Sea Cow Vagina

Dude, these Manatees had huge furry vaginas.

They were pretty cool.

The Aquarium at Coney Island is sweet. 

There are sharks and penguins and sea lions and jellyfish.

Train Camping

You can take a train directly to the Appalachian Trail from New York City.

Lots of people got off the train, but it really wasn't crowded or anything.

We walked off the trail and found a really secluded place to camp.

It was totally awesome.

There were crazy things growing and living in the forest.  I have spent a lot of time in the woods and still saw many new things!  You should go check it out!

West Side Ladders

Ladders are interesting structures.  They are impermanent, portable, meant to fold up and hide, and still support the full weight of a grown man or woman along with his or her tools.

Their existence suggests the presence of other tools.  They suggest an unfinished project.

Something about this right here is very appealing.  A ghostly picnic?

I watch a lot of Star Trek.  In the "Next Generation" series, there is a metal beam similar to the one laying on the ground here.  Anytime there is an explosion in which parts of a space ship or space station start collapsing, the very same metal beam comes crashing down, either narrowly missing a cast member or trapping one under burning wreckage.  It must have been a pretty pricy beam for the production team to use the same prop over and over.

Out My Back Door (Click to view animation)

Imagine you are standing on the edge of a great lake.  On the horizon there are tall pines, reduced to dark tufts of fur.  The next moment, the trees are only soft clouds with dark undersides.  You can't be sure.  It's the middle of the afternoon, it's impossible to tell how long you've been there, but everything has the warm color of dusk in the summertime.  You are extremely drunk.  Are those reflections the dark lines of a sailboat's mast, or are they low hanging branches?  There's almost no way to be sure.

Beuna Vida (Click to see animation)

The object of the game is simple:  Touch the Wall.  It's such an innocuous task.  One must have touched several walls on any given day, maybe thousands in a lifetime.  Maybe more, who's to say?  But then the challenge is placed directly in front of the competitor and he or she is forced to imagine the consequences of their daring.  Breathe deep, collect your thoughts, imagine fingertips brushing, scraping on the surface of the wall.  It's so dark.  It's wet.  What will happen?

Drive By Press at Bonnaroo 2011

Bonnaroo wasn't unlike what I expected, but I wasn't completely ready for the experience.  Words that come to mind:  Massive Dusty Stoned Survival.

As a working environment, this music festival was a strange proving ground.  It didn't seem as if many of the vendors actually enjoyed the work.  It was simply another stop on the tour.  An oft-heard comment: "I said last year would be the last year."  The event staff were largely local, seasonal hires from the surrounding community.  Some were having a great time, others looked miserable.  The big draw was free entry, and they only had to work 8 hour shifts, where as us vendors pulled consecutive 16-hour days.

Still, the experience as a whole was rewarding.  Almost any feat of endurance gives me a charge.  Reflecting, it sounds so like such an ordeal, but it really wasn't.  I stayed busy.  Ate often and drank plenty of water.  Missed John Waters, but saw plenty of interesting things just staring right out of the booth.  Wore sunglasses almost non-stop.  Had to, or too much dust would get in my eyes.

What a weird place.  They say it rains every year, but not the summer I was there.  Sunny days, here I come!