NY Post "Subway Death Cover" Should Not Have Been Published

My first thought upon seeing the cover of the NY Post on December 4 was "whoa". I peered deeper at the image trying to get a look at the face of the train operator, physically empathizing for what Ki Suk Han must've been feeling, wishing it were merely a scene from a movie in which at the last second the man would hoist himself up on the tracks narrowly missing his real fate.


And I was disturbed that the NY Post chose to publish that image on it's cover (not to mention it's choice of headline). R. Umar Abbasi, freelance photographer, took the photo. I heard the story on WCBS 880 yesterday before I saw the image -- onlookers screamed and ran from the scene as the photographer tried to use his camera flash to warn the train operator. I can see the logic behind his decision -- a split second panic-driven decision perhaps (Malcolm Gladwell explains this well in blink). But what remains is that photo ended up on the cover of the NY Post.

Air In The Square

For the first time ever, a BMX and skateboarding event was held in Times Square. Air in the Square featured 18 of the top BMX and skateboarding pros navigating and wowing the crowd on the Megaramp ASA Triples course on June 16, 2011. The event was presented by MSG Action Sports and ASA Entertainment.


When I received the email from MSG, I was intrigued. I'd watched only a handful of similar events during the initial X-games craze years ago. This would be the first time I'd witnessed this sport live. It was thrilling to say the least. They are serious athletes. And fearless. By the end of the event, I did form an attachment to a few of them--Bob Burnquist, Jett Eaton, Jager Eaton, Andy Macdonald, Mike Spinner and Austin Coleman. Another favorite, Colton Satterfield was the winner of the BMX tournament.

Cidade de Deus (City Of God)

Men will be boys and the power of photography

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Zé is ugly. He's drug dealer and gangster in 1970's Rio. Never learned to read. Socially awkward, not sure how to handle his feelings so he resorted to violence.


Those are some of the conclusions I drew while watching Cidade de Deus (2002).

NYC Pillow Fight!

When given the chance to play, people play.

It's an unbelievable release. I didn't get to activitely participate in the NYC Pillow Fight in Union Square yesterday because I was there covering the event for a piece I was writing for KittyBradshaw.com. Yet being around people who were having such a good time, the positive energy rubbed off on me. I also think the few thumps I took to the head might've done something to the mood center of my brain.

Now back to the people at play.

WWE Kid At Heart

I've been a lifelong fan of professional wrestling. I'm not as big a fanatic as I once was, but I still watch Monday Night Raw and the PPVs. After the UFC press conference on Wednesday and spending some time with friends on Friday night watching Smackdown, the Jon Jones special they DVR'd and reminiscing on the glory days of wrestling and boxing, it all put me in the mood to be a kid again.

About 10 years ago, my brother and I would wait outside the Garden when the then WWF had a house show or we'd arrive early for the PPVs we had tickets for, to see which wrestlers we could catch a glimpse of as they arrived. I once started a near riot when I shouted out Mick Foley's (@realMickFoley) arrival. The cab that Triple H and Chyna were arriving in nearly ran my brother over. We've had some great times...

UFC 128 Press Conference

This afternoon I attended the UFC 128 Press conference held at Radio City Music Hall. The event was free to the public. When I first arrived I cursed myself for getting there after 11:41. The lobby of the Radio City was packed. I was still able to make my way over to one of the concession stands and received one of the T-shirts they were handing out.

Once they let us into the hall, the aisle I was on was crawling, so I hopped over the ropes and hightailed it over to the other side. I was about 12 rows back, but I had an aisle seat. I was happy. I watched the UFC and media setting up and the Radio City ushers doing a great job keeping order.

Welcome The Year Of The Rabbit

                                           

As I stood dead center of the intersection of Bayard and Mott, I felt like I had actually visited China. I looked in all four directions as part of the crowd dispersed at the end of one of ceremonies, while other people were gathering by another lion and others just kinda milled around like me.

And for a second, I could see myself in China. Or in any foreign country. Alone. And it felt good.

That was when a man approached me and with a thick accent and in broken English said that he saw me taking photos earlier. He looked at the model camera I had and said he had a 7D. I'm using a 10D. He didn't have that one with him, just a smaller digital camera.

"You hold up. Your camera. And I take picture."

So I did.

Kinda Hot On A Cold Winter's Day

Turns out my Saturday was pretty eventful. I wasn't going to sit at home. And quite frankly, the cold temperatures lured me outside. I like the cold. I own a great coat. Ergo, cold isn't so.

Starting point: 14th & 5th
Destination: Canal & Ludlow

On the third and final leg of my walk, I heard sirens and saw a fire truck speed across Grand St while I walked south on Ludlow. When I made it to the corner of Broome, I stumbled upon a scene: 2 fire engines, a group of people being evacuated from a restaurant and neighboring business. The fire engine that sped West on Grand, finally pulled up on Orchard.