Archives #006
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s been an interesting thing, pulling these prior offerings out of deep backup for the archives posts. Workflow and all that has evolved over the years, and seeing the posts where I figured that evolution out has been fascinating. All of the call backs today were published on October 14th in their respective years, which is the main criteria for their choice. Also, for those of you who think that the ‘train thing’ is something I’ve only gotten into since moving to Pittsburgh… LIC and the LIRR wants to have a word with you.
A 2011 post ruminated on how banal the 21st century had become, and asks ‘where’s my jet pack’?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The ankle situation continues, with lots of random pain and swelling. I really could use a jet pack, just to get to the toilet. I’ve got another three weeks to go before I’m invited back to the surgeon’s office to undergo whatever comes next, but there probably won’t be any sort of future tech on the table for that. Ostensibly, I’m going to be moving from a cast to a ‘boot’ at some point and starting a course of physical therapy, but I’m still in the dark on the schedule. Guess it all depends on what the X-Rays reveal, when I go in.
People actually got offended by this post, which was offered in a strictly tongue in cheek fashion, back in 2013. Can’t take me anywhere, I tell’s ya.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
All of this sitting around has been absolutely devastating for me. My leg muscles feel like wet noodles. One misses getting around and seeing interesting things which beg for a photo. I was meant to be in NYC this week as well, and had planned on spending a day riding on boats, followed by a long walk around Newtown Creek. Bah!
In 2021, this post was offered, which described part of a photowalk on the National Mall in Washington D.C.
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Archives #005
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The broken ankle kept me up half the night yesterday, which I guess is good as that’s related to healing. Yeah? Hope so. Things get a little better every day around HQ, as I’m getting my strength back and Our Lady of the Pentacle continues the heroic level of care she’s providing for both me and Moe the Dog.
This 2016 post discussed NYC’S DEP in a positive manner, which is a rare event in the Newtown Pentacle archives. They solved an Astoria problem lickety split.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A couple of times a day I need to lie down just to stretch a bit. The ankle situation has me in a wheelchair, and I’m spending all day sitting. Hunched over in a chair gets super uncomfortable, with the abdominal organs compressed down under the ribs. Ugh. I really need to take a walk, but that’s not possible.
This 2020 post discusses a walk through industrial Maspeth, which I always called my happy place. I like post apocalyptic landscapes.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned the other day, the only blessing in this situation is that I’m not living in NYC anymore. All of this would have been so much more difficult to deal with back home.
This 2023 post is from Pittsburgh, and describes a short walk back to the light rail which I took, after having a beer and photographing trains.
Back next week, I hope.
“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.
Archives #004
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Continuing with the archives posts today, due to a humble narrator’s broken ankle dealie. I screwed up the whole date thing yesterday, thinking that it was the 11th rather than the 9th, so there you go as far as a window into how messed up my brain is at the moment.
This post from 2013 details an art project on the old Mobil refinery site in Greenpoint, designed and executed by Jan Mun and Jason Sinopoli in partnership with ExxonMobil. Miss those days.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve grown bored with the Police body cam footage thing, and am honing my list of ‘20 things not to do when the Cops show up’ list for future dissemination. #3 is ‘not threatening to track them down and rape their families when you get out of jail.’ The Cops react badly to that one.
Compositional magic in photos? Umbrellas are discussed in this context in this post from 2018.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Seeing my beloved Creek in these photos really grinds as -surprise- I was scheduled to be back home for a few days next week. Had plane tix and everything. Best laid plans and all that, huh?
Here’s a few shots from Newtown Creek in this 2019 post,
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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.
Archives #003
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Day #3 of archive posts arrives here at Newtown Pentacle, as your humble narrator continues to recover from a broken ankle. As mentioned previously, I’m pulling forgotten posts from prior years out of the dustbin. These were all published, on this date, sometime between 2009 and 2024.
On October 11th, in 2012, this post offered observations on a ritual site that was discovered in LIC’s Calvary Cemetery. This particular ritual site, on a hidden hill, was regularly inspected during my walks through the polyandrion.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’m happy about one thing, though, which is that I’m not in that walk up apartment back in Astoria during this ordeal. This whole experience would have been a hundred times worse in NYC. When the ambulance brought me into the ER here in Pittsburgh, I was immediately taken care of and didn’t have to wait my turn on a gurney in some hallway for hours and hours, which is common experience back in NYC.
Thought viruses, transmitted by written words, which can only infect the literate? This concept was pondered back in 2016 in this post.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Every day there’s a bit of improvement to my situation. I’m sleeping fairly well, despite not having anything to feel tired about, as I’m sitting all day long. I long for a walk, to feel the radiates of the burning thermonuclear eye of God itself striking my skinvelope, waving the camera around as I go. Hell… I’d be happy just to be cleared to drive again.
This post from 2021 and it is the conclusion of a ‘72 hour’ series captured in Vermont’s Burlington. Whereas I didn’t discuss it publicly, the decision to move out of NYC had already been made, and this was a ‘first interview’ for what turned out to be my second choice for where to flee.
“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.
Archives #002
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Day two of archive posts greets you, lords and ladies, as your broken but still humble narrator recovers from a fairly severe fracture of multiple bones in the ankle. My life at the moment isn’t much fun, and I’m sitting down all the time – which is anathema to one such as myself. It’s a bit like that Hitchcock movie ‘Rear Window’ here around HQ.
On this date in 2019, this post was published here, describing a minor adventure wherein I was riding on an all electric boat, and spotted the USCGC Katherine Walker anchored on the East River.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Thankfully, I don’t require the pain dulling medications anymore, which introduced a fog of narcotic haze into my thoughts. Attention spans of less than 10-15 minutes on that stuff. It’s good to be able to mentally focus again, although I’m still a little drug drunk after two weeks of opioids. Hangovers, amirite?
2018’s October 8 post was focused on me getting back to Astoria and negotiating one of MTA’s meltdowns, while needing to poop. I’ll point out that NYC isn’t a ‘City of Yes,’ it’s the city of ‘No, there aren’t any public toilets.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Trouble I’m having right now is how to occupy my mind. Boring, boring. I’ve found myself watching hour after hour of Police body cam videos, and can advise the citizenry on roughly 20 things not to do when the Cops show up. You don’t want to set the Cops off with #7 – spitting – for instance.
One of my tricks to avoid the madness of isolation during the pandemic months was to go ride the NYC Ferry, as described in this post from 2020.
“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.
The Newtown Pentacle 