quite some time: He was clearly uncomfortable with the direction the club was going in terms of a youth movement and his dissatisfaction was apparent in his post game interviews.
The roster has seen some turnover: Doug Weight will now center the top line and defenseman Mark Streit will attempt to revive the moribund power-play. RW Kyle Okposo should play with the big club this year and will be expected to take a big step in his growth process. Jeff Tambellini, the AHL scoring phenom, will be given his final opportunity to stick in the majors. Gone are enigmatic wingers Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko, as well as popular backup netminder Wade Dubielewicz.
The key to this season is whether or not Scott Gordon will be able to aid the youngsters in the lineup (Okposo, Tambellini, Blake Comeau and Franz Nielsen, among others) in their evolution as NHL players. New York realizes that they are not going to be a desirable free agent destination, so the only way they will improve is through the draft and the development of young prospects.
Next: The Goaltender Position
Would you like to write for RumorMeThis? Check out http://rumormethis.com/write-for-us/ for more details.
Posted on 26 December '08 by admin, under new york. No Comments.
PORT JEFFERSON - This event happened on the East End of Long Island, New York, in the Village of Port Jefferson on July 4, 2008. I was with two other friends and we were just talking, while watching cars drive by at a popular hangout. Our first sighting was at 10:15 PM when we saw two bright orange balls of light flying in close formation at around four thousand feet heading north. A few people at this point noticed and we thought they might be helicopters, but it is rather strange for a helicopter to glow bright orange. The craft hovered for a short period then flew a little farther and in the blink of an eye disappeared straight up into the sky. A gentleman stood by saying “those were definitely not helicopters.” At 10:35 PM, three bright orange balls of light were flying in close formation from the south and they hovered at about the same height as the first. These crafts moved up and down in a very speedy fashion. The light would fade as they moved up and would glow brighter as they came down. These were very fast moving objects.
Next, a plane was flying in from the west toward the crafts and at this point at least 50-60 people were pointing up at the sky wondering what in the world the objects were. Moments later at the same time all three craft dimmed their lights completely. But this time, the objects didn’t disappear as they flew by, they were light gray in color round disks (sphere like), not small from what I could tell maybe around half the size of a football field. At this point they were moving at a relatively fast cruising speed. One craft flew up ahead while the other two trailed close together but all three in formation. They flew over the water and heading toward CT. Without a doubt, this was the most surreal experience I and my friends have had. I have an accounting background (MBA) and work in the lab plastics business. My other friend/witness is a Speech Therapist in a School District and the other works for Allstate Insurance. Thanks to Peter Davenport Director http://www.ufocenter.com/
FINGER LAKES REGION- I had an experience occur in my bedroom two weeks ago when I awakened to find three little balls of light hovering over me, a few minutes past 2 AM. I sat up in bed and the lights only hovered.. They were about the size of an American quarter-dollar when held close to the face, but these lights were only 2-3 feet above my bed. I saw them for only a few minutes and then they were gone! It was as if someone had turned off a light switch! They just vanished! Two nights after that sighting There was a sighting in Oswego, NY on the 7th of July. That town is only about 1 hour to the ENE of where I live. Most of my sightings and missing times usually occur with the appearance of white spheres. Those little balls of light were no brighter than little night-lights. Thanks to Brian Vike Director of HBCC UFO Research http://www.hbccUFO.org
Posted on 13 December '08 by admin, under new york. No Comments.
Ken and I had the privledge of attending the the 3rd annual 2008 Golden Nose Awards in the Finger Lakes Wine Region May 30 - June 1. This fun event was held at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, just south of Seneca Lake in upstate New York.
The weekend opened up with a judges reception Friday evening, from 6-8pm at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art 
in Corning, New York. The Rockwell Museum of Western Art is considered to be “the best of the west in the east.” Delicious hors d’oeuvres and Finger Lakes wines were served at this event. Judges and their guests were encouraged to visit the museum’s exhibits on all 3 floors as well as visit their beautiful roof deck overlooking the city of Corning. We were also very lucky to see the newly opening exhibit, “Yosemite 1938: On the Trail with Ansel Adams and Georgia O’Keeffe.” In 1938, photographer, Ansel Adams, took a group of friends, including Georgia O’Keeffe and David McAlpin through Yosemite’s backcountry. The album produced from images of this trip comprises the stunning landscapes of Yosemite as well as intimate candid portraits of his life-long friends. This rare album is on loan from the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In addition to the Ansel Adams exhibit, Ken and I were also impressed with the paintings of Native Americans and western landscapes. This event was a good opportunity to meet some of the fellow judges and winemakers, and enjoy the museum.
The Golden Nose Awards, itself, is held at the Corning Museum of Glass, in Corning, New York. It is a consumer judging event, rather than a strictly professional judging event. There is a mandatory judge training session Saturday morning, from 9:00-11:30 where professional wine judges teach you, the consumer, some of the finer points in the art of judging wine. It was a great training! 
We smelled and tasted controlled samples to learn what wine should, and should not taste and smell like. For example, wine should not smell like wet cardboard. If it does, that probably means the wine is corked (the cork has failed and the wine has gone bad). There were examples of acidity, sweetness, etc.. Each presenter spent about 25 minutes teaching us different aspects of the art of judging wine. The presenters were very down to earth and some were quite humorous. It was truly a hands on experience. There was nothing intimidating about it. The art of judging a wine is not something you can really learn in a book. You really need to experience these tastes and smells first hand.
Ken was particularly impressed with Peter Bell’s presentation. Peter, the winemaker at Fox Run Vineyards, provided water samples to explain the various components of wine. Since most wines are generally made up of at least 80% water, this was a good starting point. 
Peter provided water samples with 12% ethanol to show the alcohol effect and taste of wine as compared with just plain water. Alcohol adds body to the wine, a touch of sweetness, and tastes like vodka. Another sample included 5% sugar, which adds body, texture, and flavor. Acidity was added to yet another sample providing lemon like flavor and a drying effect. Astringency was provided by adding tannin (polyphenols) to the next water sample. Ken and I both thought this session was awesome. Overall, the judge training was very good for novices and wine connoisseurs alike.
There was a lunch break around 12:00. It was a delicious lunch with salad, ham, potatoes, turkey, etc. The actual wine judging took place from approximately 12:30-4:00, with multiple flights of wine being judged. Ken judged approximately 28 wines over the course of 3 hours with about 6 different wine flights/varietals. Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Double Gold awards were given out. A Double Gold award indicates that the panel unanimously agreed that the wine was a Gold medal winner. A Best in Class award indicates the wine had the highest combined score of the judging for that wine varietal.
We saw many people tirelessly volunteering their time to make this event such a great success. There were event volunteers who spent much of the day performing the absolutely essential tasks of washing wine glasses, pouring flights, collecting used wine glasses, and dumping “spit buckets,” not to mention collecting and tallying wine scores.
The judges had free time from 4-7:00pm, while the set up crew transformed the auditorium from a judging competition into a big evening celebration, all in the same physical space. During this time, Ken and I visited the Corning Museum of Glass. If you haven’t visited, you should check it out. It’s a great museum. The exhibit I found most interesting highlighted Drs. Donald B. Keck, Robert D. Maurer and Peter C. Schultz, who invented low-loss optical fiber, while working at Corning Incorporated in the 1970s. You may say to yourself, what is that? and why is it important? 
Keck, Maurer and Schultz’ invention, recognized as a monumental technical breakthrough, paved the way for the commercialization of optical fiber, creating a revolution in telecommunications and laying the cornerstone for the information superhighway. If it weren’t for them, I probably wouldn’t be writing this blog post, and you wouldn’t be reading it! Needless to say, we loved the museum.
We left the museum around 6:00, and hurried back to our hotel room to get changed for the festive evening ahead, complete with great food, wine, and entertainment, not to mention the Golden Nose Awards.
We arrived back at the Corning Museum of Glass around 7:00. The tight schedule during the day was essential to beginning the Golden Nose Award celebration on time at 7:00. 
The food was fantastic and included, among other dishes, beef apple Gorgonzola crostini, grilled beef tenderloin with red demi glace, seared duck breast with red currant glaze, French green lentil with feta cheese and mint, pan seared sea bass with lemon butter on a bed of wild rice pilaf, and yummy scalloped potatoes. My favorite was the sea bass and Ken’s was the tenderloin. The dessert table was truly decadent as well. My favorite desserts were the huge chocolate covered strawberries and the chocolate mousse.
As you might expect, the Finger Lakes wines judged during the day were also featured at the party that evening. There were approximately 292 wines judged that day. The best of which, were served that evening. The top awards went to the following wines:
Best of Class:
Sheldrake Point, Summer White 2006
Lakewood, Riesling 2007
Goose Watch, Viognier 2007
Goose Watch, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Hickory Hollow, Liquid Wisdom NV
Seneca Shore, Sherry 1997
Red Newt, Cabernet Franc 2005
Double Gold:
Glenora, Alpine White NV
Lakewood, Dry Riesling 2007
Torrey Ridge, Niagara NV
Earle Estate Meadery, Peach Perfection NV
Billsboro, Cabernet Franc 2006
Hosmer, Riesling 2007
Our favorite wines of the weekend were the Lakewood 2007 Riesling, Lakewood 2007 “Dry Riesling,” Hosmer 2007 Riesling, Billsboro 2006 Cabernet Franc, Leidenfrost Vineyards 2007 Gewürztraminer, Wagner 2007 Riesling Ice Wine, Atwater 2006 Riesling, Atwater 2006 Dry Riesling, Anthony Road 2006 Rose of Cab Franc, and Anthony Road 2006 Semi Dry Riesling.
Did I mention the entertainment was terrific? We enjoyed listening to the very talented, local favorite, Virgil Cain. 
As I listened to him, I kept thinking he could be the next American Idol. The author of the Finger Lakes Weekend Wino blog, Rob Lane, also made a guest appearance. We were lucky enough to meet and speak with Rob later in the evening. We have been reading Rob’s The Finger Lakes Weekend Wino wine blog for over a year and it was great to finally meet Rob face to face. We are admirers of his very informative wine blog devoted to the Finger Lakes Wine Region.
We thoroughly enjoyed our first Golden Nose Awards. The 2009 Golden Nose Award date has already been set for May 30, 2009. It’s not too early to make a note of it, and mark your calendars for next year. The Golden Nose Award is a fun event. As we have said before, the Finger Lakes Wine Region is a destination for wine lovers!
Cheers,
Theresa and Ken
Posted on 9 December '08 by admin, under new york. No Comments.
Kate Devaney, Eric Cheng, Al Vinjamur, Kirk Kazazian
I stayed in New York for a few days after Dave and Kim’s wedding to catch up with friends and to represent Wetpixel and Sea Shepherd at the LUSH press event.
I was excited to get to hang out some with Ella, Peter and Karine’s daughter. She is a smart one.
Special thanks to Al Vinjamur for letting me stay at his place again. Here are a bunch of photos from the week…
View these photos at SmugMug
Posted on 8 December '08 by admin, under new york. No Comments.
