In a World of Fake News, is Graffiti More Reliable (Times Square, Manhtattan)

When I've traveled to Latin America, I've often seen political graffiti decrying the abuse of those in power or promoting the agenda of a particular party. But I rarely see political messages scrawled on American walls. This one, scrawled on a door near a subway exit/entrance was short and sweet--"Trump WW III?"--but it kind of says it all.

Handmaid's Tale meets Alien in Times Square

Often on Saturday, a choir (I think they might be Amish) sings in the busy Times Square subway station. They set up in front of a panel of back-lit ads that changes from week to week. On a recent Saturday, the juxtaposition of puritanically-styled singers next to a promo for the latest Alien flick seemed to carry a hidden message. The end is near? Ain't life funny? What we define as 'alien' is only a matter of perspective?

Subways need cleaning too (Times Square, Manhattan)

Subway stations in New York City tend to be filthy. The tracks are often filled with muddy puddles and festooned with trash--old papers, discarded food wrappers and the rotting detritus of urban life. Not to mention rats. There are almost always rats splashing in the puddles, investigating the garbage, scaling the rails and then vanishing seconds before the train arrives.

And the rafters are equally disgusting. If you look overhead, the girders and beams are covered with soot and stalactites of grime. Compared to rail and rafters, the platforms tend to be clean (although I've seen plenty of trash and the occasional rat there as well). I suppose it's because the Transit Authority actually sends employees to clean the platforms--or at least they did at 1 a.m. on my way home. The crowd stood to the side to avoid getting wet, but I'm pretty sure we all shared a sense of amazement that someone was applying soap and water to a place synonymous with dirt.

Post-Election Post-Its for Post-Traumatic Stress (Union Square, Manhattan)

Ms. Rodham Goes to Washington (Fort Greene, Brooklyn)

I took a train to this fortuitously named subway station in Brooklyn on Saturday night. The name  proved prescient in 1992 and hopefully will prove just as prescient today. 

A Crossroads of Contrasts (Times Square)

Times Square has always been a crossroads of contrasts. Its old image--as an epicenter of porn and depravity--contrasts with its newer identity as a showcase for Disney and so-called wholesome (i.e. commercial) family fun in the form of Applebee's and Ripley's Believe it or Not. And yet (in another contrast), pockets of porn still linger, side-by-side with packed tour buses and Broadway theaters. There's also the wealth of the world travelers who clog the sidewalk contrasted with the growing number of homeless who sleep on it. And this video shows a musical contrast in the Times Square subway station: a Michael Jackson wannabee dancing within earshot of an Amish chorus.

Medieval Battle Axe (Upper West Side, Manhattan)

Don't you hate it when you misplace your medieval war axe? Hopefully it's just a plastic toy--I didn't want to touch it to find out--but certainly was odd to see outside the subway station today.

Stop Being Fearful (Union Square Subway Station, Manhattan)

It took me two days to read this note. On the first, I was carried along by the rush hour crowd, and anyone with sense never stops on subway stairs at such a moment. The crowd is unforgiving (because it's composed of individuals like me who are very unforgiving when someone blocks the flow). The next day, however, I was ready with phone in hand. I waited for the surge of people to pass and then paused long enough to take a snapshot. Although I'm posting this under the date when I took the picture, I'm actually writing this several weeks later and can report that while graffiti often lingers in this city for months and years, this little bit of advice was was scrubbed away a couple weeks ago.

What's She Thinking? #StreetArt (Pollokshields areas of Glasgow, Scotland)

I saw this outside the Shields Road Subway Station on my last full day in Glasgow. I wasn't sure at first that it depicted a face. I found the image hard to read but intriguing enough to pull out my phone to record it. Now that I see it on my screen, however, it seems obvious that it's a face. Or does it?