Author: Sean

My tree left one million little, sharp, green presents all over my apartment. I guess it is revenge for me leaving it in a heap of dead trees on the sidewalk. There is a similar pile on every corner, marking the end of the holidays. Ho, ho, happy to see you go, Santa.
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Site of the Day: From Kerstin, a scary, yet not surprising look at the connections between the people who sit on the boards of the worlds largest companies. Click “Load Map” and the “Popular” to see nice graphic representations of how a fraction of a fraction of the populations rules the whole world. Like it always has. I’m not bitter about that. I’m just bitter because I can’t find my way into the secret club. Like everyone else.

I’m going to edit a collection of shorts called “Chicken Soup for the Cold Afflicted’s Soul.” It will be a collection of chicken soup recipes for people with colds, because it turns out it does work. The above plate, some tylenol, and a lot of college football cured me right up.
How come the Chicken Soup people don’t publish one for the serial killers soul? They have every other g**damn one.

Editor’s Note: After research, I discovered that they do have Chicken Soup for the Prisoner’s Soul. Well, there’s egg on my face. Read the review by JS “Fruity Pebbles” Mason. Priceless.

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Did you watch the Rose Bowl last night? There was a celebrity t괥-୴괥 between Matthew McConaheehaw and Will Ferrel that was funny. Will got the better of the exchange, but Matt came back, both with stoner windmills during “God Bless America” and then with a Tejas win. Hook ’em horns.

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Site of the Day: Retro Crushes Annoying 2005 List. The thing I hate most about 2005? The increasing popularity of “mashups,” when DJs put the lyrics of one song over the music of another. You know what is better than Kanye West over The Clash? … The Clash.

Grumpy and old, and only 31.

Today, my nephew turns one. Congrats to his parents, because really he had no part in it and I’m not even sure he is aware of the tricycle beyond, “Shiny!” Notice Jerry’s STC.com hat. You could get one too if you can guess the number of used Kleenex on my desk.
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Some thoughts:

Best description of the weather I heard from a homeless man today: “I’m so cold I’m shivering timbers.”

Word that I think will never make a comeback, but probably will: jive

I used to think soup was healthy, but then I realized all good soups contain one or more of the following: croutons, bacon, ham, heavy cream, or missionaries.

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Site of the Day: Although they kept me up until 1AM, Joe is a little incoherent sometimes, Michael Robinson throws some crazy passes, and the twelve-year-old kicker desperately tried to break my heart, I love Penn State football and Penn State Wins the Orange Bowl.

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Editor’s Note: I had to pull the comments because comment spam was crashing my server. I’m currently researching new comment options. Suggestions are welcome.

She’s not skanky, but I have that same titled Fatboy Slim song in my head right about now, funk soul brother.
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While I consider 5th Avenue and Rockafeller Center the lowest circle of hell during the Christmas season, you need to try the good in the bad. When I took my parents last weekend, rather than complain, I just focused on the skating skirts. Anything to make the holiday a little less wholesome. Think about that when you watch the Today Show.

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Some more Christmas pics:

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Site of the Day:
– Smoking Gun’s top mugshots of 2005.
– Thousand Bar Guy to finish tonight at Pioneer.

(AP Photo) In case you missed the Steelers’ Saturday thrashing of the Browns, 41 to nil, today’s picture shows the most interesting part. When a drunken fan pranced across the field, backing towards the Steeler bench, linebacker James Harrison stepped in with a full takedown. Nicely done.
Site of the Day: See the film at KDKA

For the first time in my life, and the first time in their lives, my parents and I didn’t spend Christmas in Pennsylvania. Instead, I invited them to New York for a holiday vacation in the city. The weekend was packed with food, fun, and familial dysfunction, but we survived to have a great time.
One of the sites we saw was an amazing model railroad display in the lobby of the Citigroup Center Atrium, 53 St. and Lexington Ave.

The display features trains of five different guages, getting progressively smaller as they are set away from the viewing rail. This creates a sense of perspective in a small space.

Athough there was a decent crowd, there was no line. We immediately took our place on the viewing rail and shuffled around the display slowly, looking for all the hidden moving models.

To make it more magical, the whole platform turns to night every minute or so. Many of the building are lit and have some motion. This drive-in would show “High Noon” in the evenings. You can see the townspeople selling out Gary Cooper in front of rows of fifties cars.

Along with evening, the show goes through the seasons as you progress around, ending with winter and Christmas in a sleepy mountain village. Sleepy, except for the continous train traffic.

The display is free and open until December 30th. I highly recommend stopping by if you are off work and in the city this week.

Related Links:
– Dunham Studios Citicorp Building Train Display

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Site of the Day: A wierd Zen-sort-of game.

Walking down Third Street to Avenue B, I passed some kids with their noses pressed to the glass of this apartment window. Apparently, the tenant goes all out with the holiday dioramas. Check it out if you find the lines for the Macy’s displays too daunting.

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The strike continues. Traffic was backed up on Mott Street last night at 10PM. Lots of businesses, like my laundry and coffee shop, have reduced hours. This shit sucks all around.

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If you need a last minute gift idea for, I’ll take anything with at least six cylinders and a manual transmission. Maybe the Highlander’s Thunderbird?

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Site of the Day: Cute Overload

The strike continues. Only about half my office has made it in. I thought my picture yesterday was nice and original, but of course I’m wrong:
– Gothamist has two similar shots here and here.
– The New York Times has the shot here and here.

It’s that MTA font (helevitica) that is so irresistible.

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Sites of the Day:
– SNL’s Lazy Sunday Rap
– Joe Paterno, Coach of the Year

In case you missed the news, the Metropolitan Transit Authority was forced to close all the train stations and cancel all bus service when the Transit Workers Union declared an illegal strike last night.
I just walked home from Penn Station and the streets are a bit chaotic. Traffic is a nightmare. Cabs are picking up multiple people and charging a flat fee of $10 for all rides. I didn’t see many cops on the street and I also saw a real-life purse snatching.

Unfortunately, I walk to work, so I will be in the office tomorrow. You happy souls, working unbathed from you home in Brooklyn, will get as many days as the strike lasts automatically added to your Unlimited Metrocards as soon as it ends. So at least you have that going for you.

– MTA Strike Contingency Plan

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Site of the Day: Some friends of mine are telling stories at Mo Pitkins in one hour. Do try and go.

This is my tree, the first one I have ever gotten in New York City. Although it is just over seven feet tall, it is slender (like me) and I carried it up five flights in one hand, with the shiny new stand in the other.

This is what it looks like in my small apartment from my couch.

But this is the sweet view while lying prone beneath the evergreen.

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Two fun things this weekend, Mary and Aaron’s annual Holiday Drink Up and the Bar Mitzvah of the son of a friend of Ildi’s. Both good stories, soon to appear here. Now I’m on my way to Boston for the night. Cheers (the salutation, not the sitcom or bar).

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Site of the Day:From the Thigh Master, Scared of Santa. Just wonderful.