There Ought To Be A Law - The Newtown Creek Travesty

I had been planning on taking a walking tour of the area in and around Newtown Creek in Brooklyn, which has been a part of the federal Superfund cleanup program for as long as I can remember. This being in the center of one of the largest cities in the world and in a robust residential area makes this slow cleanup and continued contamination almost criminal...well, criminal. In Greenpoint where most of this spill is centered, the residents complain of high incidences of cancer, birth defects and other afflictions. I went down to the beginning of the Newtown Creek and followed it at different points and took the following pictures. As a child, we used to go down to what we referred to as "the freight yard" and played tag along the rail road tracks and the rail bridge and no, no one ever fell in. The last person who probably swam in the Newtown Creek, were probably members of George Washington's army during the revolution as that was probably the last time the Newtown Creek was clean enough for it.



This is an old building, still in operation, at the beginning of the freight rail yard that leads to the railroad bridge over the Newtown Creek. Note the 1858.



Here is a look at the rail corrider to the entrance of the rail bridge over the Newtown Creek




Here is a look at the beginning of the Newtown Creek. Note the ducks and geese in this putrid liquidway (can't call it water)




Here is another look at the beginning of the Newtown_Creek. Note the geese.



Here is the first picture of Newtown Creek on our little stroll upstream. Note the containment boom. I'm not a marine biologist or an environmental expert but isn't a containment boom supposed to either contain something or keep something from getting in or out? Guess what business this containment boom was deployed next to? See the next photo:




and the next:



You may be able to see the containment boom along the shoreline with a two feet gap to contain whatever it is that it's meant to contain. "Black gold, Texas tea, well the first thing you know...Sorry, I was humming a few lines from the Beverly Hillbillies.



Had to quickly circle back. This is under the railroad bridge at the beginning of the Newtown Creek.



A fish-less liquidway



Upstream on Newtown Creek. Eerily lifeless

New York SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization) Inaugural Meetup

For the past month, in my office, we have been gearing up for the inaugural New York SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization) meetup. Initially, Sara Holoubek (saraholoubek.com), free agent consultant, columnist and SEMPO board member had space booked at Double Clicks offices with space for up to 100 people but because of the overwhelming, positive response for the meetup, it was moved to Yahoo's Offices, which had room for over 100 people, which allowed this writer to attend. (See Photos):



Much thanks go to the sponsors of this event, namely, Yahoo and Clickable. The space and the refreshments were very much appreciated and set the theme for this very unique Search Engine Marketing users group. See Photos:



All succulent appetizers and beverages provided by Clickable and Yahoo




Items in this picture appear closer than they actually are



A Place to go to wash everything down




The 2nd Place to wash everything down

After arriving and sampling the food, the meeting was called to order by David Fall, VP, Product Management - Search Technology for Double Click and SEMPO Board Member who presented an eloquent introduction about SEMPO, it's purpose and goals and how the New York SEMPO meetup factors in. (See Photo of David below)



Followed by David, was Sara Holoubek, who was born to lead the New York SEMPO meetups. She skillfully illicited key future discussion points, stayed on message and gave both sponsors (Yahoo, Clickable) their due. She allowed this writer, an SEO Specialist for Martindale-Hubbell, to compile this little pictorial and she gave floor time to Maia Benson of Martindale-Hubbell to speak about the SEO initiatives underway at Martindale for all of its clients. (See Photo of Sara holoubek below)



As we moved from discussion to "liquid refreshments", this writer knows that the stewardship of the New York SEMPO meetups are in good hands with the likes of David Fall and Sara Holoubek. For more information on membership in SEMPO, visit the SEMPO website

New York Pennylvania Station Announcer is An Institution

I was waiting for my train in Penn Station this morning and I took out my camera just to record the audio of the New York Pennsylvania station announcer who is female and has been doing this for over 30 years. I can remember when I was going to a gym out in Iselin NJ in 1986 and this same announcer, announcing the train departures and arrivals for both Amtrak and New Jersey transit. Of course, New York Penn Station is the hub for the Long Island Rail Road, New York City subway and of course, Madison Square Garden. As New York Penn Station serves 4.2 million passengers a week, this woman's voice is an institution.



New York Pennsylvania Station and Amtrak Train Schedules

Updated on May 29, 2008:

Here is a story that the New York Times ran about the Penn Station Announcer which my blog post featured:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/nyregion/11amtrak.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=amtrak%20announcer&st=cse&oref=slogin

'Twas a New Jersey Car Accident or Personal Injury Waiting To Happen

I was on my way to work this morning at 7:08am and I was on 78 near Union New Jersey when I heard a pop and the engine started smoking. Being the cool guy that I am, I checked that I was clear on my right hand side and eased the vehicle into the "distress lane". I remembered that I left my cell phone home, so it was sit there and wait for a New Jersey state trooper to come to my aid. Well, a New Jersey state trooper never came but an older gentlemen did pull up, in an emergency vehicle. let me use his cell phone and called a tow truck. He said the tow truck may come in 15 minutes or it may come in an hour.

The tow truck came: See photo:



This is what pissed me off: This is my brothers "vehicle". He was going to Florida and needed me to take him to the airport at 4am Sunday nite/Monday morning. So that he did not have to pay for a cab ($45 to LaGuardia) he asked me to drive and told me to use his car to drive to work. Now, I was just fine taking the train althought it was 110 - 120 minutes each way but it was stable. If you tell me to use your vehicle, wouldn't it have been nice to let me know if there were existing problems with this vehicle?

See photo:



I was looking at the vehicles zip by me at 70 - 100mph and noticed that some of them were a little bit too close, so I got a "America's Craziest Vehicle Crashes While Waiting on 78 For A Rescue Vehicle" video flashback, so I moved over to the passenger seat and invented brand new, never before heard curse words about my brother. I could have been in a car or auto accident in New Jersey. Wait, there were more tractor trailers coming too close to me, so I would have been in a truck accident in New Jersey and where I did move to the passenger side, I would have suffered some sort of personal injury on this New Jersey highway and it made me think about what safety measures to take when a. your brother gives you a vehicle to drive to work in, that was Nissans first ever test vehicle made and b. where could I find such safety information on the web.

It does not go without saying that my brother is like the Collyer Brothers with his vehicle. Enough already! Let's throw this car away and get a new one! There was one thing I have always said I will never borrow: someones underwear. Now there are two: any of my brothers' vehicles.

Photo From One of Many SuperBowl Parties - NY Giants vs. NE Patriots

Well, I took this photo the day of the Super Bowl and thought I had lost it but I downloaded it from my camera and put it in an obscure directory on my computer. All I know is that the game was great and I made sure that I balanced my intake of food with drink, so I wasn't a stumbling, bumbling idiot like the many that I saw on my trip back home to New York City from Newark New Jersey, where the Super Bowl party was held.

Here is the photo:

And Yet another New York City Restaurant Review

So my birth month started on March 5th, so I'm being wined and dined because of this and we decided to go to a chinese restaurant, where I just love the food. The restaurant is called Kam Chueh, located at 40 Bowery, at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge and accessible via the IRT 6 and BMT M, N, R trains from the Canal Street station. They have fresh everything, including crab, lobster, shrimp, bass and eel. As soon as you enter the restaurant, there are fresh water tanks filled with crabs, lobster, shrimp, sea bass and eel. See the photo:



and the outside of the chinese restaurant:



And now the food. I give the food 5 stars for the freshness and 5 stars for the serv ice. I have even been allowed in the back to visit with the chefs (they have 6) and the food comes out quickly. If you ever want to experience real deal chinese food, visit Kam Chueh or call them at (212) 791-6868. Ask for Oliver.

Food pictures:

Jumbo Shrimp, Spare Ribs


Shrimp Fried Rice:




Shrimp Fried Rice, Ribs, Jumbo Shrimp, Braised Chicken Wings



Beef with Scallions



Braised Chicken Wings




Shrimp Fried Rice



Lobster Tank

New York City Restaurant Review

I've been going to Katz' Delicattessen for as long as I can remember and their food is great. I give it 5 stars for value: for about $13.00 you get a super-overstuffed pastrami sandwich and real dill pickles; not the kind that come in some jar in a supermarket; these are slowly cured in their own recipe and compliments the sandwiches that they make. While you wait for your sandwich to be made, the butchers at Katz deli do an old New York butcher shop type of thing: While they prepare your sandwich, they cut a few slices of the meat, put it on a plate and let you sample what you are about to get. I give 5 stars for this old-school service and an over-all 5 stars for Katz continuing to be Katz. Here is a picture of my sandwich (long since gone):



and another:



I call this sandwich "Take A Bite Out Of Crime" because it's criminal to have eaten this sandwich.