Grand Central, Beer Goggle Santa and Bloomingdales. Enjoy !!

Grand Central Station.....A Masterpiece

Click on the pics to enlarge and appreciate.



CORNELIUS VANDERBILT

“

If I had learned education, I would not have had time to learn anything else.

”

Born on Staten Island, Vanderbilt began working on ferries in and around New York as a young boy, quitting school at age 11. By age 16 he was operating his own business—after having borrowed money from his mother—ferrying freight and passengers between Staten Island and Manhattan. During the War of 1812, he received a government contract to supply the forts around New York City. He operated sailing schooners, which is where he gained his nickname of "Commodore."

On December 19, 1813, Cornelius Vanderbilt married his cousin and neighbor, Sophia Johnson (1795-1868), daughter of his aunt Elizabeth Hand Johnson. He and his wife had 13 children, 1 died in childhood.

You have undertaken to cheat me. I won't sue you, for the law is too slow. I will ruin you.
—-Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1853 (in a letter to former business associates Morgan & Garrison

Net worth ▲$167.4 billion, according to Wealthy historical figures 2008, based on information from Forbes - February 2008. Thanks Wikipedia.

In October 1871, Vanderbilt struck up a partnership with the New York and New Haven Railroad to join with the railroads he owned to consolidate operations at one terminal at East 42nd Street called Grand Central Depot, which was the original Grand Central Terminal, where his statue reigns today. The glass roof of the depot collapsed during a blizzard on the same day Vanderbilt died in 1877. The station was not replaced until 1903-1913.

Never knew that.


...and here he is Cornelius himself under a very large wreath. I once had his granddaughter Wendy in my taxi and as we took the same route I commented to her how I grew up in Staten Island and visited her ancestors mausoleum which is a work of art at Moravian Cemetery in Staten Island. She commented to me that she and her family were always proud that the city preserved what he built. She was a charming woman and I hope I get her in my taxi again.


Now , lets do a 360 and REALLY appreciate MY FIRST DRUNK SANTA ever in my taxi.

Thank you , thank you, please ...no please, everyone stop clapping and get back to the blog.

I got in line as 2 cabs pulled up to this Santa and as they pulled off leaving Santa Claus without a ride I felt the NEED to get Santa to his destination regardless of his state of mind.

ITS SANTA DAMMIT !!! .....so I was the lucky one to pick Santa up. Beer Goggles and all.

A Christmas classic indeed.



Before I let Santa in I locked the doors and asked if he was going to puke as he hiccuped where his destination was which was believe it or not Macy's at 34th St...His answer was "I did that already , don't worry about it" A Miracle to 34th St indeed was occurring in my cab tonight ...a drunk guy ....NOT going to throw up...and Kris Kringle heading towards the grandpooba of Santa gatherings round the world !!! He got in , asked me kindly to put some rock n roll on and BLAST it ...He gave me a station number , I cranked it up , he said "F*** yeah , thats what Santa needs" and then passed out. Tears flowed down my cheeks at the fact that Santa was sleeping in my Taxi....and here he is sleeping with his beer goggles up against the partition. It truly is Christmas.


....and he sinks lower and lower as I hold my breath that he doesn't puke...SANTA don't puke !!!
He awoke exactly at where I was gong to leave him at a red light across the street from Macy's , thanked me for stopping and cranking the music , wished me a Merry Christmas , tipped me $5 and exited the cab to a gaggle of people trying to get an empty taxi and coherently put his beer goggles on and walked into the night....my new customers asked " Was Santa drunk?". I replied , "no he was Shitcanned"....BUT he was Santa so let it go !! ...and they did.



The front of Bloomingdales.


The back of Bloomingdales.


Bloomindales has speakers set up which play Tony Bennett tracks off of his new CD, "A Swingin' Christmas featuring the Count Basie Big Band" as you walk by all the decorated windows. Tony was from where my father and mother grew up and I grew up a little in Astoria,Queens NYC. I saw him perform in Vegas at The Desert Inn for the Millennium with his daughter as the opening act and Mr.Warmth Don Rickles at a table right next to me. He actually sang a song without a microphone to show how the Desert Inn acoustics were so well built that he didn't need a microphone. He sounded great.

This is his first holiday album in 40 years.

You can hear other tracks at this site:

http://www.tonybennett.net/


...or just click on the video and listen as you scroll through Bloomie's with The King.....Soooooo what are ya gonna buy me?





Click on the photos to enlage and enjoy.




Jingle Bells.



Jingle Bells photo # 2.



Silver Bells.




I'll be home for Christmas.



The Christmas Waltz.



Christmastime is here.



Have yourself a merry little Christmas.


Santa Claus is coming to town ..why?? BECAUSE THE KING PICKED HIS DRUNK ASS UP !!!




Oh Christmas tree.


Well, thanks for visiting Bloomingdale's with me , I had a grand time and appreciate all the gift cards you'll be sending my way ....I may not work at Bloomie's but I am the King Of New York Hacks. Hope all your shopping is done and as my fellow brother Mad D.C. Cabbie always says, please don't forget the homeless. Peace out.



I really mean it ...the King was homeless once ...and it ain't no fucking picnic. Reach out my brothers and sisters, its the holidays and it is COLD here .



Nuff said....Thanks for stopping by everyone , next stop maybe Rockefeller Center...or who knows ?? Its a fun ride no matter !!!!

THE BLACK CHEROKEE OF NEW YORK OTIS HOUSTON JR ...NOW BEAT THAT !!!!!

The King loves to meet REAL New Yorkers that bring a substance and aura to this city that can not be created elsewhere in the world and can sneak up on you in a New York minute at anytime. Well as I got out of my office late again and could not get a taxi to work the night, the catering hall across the street had about a hundred paparazzi's waiting for Elton John, Trump,Whoopi and a host of other celebrities to walk the red carpet when all of a sudden you hear Whoooooooooooo !!!!!! Whoooooooooooooo!!! Yeahhhh!!!!! Whooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

Coming from down the street and the scream getting nearer as this man was jogging and appeared almost like a reinarnation of Apollo Creed from Rocky fame. He stopped where all the paparazzi were and started screaming to them that he don't drink, he don't smoke, and he's seen Trump before and said he'll whoop his ass because hes a bad man. He screamed that he don't drink,don't smoke and keeps it real for America and its children. He was rhyming like Bruce Lee + Muhammed Ali = ME !! YOU want to know me Google Me I'm The Black Cherokee !!!

This was great stuff.

So instead of me doing my paparazzi stuff, I went and followed him jogging where he started screaming from the steps on Federal Hall and then he proceeded to Trinity Church to stand on these blockades that prevent cars from driving down Wall St and I videotaped him and asked him his name. Hope you enjoy it. He's also an artist and musician.
Here's his CD http://cdbaby.com/cd/otishoustonjr , his myspace OtisHoustonJrTheBlackCherokee!! , and here is another story about him from NYCTheBlog.

If you google him there is more about how he sets up next to highways here in NYC and waves to people screaming his thoughts and objectives. I also heard he does a weird act with oranges. I'll try to get that for you one day. Hopefully I will be able to get Joe the peeler, Cat on the Head guy, and The Black Cherokee all together for a Charlie Rose meeting with The King Of Hacks and really entertain the blogworld.

I love this shot, middle of Wall St screaming his words at hundreds of paparazzi as if the city was his , and at that moment....IT WAS HIS ...The Black Cherokee Otis Houston Jr. Obama, look out!

"DONT YOU BE TELLIN' ME WHATS GOOD , I AM GOOD AND YOU BETTER START LISTENING !!!".......Damn straight Otis, The King sure did!!

IM DAMN GOOD FOR AMERICA , IM SAVIN' IT !!


Enjoy the videos, the lighting sucks but you can hear his voice quite well. The one below is on the street right outside Federal Hall.



This next vid I took as he jogged to Trinity and began his speech, you can hear the King ask "whats your name" and he provides it along with other thoughts.Its funny how most New Yorkers just walk by without even batting an eye. That's what makes this city so unique, had he been doing this in Bakersfield, Ohio he'd probably be in a mental institution.





So in the last two weeks I was fortunate enough to meet REAL people like Joe the peeler and Otis The Black Cherokee, I may not be as real as they are but I am The King Of New York Hacks. Now Beat That !!!

Joe Ades The Peeler Man, and The King does Paparazzi !

Joe Ades is an infamous moving landmark who traverses the city streets pitching his one product, a potato peeler. Yes, you heard me, a potato peeler. He refers to himself as a "grafter" and not a salesman, he pointed out to me that he learned his trade in impromptu markets over in England where people would be hawking their own items like shoelaces to cough medicine. There is a reason he sits down which is how all the grafters did it in England he says because you can have a crowd around you and by passers can't see what's going on and therefore will be so curious that they will join the audience and watch Joe's brilliant performance.

He is 74 years old and this is him set up on Wall St Monday morning when I got to my day job. I spoke to him briefly as he ate his early lunch preparing for a busy day he told me. I then saw him later on my own lunch break and video taped this New York legend. He is supercool and does what he does better than anyone I've ever seen pitch a product on the streets of New York. Joe lives on Park Avenue and frequents The Hotel Pierre bar where he is known to polish off bottles of Veuve Cliquot champagne along with the regulars who know him very well there as I learned later. Read on, check out his work and enjoy the videos I took of him on my lunch break.


As you can see he decided to turn around and face Trinity Church when I returned on my lunch.

This is the bucketful of the product he sells, Star peeler.

He also shows off on his cart all the notoriety he has gotten in the past from Vanity Fair, The Daily News and the New York Post and others. Surely my article will be on there as well if Joe wants to make even more money.
Definitely a slice of the action, he just sits there and creates a buzz. Wherever he goes.
Joe on the Post.
More media publicity.
The Perfect Pitch man begins his routine, no one around, he just starts talking and showing how the peeler works and slowly people stop and listen. Cool stuff.
Now he's getting them hooked.
Showing off his Iron Chef skills.
I wonder if he is a Guinness book candidate for most carrots peeled ever?
Hook....Line....and BUYER !!!! She looks quite happy with her purchase !!


In the following videos you can hear a guy trying to ask him about the books he sold ten years ago to which he ignores, stays professional and continues on, also in the second video which shows his full show the bells of Trinity Church are ringing but Joe can drown them out with his passion for the peeler.






And yes indeed......The King had to buy a few too, thats my hand holding this AMAZING product that you know you want to have now.





It was then when I got out of my office late so I couldn't get a taxi now and had time to kill before I got my bus home. There is a catering hall righ across the street from where I work that has celebrity functions all the time and in one of my prior posts I got pictures of Brett Favre and The New York Jets who were attending here as well.

There were only a few paparazzi waiting in front of a small red carpet with a banner for the World Wide Orphan foundation. I walked over with my camera in hand and asked this small Chinese paparazzi dude who was coming and he replied" The Weeds" are coming.

I had no clue what he was talking about so I asked the gentleman below who informed me he's just a tourist from France and he was just watching to see who was coming. His name is Eric and he came here to run the NYC marathon which he did successfully, so I congratulated him and as you can see he was wearing the medal that the finishers received for their well done achievement. I told him about my blog and would he mind if I took a pic of the medal and he was more than happy to do it . We give the French a lot of shit, but this guy was real gentleman with a sense of humor too joking with me that we were waiting to see someone we probably didn't know.
Here is a close up of the medal you get for running 26.2 miles in NYC.
As Borat would say...VERY NIIIIICE!!!!
I have no idea who these two women were and the paparazzi standing next to me didn't like me rubbing elbows with them as I snapped away and asked who are these people to which they wouldn't tell me.
Then the lady on the left heard me asking who they were and she asked where was I from and I jokingly replied "Fox News" to which she grunted something about how terrible and unprofessional they are. I told them as I was laughing I was kidding and the paparazzi people didn't find it funny at all. If you know who they are please tell me. I think the Asian woman is a newscaster. Not sure though.
So then my little Chinese paparazzi dude ran up to me and told me "WEEDS" was here, so I saw a tall bald guy in a tuxedo and asked my new friend " Is that the weeds? " He said" No No No ...The WOMAN !!" Oh ok..I recognize her thats Mary Mcdowell I said to a paparazzi next to me, to which she replied " No its not" ...hmmmm...ok waiting for a follow up from her to tell me who it is and she wouldn't tell me !!! Damn poopanazzis!!! I told her I know its Mary something and I'll find out on the internet anyway. And I did ...Mary Louise Parker from the Showtime series "WEEDS" which I've never seen. She is a good actress in the movies I saw her in and as you can see she looks pretty good at age 44.
Here she is looking into The Kings eyes and trying to seduce me....I'm not THAT easy !!

This is Mary Louise Parker and Dr. Jane Aronson who is an advocate and is on the Board of Directors for this foundation that helps orphans around the world.This is her website. http://www.orphandoctor.com/ Good stuff.


After that nice photo I screamed at the both of them which I was no further than 3 feet away " How about a funny face picture ?!?!?! " I do that all the time with my family, nieces, nephews etc..ITS FUN !!! However the pooparazzi started apologizing and put their cameras down telling Mary and Dr.Jane how unprofessional I am , but the Doctor MADE a funny face and I got the pic of it !!!

One paparazzi told me its people like me who are ruining the business, I told him " Go fuck yourself, this is show business and I got the money shot sucker!! "Even better I told them I have a blog with millions of readers who will get to view my photo which is funny !! And then the president of SBG communications Shanta Bryant Gyan who overheard all this nonsense, and who was running the event gave me a press packet and took my information and was laughing along with me as the poopanazzis were still trying to scold me.

Dr.Jane, you rock for making the funny face...Mary , lighten up, kids like funny faces and that's who you were there to help isn't it. As you can see she is still looking into my eyes trying to seduce The King.
The following is a video of what Dr. Aronson does to help children around the world .



So in closing, Joe Ades is a character that gives New York that special pulse along with actresses like Mary Louise Parker and dedicated professionals like Dr.Jane Aronson who achieve great things unselfishly for other people in need, and then there are pooparazzies who make our pulse a little weaker.....but that's where I come in and bring the pulse back to a proper rhythm and also why I'm The King Of New York Hacks. Peace Out Peeps.

Travis Bickle ....and The King Of New York Hacks.

I remember the first time I watched the movie Taxi Driver about the troubled Travis Bickle as he roamed the dirty New York City streets. The year was 1976,the Bicentennial celebration was happening which was quite memorable if you were in NYC. Those were the days where fireworks were so popular you couldn't see across the street at the end of the night waiting for the smoke to settle.

I remember fishing in the harbor off Staten Island watching the ships sail in from 200 years ago with the anticipation as if I were there the first time they arrived. I remember someone shooting their gun off under the Verrazano Bridge celebrating the stroke of midnight and the scary feeling of a ricochet that accompanied it.

Now, today as I reflect on those moments I think of Travis Bickle...Why? Because I AM a Taxi Driver. When I saw the movie, I never thought in a million years that one day I would be behind the wheel of this unique and adventurous employment.

Yet I am.

Although I do have a day job,and the acquaintances and colleagues that I encounter on a daily basis has led me to a comparison of sorts that are almost the dissection of a time capsule that I have dug up, and am relaying my find to you. As the election nears and the world is changing, I am curious to your thoughts...Please leave them in the comment section. These are troubled times, and having them in my rear view mirror is a very up close seat to view it all.

The following is a quote from Travis with an updated version of the quote by The King Of New York Hacks which he has been heard reciting in these current times.

Travis Bickle: All the animals come out at night - whores, skunk pussies, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, sick, venal. Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets. I go all over. I take people to the Bronx, Brooklyn, I take 'em to Harlem. I don't care. Don't make no difference to me. It does to some. Some won't even take spooks. Don't make no difference to me.


King Of New York Hacks: All the bankers come out at night - scumbags, analyst pussies, mortgage buggers, foreclosure queens, IPO fairies, CEO dopers, Bonus junkies, bankruptcy sick, Family venal. Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets. I go all over. I take people to the Bronx, Brooklyn, I take 'em to Harlem. I don't care. Don't make no difference to me. It does to some. Some won't even take people who work at Goldman Sachs. Don't make no difference to me.




We will get through this economic bullshit, but I hope my thoughts remain unscathed as I march on...and hope yours do as well. I am not not Travis Bickle, however I remain faithfully The King Of New York Hacks.

9/11...20 years ago ....The King ...and today ....My tour of Ground Zero and Battery Park.

Pass this on to anyone you know who would have liked to view the surroundings on ground zero as well as the classy and respectful accolade for those who perished in the 9/11 tragedy.

20 years ago I was a clerk in one of the World Trade Center buildings, not the towers but the adjacent 4 World Trade Center, which were colored brown and destroyed as well. So after my day job yesterday, I walked the route I used to take to that job back then, and it was very emotional.

I grew up with some of the people who were killed, worked with some , went to elementary school with one, high school with about a half dozen and some I was doing business with at the time of the tragedy. I was from Staten Island and this borough lost 271 people total.

When I took lunch hour from work back in 1988, sometimes I would go to the center of all the buildings where there was a fountain that had an artist sculpture which is known as " The Sphere" that was in the center of the fountain. It was a peaceful fun place to eat lunch. Well the Sphere survived the disaster and was transferred to Battery Park downtown near the Staten Island Ferry. On my way in to work from the bus I take, as I took then, I saw flags in the grass where the sphere is now , which prompted me with the idea to have my walk when I was finished with my day. It was a rainy gloomy day, but I felt since I had not toured Ground Zero at all except for walking or driving by, that I would finally make the trek and remember what was....and what will be again one day.

Working in the commodity exchange was one of the best experiences of my life and the reason why I am still compelled to trading markets today aside from being The King Of Hacks. However , knowing all the people that I personally knew who passed on in this terrorist attack, part of me was so angry I never wanted to go near the remains knowing the anger I would feel and the frustration that accompanies that emotion. But today, well this was on September 9th and 10th that I took these walks and photo documented them. The walks made me feel like I was at a wake and drained my inner being, although knowing that all my friends and all who perished are in peace now, it was still very emotional as one would expect. The following is a bunch of pictures that were my visions 20 years ago and how they look today as I walked my usual route except this time walking around the entire sight and following up the next day going to Battery Park to sign the Metal Beams that will go into the museums being planned when the Freedom Tower is built. I know it has nothing to do with taxi driving , but this is my purging of the demons inside me that have layed there since that terrible day. I hope all of you are well and if any of your loved ones are involved with the war , I wish them a safe passage home, and if need be , just let The King know and I'll pick 'em up free of charge.

I am posting many photos for this post for people who can't get to New York and for some around the country and the world who may have known someone , there a a few pictures where you can zoom in to find the name. I'll start off on a light note showing you my I.D. card needed to get into the building so many years ago....yes I was a sad looking guido-ish bad hairdo punk kid ....but I sure was lighter back then...and better looking ....and...well what do you want !!!! ?? I was just a prince back then !!!!!!!


C'mon you know you love the 80's ....just think of the A'HA song as you look at this.


Backside of my badge to enter the exchange daily. No badgey, no worky.



The King as a Volunteer Firefighter with a little serial killer look in this one...minus the 80's hair.
This was 2004. I was a Firefighter/EMT



What I would see all summer as I walked off the ferry or express bus in awe of these buildings.



This is how the sphere originally looked with the fountain.



Sometimes concerts, but always a nice place to relax.



As I enter Battery Park I can already see the flags flying.



As I entered a familiar thought.



Entering Battery Park.

You can see the sphere in the background.



The Flag of Heroes has every name of every Firefighter, EMS, Police and other emergency personnel listed on this special flag being flown. Zoom in to read the words.


There were many pairs of boots around the Sphere location but only one pair had a mass card on it and it was Captain Patrick Brown's ...Captain Patrick Brown died on 9/11, surrounded by burn victims he hoped to evacuate from the Trade Center’s north tower. A legend long before then, he had been on Dateline, and in Time and the NY Times Sunday Magazine, to name just a few. Although he was exceedingly modest, the media loved him, especially in those instances when he put the possibility of saving a life above the imperative of playing by the rules. For instance, a fixed anchor could not be found during one famous rooftop rope rescue, so "Paddy" held the rope in his own bare hands while another firefighter climbed down to rescue the victim—who was ready to jump—from the window below.





Great man and hero to all.



They had all sorts of hoses and other firefighting tools laying around the sphere and perhaps its not the American Eagle , but it was nice to see a New York pigeon drop by for respects.




"The Sphere"


The eternal flame that burns for all who were lost.




A Firefighters turnout gear.


The Sphere, The Gear, and The Eternal Flame.



Part of a firetruck , the gauges for water pressure, an Self Contained Breathing Apparatus always referred to as a "Scott" bottle because its the brand name, and the hose.



Firefighter Brian Cannizzaro's father was my elementary school basketball coach who came from a great family , he was a great person and seeing his name on this flag brought tears to my eyes .



This Flag has the names of all who perished.


Promo Flag .



Even in stickers they stand shoulder to shoulder with us.


This is a trailer that has traversed the United States with all the names of the victims. I believe if you click on the pic, it will zoom in automatically.




Side of the Truck view.




Back of the trailer view.



This is the first frame of the trailer.


The truck tells the sequence of events and lists the victims alphabetically. Click to zoom in.
This frame is the recount and list of the passengers of the first two plane strike victims and the World Trade Center Victims alphabetically from A-Br.





Br--through Fe



Fe through Ke




Ke--through Mu.



Mu --Throug Sch




Sch --through Zuk.



The Pentagon impact , and the Shanksville,Pennsylvania crash list. God Bless.



Flag of honor that lists alll names of victims.

This is where I used to turn around but no sphere , on my way to work.


Looking up the street where the Twin Towers and the building I worked in were visible from this spot....and now they weren't. Those fucking bastards !!! Does it ever go away , the anger??




Name of the street I headed north on every day back in 88.



The infamous garage when I was late I'd drive in and hand over a weeks pay just to stay a few hours.


This Bar was around in 1988 and still exists , it was popular back then as it is now....was the King ever in there you ask ??? Well I was underage at the time and I would never walk into...OK OK YES I WAS IN THERE !!!! maybe just once.




Now with downtown changing you have upscale boxing gyms where bars used to be.



Building that is directly across from where the Towers used to be.

A very very popular sippin' place when I was in the commodity exchange, many a deal was made in here as this place has survived as well.




O'Haras pub.



This is where I would just have to cross the street and get to my building which has evaporated.



A sight seen most days, people grieving their loved ones all day .



Part of the rebuilding crew.



The Foundation is finally going up !!!!! FREEDOM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



View as I get close to the west side and Battery Park City.




Entrance to the refurbished World Financial Center

Progress in action...FINALLY !!




Tours are a plenty for sight seeing , however this particular woman as I listened in, said she had lost her son in the tragedy....I guess thats her therapeutic,tough, and patriotic way of getting through this and explaining to people around the world how innocent her son was to suffer such a crime. God bless her.



The Lobby of The World Financial Center.



The Dome above the Lobby escalators in the World Financial Center.


Lots of cranes and dirt.




These banners were on the Vessey St walkway over the highway promoting the museums and a new downtown.



I figured you'd want a close up of who you'd be serving time for ...Lovely gal that she is.



Fire Museum promo.




Skyscraper museum promo.


Stock Market promo for the Museum of Finance, although I feel MY ticker stopped the day the towers fell.



Promotin for the Fraunces Tavern Museum where General George Washington bade farewell to his officers at the end of the Revolution, before returning to his home, Mount Vernon. The Fraunces Tavern Block, bounded by Pearl, Water, Broad Streets and Coenties Slip, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, while the Fraunces Tavern building was not separately listed until 2008.^{[1] Thanks wkipedia.}




Promo of a New Downtown..20 years ago if you were in down town New York at night ...IT WAS EMPTY!! No late night stores , no place to shop ...nothing ...after 8 o'clock it ws zombieville, yet now families are moving in and its actually becoming a "NEIGHBORHOOD" and not just a financial district.



The Future.



The Future View.


What the reflecting pools are supposed to look like.



Chinatown....trust the King on this one , Chinatown needs no promo.




I don't know if any of you noticed but all those banners were promoting museums for New York workers AND NOT ONE FOR THE YELLOW CAB INDUSTRY !!!!!!! What are we , chop liver ?!!


More progress.





AND more progress...

This was a public legal condemned notice which mapped out the entire sight , hanging on a fence with a plastic sheet over it to protect it fro the rain. I guess its protocol.




Entrance to the overpass.



The temporary PATH station which goes to Jersey , and the prior one was destroyed in the attacks.

Two Cranes.....




Sunlight BEAMING through the two cranes on the next shot....made me feel.......HOPE



There weren't many opportunities to get a good picture of the production, but I did wait in line as the tourists snapped away at this crack in the fence.



This is out of sequence , from St Paul's Church , but all our fellow Americans and People who were from abroad that perished on that horrible day , this slate says it all as far as I'm concerned. They are our angels now.


Click to read.




The patches left behind show how the world came to help us....inspiring.....damn inspiring.


Items from the fence.




More items from around the globe.


Italy ...




China.....



Ireland...



Click to read , a young age and an old soul had to have written this...



Children , and anything they write will break your heart, because they tell the truth from the heart. Read it ...Trust the King.




Cots..



One of the original cots they used for relief.



The American Seal....not the clubbed one silly.



One of the few originals.



Volunteer ...for anything ...trust me...in the end , you are helping yourself.



Thank God people volunteer for moments like these and the boundaries we cross are endless to help those who are helping others.




This is on Wall St , the exact sight where George Washington was inaugurated President of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA !! I work next door, tourists take pictures with George ALLLL day long !!! LOL .



G.W.'s Pew




Blacksmiths from Virginia forged this cross out of salvaged steel from the wreckage. David Munn and Fred Christ. Great job men , GREAT JOB !!



St Paul's just after 9-11



Alter dedicated to the lost ones.



more of the fence.




Thank you for the lives you save....indeed.


Click to read, about the 100 year tree.



100 year old Sycamore.




The remnant roots of the 100 year old Sycamore at Trinity Church.


Bell given to St Paul's to ring by the city of London.



Close up of the words.



Now ......



The meaning.



then.............



This is a view of the World financial Center where I was earlier in this post.


I used to eat a slice 3 times a week on the way to the bus home in 1988,great pizza , and they survived. If in New York , trust the King , great slice....and next to the infamous shopping center Century 21, which has also been there since way before 1988.




Fredom flying as we REBUILD !!!



This is a sculpture they relocated to the new park which used to be Liberty Park but now it is named after someone. This was a piece to inspire skyscrapers, not from the WTC.



Before they renovated this park I used to play guys in speed chess or backgammon for $3 a game .....these guys are good , but The King beat their asses every now and then .....and sometimes I won at Backgammon too. LOL




I walked near the chess table and everyone ran...no-one wants The King to beat them in chess .....NO ONE !!!!!!



If you zoom in you can see the bronze business man who was also there in 1988....it was already cordoned off by the popo ( police for non NYC people ) for the ceremonies.



He probably has a cell phone and a Blackberry now !!



A familiar sight then and a familiar sight now ...I LOVE NEW YORK !!!!!


Feed them my patriot brother !! They will never be scared of terrorists !!!!!



Looking at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island as I cross the Verrazano bridge from the express bus I take home. Reflecting on my day with a lump in my throat.



September 10th....signing the beam.




The next day , after work, before I got on the ferry to Staten Island , I wanted to sign a metal beam that they will put in the museum for the World Trade Centers. So I went on over and did just that.



The sphere , the next day but as you can see , all the fire gear removed from the day before ...I don't know why ??



SIGNING THE BEAM !!



Entrance.


Once again ...the future.



People signing away !!



They let the king be one of the first to sign the bottom where it bends .....and I mean every word!!



Firefighters from other states already playing and getting ready for ceremonies.



The only pair of boots left and today right at the front , with the Captain Patrick Brown Mass Card.




Eternally forever.

We will NEVER forget !!




Zoom in as this doggie is getting his fill of hydration.



The Lady of the sea. and the Flag flying on the right ........precious .




nuff said...

This is a tribute to the U.S.Navy.....For their efforts in preserving our FREEDOM..in battery park.


Side view.




The Words.


Caught this squirrel eating a french fry ....couldn't pass that up ....C'MON !!!!!!! ITS FUNNY !!!!


Sign telling us they are building an aquatic merry go round right outside The Staten Island Ferry.......don't know , so don't ask but it does look interesting.



Promoting Staten Island ???? Thats a New One for me !!



What I saw on my outdoor ferry ride home. I used to drink a tall boy( tall beer can of budweiser) that you could buy on the ferry in the summer on the way home. ..The ferry was a quarter back then, NOW ITS FREE !!! Best bang for your buck in the city.


The Waterfalls of Governors Island.



FAST water taxis that were NOT available when I worked in Manhattan.


Sailing crew in front of Ellis Island


Liberty on the left and Freedom flying on the right .....WE WILL NEVER FORGET AND WE WILL ENDURE THESE HARD TIMES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The Torch is lit... for our Freedom stays afire.



Peace to you all, reflect, grieve, but never forget , and HANG AN AMERICAN FLAG OUT YOUR DOOR TODAY IF YOU ARE AMERICAN!!!!

If you know a firefighter pass the following on, the song is a tribute to all the firefighters who passed on and people who perished. It is a very popular song amongst the brotherhood here in New York.

Check out this great man's cd BrianDeVales Raise Your Glass which features a song called(Click to see video) " New York's Damn Bravest " which has become an anthem for the firefighters here in New York and many other places as well. You can hear a clip of the song as well on this sight. Click here for the lyrics New York's Damn Bravest . Brian sends donations to the widows fund with the profits he makes from the cd sales. There is also a great song called "Thank you for being America"..great music.

In closing today I am no King , The KINGS AND QUEENS ARE LOOKING DOWN UPON US WONDERING WHY IT IS TAKING SO LONG FOR US TO GET OUR SHIT TOGETHER. GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE, I AM EDWARD, FORMER CLERK 20 YEARS AGO AT 4 WORLD TRADE CENTER, present day trader and hack driver. See you when I pick you up .Peace Brothers and Sisters.

P.S. If anyone wants photos so they can zoom in on a flag or the truck and see a name , just email me and consider it done ...cheers all.