2012 to 268!

Roar! With the new movie 2012 out in theaters there has been a lot of talk about the end of the world. Well I've seen the end of the world once already but what I haven't seen is the end of New York City. So yesterday I decided to go there!

Here I am down at Broadway Junction. This is where all the old roads coming into New York used to converge and turn into one toll road heading into the city. All the roads still meet here along with all the trains in the area. I figured this would be the perfect place to start my journey. Turns out Broadway Junction is one big nightmare! The pavement is coming up all over the place and the old cobbles stones are showing through. Not to mention the traffic! I don't think I'll come through here again unless I have to.

From Broadway Junction I decided to ride down Jamaica Ave. It used to be an old Indian trail that went along the edge of the glacial moraine. Now it's just another busy road. When I was riding through Woodhaven on Jamaica Ave they had these Christmas decorations out and were playing Christmas songs on speakers underneath the J train. It was really neat! I got to hear Alvin and the Chipmunks. I want a hula hoop too! Roar!

Next, I turned off Jamaica Ave and headed up Hillside Ave to the end of New York City. On the corner of Hilllside and Lefferts Blvd I passed the old Republican Club. It was all boarded up and abandoned. I guess things aren't going so well for them.

I rode up Hillside all the way to the very edge of Queens. Here I am standing at the corner of Hillside Ave and 268th St. This is the last street corner in New York City and as far east as you can go. I'm staring out into the horrifying, desolate expanse that lies beyond New York City. I believe it's called... Long Island.

This is the Jian On Chinese restaurant on the corner of Hillside and 268th. I think they missed a great opportunity to call it something cliche like "Far East Chinese Restaurant" and have it actually mean something. Other than its location it's just your standard New York Chinese restaurant. Roar!

Next to the Chinese place was a crazy martial arts studio. It had this awesome mural painted on the side of the building. Is that guy trying punch that dude in the groin?! Ouch!

Here are all the wooden boards they break at the martial arts studio. They sure are serious!

Oh no, poor Dexter! I hope someone finds him! Roar!

I threw up this sticker on the first parking meter in NYC. Now I have the eastern most graffiti in the city.

After a long ride I was feeling pretty hungry so I decided to eat at this sweet looking Indian-Chinese restaurant I saw a few blocks back.

Mmmm... This Hot and Sour soup with chicken sure did warm me right up!

Here I have Chilly Chicken Hakka Style in a light gravy and Chili Garlic Noodles with Chicken. Total Chicken Max-Out!

On the way home while I was riding down Myrtle Ave and I passed this strange looking truck. It was marked "OPERATIVE CAKE CORP." I think this is the agency that monitors all the secret, underground cake activity that takes place in the city. It would be so awesome to work for them, I love cake! Roar!

Art, Advertising, Activism, Alchemy, and A T-REX!!!

ROAR! This past Friday was a really cool street art talk in Astoria called "Art, Advertising, Activism, & Alchemy." It was at Wonderland and had several artists who were there to talk about their art and how it affects the environment around them. There was Jordan Seiler (a really cool guy who replaces advertising with public art), Gabriel "Specter" Reese, Jason Eppink, Posterchild (one of my favorite street artists), and of course ME! No one in the audience was expecting a T-Rex to show up so they were really surprised when I went up to speak. Overall, I think the event went really well and everyone got a lot out of it. Roar!

Here is a sign at Wonderland reminding us to enjoy Astoria while it lasts.

Here I am hanging out on the artist's couch. It's really big and comfy! Roar!

This is Posterchild dressed as grandpa Batman. I guess he wanted to remain anonymous. I can understand that. He sure gave a great talk though!

This is Jason Eppink giving his talk about "Urban Alchemy." I really like his idea of putting saloon doors on phone booths!

Here I am giving my surprise talk about the transformation of the urban environment over the past 65 million years. It was a really big hit and reminded people that street art isn't the only thing that's impermanent. So next time you're out wandering around the city remember, "Enjoy it while it lasts."

Here I am with Posterchild. It sure was cool to meet him and it was an honor being able to speak at the talk. Hopefully there will be something like this again. Roar!

Crazy Clouds over NYC!

Roar! Today there were some crazy clouds over New York City. A bunch of cirrus clouds rolled in this afternoon and with them came some cool meteorological occurrences that aren't often seen in the city.

Here you can see all of the cirrus clouds overhead. They sure are pretty!

I was out at the park enjoying the day when the clouds rolled in. I'd been taking it easy this past week after my adventures in space and then with the awful weather we had the past few days, (I don't want to catch the dino-sniffles) but I just had to get out and enjoy what might be one of the last really nice days of the year.

I'm glad I went out because I got to see this sweet rain-less rainbow caused by the refraction of the sunlight through the ice crystals in the cirrus clouds. Isn't science cool!? Roar!

Here I am checking out the pretty rainbow!

Another event that occurred was a sun dog. This is when the light refracting through the ice crystals in the cirrus clouds causes bright spots of lights to appear in the sky next to the sun. Here you can see a minor sun dog in the clouds to the left of the sun.

Here is a cooler picture of the sun dog. You can see it in the sky next to the sun. You can even see a bit of the halo that forms around the sun do to the refraction of light. The technical term for a sun dog is "parhelion." My friends all tell me I should study to be a professor since I like science so much. Wouldn't that be a crazy sight?! A dinosaur professor! Still all the science behind it doesn't change how pretty the sky was today! Roar!

One Last Great Escape!

Roar! I am so relieved to be back safe and sound in New York City! After things got really crazy at the BETA Spaces Art festival on Sunday I flew into this abstract sculpture that sent me on a expedition into the very heart of the cosmos. It was a lot of fun but I was so scared I would never make it back home. My girlfriend must have been worried sick! Luckily for me today was the 83rd anniversary of Harry Houdini's death (on the Jewish calender, roar) and the New York chapter of the Society of American Magicians held a ceremony at Houdini's grave to commemorate his death and see if he can perform one last great escape and cheat death. I don't think the magicians were expecting a T-Rex to appear in place of Harry Houdini!

Here is the grave of Harry Houdini at Machpelah Cemetery in Queens.

Here is the Society of American Magicians breaking the ceremonial wand in memory of Harry Houndini. I don't think any of them were expecting what happened next!

WOAH, I'm back! ROAR! After they broke the wand I appeared behind them on the Houdini family headstone. Those guys were so surprised to see a T-Rex. It sure was some trick!

After the ceremony everyone pitched in to help clean up the Houdini family plot.

I guess the Society of American Magicians has been having some trouble with the cemetery. It sure was nice of David Copperfield to pitch in and pay for the maintenance.

David Copperfield even owns this bench at the Houdini family plot. I hope it doesn't disappear while I'm sitting on it!

I never knew Houdini was the president of the Society of American Magicians. No wonder they hold this ceremony for him every year.

Here I am leaving Harry Houdini's Grave and the Society of American Magicians. I am so grateful to be back on Earth. Rocking around in space was fun and all but in space no one can hear you roar. Thanks Magicians, it's good to be back!

Sunday Adventures Part 2: Bushwick Art Crazyness!

After I got back from the cemetery today I rode all around Bushwick to check out all the art galleries that were participating in the BETA Spaces Art Festival. It was a free festival where about 20+ galleries in Bushwick were open between 12 and 7 and you could go and see art and eat snacks. I love art and I love snacks so it seemed like the perfect afternoon! Roar!

Before I even got to the first gallery I came across this women singing classic love songs into a bucket of water. She sounded great and it was a really cool piece of performance art.

The actual gallery spaces got off the a slow start. This room was filled with all sorts of found objects, mostly childhood toys. In the other room a bunch of people sat in a blanket tent playing music and scratching on an old Fisherprice record player. I guess they have some childhood issues they're still trying to work through. Roar.

This book was OK. It had various inkblots juxtaposed with blurry faces. I'm not too sure what the artist was trying to say here.

These were bits of fabric woven in between a chain link fence as an installation. People were supposed to write a wish on a piece of paper then attach it to the wall. Mine is tied to the branch in the upper left corner. It says "Simplicity."

A lot of the gallery spaces looked like this on the outside. This place was especially shady looking. It got even weirder once you got inside.

"Follow the blue arrows, M. Quincampoix. Roar"

Once I got inside the actual gallery it was great. This is a weird wooden keyboard that plays extended sounds of a women reading poetry or ambient noises. I danced on top of it just like that scene in "Big" with Tom Hanks.

This book was really cool. It was a book of 1000 different dream interpretations. The artist blacked out all the words except a couple on each page. So when you read the book it was full of all sorts of surrealists poems. Very cool!

This place was so lame. I could hear performance art going on inside but no one would answer the door. I rang the bell, knocked real hard, I even roared real loud. Still no one would let me in. Lame.

This place had some really great art and great snacks. I love snacks!

Watch out miss there is a T-Rex behind you!


Check out this sweet Star Trek TNG fan-art someone made!

WOAH! Things are starting to get really crazy. TOO MUCH ART. Roar...

Roar! I better not go into the light! Can't resist... What's going to happen to me?! Where am I going?! RRROOOAAARRrrrr........

Sunday Adventures Part 1: Cemetery of the Evergreens

ROAR! Today was crazy. I did so many awesome things! First I rode over to the Cemetery of the Evergreens where they were supposed to be giving a free tour. Turns out the guy giving the tour never showed up so I just wandered around the cemetery having fun.

Here I am in front of an amazing sculpture of an angel. This was well over a hundred years old. It had sunken into the earth a bit and was standing all crooked.

I think this would make good material for an inspirational album cover. Check out T-Rex at the Shadowy Way, music to sooth your post-apocalyptic soul. Coming to a record store near you! Roar!

I just decided to stop and chill a bit on this sweet bench. I think it might actually be somebody's head stone.

I think this sign says it all.

Here I am on top of the hill at the highest point in the cemetery. You can't really see it in this photo but there is a nice view of the Empire State building and mid-town Manhattan.

Oh No! I better be careful it's the mausoleum of Charles BOO's! His ghost might come after me and scream his last name! That would be so scary! I better watch out.

I found this penny on the ground near the mausoleum. I took it in case Charles BOO's got me. I figured I could use it to pay Charon to ferry me across the river Styx. Let's hope that doesn't happen. Roar!