Compact Disc safety sign in Times Square
A new warning sign in Times Square.
I guess the NYPD and the Times Square Alliance are sick of people getting scammed and coming to their precinct to file a report! These signs telling tourists (and locals!) about compact disc scams in Times Square are basically saying you can walk away with the discs if you’re dumb enough to open your hand to them. Honestly, this might cause more trouble than just handing it back and walking away. But I guess if you did end up holding one, now you know the NYPD has your back so you can just walk away with it…?
What in the world is blue raspberry?
A history of the blue raspberry flavor.
I’ve always wondered what this flavor was. I figured it was just some ‘90s thing, but its history goes way before that time!
Why do movies look so bad now?
HDR in modern film making is making our movies look worse.
I actually thought about this as I watched the first part of Wicked recently. The movie looked “bright” but not quite colorful to my eye and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
As it turns out, a lot of people felt the same way and a lot of the blame seems to be settling on a few areas of the filmmaking process, notably the colorist and the cinematography.
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!
