The salvage of TWA Flight 800
I had no idea this salvage video was public.
This is incredibly morbid, but I just learned that there is a lengthy documentary video consisting of raw footage of the salvage efforts surrounding TWA Flight 800. I’ve read and heard so much about this doomed flight but have never seen this mostly underwater salvage video before. It’s crazy. They really filmed it all while tethered to the boats on the surface.
The US Navy has a very detailed report (PDF) about this salvage operation that is pretty interesting if you care to check it out.
RoboCop ED-209 plush toy
Fight crime with this ED-209 plush toy.
This might be one of the funniest and weirdest accidental finds I’ve ever come across on the internet.
Nothing screams DANGER or POLICE harder than a soft plush toy of ED-209 from the iconic movie franchise RoboCop. ED-209 is one of my favorite fictional robots but seeing it in soft plushie form really makes me laugh. The usual hard lines and towering figure are replaced with this carry-size cartoon-like abomination.
Maybe I do want this?! Get one for $40!
Godox MA5R is an LED fill light and power bank for your iPhone
A handy MagSafe light for exploring (and I guess food photos).
I have one of these small rectangle shaped LED RGB lights but have never considered how one simple addition would make it just that much more useful. That change? MagSafe.
The Godox MA5R has digital creators in mind with its MagSafe LED RGB light attachment but I’m specifically seeing this as a useful fill light for urban exploring. And with the power bank feature, I don’t really have to worry about my phone dying while I’m stuck in a dark basement somewhere.
In all seriousness, this is kind of neat. I’m not 100% sure if you can disable MagSafe charging to prolong the light battery (it all draws power from the same source), but if you can and the light can remain fixed on your phone via MagSafe without transferring power, that’s pretty great! One less thing to carry when jumping over those fences or crawling through those windows.
Macy’s in Center City Philadelphia is closing for good
A final look at Macy’s Center City in Philadelphia as the store announces its closing. This location is home to the world’s largest pipe organ.
Sad news out of Philadelphia recently as Macy’s has announced the imminent closing of their Center City location. This Macy’s was a premiere location for the department store, occupying the historic landmarked building that formerly housed Wanamaker’s Department Store, one of the first department stores of its kind in the nation.
The building is notable not just for its architecture but for something quite special inside the covered atrium: a complete and working grand pipe organ, the largest of its kind in the world, that was original to the Wanamaker’s department store. This organ has been kept in great condition and is played twice daily.
A recent tour of the inside reveals the unsurprisingly state of the Macy’s corporation which has had trouble keeping up an upscale appearance while offering shoppers an affordable all-in-one outlet to shop. The company’s inability to compete with online retailers and their large physical store footprint nationwide is the main reason why Macy’s is downsizing and closing their locations, including this one at Center City.
The Macy’s Center City location is the epitome of this downfall, with drab and dreary decor and painted plywood facades that look cheap and uninviting. It’s a shame since the Wanamaker Building is so grand! As of now, the building itself is seeking a new tenant and thankfully the structure and the grand pipe organ are staying intact. Still, it’s hard to see such a prominent major department store like Macy’s go under in such a location. Reminds me of Sears’ downfall…
Check out some photos below and be sure to head there to see this place yourself before it closes in March.
Cow and Pen by Megan Abbott
My cats :D
My friend Megan Abbott illustrated my two cats, Cowcat and Pen, as a wonderful Christmas gift. :)
Honda Accord NYC yellow cab
A glimpse of the rare Honda Accord hybrid NYC yellow cab.
The NYC TLC has a list of approved vehicles for yellow cabs and added onto that list last year was the Honda Accord Hybrid. As of right now, the entire yellow cab fleet consists of just ONE Honda Accord hybrid vehicle, the one shown here, with medallion #7A92.
Always fun to spot this one in the wild. Stay tune for other unique yellow cab vehicles in future posts!
KID PK on the New Jersey water tower
Revisiting my photos of the KID PK graffiti on the water tower next to the New Jersey Turnpike.
I was watching this video on the mystery of KID PK graffiti when I saw my own photo of the iconic graffiti water tower location in the video. I figured if they were going to steal my image, I may as well add a couple more to the mix.
I remember stopping on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike a few years back to capture this tower with my telephoto lens. There’s not much room on the edges so trucks are often zooming by at highway speeds — quite dangerous if I remember correctly.
The tower was demolished not too long ago and today the location of the tower is a massive Modway warehouse facility. If you go to 40°16'40.7"N 74°30'12.5"W on Google Maps or Google Earth you can likely go back in history and see the tower preserved digitally.
My original image which can be seen in the beginning of the video above.
Here’s drone footage of the water tower getting demolished.