Chapter 42.4: Back to Normal

There’s nothing comfortable about a wet butt. I was reminded of that messy lesson this morning when I carelessly sat in a puddle on the PATH train. Hopefully, that won’t be the metaphor of the day. After the train arrived in New York, I tried to act appropriately disconnected to the world as I walked up the stairs to 6th Avenue. No one tapped me on the shoulder to say, “Hey mister, your ass is wet.” And for that I’m thankful, though I never would deign to say something similar to another person in the same circumstances. There but for the grace of God …

My point in discussing that embarrassing moment is to say that New York is back to being New York. The busses and trains are back at work; as far as the strike is concerned, it’s all over but for the signing and the recriminations against leadership. My walk over the final couple of blocks included few belching busses, an abundance of taxis, and a carpenter’s union picketing a job site on 15th Street. They’ve been there as long as I’ve been working in New York, and now that the MTA strike is over, I’m starting to wonder what their point is. All part of life in the big city, I suppose.

Valkyrie Profile redux

A port of the PSOne Valkyrie Profile heading to PSP and the sequel is in development for PS2, both are Japan only for now.


I really love the art in the game and have the original PlayStation game and this awesome two volume art and game guide book. Never got around to play it though, so I might hold out for the PSP. There will probably be something extra in it, plus it should look way sharper on the portable screen.

I’m hoping to get to a backlog of Costume posts I have on my desktop over the holiday break. I got a lot of mail asking about other good costume books, so look for more on that too.

Chapter 42.1: MTA Strike, Day 2

I can feel it. People are already getting pissed. Feeling pressured. The strike has moved into its second full day, and the NJ trains are fuller than they were the day before, when they were already up about 10 percent. People stood in the aisle today on a train that left a little its station a little after 7 am -- not yet the busiest train. The PATH train was even busier, and for the first time I saw people walking down the PATH stairs at 14th Street -- New Yorkers who didn’t want to brave the cold to walk the 20 blocks up to 34th Street (or were they looking for 23rd?)

With Christmas bearing down upon us, I think any sympathy toward the workers will be gone by tomorrow. The strike will need to break today. The days of guaranteed pensions are behind us, unfortunately, and with the demise of Medicaid and Medicare not too far off in the future, we may find ourselves fighting more for the poor and destitute who didn’t know or weren’t able to save for the future. I’m not saying this strike will cause the destruction of the American retirement system. I’m saying it may expose other problems.