Yesterday afternoon in Central Park I was crossing the North Meadow with birding friend Tom Fiore when we saw a police helicopter coming down very low. We were approaching the Reservoir, and Tom wondered, half jokingly, whether someone might have fallen in. Sure enough, today’s Post has the story of two young women from Canada who decided to take an unauthorized swim. The new fence was installed over the winter. It’s modeled after the original design, which was replaced years ago by a high cyclone fence. The new/old barrier offers much better views of the skyline, not to mention the birds on the water. I sometimes find the “improvements” in the Park to be dubious, but this one is much appreciated. One hopes they won’t add razor wire after this, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some “no swimming under penalty of law” signs go up.

Speaking of the Reservoir, it was the site of an exciting birding moment on Sunday, when I discovered a Tundra Swan, a great rarity for the Park. You can read my report by scrolling down on this page. The birding was terrific over the weekend, but on Monday more birds seemed to have moved on than had come in. I’d have done better to take the day off; three days in a row is enough to fry me, and it’s not even May yet, when migration reaches its height. Regardless, these have been beautiful days. The warm weather has got the flowers blooming and the leaf buds bursting. It really looks like Spring. Those who complain of a too-swift transition from winter to summer would be well advised to get out there now.

df squeal of approval

i havent tried it yet but this might be a good tool for the memory holer in you.

raging slab back in the sadle at don hills 4/30/04

"P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center announces the launch of the world’s first internet art radio station."
www.wps1.org

Matrix Revolutions (the third one, rented the second one by mistake last week due to not being able to distinguish between the titles) was a lot better than I thought it would be. The costumes were still appalling. That neo- (get it, Neo?) -nazi dress jacket thing that everybody wears is dorky beyond belief, and all the stylish ripped sweaters worn on spaceships is very Gap. However, the tedium-induced prayer we collectively incanted during Matrix Reloaded, "Less Talk, More Action," was well answered. The big sci-fi effects were pretty impressive, the long, massive battle with the machines was well-rendered and cool-looking, poor emasculated Lawrence Fishburn hardly said a word, and they let go of the pompous, ponderous philosophical plot crap and got busy with the excellent robots and kung fu. I still think Keanu is unwatchable, but I liked his iconic presesnce in the empty, white-tiled subway station scenes. I'm glad I didn't see it in the theatre, cause I strongly resented the feeling of inevitability when it was released, that I, and millions of others, would see it despite knowing it was going to suck. Enough time has now gone by that I was able to be pleasantly surprised.

kill bill 2 was better than the first one.

MoveOn:
"Celebrity bake sale with Al Franken, Moby, Janeane Garofalo, Sonic Youth, David Cross, Janeane Garofalo, the cast of "Embedded," actress Illeana Douglas, and many other special guests. Eli, Laura, and Noah from the MoveOn team will be there as well.
Teany
90 Rivington St. (Just west of Ludlow.)
Saturday, April 17th, from 12pm to 3pm"

certainly in the running for best headline of the month:


"Bush Makes Three Mistakes While Trying to Cite One" (Boston Globe via Reuters)

Is it a good thing or a bad thing if David Lee Roth eats at your restaurant?

Bowie did a mash-up of "Rebel Rebel" and his new song "Never Grow Old" for an Audi commerical. Now in a further promotion they are letting you get in on the action: Bowie and Audi will give away a new Audi to the best mash-up of any two Bowie songs (via boing-boing)

Dying to start "burning" and "ripping" CDs but not sure how to do it? Relax, you'll find "how to" information on making your own CDs and a lot more. You'll also get music news and features, such as Comcast Rhapsody.

Check out Comcast Rhapsody

We've added more videos to The Fan from CNBC, Fox Sports, Food Network, HGTV, Fine Living, and Do It Yourself (DIY). That's in addition to the latest and greatest from E!, G4, Tech TV and the Associated Press.

Comcast--Broadband for Grandma and Grandpa!

(from an actual email, except for the last line)

I didn't watch Bush tonight, but have been reading blogger's accounts. Apparently he got a softball question about whether he could ever admit a mistake and I guess he said he could (haven't seen a transcript yet). I don't believe it--it's something in his nature that won't let him, like that time he froze because he couldn't correctly say the words of the adage that ends with "Shame on me." And here's Calpundit on his performance tonight (someone must have asked him the same question again, a trickier way):

9:25 — "What's the biggest mistake you made after 9/11?" Bush just froze. He couldn't answer for literally 30 seconds. "I can't come up with something under the pressure of the press conference."

Wow. That would be almost sad if he wasn't so dangerous.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art:
Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates, Central Park, New York
April 6, 2004–July 25, 2004
The Erving and Joyce Wolf Gallery, 1st floor

This exhibition documents the evolution of the widely anticipated outdoor work of art The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979–2005, conceived by the husband-and-wife collaborators Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Scheduled for presentation during 16 days in February 2005, the completed project will consist of 7,500 saffron-colored gates set up at 12-foot intervals along 23 miles of pedestrian walkways that lace New York's Central Park.

Mr. Wilson, I wonder - knowing you spend a great deal of time in the Park - what you might think of this project? (if you have posted on this already, my apologies).

i ordered from fresh direct last night. my order is supposed to arrive between 4 and 6. im a little skeptical of the operation as my $67 bill reads as $80 on my credit cards account online. but its pending. hmm. also, they charge a $4 delivery fee which is a reasonable amount but it annoys me on some level. isnt their core purpose "to deliver?" isnt that like being charged twice for the crime of laziness?

This Would Sure Give Me Confidence

Bush said he had spoken twice in the past few days with Gen. John Abizaid, the overall commanded [sic] of the Iraq war, and that Abizaid "knows full well when he speaks to me, if he needs additional manpower, he can ask for it."

(AP article, via Salon)

went to see the fall last night at maxwells. saw nickas there but not uglow. they did a cover of frankie vali's song "walk like a man." my first fall show. last punk band standing . actually he wasnt standing because of a broken foot he sat and entered/exited on crutches. best back up band in years, but mark e smith seams a lil broken down.

Bribing your way into restaurants (via kottke) Seems more sensible to just eat at 10:00 instead of 8:00, but I guess there are people who do this.

"The graffiti artist Banksy has managed to smuggle in his latest work, a dead rat in a glass-fronted box, into the Natural History Museum....

The piece called "Banksus Militus Ratus" was displayed with a text that said the common sewer rat had some remarkable new characteristics. "
April 8, The Guardian.

Spontaneous combustion happens all the time, it's just not widely reported.

Holy shit, Bush really is a uniter. Who'd a thunk?

The cross-community demonstration of support for Fallujah had been organized by Baghdad clerics both Sunni and Shiite amid reports that the death toll in the town had reached 105 since late Tuesday.

To put it very mildly, I've had a dim view of this whole affair since before the beginning. But even my tin foil capped head never imagined anything bring together the Shia and Sunnis. Way to go Georgie! Mission accomplished!

Arianna Huffington loves blogs (super annoying Salon day pass required.)

Simply put, blogs are the greatest breakthrough in popular journalism since Tom Paine broke onto the scene....

All of which has made the blogosphere such a vital news source in our country -- and has made me besotted with blogs. It's a crush that I'm betting will quickly progress to going steady.

We’re still waiting for the DMTree review of Megu. In the meantime, the Post whines about the menu, never mind the food.

youch is anyone happy with amanda hesser?

Thought Tom or someone might be interested in this (via boingboing): Classic Gamer Magazine. 6 meg .pdf download. Apparently chock full of screen shots from all the old classic video games.