Cracker Tracker

Happy New Year Cracker

2012-01-02T12:01:00.001-05:00

We rocked in the new year with my cracker. It was like bringing out an old friend.

Green Goat Cheese on a Cracker

2011-11-28T13:18:00.001-05:00

My Cracker sat in his box for a long time, until I found him a friend....Now Carlito and the Cracker and best buddies..

Name: Cheryl Gaudreau
Serial: 2887
Location: Kansas City
Acquired from: Art-O-mat machine
Machine: Ross Media Center in Lincoln NE

Cracker and Frog

2011-11-22T23:30:00.001-05:00

Name: Evan
Tracker Number: 2770
Acquired: As a gift

My sister bought this for me probably five or six years ago. For my birthday. Or was it Christmas? I can't remember anymore. For one reason or another (laziness), I never got around to uploading the tracker number in a timely manner, but I carefully stashed it away in a shoe box with some other odds and ends. I was cleaning recently and found it, which brings us here. My cracker finally has a place in the world! Much to the jealousy of the wooden frog statuette that normally sits next to it at my computer desk. Thanks, Sis!

Pismo Beach and Cracker 3564

2011-03-17T23:16:00.003-04:00

Sure, I take my pewter saltine cracker to Pismo Beach, who doesn't

Image URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68403903@N00/5511188154/
Name: Amy
Serial: 3564
Location: The cracker took a trip to Pismo State Beach in Pismo Beach, CA (and I brought the saltine, too)
Acquired from: POTUS31.com
email: supervelma@gmail.com

Peepon meets Keepon

2011-02-20T22:49:00.004-05:00

Marek Michalowski stopped by the BotCave on Thursday to pick up his Thing-O-Matic. He brought a Keepon with him. I've thought this robot was amazing online, but just like the movie star that he is, he's more amazing in person -- the Keepon, that is. Marek is a pretty down-to-Earth guy. He was here to show the Keepon at the New York Toy Fair. We had a lot of fun with both of them.

Check out the full story at MakerBot's blog.

Happy Hanukkah.

2010-12-02T01:20:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time I made these. Happy Festival of Lights to all!

Herb Butter on a Cracker from Jeff

2010-11-24T12:01:00.003-05:00

While making my under-the-skin turkey rub this occurred to me.

Happy Thanks-forgiving!

Fly me to the moon

2010-11-19T14:50:00.002-05:00

Ever wanted to be an astronaut? Do you love Frank R. Paul's illustrations? These retro space ship kits evoke the aliens and adventure awaiting in outer space. Build one and blast off.

Get yours here.

Daily Supplements.

2010-11-12T13:03:00.000-05:00

Name: Phofo
Serial: 1936
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Acquired from: Art-O-mat machine
Machine: Reform School

Fire the Lazzzzor! @ NYC Resistor

2010-09-06T12:57:00.005-04:00

Learn how to cut and etch with a CO2 laser. Burn your grandma a doily. Make your parents a customized picture frame with you in it (photoshop out the beer bottles first). Make a jewelry box for yourself or someone you like. Etch a plaque that says "You are the best!" The possibilities are huge.

Want to make something sweet for Etsy but can't cut a straight line? The laser can help!

NYC Resistor is hosting a Laser Class on Saturday, September 11 at 1pm. You'll learn what you can and shouldn't cut, what programs and file formats work best for your original drawings, photos and illustrations, and -- best of all -- you'll get to fire the laser and make something cool.

Bring a laptop and your imagination.

http://bit.ly/blQRrh

This land is your trash. This land is my trash. To the New York island #art

2010-08-18T15:29:00.006-04:00

I went to the Staten Island land fill, you know, the largest dump on earth. For 50ish years we New Yorkers sent all our refuse there. Some of mine is there too. They're in the process of reclaiming it at $1 million per acre! They've renamed it Freshkills Park. All the garbage is still degassing. They're able to sell the gas-off as energy to ConEd -- but certainly not enough to pay for all the acreage development. The irony is that one day people will be picnicing mere feet from strata made of black and white TVs, bed frames, and filing cabinets.

When you threw something away this is where away was. Now our junk is put onto a train and sent to South Carolina. The little yellow front end loader is for scale. These cyan hoes are giants!

My Addiction Gallery Tucson AZ @Art_o_mat #art

2010-08-17T18:24:00.004-04:00

I own My Addiction Gallery in Tucson Arizona. Last week we installed our Art-o-mat. It has been very popular! Today I was thrilled to pull the knob and receive my pewter Saltine. What a tasty work of art!

Thanks for being a part of Art-o-mat! It is bringing a lot of happiness to my gallery customers!

Harvey Kivel

My Addiction Gallery

Tucson AZ

All you need is Love...and Cracker

2010-08-16T14:44:00.003-04:00

What's not to love about the Fab Four rocking out with a cracker? This collector from St. Louis knows that Sir Paul is not only listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", but he is obviously a HUGE cracker fan. Was the song originally going to be "Lucy in the Sky with Crackers"? Don't know, but we do know that the "The Beatlecracker Suite" must have been an ode to crackers à la Tchaikovsky (you might notice that Tchaikovsky was cute and had pretty long hair - making him a very early Beatle).

Name: Bev

Serial: Legacy

Location: St. Louis but purchased at an Art-O-mat machine in the Cary, NC Community Center

Beautiful ladies just walkin' down B'wy. #2 #art

2010-08-13T09:59:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I posted 15 pix of Sidewalk Catwalk on Broadway. Here's a few more:

Beautiful ladies just walkin' down B'wy. #1 #art

2010-08-12T12:05:00.005-04:00

Manhattan is probably one of the biggest sculpture gardens in the world. For instance, there's Sidewalk Catwalk on Broadway.

I've been slimed! I'm in Reader's digest, too! #art

2010-08-11T09:16:00.000-04:00

No doubt, kids love the slime machine.

I got mentioned in the August Reader's Digest if you happen to be going to the dentist or doctor sometime soon. I went to buy a copy today and they were already selling September.

Also, check out Kurt Mottweiler's blog. He had a blast with the new Art-O-Mat in Portland.

One last mention: The Warhol machine at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas

It used to be a Drug-Free zone. What happened? #art

2010-08-10T14:25:00.003-04:00

Make it big. Make it RED. Use Comic Sans. Love this typography! Sugar Free slash Sugar Free? Hmmm. Under that, the letter-sized print-out says It's The Law / It's The Law. Must be a design convention I haven't heard about yet.

Do Not Resuscitate #art

2010-08-09T14:54:00.003-04:00

Someone in the MTA has a sense of humor, or it's just alphabetical order. What do you think?

The sky is falling so wear your hard hat. #art

2010-08-06T10:25:00.003-04:00

Eye catching graphic in the neighborhood that used humor to remind the workers why they need their hard hat. Hopefully, there isn't that much debris raining down. The graphic for head-runs-into-object would have been harder to illustrate, but is equally as common as object-falls-on-head (i.e. user error).

Louis Armstrong's dog ate my cracker. #art #keytocity

2010-08-05T11:55:00.003-04:00

On the front stoop of Louis Armstrong's house is this pooch, forever guarding the hundreds of recordings he made while in his jammies. He filled about 650 reel to reel tapes, half of which are just everyday conversations around the house. He had microphones and speakers everywhere. Sometimes he'd be singing without any background (maybe he had headphones on) and sometimes he played his trumpet. One conversation was at the dining room table. His wife was serving dinner and he was being the ham.

Penguin on the loose in Queens! #keytocity

2010-08-04T21:48:00.002-04:00

This little guy was spied on a two way street in Queens a block from City Council Member Daniel Dromm's office. He was without any ID so I wondered if he was guerilla art. We were trying to do all the locations in Queens for Key to the City. Making tortillas at Nixtamal was great. We had 3 tamales and 3 tacos afterwards. They make a killer mole sauce! Eddies Sweet Shop was pretty cool too. We had a great chocolate malted! But my favorite had to be Louis Armstrong's house. One piece of fan mail came from Israel addressed to "Lois Armstrong, Rex Jazz, NEW YORK???" and somehow it got there. I guess Lois was one of Louis's 4 wives. I might have never gone had it not been for Key to the City, because I didn't know it was right here under my nose! All in all, a great one-day borough adventure in the Key to the City.

Pretzel Buckles are in production! #art #fashion

2010-08-03T12:00:00.004-04:00

The pretzel buckle is available today for immediate shipping!

Coming soon, the saltine buckle. (You can still pre-order at the special pre-order price with about a 2 week wait for delivery.)

Category #fail at Borders Penn Station #art

2010-08-02T14:15:00.002-04:00

I was at Borders picking up the latest Linux Pro because they have a feature on open source 3D printing, and my friends at MakerBot were featured. I also grabbed the latest Make magazine while I was there. While I was scanning the categories looking for the hacking/coding section, I couldn't help notice where Playboy and Penthouse ended up: Culture and Society! This isn't at some backwater 7-11. It's at Penn Station in New York City.

Neighborhood Barber cuts it right for $14 #art

2010-07-30T11:36:00.003-04:00

I've been going to Neighborhood Barber for years. Ben has consistently made me look good. They are also one of the least expensive ways to look better in NYC almost instantly at only $14 a cut. Afterwards, go to the Ukrainian Home for some kasha, latkes, or borsht to keep in the Soviet spirit.

George Washington watching over wall Street #art

2010-07-29T10:31:00.002-04:00

George is keeping an eye on the shenanigans of Wall Street from his perch across the street at Federal Hall. The park ranger behind him is also watching. This is where Washington took the oath to be our first President. Our first Congress and Supreme Court was in this building also.

They erased my old studio off the map! #art

2010-07-28T13:41:00.003-04:00

CUNY tore down my old studio and put up lots of I-beams. They've also put a Target, a Best Buy, and a Costco in that neighborhood. This is the way it goes for artists. Inhabit a forgotten neighborhood, enhance it and get summarily kicked out of it once the properties become more desirable.

This is me in my old studio photographed by Clark Whittington of Art-O-Mat on one of his sorties to New York City.

A bucket of chilled Rolling Rock in the summer! #art

2010-07-26T16:16:00.003-04:00

The flip-flops with painted toes say it all. A nice summer moment shared.

Cracker Invader Lands Near You #art

2010-07-23T20:18:00.002-04:00

Eat this alien before he eats you. 46 pixels of deliciousness. Anyone got cheez whiz?

Southern tip of New York City #art

2010-07-22T09:21:00.002-04:00

The Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

Las Vegas Cracker Family at Home #art

2010-07-21T10:54:00.002-04:00

Marty Walsh owns Trifecta Gallery, at the Arts District, in Las Vegas and she's also the artist for the portrait of the parents. Note the canvas parent crackers are Mom Saltine and Daddy Keebler. Baby Pewter looks just like her mother!

Name: James and Joy Lane
Serial: 3212
Location: Las Vegas Nevada

Trick Wolf

2010-07-20T09:37:00.003-04:00

Wolves have a storied past and an uncertain future. But one thing is certain - they can't get enough crackers.

John Deere Green

2010-07-19T21:11:00.004-04:00

Cracker tracker has had moose before. But somehow this moose is different - being both Canadian and an homage to John Deere. John Deere was a blacksmith who escaped creditors by moving to Illinois. The local cast iron plows were no match for the hard soil of the area - the plows were the same technology used since the Chinese first cast iron plows in 233 BC. The cracker is cast in pewter using a similar gravity casting technique.

Deere wanted to improve on the 2000-year-old process and remembered polishing and sharpening needles for a tailor when he was a kid, so he developed a polished, sharpened steel-bladed plow. It became "The Plow that Broke the Plains" perhaps directly responsible for the dust bowl that ravished the area within 100 years - agricultural reform only happened when the dust reached Washington during the Senate's agricultural reform debate.

Verrazano Narrows Art and Architecture Project #art

2010-07-16T15:34:00.004-04:00

Two crackers at Verrazano Narrows Bridge that connects two ~~burros~~ boroughs; Brooklyn and Staten Island.

William Seward - NY vs. AK

2010-07-14T10:33:00.007-04:00

William Seward was the 12th Governor of New York, a United States Senator and the United States Secretary of State. He is perhaps best known for purchasing Alaska from Russia - a move ridiculed by most until the gold and oil booms. It is unsurprising that this collector found statues of Seward in both states. The top picture with Seward reaching out for the cracker is from Madison Square Park in New York. It honors his work as a statesman and outspoken abolitionist.

She felt that the bottom Seward didn't deserve a cracker. This Seward tops a totem pole in Ketchikan, AK at the Saxman Native Village. This is a totem pole to shame Seward (red ears indicate the statue is of someone being shamed). His disgrace was based on being a guest at a potlatch and not returning the favor. (He received five boat loads of gifts including totem poles and canoes - that certainly deserves more than a thank you note).

Coney Island Wonder Wheel swings into action (Red & Blue Cars Only) #art

2010-07-13T12:25:00.008-04:00

One of our collectors took a trip to Coney Island and sent this great pic of the classic sign for the Wonder Wheel.

Arthropod cracker with a cracker and Old Bay #art

2010-07-12T17:10:00.005-04:00

Clemente's Crab Shack in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn.

Those are some tasty looking arthropods.

Sunset over Brooklyn #art @nycresistor

2010-07-09T13:47:00.004-04:00

Charles, Zach, and Dave had a lovely roof party on Independence Eve. Once the sun descended, there were early fireworks all around the horizon. Put that together with the smell of turkey burgers, cow patties, and weiners on the grill, and you've got a perfect Brooklyn night.

That's the Empire State poking up in the top right. I used to live 3 blocks away, so it was always like seeing my house on the horizon. I secretly wondered if I'd be the protagonist from Cat's Cradle living in the dystopian future lobby of the Umpire Snake Bldg if everything went kerflewy (in that sci-fi way).

Space Invaders land in Chelsea #art #graffiti

2010-07-08T12:44:00.003-04:00

Invader, the French graffiti artist has pasted up in Chelsea again. The sneakers belong to an older gentleman tourist who was a bit nervous about being in New York. He asked if the tile work lead to a buried treasure or something.

There are "invasion maps" of some of the tiles for different cities available on Invader's website. He's hit about 40 cities world wide.

Georges Méliès predicts Apollo 11 mission on death bed. #art

2010-07-07T15:39:00.005-04:00

Back in 1902, when we still thought the moon was made of gorgonzola, Georges Méliès made a Jules Verne novel into the first Sci-Fi Blockbuster, A Trip To The Moon. Someone in Chelsea liked the movie enough to make an homage on their front gate to the famous scene of the moon getting Apollo 11 in the eye.

I looked at the National Air and Space Museum when we were there last (for Obama's inauguration) and didn't see any cheese on display, so I guess that settles it. No cheese on the moon.

They have a dragon guarding their house . . . #POTUS

2010-07-06T15:09:00.002-04:00

. . . and all you've got is a lock on your front door.

This amazing sculpture was surrounded by iron spider webs on all the windows instead of the usual bars that make Manhattan ground floor apartments feel like jail cells.

Parachuting onto St. Patrick's roof #POTUS

2010-07-02T14:07:00.006-04:00

Hope the chute opens. Those spires look awfully spiky.

Looking east as we descend. That's the far end of St. Patrick's on Madison.

Not to worry. We had a comfortable landing on 51st street out of traffic.

Mini Statue of Taweret found on 81st street

2010-07-01T11:20:00.004-04:00

The giant 4 toed foot of the Egyptian goddess Taweret that featured prominently in the final season of Lost was discovered on 81st street near the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Met's Egyptian collection is amazing. I don't go often enough.

We just saw the Tutankhamun exhibit here in New York. Tut's at the Met too. . . And in Denver. Tut fever is spreading his collection around. It was touring back when we were kids, but hasn't been in New York for 30 years. I guess when you're immortal, 30 years isn't so long, but I'll bet Tut is going to have a hard time finding some of his old haunts.

Giant see-thru reclining woman in community garden #potus

2010-06-30T13:49:00.003-04:00

This wicker woman (not to be confused with the New England pronunciation of wicca woman) is nestled in a little alcove garden on 113th street in Harlem. The benches below seem to indicate that at some point foliage will cover the woman making her green and provide shade.

I'll try to revisit her in September. Hope she's in full bloom by then.

Hungry lion waits 'til I get just a little closer.

2010-06-29T09:09:00.003-04:00

Edward Clark Potter sculpted these two iconic lions for the New York Public Library's 42nd street branch. Their names are Leo Astor and Leo Lenox, Lady Astor and Lord Leonox, or Patience and Fortitude depending on the era in which you read about them. (Even though both lions are male, I'm sure Lady Astor would have taken it as a compliment.)

Supposedly, Potter is best known for equestrian sculptures, but our library is such a central part of our city that we only know him for his felidae sculputures.

We've got the Key To The City!

2010-06-28T13:20:00.004-04:00

Creative Time is sponsoring a public art project called Key To The City. Carrie (above) helped us fill out our ceremonial statements so that we could bestow keys upon each other.

Our first stop was Bryant Park, a great little oasis of green in midtown NYC. We found several key holders intermittently illuminating a park lamp.

The lock box was jam packed with notes and trinkets from fellow key holders.

Then it was on to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the last day of their participation in the Key To The City project. A stately gentleman presented us with the last remaining two passes to the museum inside a music box that played New York, New York. We offered our passes to the next key holder since we come to the museum regularly. Having done this, we became the second-to-last Key To The City visitors to the Met! Yay.

More Key To The City pictures to come.

Girl Survives Moose Attack Thanks to Cracker

2010-06-26T10:22:00.005-04:00

Moose attacks are big news this week as a boy from Norway uses valuable lessons learned from gaming to save his sister and himself from an angry moose. (Boy Survives Moose Attack Thanks To World Of Warcraft)

The boy has won the gratitude of children around the world who are still trying to counteract the negative parental effects of the Video Games Probably Make Kids Dumber Study. I can hear the pleading now: I may be dumber, but I will be able to save little Isabella from a moose (Isabella is the most popular name for girls in New York State in 2009, and the probable name of most little sisters).

Fear not POTUS fans, this collector tamed her moose with a pewter cracker.

If you don't have a pewter cracker on you (or aren't as cracked in the head as this collector), you can try these much more successful survival tactics helpfully provided by Glacier National Park - which will also tell you what wolves eat (does the list start with kids who play lots of World of Warcraft?)

Manolo Valdez cracker skirt

2010-06-25T16:44:00.002-04:00

At the 72nd street subway on Broadway, two Manolo Valdez sculptures stand guard at the entrance.

Strap on a cracker belt buckle and don't go 'round naked.

2010-06-24T11:29:00.007-04:00

I've just completed a saltine that you can have with you every day. It's the new cracker belt buckle designed for a 1 1/2 inch strap (it fits standard belt loops).

My Mother used to say that you might as well be naked if you go out in public without a belt. This was the thinking about hats before President "Hatless Jack" Kennedy's 1961 inauguration, or undershirts before Clark Gable killed the men's undershirt industry. Obviously, these appear to be false claims, but I'd rather be sure that you don't unknowingly go around naked.

Available in brass at POTUS31. Also available in silver and gold on request.

Walking Man: Don't Tread on Me.

2010-06-23T11:00:00.002-04:00

I love the Central Park walking/running/blading lane. Of course, it's shoulder to shoulder with the high-speed biking lane. The bikers are often faster than the cars (when cars are allowed in the park). I've actually seen police giving tickets to bikers. Look for the walking lane if you're new to New York and you'll be less likely to get run over by a Type A New Yorker.

Chupacabra Tacos grilled to perfection!

2010-06-22T09:43:00.004-04:00

These tacos were delicious! O.K., so they weren't chupacabra tacos, but they were from a place called Cascabel Taqueria where the decor is all about Mexican wrestling. Our favorite was the mother/daughter tag team, but there are so many to choose your own favorite from.

The corn (on the right) is slathered in butter and/or mayo to make the queso cheese stick then powdered with cumin and paprika. The guacamole is scrumptious and the portions and prices are just right even for folks on a budget. They're no more expensive than Chipotle (which is no longer owned by McDonald's), and they're fresh, new, different, and tasty. As for the decor, I've got to say that Mexican wrestlers are so much more soothing than plywood and aluminum decorations, so that's another reason to spend your pesos at Cascabel.

Don't expect to get a table on a hot summer night though. This tiny place is mad busy. Get your tacos to go.

Crazy Hat by Manolo Valdez at 96th Street

2010-06-21T18:30:00.002-04:00

I've been shooting these as I stumble across them on Broadway. They are a series of bronzes by Manolo Valdez. I posted the one at 104 and Broadway a few weeks ago. Each figure seems to have a bizarre hat. This is on the north side of the intersection of 96th Street and Broadway in NYC.

Alaskan bear eats a cracker

2010-06-18T12:02:00.002-04:00

Folks always love to play with the displays in museums and nature centers. I couldn't help myself with the shark at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, so I completely understand. This collector is no different. She's been sending great pix from her Alaskan trip. Thanks!

Falcon want a cracker?

Stupid Sock Creature has a human and a cracker

2010-06-17T14:06:00.002-04:00

These striped gloves come in a Stupid Sock Creature kit. There are several designs in the book for interesting and fun monsters that you sew yourself (or with your kids if they insist). This monster-to-be is being fed its first saltine. I always said the pewter crackers were like mother's milk.

Big Apple BBQ was smokin!

2010-06-16T10:55:00.006-04:00

Pig out at the Big Apple BBQ! What an amazing event. Can't wait 'til next year.

These ribs were really tasty. They made them just right. No sweet or spicy to hide the meat. The smoked pork flavor was front and center done right.

These guys do a whole hog that's delicious. They have 8 rental smokers with trailer hitches. Never thought of renting one before, but seems like something smart for a big gathering or event.
There was a palette of charcoal briquettes next to this. There were about 4 bags left on Sunday at 2PM. The guys next to them ran out of ribs with 4 hours left to go in the Big Apple BBQ. They sold everything they had expected to sell, I guess.

The surprise ribs came from Joe Duncan at Baker's Ribs in Dallas. I think the group was new to the event because they were off to the side, like a side show at the Big Top. I had a moment with their ribs sort of like when you're eating an ice cream cone and the world just fades into the background for a few minutes.

Pit Master and guest pose for a snap on the smoking rig.

Portlandia reaches for a saltine

2010-06-15T16:31:00.003-04:00

She must have a tin deficiency in her diet. As they say, you are what you eat. Since bronze is copper and tin . . . you get the point. She gets the cracker.

Thanks to our collector in Portland for this fun shot!

Denali shrunk to cracker size

2010-06-14T14:49:00.002-04:00

I'm told that behind the cracker is Denali, but since it's invisible, the cracker is a place-holder. The park hotel has, in addition to the wake-up call service, a you-can-see-the-mountain call service. Since Alaska is light most of the day and night as we approach the solstice, this service might wake you at 3:00 AM if the weather is clear.

Denali view: Day 1
Denali view: Day 2

Alaskan cracker on a glass-top train

2010-06-12T10:02:00.003-04:00

This glass-top train is in Alaska. Can't wait 'til they have these in New York subways so we can see the underbelly of the city. O.K. maybe they'd only be good on the elevated trains and not so good underground.

Needle Threading a Button and a cracker

2010-06-11T14:34:00.004-04:00

Next to the Garment Worker, there is a sculpture of a needle threading a button that could be mistaken by a panic stricken alien believer to be a crashed spacecraft that has been skewered by an equally giant stainless steel needle. This weapon would certainly be cheaper than a Tomahawk Cruise Missile at a price tag of $575,000 each but, of course, the button is not a spacecraft, and we don't need a Strategic Needle Intercontinental Protection Shield (SNIPS) to protect us from these if the Russians or Chinese develop them.

The Garment Worker sewing a cracker

2010-06-10T11:32:00.002-04:00

The Garment Worker by Judith Weller installed on 38th Street and 7th Avenue, New York City.

Weller's work immortalizes the working class in monumental bronze. It began as a maquette of her father, a taylor. This large scale depiction of a laborer based on that maquette was commissioned by the Ladies Garment Workers Union.

If he were to stand up on his base he'd be about 10 feet tall. It was installed in 1984, and is in good shape considering it is four blocks south of Times Square, and has a substantial amount of foot traffic around it every day.

Crabman statue looks remarkably like Frederick Douglass

2010-06-09T14:21:00.004-04:00

O.K. so it's not actually Darnell, played by Eddie Steeples, from My Name Is Earl, but it resembles him. This statue of Frederick Douglass has been under wraps for over two years. There's a long story about the disaster of this sculpture because no one fact-checked the folklore that it was based on before commissioning or installing it.

Excerpt from the New York Times:

It’s “a myth, bordering on a hoax,” said David Blight, a Yale University historian who has written a book about Douglass and edited his autobiography. “To permanently associate Douglass’s life with this story instead of great, real stories is unfortunate at best.”

Chrystler Building on a cracker

2010-06-08T11:35:00.002-04:00

I was walking somewhere I'd not been in a long time and saw the Chrystler Building lit and graphic looking. There's a ramp on either side of Grand Central that essentially allows folks to drive through the mezzanine level of the train station via Park Avenue. From the south side you get an impressive view of Hermes as you approach.

Its official name is the Park Avenue Viaduct. There are entry ways and columns that are regal and stately like the architecture at 60 Center street, but they aren't in use. Definitely a worthwhile walk if you're o.k. with maneuvering directly in traffic.

Herbert Hoover, meet Stephen Colbert

2010-06-07T16:29:00.002-04:00

I went to a B'nai Mitzvah Sunday for Emily Conley. I noticed that one Stephen Colbert was in attendance at Table 4 based on the name tents at the front door, but I had a little difficulty finding #4 among all the families of the 5 Mitzvah kids.

I wanted to introduce myself, also being named after a famous person. Unfortunately, by the time I found Table 4, and there was a chance to mingle, the table had dispersed.

I told one of the mothers of a Bat Mitzvahnt of my plan to introduce myself only to discover that the joke would have been on me. The kids had come up with folks, such as Stephen Colbert and Harry Potter whom they wished were in attendance at their B'nai Mitzvah.

Having heard this, I instantly wished I had made a more valliant effort to meet the non-existant guest so the kids could have a laugh about it.

F.A.O. Schwarz Sentry with cracker

2010-06-04T12:03:00.005-04:00

Right next to the Apple toy store on 5th Ave is this amazing toy store. It's been featured in several movies like Tom Hanks/Penny Marshall's Big where the characters dance on the giant piano. Really fun toy store with unique offerings.

I overheard a father telling is 7 year old son not to attack people with sharks because it's not nice.

The offending sharks:

Make it a stop on your trip if you visit the Big Apple.

Apple Toy Store Most Popular NYC Landmark

2010-06-03T12:27:00.003-04:00

According to the Cornell Report, the Apple store on 5 th A venue has surpassed The Statue of Liberty in popularity. Hey, that French chick had a pretty good run, but you don't have to take dramamine to visit Apple.

Alaskan Pipeline (not leaking)

2010-06-02T07:27:00.003-04:00

"Oil staying in pipe."

Sent by Stinky from Alaska.

Jaume Plensa letterhead

2010-06-01T09:10:00.003-04:00

Jaume Plensa sculpts huge heads and figures. This one is made of welded steel letters. It's in the lobby of the over-the-top Crosby Street Hotel. Swing by if you're in the neighborhood. Among the thought-provoking oddities in the hotel is a hanging lamp with ostrich eggs. They also have an amazing courtyard garden.

To listen to the audio tour in English, please dial 212-901-3310 & press 8.

2010-05-20T06:00:00.002-04:00

Manolo Valdés' Regina II bronze at 103rd & Broadway. You can probably call the tour phone number while you look at this picture if it tickles you. The other 15 bronzes are on view at 59th street, 63rd, 72nd, 79th, 96th, 137th, 148th, 157th, & 166th.

That number, again, is 212-901-3310 ex. 8. Operators are standing by to give you a tour.

Pan & Bear drinking fountain

2010-05-19T06:00:00.001-04:00

In Morningside Park at 114th street, there's a bronze statue of Pan hiding from a bear with a drinking fountain oddly annexed to the right (not shown). The work is sculpted by Edgar Walter and is named The Alfred Lincoln Seligman Fountain in memory of Mr. Seligman, a banker, who died in a head-on car crash. None of this is written on the bronze, however.

Carl Schurz Monument

2010-05-18T06:00:00.002-04:00

Looking over Moriningside Park from the top of the grand staircase, a bronze of Carl Schurz by sculptor Karl Bitter keeps a watchful eye on Columbia students who might stray east after dark. My grandmother warned me not to go east of this park or even to go into the park at all. Fortunately, times have changed and so has the park and its reputation.

Carl Schurz (1829-1906) was a German-born Civil War general, U.S. senator, and secretary of the Interior for President Rutherford Hayes. Unfortunately, he is best remembered today for a single line in a speech opposing American actions in the Spanish-American War:

I confidently trust that the American people will prove themselves … too wise not to detect the false pride or the dangerous ambitions, or the selfish schemes which so often hide themselves under that deceptive cry of mock patriotism: "Our country, right or wrong!" They will not fail to recognize that our dignity, our free institutions, and the peace and welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be secure only as we cling to the watchword of true patriotism: "Our country -- when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right."

One day I'm going to skate the Guggenheim!

2010-05-17T06:00:00.002-04:00

The Malevich gallery is a sweet sampling, though not a retrospective. I had three favorites in the Haunted show: Sally Mann's 3 photos based on negatives she found in the attic of her new home, Bernd and Hilla Becher's water towers, and Gillian Wearing's surprising self portrait at 3 years old.

Chef White grilling on 117th St

2010-05-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

This guy has two Webber charcoal grills going under a pop-up tent with burgers, crab cakes, hot sausages, and dogs all day at 117th and Fredrick Douglas. They're grilled to perfection. I'll be back for more soon.

...but I don't want any crackers.

2010-05-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

This altar enframement is in a doorway at the Metropolitan Museum. It's surprising with all the traffic that his nose isn't rubbed off.

Central Park shadowed by giant cracker

2010-05-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

O.k. Just kidding. This isn't V, but the clouds had just covered the tree tops and I thought it looked like my cracker was casting the shadow. The roof cafe at the Met has a great view of central park.

Starn Twins attract lightening

2010-05-13T06:00:00.001-04:00

While exploring Mike & Doug's installation on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, we discovered a lightening rod on the sculpture. Seems there are engineers working with the brothers on this gigantic bamboo wave.

The installation is ongoing. They are still building. I'll try to get a pic of the wave when it's complete.

Damien Hirst's shark ate my cracker!

2010-05-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

Take a bite out of art before it takes a bite of you!

Mary Ross Art-O-Mat cracker

2010-05-11T06:00:00.002-04:00

"Pewter magic from the Art-O-Mat in the Mary Ross! " from christrthousandmouths' Flickr photostream

Peter Coffin goat and cracker

2010-05-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

At City Hall, near the amazing fountain with working gas lanterns, Peter Coffin is on exhibit until the end of this month. I'm keeping his goat fed while it's here.

Happy Mother's Day mom. Me & cracker.

2010-05-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to everyone's mom, but especially to mine! This is our Conservatory Garden in full bloom. The crab apple blossoms have already come and gone, many of the irises are done, the dogwoods and magnolias are now a burst of green, but the tulips are having their run.

Mark di Suvero and Cracker

2010-05-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

I once worked on Wall Street, believe it or not. I was Dick Grasso's personal photographer. No kidding.

There are lots of great sculptures in the Financial District. Guys play backgammon and chess at lunch time under this Mark di Suvero sculpture.

Noguchi and cracker

2010-05-07T06:00:00.001-04:00

At Liberty and Broadway in the Financial district, there's a giant cube -- and now a giant matching cracker! (A very temporary installation)

Yoram Wolberger and Cracker

2010-05-06T06:00:00.002-04:00

The first Saturday of every month, Target picks up the tab for all of New York to visit the Brooklyn Museum. They have lots of live music, like a pop brass band and an 80s style synth band with live xylophone this month, and make it a huge event. They stay open to 11pm -- an extra 5 hours of art!

On the fifth floor, where all the young folks go, there was a Yoram Wolberger sculpture when we got off the elevator. He seemed to need a cracker.

NYC Resistor laser is great for cutting boxes!

2010-05-05T06:00:00.001-04:00

I learned how to use the lazer at NYC Resistor to cut boxes this past Saturday. I received a treat in December in a small pizza box, and thought it could work well as a bracelet package. So, I set out to make a 5" version of that box. Now I can cut them with the lazer in 1.25 minutes! That's a lot faster than me cutting them by hand in about 10 minutes each. (I made about 20 of these boxes for Christmas so you can see that 25 minutes vs 3 and a half hours is a big savings. The phone is for scale.

Arto Bones on the way

2010-05-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

Here I am signing the boxes for Art-O-Mat bones. Get yours at a machine near you! You can see some waxes of upcoming projects on my bench in the background.

Cupcake Cafe and cracker

2010-04-28T06:00:00.001-04:00

O.K. I've got to stop seeking cupcakes or I'll have to visit the cardiologist! Cupcake Cafe has a little counter inside Books of Wonder on 18th Street. I used to live near the 39th Street store and visit to get fresh made donuts on the weekend (Dounts? I know, what's the point?). They also used to make waffles at that location. Mmmm. We have the recipe from their book, but it was nice to walk two blocks over and have someone else make them for you. No dishes, no fuss, no egg white whipping, no batter folding. Just eating!

Try the maple cupcakes here. I've got a sweet tooth for them.

I can't imagine it ever happens, but even a Cake Wreck from Cupcake Cafe would still be lovely.

Tonnie's Cupcakes and cracker

2010-04-27T06:00:00.001-04:00

We've got the best cupcakes in NYC in our neighborhood. They are just delightful, and they're inexpensive too. Your cupcake tour is not complete without a visit to Tonnie's Cupcakes. From left to right we had the Sweet Potato Pie, the Cappuccino cupcake, and a Strawberry Vanilla cupcake. The little cup had an espresso to wash it all down.

Kiki, Tulips, & Cracker

2010-04-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

I was out on a Sunday afternoon and came across this amazing community garden on 90th Street between Columbus & Amsterdam. I met a clown who was taking self-portraits with the tulips so, as every New Yorker has done from time to time, I offered to take the picture for her. When I walk through Times Square I almost always find a tourist group who would have had one person missing in the photo if I hadn't volunteered.

It turns out that this clown is rather well known! I'm touched by fame having met Kiki. She does face painting and balloons for kids parties. She also does dress-up as the Prettiest Princess. She's been featured on Good Morning America. You can check out her site here: kikisfacesandballoons.vox.com

Dr. Crispy and Cracker

2010-04-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

My friend Chris Poultney (a.k.a. Dr Crispy) is officially a doctor now, although he's no Marcus Welby. He's much smarter than that. He doesn't just play a doctor on TV. Congrats on defending your dissertation!

Flaming Lips and Cracker at Vassar

2010-04-23T06:00:00.006-04:00

Flaming Lips released their cover of Dark Side of the Moon this past Saturday on vinyl. We were in Poughkeepsie to see them at a small intimate venue.

Wayne walked over the audience in a bubble to start the show.

They did all of their usuals like Yoshimi, The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song, Do You Realize??, along with a lot of chill-out psychedelic experimentation.

Before the show ushers passed out handfuls of laser pointers. Then, Wayne asked everyone to take them out and point them at him with the lights off. He held up a large mirror and shot the beams back at the audience through show smoke. It was a really amazing moment. I'd be surprised if Mr. Coyne isn't blind from all the beams in his face.

He then put on the giant hands with high power green laser beams in the palms. He swept them over the audience up to the enormous half disco ball where the beams scattered in every direction.

The Flaming Lips make great tunes, but their show is pure performance art.

New for Earth Day: Green (brown) Packaging

2010-04-22T06:00:00.003-04:00

To celebrate Earth Day 2010, POTUS31 redesigned all of our packaging with recycled paper that contains 30% post consumer content. Also, the brown box uses no bleach or paper whiteners/brighteners, lowering the accumulation of organochlorines in the environment. All boxes are printed and hand assembled in the USA (although sometimes New Yorkers like to think they live on an island off the coast of America). Complies with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) guidelines.

These boxes also vend from the familiar Art-O-Mat art vending machines (except for the fortune cookie which you can get here) so look for them at your Arto venue.

Rafi and Cracker

2010-04-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

If you're ever in New York in Hell's Kitchen or the Theater District before or after a show and are hungry, make your way to Ariana Afghan Kebab House on 53rd and 9th Ave. You will be greeted by either Wali or Rafi. Rafi will serenade you with a harmonium or jump rope for you to make you laugh. He is always entertaining and fun. Check out his video on YouTube if you don't believe me. {Rafi on YouTube} Oh yeah, I highly recommend the curried pumpkin, but everything is tasty there.

Moe at Create with Cracker

2010-04-15T06:00:00.003-04:00

This guy is amazing! Moe cooks for a non-profit called Create in a small brownstone kitchen in Manhattan and then goes home to cook for his family when the day is done. He often works on holidays too. I sometimes catch him on breaks between breakfast and lunch. This was a particularly nice day. The branch shadows you see on him and the steps are his shady spot to cool off in the summer when the leaves are back. Even at 90 degrees in the shade, it's cooler than his kitchen.

My UPS guy, Francisco, and Cracker

2010-04-14T13:59:00.003-04:00

This guy is the best when it comes to my deliveries. Always on top of things, and always smiling. Thanks Francisco!

Irish Soda Cracker

2010-03-17T15:54:00.002-04:00

St. Patrick's Day parade line-up in New York City. The noise from the bagpipes was incredible!

Ridiculously Inconsistent Trickle - serial# 3451

2010-01-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

This is "Cracker" by Herbert Hoover (no, not that one, this one: www.herbhoover.com). It's a pewter saltine cracker and this one is number 3451. This was my favorite because I like art (and food) that can be played with. What makes this so mush fun is there's a web site (www.crackertracker.net) where people have posted photos and stories of their crackers and their adventures. Stay tuned, I have a feeling ol' 3451 here will be making appearances there in the near future.

For more, visit Clark Brooks blog Ridiculously Inconsistent Trickle Of Consciousness.

David Finkle in Kalamazoo! - serial #3208

2010-01-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

My cracker was given to me by Herb Hoover himself!

Yes there really is a KALAMAZOO.

Travels With Eli: Steak and Crackers - serial #2775

2010-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

I think that this picture of Eli is pretty self-explanatory.

Liz Walker has created a blog for her cracker at Travels With Eli. Check out her cracker adventures.

Travels With Eli: Lion Cracker- serial #2775

2010-01-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Eli thought that the stone lions outside of Gasho were pretty cool & wanted to pose with them.

Liz Walker has created a blog for her cracker at Travels With Eli. Check out her cracker adventures.

Travels With Eli in Sleepy Town 2 - serial #2775

2010-01-07T06:00:00.001-05:00

Even though Eli & I are NY Mets fans, we can appreciate a baseball legend just as much as the next guy! Here we are, visiting with Babe Ruth, who's buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Valhalla, NY.

Liz Walker has created a blog for her cracker at Travels With Eli. Check out her cracker adventures.

Travels With Eli in Sleepy Town - serial #2775

2010-01-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

Eli is a lot like me . . . he likes to visit cemeteries and just wander around with me.

Liz Walker has created a blog for her cracker at Travels With Eli. Check out her cracker adventures.

Travels With Eli In Spanish and English - serial #2775

2010-01-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

Eli, my new pewter cracker, visiting some of his cousins at Shoprite in Thornwood, NY.

Liz Walker has created a blog for her cracker at Travels With Eli. Check out her cracker adventures.