Hiroshima: The First Ground Zero

Right after the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima, the US government banned all images of its aftermath for decades. No one knew what the buildings and people looked like after the blast. It was the very first time that someone used the term “Ground Zero.”

What the rest of the world didn’t know at the time was that a team called the US Strategic Bombing Survey went to Japan eight weeks after the bombs dropped. Among them were seven photographers who captured the destruction. The result was an extensive series of 1,100 cold and calculating images. 

The Japanese people, dead or alive, were not in any of the photos. After all, their aim wasn’t to observe “civilian damage.” The mission was two-fold: 1) to meticulously document how much structural destruction the bomb caused and 2) to figure out how to safeguard America from a similar attack. So, if there was a photograph of a school blown to smithereens, the report didn’t say “hundreds of schoolchildren died instantly.” Instead, it would note (quite matter-of-factly) that it was a concrete building, facing the Northwest, approximately 2 kilometers from the center of the blast, for example.

These intricate glimpses into a major wartime event were lost, until a man walking his dog in Massachusetts found a suitcase one morning. Through a serious of random events, inside were these photographs of what happened 66 years ago this summer.

The International Center of Photography (ICP) is currently exhibiting part of them until this Sunday, August 28th. Brave the potential hurricane if you want to catch a glimpse.

Graffiti That Insults You

I came across this little gem months ago while walking around the East Village:

The joyous day has come. Graffiti is now insulting us! And to make it even better, it's dismissing our fuckability in BIG RED LETTERS. 

Insults come in many forms. Shouting, calm smugness, emails, texts, public Facebook posts, even infographics. But now, we are being insulted via plywood.

Reactions will vary. Some women will see this as a sign that the universe is finally confirming their deep-seeded insecurities (lame).  Some people will just agree and shuttle on, get offended, or confused. 

I chose to be amused by it. One of my absolute favorite moving-to-NYC posts says New York City is "a glittering emerald slut, full of potential and promise, but it can also be a total bitch." Visually, this wood wall is a simple example of that. Your worth will be challenged a lot, but the strong and resourceful will look past it.. to the nice little encouragements of the day (sometimes written in silver glitter letters).  

The next time you see graffiti that insults you, here's what you should do: Read it, then strut around like EVERYBODY wants to fuck you.

Mermaids, Bubbles, and Hotdogs

Last Saturday, Coney Island saw its big annual, flamboyant wave of mermaid fins, glitter, body paint, pasties, wigs, feathers, sequins, fake eyelashes, and bedazzled spirits. It was the Mermaid Parade. And hundreds did not miss the chance to rejoice in the start of summer by flaunting their creativity down Surf Avenue. 

The tradition started as a tribute to Mardi Gras. Held in an area known for amusement, carnies and freak shows, it has morphed throughout the years to become the celebration it is today: an excuse for wild souls (and meek ones) to glue tassels on their tits and have at it.

 

Later that same day after scarfing down Nathan's hotdogs, was the Bubble Battle, another peculiar annual event done in New York for the hell of it. The "warriors" bring bubble guns and other bubble-making contraptions to a different location each year, and then it's every man for himself. 

It's a trippy feeling actually, to be encased in bubbles. You feel like you're in the middle of one of those movie dream sequences, but then you snap out of it with the need to create your own bubbles and pop others.  

I have to ask: Do New Yorkers get so easily bored that they must throw random group events with silly concepts throughout the year? From the start of 2011 alone, you could have ridden the subway in your panties, pillow fought in Union Square, walked the entire rim of Manhattan, ridden your bike naked, and battled foes with weaker bubble guns than yours.

Whatever it is, I'm just glad to not live in a town where the most whimsical thing you'll see is another fat person wearing her underwear in Walmart.

The High Line Part 2 Opens! - A flourishing haven for concrete jungle dwellers

Part 2 of the High Line opened today, extending the kick-ass elevated park that runs through the West Side of Manhattan. Once an empty lift with rusting freight tracks, the first section of the High Line (running from Gansevoort St up to 20th St) debuted in June 2009. Now, Part 2 (continuing from 20th St to 30th St) is available for public lounging and strolling.

One of the best things about it is the seemingly contradictory elements. You have a walkway with railroad tracks, exotic greenery, concrete, and popsicle stands combined with city buildings towering up from its sides.  

The project is a testament to savvy urban redevelopment, in addition to Manhattan's desperate need for more nature. When you live on a tiny island, you have to be creative when finding new places to garden.

 

The new section of the walkway still features several types of plants, along with funky sculptures, theater seating and a lawn area with real grass.

             

When all the sections are complete, the High Line will be a mile and a half long.. which will no doubt attract thousands more tourists, grown-ups, lovebirds and happy babies who need yet another haven from this city.

The Great Saunter - 32 Miles of Landmarks & Blisters

Last Saturday morning, hundreds of people met at the South Street Seaport. Around 7:15 am, a sizable crowd started to build. They came from uptown neighborhoods, the outer boroughs, and some even made the trip from Mexico, Canada, and Thailand. Everyone had the same goal: walk 32 miles around Manhattan's rim in one day.

The Great Saunter has been going on for 26 years and was started by the Shorewalkers, a non-profit group of NYC hikers. 

Here's the crazy route (with details), starting at the Southern tip of Manhattan:  

Surprisingly, a third of the group was older. They sported their fanny packs and overly sensible shoes, while maintaining confident strolls that stuck it to the youngsters sleeping off hangovers from the night before. 

 

For most of it you're on a leisurely stroll, making your way through unexpected sights and parks you never knew existed. For the latter part of it, you're fighting off weak knees and ankles. You'd also do unspeakable things for a beer and the finish line.

There are different reasons for doing stunts like this: 1) I'm bored 2) It's a bonding experience 3) I get off on physically draining activities with no clear point. 

Whatever people are after, sometimes it just feels good to accomplish something.

My final time was 32 miles in 12.5 hours, which included a fruit salad stop at an East Side diner to prevent collapse. Despite blisters and a full day of recuperation, the completion certificate hangs proudly on my fridge.

Recap of the Tribeca Film Festival: Underdogs and Their Stories

The Tribeca Film Festival, now in its tenth year, is more than just a bunch of movies downtown and the off-beat chance that you’ll spot Robert De Niro. What inspires me about it are the triumphs of the underdogs—the fact that struggling filmmakers, and the subjects of documentaries, come from around the world (and sometimes from very small means) to New York City—where thousands of people will see what they’ve been working on for 1.. 2.. 10 years. It’s a collection of diverse stories that you never would have known or cared about before, from the rise of a Haitian band to a historical event from the 60s, to a high school drama competition. Looking back, I won’t remember the time I sat two rows behind Kevin Spacey; but I will remember how a teenager cried onstage about escaping the gang life and going on to perform on Broadway.

Out of this year’s 93 selected films, I saw nine, plus a screening of short films. And by chance, I was lucky enough to have watched 3 out of the top 10 movies overall (voted on by audiences).

Here are the highlights:

The Swell Season

There was a good chunk of the population that was obsessed with the indie hit Once, about a passionate Irish musician (Glen Hansard) and a Polish girl (Markéta Irglová) who meet and make a demo together. The two actually had a real-life romance off-screen, and three filmmakers captured three years of their relationship to make this documentary—starting from their fairy tale Oscar win for best original song, at the height of their love, to the slow unraveling of it. Music is raw and very good; makes you think of Once all over again.

Despicable Dick and Righteous Richard

Dick was a huge dick, and for most of his life, he was an alcoholic dick. He decides to be less of a Dick and more of a Richard by completing the eighth and ninth steps of the 12-step program: make a list of everyone you've wronged and make amends. Some of the people on his list: the lover he slept with days before marrying another woman; the friend whose wife he fooled around with; and his second wife, who found out that Dick had an affair with her brother's fiancé. Good luck with that, buddy. 

Shakespeare High  
Fame meets Bring It On meets Stand and Deliver. . . but better. Executive produced by Kevin Spacey, this documentary is about a high school drama competition where hundreds of students in California creatively act out Shakespearean plays. There are school rivalries, meticulously rehearsed performances, and a clear understanding of why we need art programs in schools. The underdog here is an inner city high school, where a group of would-be hoods choose drama club over gangs. But can they beat out the privileged kids, coming from the streets and with only weeks of practice? Uh oh, I hear a battle coming on.

Grey Matter

Many films have approached the Rwandan genocide from the standpoint of what happened during the conflict, but very few have focused on the aftermath of the killings. A film within a film, the center story of this movie focuses on a brother and sister who have to cope after their entire family was massacred. Their mother, raped and killed; their father, burned alive. The Rwandan filmmaker drew from first-hand experiences, including seeing young girls sleep with men in order to get their younger siblings into school.

Give Up Tomorrow

It was the top-voted movie by Tribeca audiences and won $25,000. Give Up Tomorrow is about the wrongful conviction of a man, and others, for the murder of two sisters in the Philippines. Paco Larrañaga was in Quezon City, an entire plane ride away from where the murders happened, and more than 30 eye witnesses testified under oath that they saw him there the day the murders took place. Despite all this, he was still convicted and sentenced to death, but his family decided to fight for his freedom anyway, even taking it all the way to the Spanish government.

Mama Africa

When I went to South Africa for the World Cup last year, I bought a painting of a woman from a local artist. I knew nothing about the woman in the portrait, except that her name was Miriam Makeba. So, when I saw that Tribeca was screening a documentary about her, I was all up for learning more about the woman on my bedroom wall. I must say, she was pretty fierce—generous, exiled from her homeland, a strong activist against Apartheid, and an artist who used her songs to elicit a demand for change.

When the Drum is Beating

Haitians have suffered through their share of atrocities, but what I've always admired about them is their music and spirit. This documentary follows Septentrional, a 20-piece big band that has been getting people up and dancing for more than 60 years. Vibrant music plays in conjunction with images of Haiti's crumbling infrastructure and the historic slave days. Eccentric characters and national pride add a hopeful spin to it.

Exit Strategies

This screening featured eight shorts with the common theme of "escape". Among the stories were an altar boy who loves soccer, a group of friends who have to deal with a dying cat, a father and son face-off, a mysterious box, and a family picnic complete with wolves and landmines. 

Janie Jones

Still cute as a button, Abigail Breslin picks up a guitar and plays the daughter of Ethan, a has-been musician. Ethan has withered away all his money, and lets alcohol and his temper get in the way of his success. One day, a druggie drops off a girl at his concert, claiming that she is his daughter. They bond of course, through acoustic songs and hitting the road together.

The Loving Story

Because of Richard and Mildred Loving, and a Supreme Court ruling in 1967, our government can't stop us from marrying someone of a different race. But little is known of the Loving couple (pun intended), so this documentary offers a deeper look into the people who helped progress the Civil Rights Movement. The recovered footage is a beautiful piece to the story and the fight for more colorful love.