Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
An incredible book about the problems in the United States.
I just finished this book called Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. It is a heavy topic, one that deals with race, cultures, customs, and laws that permeate every single facet of American life today. I knew reading the promo for this book that I’d find some connection to how modern politics have played out in the real world (the 2nd rise of Trumpism), but I had no idea that it would be so clearly paralleled with the rise of Hitler and the Nazis.
Reading this book will forever change the way you look at people here in the United States, and more importantly, hopefully better understand the root of the problems we have as a society. As resources become scarce (eggs?!) and divisions become more extreme (cars?! bikes?!), it’s important to understand how it’s not always a race issue but rather a caste issue.
I know it’s early in the year, but I can tell already this will be one of my favorite books of 2025. Go pick it up!
Fading Smile by Wes Knoll
Photographer Wes Knoll walking around in NYC.
Photographer Wes Knoll talks about a new book called Fading Smile in which he documents New York, the people of the streets, and his overall philosophy of life. I really admire photographers like him because of their ability to talk to strangers and really get a good enough conversation going to eventually leave with a photograph.
Unfortunately, his book is currently sold out at Printed Matter.
Okaloosa County has already released an official video for the SS United States
The Florida county in possession of the SS United States has already released a video showing its travel to Alabama.
Wow, that was quick! Florida’s Okaloosa County which took possession of the SS United States from the port of Philadelphia, has already released an official video showing the ship being transported down the Delaware River.
The ship is en-route to Mobile, Alabama where it will undergo a few final steps of decommissioning before officially going to the coast off of Destin-Fort Walton Beach in Florida where it will be sunk as an artificial reef.
One more video below!
SHAPE introduces the 40” WAGON cart
Another cart to take a look at.
SHAPE is entering the production, camera, and DIT cart game with the introduction of their 40” WAGON. The most obvious comparison to this cart would be Inovativ’s own offerings such as their Voyager or Apollo carts.
The SHAPE camera cart weighs 116-pounds unloaded and can fold for transport (but honestly, this thing is way too heavy for me). I haven’t seen one in person but it looks to be a near-copy of the Apollo cart at a fraction of the price ($1899 at pre-order). You get what you pay for though as the SHAPE cart only comes with a 3-year warranty.
Have you used one? Let me know what you think below!
The SS United States finally moves from Philadelphia port
The SS United States starts its journey down to Florida to be sunk!
Well, it finally happened! After many, many, many false starts, the long abandoned SS United States in Philadelphia has been moved by tug boat from its pier. The ship has sat at this port since 1996 after being nearly scrapped completely from the inside. That’s roughly 29 years of NE winters, summers, and all other natural elements!
Here’s a video of it being towed down the Delaware River to Okaloosa County, FL where it will be sunk as part of the world’s largest artificial reef!
What’s happening at the Windmere at 57th St?
The building at 9th Avenue and 57th St.
Pretty much as long as I can remember, the huge apartment building on the corner of 9th Avenue and 57th St has stood abandoned and in severe neglect. That building, seen above in a recent photo, is the Windmere, an early apartment-style building complex built in 1880. The building has landmark status with historical significance in the late 19th century for housing young women and female artists at a time when housing for single women was not common.
The Windmere has quite a storied past with tenants fighting each other, cats overtaking the place, and the Ninth Avenue elevated train tracks crossing right on front of the building.
Today, the building remains closed and work on its renovation has been slow-going but consistent. Maybe one day in my lifetime this building will be open and available for rent again.
Inside the car theft capital of America
A whole industry in Bakersfield, CA.
I know Bakersfield as the oil fields of California, but apparently it’s also known as the car theft capital of America. Tommy G rides along with some of these very sophisticated and high-tech theft rings to get a close-up look at how these cars are stolen, scrapped, and taken for joyrides at certain takeover scenes.
Black NYC Subway guard rails
The guard rails placed inside NYC Subways now have a black variant.
Here are some photos of the black NYC subway guard rails that have been slowly installed across select stations in the NYC Subway system. When they were first installed, most of the guard rails were bright yellow in color but these black ones seem to blend into the grit a little better.
