One World Trade Center

May All Your Troubles Soon Be Gone. Oh, Christmas Lights Keep Shining On.

December 23, 2019 — 13 Comments

F/22.0, 87.0, ISO 125.

Jersey City Downtown

What did the stamp say to the Christmas card?

Stick with me and we’ll go places!

Interesting Fact: The first known electrically illuminated Christmas tree was the creation of Edward H. Johnson, an associate of inventor Thomas Edison. While he was vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company, a predecessor of today’s Con Edison electric utility, he had Christmas tree light bulbs especially made for him. He proudly displayed his Christmas tree, which was hand-wired with 80 red, white and blue electric incandescent light bulbs the size of walnuts, on December 22, 1882 at his home on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Local newspapers ignored the story, seeing it as a publicity stunt. However, it was published by a Detroit newspaper reporter, and Johnson has become widely regarded as the Father of Electric Christmas Tree Lights. By 1900, businesses started stringing up Christmas lights behind their windows.[14] Christmas lights were too expensive for the average person; as such, electric Christmas lights did not become the majority replacement for candles until 1930. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_lights#History )

 

 

 

Happy 4th Of July

July 4, 2017 — Aside — 6 Comments

F/10.0, 1/250, ISO 250.

New York City Skyline

What did one flag say to the other flag?

Nothing. It just waved.

Interesting Fact: Thomas Jefferson changed the wording of the Declaration of Independence from “the pursuit of property” to “the pursuit of happiness.” ( http://list25.com/25-fun-facts-about-4th-of-july-that-will-make-you-want-to-celebrate/ )

 

We Own The Night

January 27, 2017 — 30 Comments

 

new-york-city-manhattan-1

F/18.0, 26.0, ISO 80

New York City, Manhattan

A couple had lived together in the backwoods for over fifty years.

To celebrate their fiftieth anniversary, he took her to a large city and they checked into a plush hotel.

She said to the bellman, “We refuse to settle for such a small room. No windows, no bed, and no air conditioning.”

“But, madam!”, replied the bellman.

“Don’t ‘But madam’ me,” she continued. “You can’t treat us like we’re a couple of fools just because we don’t travel much, and we’ve never been to the big city, and never spent the night at a hotel. I’m going to complain to the manager.”

“Madam,” the bellman said, “this isn’t your room; this is the elevator!”

Interesting Fact: The name “Manhattan” derives from the word Manna-hata, as written in the 1609 logbook of Robert Juet, an officer on Henry Hudson‘s yacht Halve Maen (Half Moon).[35] A 1610 map depicts the name as Manna-hata, twice, on both the west and east sides of the Mauritius River (later named the Hudson River). The word “Manhattan” has been translated as “island of many hills” from the Lenape language.[36] The United States Postal Service prefers that mail addressed to Manhattan use “New York, NY” rather than “Manhattan, NY”.[

Look Up In The Sky!

August 17, 2016 — 18 Comments

OneWTC

 

F/25, 1/250, ISO 250.

What do you call a sheep with no legs?

A cloud.

Interesting Fact: One World Trade Center (also known as the Freedom Tower,[13] 1 World Trade Center, One WTC and 1 WTC) is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the sixth-tallest in the world. The supertall structure has the same name as the North Tower of the original World Trade Center, which was completely destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The new skyscraper stands on the northwest corner of the 16-acre (6.5 ha) World Trade Center site, on the site of the original 6 World Trade Center. The building is bounded by West Street to the west, Vesey Street to the north, Fulton Street to the south, and Washington Street to the east. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_World_Trade_Center )

Let There Be Lights!

December 11, 2015 — 15 Comments

Christmas lights Skyline

F/29.0, 39.0, ISO 64.

Day 345 / 365

Little Mikey had a cussing problem and his father was getting tired of it. He decided to ask his friend what to do. The friend said, “Since Christmas is coming up, you should ask Mikey what he wants Santa to bring him. If he cusses while he tells you his wish list, leave a pile of dog poop in place of the gift or gifts he requests.” Two days before Christmas, Mikey’s father asked him what he wanted for Christmas.
“I want a damn teddy-bear laying right beside me when I wake up. When I go downstairs I want to see a damn train going around the damn tree. And when I go outside I want to see a damn bike leaning against the damn garage.”
Christmas morning, Little Mikey woke up and rolled over into a pile of dog poop. Confused, he walked down stairs and saw another pile under the tree. Scratching his head, he walked outside and saw a huge pile of dog poop by the garage.
When Mikey walked back inside with a curious look on his face, his dad smiled and asked, “What did Santa bring you this year?”
Mikey replied, “I think I got a dog, but I can’t find the son-of-a-bitch!”

Interesting Fact: The illuminated Christmas tree became established in the United Kingdom during Queen Victoria’s reign, and through emigration spread to North America and Australia. In her journal for Christmas Eve 1832, the delighted 13-year-old princess wrote, “After dinner.. we then went into the drawing-room near the dining-room. There were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed round the trees”.[7] Until the availability of inexpensive electrical power in the early twentieth century, miniature candles were commonly (and in some cultures still are) used. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_lights#History )

Dear Autumn, I Am Not Ready For What Comes Next

November 3, 2015 — 59 Comments

autumn night

F/ 25.0, 393.0, ISO 64.

Day 307 / 365

A couple goes to an art gallery. They find a picture of a naked women with only her privates covered with leaves.
The wife doesn’t like it and moves on but the husband keeps looking.
The wife asks: “What are you waiting for?”
The husband replies: “Autumn.”

Interesting Fact: As winter approaches, leaves make a coating for themselves which blocks their water source; in the absence of water, the leaves no longer produce chlorophyll (chlorophyll is what makes leaves green). ( http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/learn-about-the-weather/how-weather-works/autumn-facts )

Grass Is Always Greener On The Other Side!

August 4, 2015 — 8 Comments

grass nyc

F/22.0, 30.0, ISO 100.

Day 216 / 365

What do you call a cow who works for a gardener?

A lawn moo-er.

Interesting Fact:  There are over 6000 different species of grass in the world; some examples are rice, wheat, corn, oats and sugarcane. Grass is the familiar name given to the family of plants known as the graminae. The sizes vary from short lawn grasses, to as tall as 40m, which is 120 feet. ( http://www.thefactsite.com/2010/08/facts-about-grass.html )

City Brights Twinkling Lights!

January 15, 2015 — 15 Comments

NYCskyline

F/22.0, 303.0, ISO 100.

Day 15 / 365

Oh the city glows so bright tonight.

Interesting Fact: New York City has more people than 39 of the 50 states in the U.S. ( http://bigappled.com/2014/03/31/41-random-facts-about-new-York/ )

Be All You Can Be!

January 10, 2015 — 2 Comments

blackhawk helicopters

F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 200.

Day 10 / 365

It was too cold for the birds today, but other kind of birds were out.

Interesting Fact:  The Black Hawk UH-60L helicopter has been a mainstay of American armed forces since it entered service in 1978. Its flexible configuration, survivability, and maneuverability make it the medium utility helicopter of choice by military forces around the world. The UH-60L and its derivatives have amassed more than 5 million flight hours, including casualty evacuations, troop transports, and search-and-rescue missions.  ( http://science.howstuffworks.com/black-hawk.htm )

It’s Not Always What’s In Front Of You ” SO TURN AROUND TO SEE WHAT REALLY MATTERS “

October 6, 2014 — 33 Comments

down town jersey city

F/5.6, 1/125, ISO 200, Adobe Photoshop CS6.

This actually caught my eye as I was leaving down town Jersey City. People always say keep looking ahead, well I say look all around you, because you never know what you will see.

Interesting Fact: With its 18-piece spire, 1WTC stands at 1,776 feet, a direct reference to the year the Declaration of Independence was signed. ( http://www.rd.com/slideshows/fascinating-trivia-about-one-world-trade-center/ )