The Newtown Pentacle

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expatriated counterpart

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Not being crass here, but it’s Tuesday.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Just the other day, a series of “No Parking” placards were discovered as having been affixed to every possible surface on my block here in the Astoria section of Queens. The every surface part included the street trees, which is a personal peeve of mine.

On the assigned day, a group of people arrived with heavy equipment. I think they might have been Antifa, since they started towing any cars in violation of the placard announced edict. Ubiquitous are they, those rascals.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Antifa began cutting into the trees with power tools.

A great tumult was occurring up the block, but I couldn’t see what was happening past the bluish smoke likely emanating from a great bonfire of christian bibles which the leftist mobsters had brought. The smoke could have been coming from hot asphalt, but bible burning is far more likely. From the look of the atmospherics, Antifa had the books immolating. Organized, they are, these rascals.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Antifa is a word which starts with an “A,” just like Al Qaeda does, so there you go. Additionally, I heard from a friend named “X” who has another friend whose name starts with a “Q” that Antifa is in league with the Reptilian Bilderbergers and cooperates with those shadowy internationalists in a secret plot to redefine all of the world’s amphibians as genderless and to force America into drinking Soy Milk so as to devalue Cow Milk and thereby embarrass the sitting President. Once again, “Big Soy” is at the root of all things. I swear I saw Nancy Pelosi poke her head up out of one of the sewers to check on the progress of her secret army here in Astoria.

Where Antifa got all of this heavy equipment, obviously, boils down to one core fact – corruption, gender neutral salamanders, and Soy Milk go hand in hand.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Only an Antifa dump truck would bother to install a cover over its bin. What are they trying to hide? I’ll tell you what – they’re stealing our valuable asphalt and then air mailing it overseas to the Communists in China, using the Post Office. The reason they want you to wear a mask is that when everybody is masked, you’re anonymous, and just a number (of the beast). “Anonymous” is another leftie group which the TV tells me I’m supposed to be scared of, which also starts with an “A,” and so does the word “Asphalt.” You’re starting to see the connections now, huh? Suppose China is actually one huge guy, with the physical mass of half of the earth’s population. That’s scary too. When they say “China,” they mean him.

Have you heard about the other Antifa campaigns?

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Antifa stole the ocean and freed the fish. Antifa has established a socialist moon base. Antifa has started partnerships with the Mexican Drug Cartels, the Muslim Extremists, the Social Justice Warriors, the Achievement Awards Recipients, Hillary Clinton, the “Libs,” and even the Demon Rats. Antifa has torn down entire mountains which offend them. Antifa is gay married to the sister of the guy who runs CNN, who is cousins with the salesmen at PayLess who sells Michelle Obama’s publicist shoes.

Antifa came to Astoria and stole my street. Now we have carnage, and rubble.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Man, I have got to start my right wing blog sometime soon. Cannot tell you how much fun it is to pick a faceless enemy and just make shit up about them on the fly. Sounds crazy? Not crazy enough is the rule if you want to pull in the angry old people. I got to experience some of the Qanon world recently, which is just spectacular in its viewpoint. It presumes a near omnipotent level of capability and competence amongst Government employees. I spend a lot of time around these sort of people, Civil Servants, I mean – here’s what I’ve learned.

These folks couldn’t tie their own shoes, let alone pull off any of the stuff that the more paranoid elements of our society ascribe to them. The photos in today’s post, wherein a supremely well coordinated and practiced group of NYC DOT workers mill the surface of a street in Astoria, is really is the best you can hope for in the Civil Service category.

Also, I’ve met some people who identify as Antifa, and they are kind of giant hippies that have no real understanding of the historical roots they’re pulling on. As the song says, you don’t need a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

Note: I’m writing this and several of the posts you’re going to see for the next week at the beginning of the week of Monday, July 27th. My plan is to continue doing my solo photo walks around LIC and the Newtown Creek in the dead of night as long as that’s feasible. If you continue to see regular updates here, that means everything is kosher as far as health and well being. If the blog stops updating, it means that things have gone badly for a humble narrator.


“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle


Buy a book!

In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.

Written by Mitch Waxman

July 28, 2020 at 11:00 am

under catechism

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Once more, the breach is a Monday, so unto it.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

One week ago today did a humble narrator ride the subway for the first time in 140 days. An appointment for an inquisition about my homeostasis required a visit to the island of Manhattan, where a team of medical professionals awaited me with forms and needles. One was measured, weighed, scrutinized closely. At one point, a woman walked into the room and jabbed a barb into my left arm. Vials, she filled, with my blood. Test results were arrived at, and the Doctor intoned that one might just keep on living, for just a little while longer. One of the tests was for Covid, which confirmed my assertion that – so far – I’ve been lucky enough to avoid infection.

The subway ride was uneventful, but for the chin mask guy who alternated between grasping the subway pole and jamming his fingers into the various mucous membrane lined holes on his head.

Seriously, I’ve always wondered about the characters in Zombie movies who a) either pretend that what they’re seeing isn’t happening, b) hide the fact that they’ve been bitten and are infected, c) start fights over unrelated to the crisis issues which end up getting everybody killed. Then, along comes Covid, and…

– photo by Mitch Waxman

One wandered a short few blocks after being the subject of scientific scrutiny, and a decision to splurge a bit was arrived at. Instead of climbing back down into the sweating concrete bunkers of the MTA, with their piston driven clouds of disgust, one instead summoned a ride back to Astoria. Mask on, windows open, one rode back to Queens in the manner of a big fellow. The driver’s name was Mohammed, he hailed from Pakistan originally, and we had a long conversation about the relative virtues of several Halal Food Carts which we were both familiar with. I still recommend the guy in the food truck on Steinway and 34th for that particular fix.

I have not missed Manhattan at all, thought I.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

As is my habit, since I try to take advantage of the fact that I’m actually paying for the ride, the camera was busy as we exited the island of Manhattan and crossed over the spectacular Queensboro Bridge. As you can see, last Monday was one of the hot hazy and humid days which have plagued the Megalopolis for the last week or so. At least here in Queens, nobody grasps my arm and pops holes in it to draw out my blood.

Tomorrow, some shots from the City bringing the show directly to my front door.

Note: I’m writing this and several of the posts you’re going to see for the next week at the beginning of the week of Monday, July 27th. My plan is to continue doing my solo photo walks around LIC and the Newtown Creek in the dead of night as long as that’s feasible. If you continue to see regular updates here, that means everything is kosher as far as health and well being. If the blog stops updating, it means that things have gone badly for a humble narrator.


“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle


Buy a book!

In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.

Written by Mitch Waxman

July 27, 2020 at 1:00 pm

omphalos gazing

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Friday, Friday, which seat should I take?

– photo by Mitch Waxman

While the above shot was being captured, one was standing just a few feet away from one of the City’s Bioswales – or as they’ve been renamed “rain gardens.” Absolute legions of cockroaches were seething in and out of the planting. I don’t mean roaches of the sort that you might encounter under your kitchen sink, I mean the giant two inch long flying variety. The kind that doesn’t give a shit about you, or how many times you stamp your feet.

In NYC, the conqueror worm is a cockroach. If they ever get organized…

– photo by Mitch Waxman

While I was taking this shot, behind me and across the street, some fellow was sitting behind the wheel of his car staring at me while he was smoking a marijuana cigarette. Whoever was in the passenger seat must’ve dropped something, since I saw their head repeatedly bobbing up and down in the shadows within the car. They seemed nice.

One decided to head back home to Astoria.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Here at the HQ fortress, with its moat and towers, one felt safe from any possible incursion by Antifa, Trumpist Militias, Woman hating Neckbeards, Rosicrucians – or just about any other random threat which click hungry websites have told me are coming this way to take away my things. Without things, what are we?

Back next week with something totally different.

Note: I’m writing this and several of the posts you’re going to see for the next week at the beginning of the week of Monday, July 13th. My plan is to continue doing my solo photo walks around LIC and the Newtown Creek in the dead of night as long as that’s feasible. If you continue to see regular updates here, that means everything is kosher as far as health and well being. If the blog stops updating, it means that things have gone badly for a humble narrator.


“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle


Buy a book!

In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.

Written by Mitch Waxman

July 17, 2020 at 3:00 pm

non committal

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Thursday photos from the before time.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Having grown up in Southeastern Brooklyn, my natural inclination in all things is to be a wise ass. Even if it means I’m going to piss off the listener, there’s absolutely zero chance that I can contain my urge to say something either off color, salacious, sarcastic, or just plain mean. The odds of me not complimenting the local green grocer by telling him “Hey, you gots a nice set a melons on you, bro” shortly after snapping the pic above are astronomically against.

For those of you reading this who are of the Hellenic persuasion, I’m seeking out the “nom de plume” for a species of melon commonly available in Crete – said cultivar resembles a small cantaloupe from the exterior, but internally looks like a honeydew. It’s a fragrant and juicy melon which doesn’t have much of shelf life, which is probably why I don’t see it on sale here in Astoria. Any idea what the thing is called? I’d like to have one at breakfast time, with some feta and eggs.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Adages abound about life, cherries, and pits. I haven’t had any cherries yet this year, for many reasons, and would like to have a pile of them with lunch. Pictured above are the fruits of Prunus Avium, or sweet cherries. Technically speaking, cherries are “drupes,” which indicates that the delicious red exocarp surrounds an inedible woody endocarp which carries the actual seed within.

As to why I haven’t had cherries this year, the most “handled” item at the fruit stand are cherries. The old ladies of Astoria need to touch each and every drupe when filling their plastic sacks. I’m trying to avoid eating things which a lot of random people touch due to the cooties plague.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

I use a lot of carrots when I’m cooking, which requires getting creative. There’s a giant resovoir of vitamins and other beneficial chemicals contained in these roots, and given a choice twixt the potato or the carrot I’ll always go for the latter. Potatoes are easier to cook, but carrots taste better and are actually better for you.

The modern carrot is actually fairly modern. Wild carrots are Persian in origin, and were described in many ancient texts dating back to Roman times. The modern orange colored domestic carrot seems to have been arrived at in 10th century Afghanistan, or at least that’s where the earliest evidence of them can be found. Carrots are also one of the few agricultural cultivars – unlike melons and cherries – which offer an entirely edible plant from root through stem, leaf, and seed.

Note: I’m writing this and several of the posts you’re going to see for the next week at the beginning of the week of Monday, July 6th. My plan is to continue doing my solo photo walks around LIC and the Newtown Creek in the dead of night as long as that’s feasible. If you continue to see regular updates as we move into April and beyond, that means everything is kosher as far as health and well being. If the blog stops updating, it means that things have gone badly for a humble narrator.


“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle


Buy a book!

In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.

Written by Mitch Waxman

July 9, 2020 at 2:00 pm

Posted in Astoria, Broadway

Tagged with ,

arrested vagrant

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Thunderstorm Thursday is here.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Recent humidity and heat have contributed to the usual summertime intervals of evening thunder storms which NYC is prone to manifest. Our Lady of the Pentacle kept on asking me if I was going out last weekend, as I had attested to, but it was really a bit too hot for one of my strolls. Also, I don’t mess around with lightning. Instead of braving the torrent of rain and sweating profusely, a humble narrator instead set up the tripod at HQ and got ready for sunset.

Sunset + thunderstorms = cool skies to take pictures of. Why go out when the show is coming to me?

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Luckily, HQ offers me a few views of the sky, like this one looking southeast captured mere minutes before the burning thermonuclear eye of god itself occluded behind New Jersey. This is the tail end of a big “bubble” of clouds that dumped a prodigious amount of water down onto Astoria. It was quite refreshing, actually.

I was hoping for more lightning, but I like taking lightning pics.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

A neat double rainbow set up, and based on where the northern side fo the refractory phenomena manifested, I’m betting there’s a pot of gold somewhere in the vicinity of 80th street and Ditmars Blvd. I’m heading over there now with a shovel and a pick axe.

Back tomorrow.

Note: I’m writing this and several of the posts you’re going to see for the next week at the beginning of the week of Monday, June 29th. My plan is to continue doing my solo photo walks around LIC and the Newtown Creek in the dead of night as long as that’s feasible. If you continue to see regular updates as we move into April and beyond, that means everything is kosher as far as health and well being. If the blog stops updating, it means that things have gone badly for a humble narrator.


“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle


Buy a book!

In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.

Written by Mitch Waxman

July 2, 2020 at 1:00 pm