The Newtown Pentacle

Shots from the 11103, in today’s post.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

One seems to have caught the “night shooting” bug again, and my various bits of camera support have been dusted off. The shots above was captured one recent evening during a thunderstorm, and represents a 15 second interval. NYC never looks better than it does during the rain.

Someday, a real rain will come, and wash away the iniquity and corruption which pollutes our community – which is a polite and verbose version of the sort of thing that Robert Deniro’s Travis Bickle character in the Taxi Driver movie might have said. Since officialdom in City Hall seems hell bent on recreating their romantic version of that era, let’s remember what NYC was actually like back then, as it was hardly romantic.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

The shot above is what I call “cloud porn.” It’s porn inasmuch as it doesn’t deliver anything other than a puerile thrill and doesn’t say much. It’s an interesting shot for me, technically, from the capture point of view. The evening thunderstorm which was deluging the bodega in the first shot was still building during the afternoon shot above, and controlling the light in order to build the cloud contrast was an interesting exercise.

It’s somewhat representative of my mood at the moment, btw, with all the foreboding and dire portent that our little community here in Astoria has been experiencing in recent months.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Astoria’s Broadway has been under siege by a large group of drunks and vagrants, a group who are composed of base characters that generally represent the worst sort of individual. Inebriated hordes descend upon the neighborhood every day, drunkards and ne’erdowells who seem to be beneath the notice of law enforcement. The municipal response to them is to send in the Fire Department, rather than the Police.

“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle

Upcoming Tours –

September 20th, 2015
Glittering Realms Walking Tour
with Brooklyn Brainery, click here for details and tickets

Complaint Department, that’s me.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

The shot above sort of sums up my mood at the moment. Go, stop, or exercise caution? Do all three at the same time? That’s where a humble narrator finds himself at the moment. September is always a bad month for me, it’s generally when people in my life tend to die (just this week, two elderly Aunts shuffled off the Earth). 

Perhaps it’s some psychic residual from childhood, as the impending sense of doom which signaled the start of a new school year has never really dissipated despite my advancing age. It’s been nearly a quarter of a century since I’ve had to begin a new scholastic season, of course, but remembrances of social failings and playground beat downs never really go away. Others romanticize their childhood, but all I remember is the crushing ignominies of it, wherein you are denied the most basic of liberties – from the clothes you wore to what and when you would eat. Go, stop, or exercise caution.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Perhaps it’s the remembrance of the Jewish ritual calendar which colors the early part of September for me? Jewish holidays, or at least the holidays as observed in the particular sect of Judaism which my family participated, are fairly somber affairs. Days of Atonement and so on, during which you’d have to wear a suit and tie to temple, despite the stifling heat.

One doesn’t even own a suit as an adult, as I refuse to wear a ritual costume for anyone anymore. It’s stupid, and I try not to do stupid things. Depression is nipping at my heels, and great psychic effort is being expended in the name of remaining outward looking and optimistic, but it is – after all – September.

Go, stop, or exercise caution?

– photo by Mitch Waxman

What would Superman do, I remind myself. Never give up, never surrender. Exercise your strength for those who aren’t able to, do no harm, and always – always – strive to do the right thing even if you’re the only one who can perceive what the right thing is.

Unfortunately, Sophistry abounds. The decision to “Go, stop, or exercise caution” is made most often these days based on bias and the politics “of the now” rather than on observable data. Bah!

“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle

Upcoming Tours –

September 13th, 2015
Poison Cauldron Walking Tour
with Newtown Creek Alliance, click here for details and tickets

September 20th, 2015
Glittering Realms Walking Tour
with Brooklyn Brainery, click here for details and tickets