All this talk about the ground zero air quality reports released this week, along with the month of September right around the corner has got me thinking and asking questions. Here are a few questions for a few people who work a few blocks from ground zero:
First up, Eli:
about how many steps would you need to walk to get to the big ground zero fence?
4 blocks away
have you been in your office since 9/11?
yes - we got back to work 3 weeks after the incident.
on average, how many people do you see a day wearing a respiratory mask?
0-1
Have you found yourself listening to a lot of Soul Coughing, or Weezer lately?
no. mainly yeah yeah yeahs, ARE weapons & neutral milk hotel
Ok, be honest, have you noticed any strange growths, maybe a third eye, or 7th elbow?
on myself? I got a mild case of hemorrhoids about three months ago. I think it was from stress, and sitting a lot... guess it could've been from poison air though.
Thanks Eli. That was discusting.
Next up, Kristin:
about how many steps would you need to walk to get to the big ground zero fence?
depending on the exit I use I am 20-50 steps away from the gates. basically across the street.
have you been in your office since 9/11?
i have been in this building since april 2002. On 9/11 i was working in Jersey city with an unobstructed view of the towers. interesting to be on the other side.
on average, how many people do you see a day wearing a respiratory mask?
not many 1 or 2.
Have you found yourself listening to a lot of Soul Coughing, or Weezer lately?
no
Ok, be honest, have you noticed any strange growths, maybe a third eye, or 7th elbow?
honestly, there are some of the strangest looking people down here. lots of weird deformations. is it the air? i can't really say.
Aight. Cool.
Last up, Skye:
about how many steps would you need to walk to get to the big ground zero fence?
well, in high heels - about 67/70. In flats - 52 steps.
have you been in your office since 9/11?
no. I got here around 10:45. I was late today.
on average, how many people do you see a day wearing a respiratory mask?
um, none. that's a dumb question.
Have you found yourself listening to a lot of Soul Coughing, or Weezer lately?
no. but i have been listening to Anthrax, Of Death, and Murder City Devils.
Ok, be honest, have you noticed any strange growths, maybe a third eye, or 7th elbow?
it's been a struggle learning to type with my 6th finger, my hair is falling out, my glass eye itches, I have three legs, I am a dog, and I answer to the name "lucky". oh wait - that's from a forward i read.
All photos are ©anise 2003 & 2004 & 2005, unless noted. Please shoot me an email for info. Thanks.
Friday
When I walk around the city now, I like to find all of the hidden surveillance cameras. Here is a map of all of the cameras in Manhattan. Warning - it takes a while to load because it's a large PDF file - but its worth it!
the other night it was 3am, and I was laying on the couch watching PBS. I have been obsessed with the NOVA channel recently. It would be incredible to work for a company like NOVA. Anyway. There was this part when this doctor was talking about one of her patients, and how depressed he was. After a couple months, the patient was unable to breath on his own. I thought it was really touching when the doctor stepped beside his bed, and touched the machine next to him and said "the iron lung." Before that moment I never really thought about the iron lung - aside from it being the title of a Radiohead song. Seeing someone give affection to modern machinery was kind of strange, and gave me a whole new perspective on the purpose of iron lungs. what a twist on words. So, in reading up on iron lungs, I found this guy who has site dedicated to the history of iron lungs. check it out.
I could care less about Madonna kissing Britney and Christina. What I do care about is Britney kissing Madonna. What? I think she was pressured into kissing that old-mom-in-denial. For some sick reason, I feel like Britney has let me down. I was rooting for her. I was on Team Spears. I feel like she sold out to the shock value Madonna Gods. Its like that one time Rosanne grabbed her privates during the national anthem.
Wednesday
JIM on DEAN:
Last night in NYC more than a million dollars was raised for 2004 presidential candidate Howard Dean. Howard is the hot ticket this summer, with a successful grassroots campaign called the: "Sleepless Summer Tour". This morning, I noticed that my coworker Jim Agostine had a DEAN bumper sticker in his office. I asked if he went to the rally in Bryant Park yesterday, and he said "yes, I did. Did you go?" I said "no, but would you mind if I interviewed you for my website?" he said "not at all".
Here are some other questions that I asked Jim:
Lets talk rally - how many people do you think were there, and what general age group was representin'?
Bryant Park was packed. I read in the Times that there were 10,000 people, but the NY Post says 16,000. It was mostly youngish, under 35.
What is Dean's campaign slogan?
One of them is "Give em Hell, Howard"
Did everyone start shouting the slogan?
In one of those classic awkward moments when the crowd gets suddenly silent, my girlfriend screamed it out at the top of her lungs.
That’s awesome! It seems so Forrest Gump/Jenny in the reflecting pool to me...
Well it started strong and ended weak, with "GIVE EM HELL... howard?"
Were there any fires/riots?
No. It was a pretty well-behaved crowd.
The first thought that came to your mind when you saw Howard Dean in person:
I can't believe how fired up this guy has people, so early in this campaign. I was thinking that Bush or Kerry (or any candidate, for that matter) could never get this kind of a reaction from a crowd.
Did seeing Howard Dean in person change any of your views?
No, but it solidified my opinions of him. He was well-spoken, charismatic and very presidential.
Did you donate any money to the Dean for America campaign?
Yup. If you check out his fund-raising efforts, you can see just how much of a grassroots movement this really is. The average donation is about $50 and I read that they anticipate raising $10.3 million by the end of this quarter. That's a lot of individual supporters vs. the big $2000 a plate Republican you-scratch-my-back-i'll-scratch-yours type donations.
What websites do you frequent in keeping up with the latest news on the dean Campaign?
The official blog is www.blogforamerica.com and his site is www.deanforamerica.com
I read in the Times this morning that Dean's downfall is having a weak representation of Union workers, African Americans and Immigrants. Do you see this changing within the next 15 months?
I'd argue that, contrary to that Times story, I saw a pretty diverse crowd there last night. But, the more people hear about his platform, what he's done and what he stands for, the more you'll see these kinds of groups and organizations publicly supporting him.
Dean in 2004 seems to be the latest and greatest trend, why are you personally rallying Howard Dean?
I feel like Bush is doing a lot of damage to this country. I think the media (and many people in America) are afraid to question his decisions and actions because they don't want to make waves or seem unpatriotic. Dean isn't pulling any punches. He's holding Bush and his cronies responsible for misleading people about the war in Iraq, squandering the surplus and not making any improvements in the economy or the general quality of life.
So, who do you think Howard is REALLY going to win in 2004?
I do. Howard Dean has been portrayed initially as a liberal, leftish dove. Although he does have some progressive views on education, civil unions and worker's rights; people will eventually realize that he does support military action (if justified) and that he leans moderate on issues like gun control and capitol punishment. Also, there are hints of him asking Gen. Wesley Clark to run as his VP if he gets the nomination. That would quickly make him more electable. Most importantly, he is the exact opposite of Bush: a bright man, with a vision and passion.
Give three adjectives to describe Dean:
Honest, spunky & smart
If you could give Howard Dean a color - what would it be?
Green
Last night in NYC more than a million dollars was raised for 2004 presidential candidate Howard Dean. Howard is the hot ticket this summer, with a successful grassroots campaign called the: "Sleepless Summer Tour". This morning, I noticed that my coworker Jim Agostine had a DEAN bumper sticker in his office. I asked if he went to the rally in Bryant Park yesterday, and he said "yes, I did. Did you go?" I said "no, but would you mind if I interviewed you for my website?" he said "not at all".
Here are some other questions that I asked Jim:
Lets talk rally - how many people do you think were there, and what general age group was representin'?
Bryant Park was packed. I read in the Times that there were 10,000 people, but the NY Post says 16,000. It was mostly youngish, under 35.
What is Dean's campaign slogan?
One of them is "Give em Hell, Howard"
Did everyone start shouting the slogan?
In one of those classic awkward moments when the crowd gets suddenly silent, my girlfriend screamed it out at the top of her lungs.
That’s awesome! It seems so Forrest Gump/Jenny in the reflecting pool to me...
Well it started strong and ended weak, with "GIVE EM HELL... howard?"
Were there any fires/riots?
No. It was a pretty well-behaved crowd.
The first thought that came to your mind when you saw Howard Dean in person:
I can't believe how fired up this guy has people, so early in this campaign. I was thinking that Bush or Kerry (or any candidate, for that matter) could never get this kind of a reaction from a crowd.
Did seeing Howard Dean in person change any of your views?
No, but it solidified my opinions of him. He was well-spoken, charismatic and very presidential.
Did you donate any money to the Dean for America campaign?
Yup. If you check out his fund-raising efforts, you can see just how much of a grassroots movement this really is. The average donation is about $50 and I read that they anticipate raising $10.3 million by the end of this quarter. That's a lot of individual supporters vs. the big $2000 a plate Republican you-scratch-my-back-i'll-scratch-yours type donations.
What websites do you frequent in keeping up with the latest news on the dean Campaign?
The official blog is www.blogforamerica.com and his site is www.deanforamerica.com
I read in the Times this morning that Dean's downfall is having a weak representation of Union workers, African Americans and Immigrants. Do you see this changing within the next 15 months?
I'd argue that, contrary to that Times story, I saw a pretty diverse crowd there last night. But, the more people hear about his platform, what he's done and what he stands for, the more you'll see these kinds of groups and organizations publicly supporting him.
Dean in 2004 seems to be the latest and greatest trend, why are you personally rallying Howard Dean?
I feel like Bush is doing a lot of damage to this country. I think the media (and many people in America) are afraid to question his decisions and actions because they don't want to make waves or seem unpatriotic. Dean isn't pulling any punches. He's holding Bush and his cronies responsible for misleading people about the war in Iraq, squandering the surplus and not making any improvements in the economy or the general quality of life.
So, who do you think Howard is REALLY going to win in 2004?
I do. Howard Dean has been portrayed initially as a liberal, leftish dove. Although he does have some progressive views on education, civil unions and worker's rights; people will eventually realize that he does support military action (if justified) and that he leans moderate on issues like gun control and capitol punishment. Also, there are hints of him asking Gen. Wesley Clark to run as his VP if he gets the nomination. That would quickly make him more electable. Most importantly, he is the exact opposite of Bush: a bright man, with a vision and passion.
Give three adjectives to describe Dean:
Honest, spunky & smart
If you could give Howard Dean a color - what would it be?
Green
Tuesday
here are 5 answers that I received today... A FEW WEEKS LATE (thank you very much Taryn...;)
5 questions for a girl named Taryn who lives in London:
1. Why do you live in London?
I live near London because it is such an awesome city- there are so many parts to it and uniquely cool things to experience here. I love the brittish music scene, so the concerts are awesome! Nick Drake went to college just down the road from here and I hang out with a guy who's good friend is friends with Gabriela...Nick Drake's sister. How bizarre.
2. What is the name of your favorite bar?
Hmmm, would have to be the Springbok Bar...I'm South African!
3. How many times a day do you see the British Flag?
I see the English flag more often than the Union Jack which would be a couple of times a week really.
4. What do you do in your spare time?
Cycle along the Thames, stopping along the way to have a pint of Strongbow...
5. If you could give London a color, what would that color be?
Red, London is so full of red. Postbox red!
5 questions for a girl named Taryn who lives in London:
1. Why do you live in London?
I live near London because it is such an awesome city- there are so many parts to it and uniquely cool things to experience here. I love the brittish music scene, so the concerts are awesome! Nick Drake went to college just down the road from here and I hang out with a guy who's good friend is friends with Gabriela...Nick Drake's sister. How bizarre.
2. What is the name of your favorite bar?
Hmmm, would have to be the Springbok Bar...I'm South African!
3. How many times a day do you see the British Flag?
I see the English flag more often than the Union Jack which would be a couple of times a week really.
4. What do you do in your spare time?
Cycle along the Thames, stopping along the way to have a pint of Strongbow...
5. If you could give London a color, what would that color be?
Red, London is so full of red. Postbox red!
Monday
How are we supposed to know what viewers choice video to vote for, if MTV doesn't play any of the videos? Anyway - for those of you that stay up really late, or get up really early - giving you the chance to actually watch some Music Television, cast your votes here. Since the first post I ever posted on this beloved website of mine was about the Cry Me a River video, I think it's pretty obvious who recieved my vote...
Personally - this is the best video of the year by a landslide.
I was thinking yesterday about how glad I am that I do not live on East 14th street. All of the NYU kids are moving in this week, filling the empty dorms. When I see the freshmen meeting other people in their class - I like predicting where that friendship will be in a couple of weeks/months. It's annoying seeing the paranoid parents, and almost funny to watch the "rebel" kids smoke outside of the palladium with their perma-scowl. Watching the newly paired roommates go shopping, watching the 19 year old girl score a six pack of beer outside the deli with this boy she just met who has the insecure duckbill platapus hairdew that you know will change in a couple months once he has been burned a couple times - all of these have been like totally "enough already". So that is why I am glad that I do not live on 14th street. It's kind of like - a 'been there, done that' type deal. The whole thing might make me feel old, but I would never want to go back, I am enjoying being older.
Personally - this is the best video of the year by a landslide.
I was thinking yesterday about how glad I am that I do not live on East 14th street. All of the NYU kids are moving in this week, filling the empty dorms. When I see the freshmen meeting other people in their class - I like predicting where that friendship will be in a couple of weeks/months. It's annoying seeing the paranoid parents, and almost funny to watch the "rebel" kids smoke outside of the palladium with their perma-scowl. Watching the newly paired roommates go shopping, watching the 19 year old girl score a six pack of beer outside the deli with this boy she just met who has the insecure duckbill platapus hairdew that you know will change in a couple months once he has been burned a couple times - all of these have been like totally "enough already". So that is why I am glad that I do not live on 14th street. It's kind of like - a 'been there, done that' type deal. The whole thing might make me feel old, but I would never want to go back, I am enjoying being older.
This just in from Mr. James the British roommate. He is reporting from California this week, and knows of my fondness towards Mr. JT:
>>>
Oh yeah, forgot to tell ya - last night I'm on the dancefloor in Suede throwing down my best moves when who should appear at my side? Justin Trousersnake, that's who. Of all the luck. Still, at least he brought Cameron with him.
This is not a wind-up.
<<<
Hot 810 Elevator Lobby boy was nowhere to be seen at the ice cream social. In fact, the ice cream social seemed to be my office playing hookey. I met no one new, but did catch up on some steamy office gossip. yip. Now, concerning hot 810 Elevator Lobby boy - time for missed connections.... ah.
>>>
Oh yeah, forgot to tell ya - last night I'm on the dancefloor in Suede throwing down my best moves when who should appear at my side? Justin Trousersnake, that's who. Of all the luck. Still, at least he brought Cameron with him.
This is not a wind-up.
<<<
Hot 810 Elevator Lobby boy was nowhere to be seen at the ice cream social. In fact, the ice cream social seemed to be my office playing hookey. I met no one new, but did catch up on some steamy office gossip. yip. Now, concerning hot 810 Elevator Lobby boy - time for missed connections.... ah.
of death, kool-aid, and party planning.
I listened to the Jonestown recordings from the Jim Jones cult last night. The cult choir was called the "Peoples Temple", and the recording sounds similar to Langley Music Project - with just as many chills/but no kool-aid mass suicide at the end. The recording begins with really upbeat choral numbers. I actually said: "hey, this sounds like something I would want to join!" Jason said that in Texas he would put the beginning part of the cd on when they were painting houses, and that everyone loved it, yet no one knew they were listening to a cult choir. Anyway, the FBI owns the bulk of the recordings, but what has been released you can find here. The last track (13 of course) is Jim Jones psyching 900+ people out to drink the kool-aid and die. You hear him yelling/speaking, the people mumbling in tongues, and doing that special Indian hollering that we all did in our backyards while playing cowboys and Indians at age 7. After the chaos, it all eventually fades out, because they all die. The recording definitely works well as a party conversation piece. Keep that in mind the next time you throw a party!
I listened to the Jonestown recordings from the Jim Jones cult last night. The cult choir was called the "Peoples Temple", and the recording sounds similar to Langley Music Project - with just as many chills/but no kool-aid mass suicide at the end. The recording begins with really upbeat choral numbers. I actually said: "hey, this sounds like something I would want to join!" Jason said that in Texas he would put the beginning part of the cd on when they were painting houses, and that everyone loved it, yet no one knew they were listening to a cult choir. Anyway, the FBI owns the bulk of the recordings, but what has been released you can find here. The last track (13 of course) is Jim Jones psyching 900+ people out to drink the kool-aid and die. You hear him yelling/speaking, the people mumbling in tongues, and doing that special Indian hollering that we all did in our backyards while playing cowboys and Indians at age 7. After the chaos, it all eventually fades out, because they all die. The recording definitely works well as a party conversation piece. Keep that in mind the next time you throw a party!
Last night, after a fabulous dinner cooked by my fave married couple - Jessica and Jason (thank you very much!!), I was craving something sweet, caffeine free, and fizzy. I decided on diet sprite to satisfy the urge. When I got to the deli, alls they had was 7-UP. I was excited, because I never see 7-UP anymore, so I purchased that. Right after my first sip, I realized something - I only drink 7-UP on airplanes. It was so weird to be drinking a beverage that I only partake of when flying around in the air. So weird in fact, that I threw the drink out. 7-UP just doesn’t taste the same, when NOT given to you for free on a compact plane by a smiling stewardess in a plastic cup with ice in the shape of semi-truck tires. It ain't the same. I'll stick to sipping 7-UP on planes.
Sunday
Has anyone noticed the strange texture that is being applied to the bottom half of the cities lamp posts? At least around Midtown, I have noticed that a scratchy/fiber/sandpaper paint is being applied to the bottom 5 feet of every post. Wierd. It's very harsh, and almost painful to the touch. Are too many people humping lamp posts or something? I don't imagine its for cleanliness purposes, and I have never heard of either rats or birds climbing up lamp posts - and it being a problem. So my conclusion is that the city does not want people hanging on lamp posts. Gone are the days when we could all just swing lamp post to lamp post...
Friday
To all of my friends that are personal assistants: (okay, that would be like 3 of you, and I highly doubt you are reading this because you are so god damned busy... ) Lasagnefarm.com has posted yet another great idea. He would like people to contact him if they know of any events where celebrities will be attending, because he is tired of hearing about MISSING celebrity sightings and stuff like that.
He states:
>>>
Possible scenarios for you knowing this privileged information:
(1) You're in the rock outfit U2 and are planning another rooftop concert.
(2) You're a maitre d' and just took a reservation from, say, Jeff Goldblum's personal assistant.
(3) You work at Vanity Fair and your Xmas party is coming up.
(4) You're a production assistant on hit TV show "Ed."
<<<<
Please check out the info on his post for today, and get crackin. Speaking of missing celebrities - I have a fresh story of my own! Today I was in a Chelsea deli, buying water. The water bottle I chose was half frozen. I thought that was cool. While buying the frozen bottle of water, I was also ending a phone conversation that I was having with Jessica. I pay. I say goodbye. I hang up. I focus on how cool my frozen water is. I turn around to leave. I smack square into a tall guy. I look up and see a mop of curly hair. I notice that the mop belongs to Albert Hammond Jr. from the Strokes. In a wave of "shit, thats the dude from the strokes", I say: "wow. this water is frozen!" He mumbles something incoherent. I exit the store. I find a place to catch my breath. I call Jessica and tell her what happened.
So thats my famous person story of the month.
He states:
>>>
Possible scenarios for you knowing this privileged information:
(1) You're in the rock outfit U2 and are planning another rooftop concert.
(2) You're a maitre d' and just took a reservation from, say, Jeff Goldblum's personal assistant.
(3) You work at Vanity Fair and your Xmas party is coming up.
(4) You're a production assistant on hit TV show "Ed."
<<<<
Please check out the info on his post for today, and get crackin. Speaking of missing celebrities - I have a fresh story of my own! Today I was in a Chelsea deli, buying water. The water bottle I chose was half frozen. I thought that was cool. While buying the frozen bottle of water, I was also ending a phone conversation that I was having with Jessica. I pay. I say goodbye. I hang up. I focus on how cool my frozen water is. I turn around to leave. I smack square into a tall guy. I look up and see a mop of curly hair. I notice that the mop belongs to Albert Hammond Jr. from the Strokes. In a wave of "shit, thats the dude from the strokes", I say: "wow. this water is frozen!" He mumbles something incoherent. I exit the store. I find a place to catch my breath. I call Jessica and tell her what happened.
So thats my famous person story of the month.