Jaws had a fun Christmas, too

We weren't the only ones to have a Merry Christmas - so did our little buddy, Jaws. Above, he plays with the toy that my Dad and Kathy got him. He's also enjoying the catnip that Ralph and Kathy got him.

I still don't understand him, but really, no one does, 'cause he's a cat. But, we love him.

My New Year's Resolutions

Okay, for the first time ever, I'm actually making a list and writing it down. This isn't a joke - I'm really going to try to accomplish all of these things this year, or at the very least, work toward accomplishing them.

These are in no particular order - just as I remembered them as I was typing. But, I have put some thought into them, believe me. I want 2007 to the best ever personally for my personal and professional development. So, here they are, in no particular order (at least the ones I want to share publicly)...

☼ Get started on writing a book.

☼ Begin learning Spanish! It's not going to happen in one year, but I want to get started on it this year.

☼ Lose at least 25 pounds, through proper diet and exercise.

☼ Launch http://www.russellcorby.com/ (and also http://www.rjcorby.com/) as my photography Website. I've already bought both domain names - now I just need to get a professional, comprehensive Website built. It won't happen overnight, but I won't launch it until it's professional and ready to go exactly as I want it.

☼ Take more pictures and get very serious about photography. I have the exact equipment I've always dreamed of - now it's time to get very serious about using it all. And I fully intend to.

☼ Related to the resolution immediately above is to always have a camera with me, or as often as possible. Now that I have a very good point and shoot digital, there's no reason to not have a camera within arm's reach, or at least as much as possible. I've always been skittish about taking my "big" camera with me in places, but I don't have to feel that way any longer.

☼ Read at least 25 books. It's a bit ambitious, but I JUST reached double digits this year, and that's inexcusable. God only knows I have so many books that I know own that I want to read - the challenge is just finding the time. And of course, it goes without saying - I'll review all that I read on here.

☼ Regularly keep up with my blog. This shouldn't be a problem, but I don't want to go days and days without posting something. I'm constantly thinking of things to write, but sometimes by the time I get around to writing it, it's no longer timely. So, I have to get better at it.

☼ This one shouldn't be this far down the list, but like I said, these are in no particular order - don't swear so much, and that includes on my blog. Two people I admire and respect very much (and you know who you are - "R" & "R") have correctly pointed out to me that now that I'm an academic (actually, I've been one for years, really, since my master's degree), there's no need for the F-Bombs and such. I rarely consciously or intentionally do it - it's just part of who I am. On occasion I use profanity to emphasize a point, but more often than not, it's just my passion for a subject manifesting itself in an undesirable way. So, I need to work on it, and it sez here I'm going to, and I'm aware that it can and often does distract from the message.

☼ Try to successfully convince someone very close to me that he really ought to write a book. He knows who he is - he really has a remarkable story to tell. I'd just like to help him tell it, in a very small way. That is, if he would let me - he certainly wouldn't need my help if he wanted to do it.

☼ When I say to myself that I'd like to write a letter about something that's made me happy, unhappy or otherwise, write it! I talk about letters I want to write too much and actually write them too little. So, I need to work on it, and I will, starting next week.

☼ Take time to smell the roses just a bit more. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my life, I quickly forget how fortunate and lucky I am and that I lead one fantastic life that I wouldn't trade with anyone. And those words are as true now as they've ever been.

☼ Less caffeine and Red Bull, and more sleep! I know that's easier said than done, but I do need to work on this. Having a killer commute won't help, but it's a worthy goal to at least try to cut down on this stuff, because none of it is good for you.

☼ Remember birthdays, anniversaries, etc. of people related and close to me... and remember them on time! I've slipped in recent years, but I suppose related to that would be using my underused Palm

☼ Try to understand our cat more. Yea, right. He just doesn't understand ME. I have a great deal of affection for him, but cats just don't dig affection so much. I guess I'm a dog person at heart, but we won't be getting dogs until we move - a dog in the city is usually an unhappy dog, in my mind.

Happy New Year, everyone - I hope you all have a safe, wonderful, fulfilling and prosperous 2007.

Trans fat ban - more big brother?

Mandatory seat belt use I understand. Mandating motorcycle helmets I'm okay with. But, now cities are banning trans fats? This is the kind of stuff that typifies what is wrong with our government today. Steroids in baseball, what type of fat onion rings are fried in, flag burning, gay marriage, etc. You get the idea. We have worldwide terrorism, American soldiers dying in Iraq, tens of millions of Americans without health care, and THIS is what our government is spending its time on?!?

Okay, on gay marriage I'm crystal clear - put it to a vote and give gays the same rights heterosexuals have, period. But, with the likes of Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Ann Coulter, Bill O'Lielly and Rush Limbaugh peddling their bullshit, it's unlikely that will ever happen.

But, I hope you get my point. Focusing on this b.s. is not bettering the lives of Americans, and every single American deserves better.

New York City recently announced a trans fat ban for all of its restaurants that will take effect next year, and Philadelphia is also getting on board with a ban of its own.

I don't know too much about trans fats, and I won't pretend to, but this is getting ridiculous. Next the government is going to tell me I can't drink soda in public, or eat a chocolate bar, or have a Krispy Kreme.

How far is too far? It's a slippery slope, but it's got to stop somewhere.

Yes, I know trans fats are bad, but so are most of the other things I just mentioned above, and the government isn't banning them. Alcohol kills millions every year, but the government hasn't banned that (nor should it).

This new ban has me wondering when a line in the sand will be drawn. By all appearances, it won't be anytime soon. And that's a pity.

Land of the free? Humph. More like home of the sheep. And the shepherds are preoccupied with trivial, irrelevant bullshit.

Saddam swings, Iraq sings

So, Saddam now has flames licking at his ass. And there isn't a wet eye in the Western Hemisphere about it, and probably not in the Eastern Hemisphere, either. This is not in doubt.

Above, Saddam tries on a large hemp necklace on his way to meet Adolf Hitler...

... and the aftermath (above) - Saddam suffers from one wicked hangover. Personally, I think we could have done better. ...

Yea, this would have been a righteous and funny way to send Saddam on his way, but then again, Dick is such a poor shot, he probably couldn't have done the job anyway.

I don't mean to sound like a typical bloodthirsty American. In fact, in a minute I'll get to how I find a lot of American bloodlust very distasteful and disgraceful, but first, more pictures. These are powerful images, and I'm not posting them to glorify Hussein's execution, but these pics are part of history, part of history for this absurd war.

Most Iraqis seem to be celebrating Saddam's demise, but then again, I don't trust what the American media shows us. There's lots of distortion and people with agendas who publish pictures like the one above. Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt that many Iraqis are quite happy that Hussein is dead. ...

...Like these people, who hanged Saddam in effigy in Baghdad.

However, when you consider what Iraqis are now suffering through, it's not like they are living in paradise. Instead of Hussein slaughtering people, now terrorists are doing the same thing because of America's occupation of Iraq. And YES, it IS an occupation.

Honestly, though, I'm surprised that our bloodthirsty government didn't air the execution on pay per view. And if you think that's ridiculous, you sure as hell haven't been paying attention since this war began. Only a government like ours could come up with fucking playing cards to promote all of the terrorists it wants dead. And we wonder why people around the world hate us.

I don't mean to sound so sarcastic (wait, yes I do), but it's hard not to be cynical about the publicity surrounding Hussein's execution. This administration has tried to manipulate the media to its benefit at every single turn before and during this war. Let's take a stroll down memory lane, shall we?

Anyone remember the "spontaneous" toppling of the Hussein statue in Baghdad? This has been written about at length, but it was anything but spontaneous. It was a goddamn PR sham. If you watched it as much as I did on TV (and it was impossible to avoid the coverage, if you had your TV on at all - I think QVC even broke into programming), you realized the whole spectacle was blatant pseudo-spontaneity. Remember the American Marine climbing a ladder and putting an American flag over Hussein's face, only to be replaced by an Iraqi flag a few minutes later? Ooops.

I love the fact that this picture exists, and I'm sure it irks the shit out of Rumsfeld, Bush and the rest of this administration. It's from 1983, when Rumsfeld flew to Baghdad to meet with Hussein. The historical record reflects that as long as Hussein was OUR dictator, we turned a blind eye on what he was doing, and that included when he was slaughtering thousands and thousands of his own people.

In the 1980s, when Iraq was fighting Iran, we sold Hussein millions in U.S. weaponry, including poison gas, which he used on his own people and Iranians in the Iran/Iraq War from 1980-1988. Of course, these gassings were used as one of the many justifications for going to war in 2003.

And many conveniently forget that Hussein gassed hundreds of thousands of Kurds following the 1991 Gulf War, and we did NOTHING. Yes, you read that right - NOTHING. And that was after the CIA promised the Kurds that we would intercede on their behalf if they raised up against Saddam. But again, the current Bush administration used 15-20 year old atrocities that we did nothing about at the time as a reason to go to war in 2003. And soooo many Republicans I know bought into the Bush administration's PR spin machine.

Ahh, forget about all of this crap. Just one question - anyone remember Osama bin Laden? Oh, I forgot - Bush is keeping us safer by spending billions of dollars and hundreds of our young in Iraq.

Three of the most incompetent people ever to hold public office after the announcement of Saddam's hanging (above). Bush announced today that Hussein's execution "would not bring an end to the violence" in Iraq. Thanks, genius. You're just full of wisdom, aren't you, Mr. President? Oh, and someone tell Dick the dick that you don't close both buttons on a two-button jacket.

I wouldn't trust these three to organize a class reunion. Only 674 days to go until the 2008 election. It can't get here quickly enough.

John Edwards jumps in

John Edwards has thrown his hat into the ring. I don't see Edwards' running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 as anything but a good thing.

I think he's probably a long shot to win the nomination, but he's got youth, charm, charisma and some campaign experience in his corner. Plus, he's not constrained by having Senatorial responsibilities while simultaneously running a campaign.

But, not being in the Senate also makes it tougher for him, too. He doesn't really have a platform to speak from, other than the fact that he's running for president. So what helps him also hurts him.

And, like Barack Obama, he also does not have very much experience, which hurts his presidential credentials.

However, I'm certainly willing to consider Edwards, learn more about him and to keep an open mind about his candidacy in '08. It was probably smart of him to announce now before the new year, when all of the party heavyweights will be announcing, notably Hillary Clinton and Obama.

The field continues to get more and more interesting, and crowded. Next month will be the cattle call though, on both sides of the aisle. There's no doubt that '07 will be a fun year (for me, at least) to follow politics.

Mike Tyson - boxing's latest Greek tragedy

Mike Tyson has been arrested and charged with felony cocaine possession in Phoenix, Arizona. At this point, can anyone be surprised by anything when it comes to Tyson?

Officers found two bags of a white substance in his back pocket, and let's just say they weren't Domino Confectioners Sugar.

"He said he was an addict and had a problem," said a police statement filed in Maricopa County Superior Court. "He admitted possessing the bags of cocaine, and said he uses it anytime he can get his hands on it."

The former king of the ring was arrested early Friday morning, after nearly ramming a police SUV, on suspicion of DUI after he left a Scottsdale nightclub. According to the report, an officer saw Tyson trying to wipe a white powder off the console of his BMW as he approached.

It looks like Iron Mike is headed back to prison, and few could argue that's where he belongs. He truly is an animal who should be locked up. From rape, to biting off the ear of Evander Holyfield to drug possession, it's puzzling to me why he's still walking the streets in the first place.

It's just another sad example of celebrities receiving special treatment in our judicial system. If John or Joan Q. Public had committed even one of these serious crimes, he or she would be behind bars for years if not decades, and deservedly so.

However, Tyson continues to evade justice. Maybe this time he will get what he should have years ago. He may be unable to pronounce a long sentence, but I sure hope a judge gives him one.

Ahhh, I finally have my own copy!

Another favorite gift I received this Christmas is An Inconvenient Truth on DVD from Chris and Davis, Vandra's aunt and uncle. I love it! We wasted no time watching it - last night I watched it with Kathy, my mother in law. It's still as powerful now was it was the first time I saw it.

Since I've already reviewed the movie, I won't elaborate on my thoughts now, but if you'd like to read my original review, click here.

One quick footnote to the movie though. The oil and gas lobby isn't taking this stinging indictment of their black gold sitting down. Check out this parody of Al Gore and the movie...



The Wall Street Journal, after investigating this piece that appears on YouTube, discovered some interesting stuff about this humorless piece. The video was claimed to have been the work of an amateur production by a 29-year old in Beverly Hills, California. But, the WSJ, which determined that "computer routing information" showed that those replies came from "a computer registered to DCI Group", a public relations and lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., led exclusively by Republican party officials. DCI has counted corporations such as General Motors and ExxonMobil amongst its clients.

Surprised?

Yea, me neither.

A wonderful Christmas

Vandra and I truly had a wonderful Christmas. Her parents, my in-laws, Kathy & Ralph, flew in on December 23, but they got in late - around 12:30 a.m.

On Christmas Eve, we drove to the Poconos to see my family, and it was great. Kathy & Ralph got to meet my extended family, and all of my nieces and nephews. It was a memorable Christmas for all the right reasons. This holiday season, my first as a husband and son-in-law, made me realize how truly blessed I am, and how blessed we are as a married couple.

Togetherness and family are easily the most important things to me during the holiday season, and we were certainly fortunate this Christmas. We were also fortunate with the generosity of our parents and families.

My dad and step mom got me a Sirius Stiletto - a portable Sirius satellite radio. Man, I've been coveting one of these babies since this past summer, when they were announced. I certainly didn't think I was going to get one, and I was so thrilled when I did. I have it hooked up and configured, but this week has been so busy, I haven't had much time to toy with it yet, but I sure will get around to it this weekend and early next week.

I got lots of great goodies from Vandra, including some Edmonton Oilers stuff for my car, and an awesome Miami Heat hoodie. Geeze, I could type all day about the thoughtful, great gifts that everyone gave me.

My in-laws gave me a very generous Best Buy gift card, and combined with a few other ones that I got, including ones from Vandra and my mom, I headed off to Best Buy the day after Christmas. Boy, did I make out like a bandit.

I've been coveting a point-and-shoot digital camera for a while now, because I just don't want to haul my baby, my Canon EOS 5D, out with us when we go to a bar or just to a friend's house for a gathering. It's a bit cumbersome, and too valuable to drop on the floor or worse just to get shots of a few candids. A point-and-shoot would fit the bill just fine, and besides, unlike my first two Canon digital SLRs, the EOS 10D and 20D, my new 5D doesn't have a pop-up flash, furthering my need for a point and shoot.

So, off to Best Buy I journeyed, and I came home with what I think is a whale of a camera for the money. A HP Photosmart R967 camera - 10 megapixels, a 3" LCD screen on the back and loads of features. I didn't intend on buying one with that many features, but the price was more than reasonable. I can't get over how much the megapixels are increasing, while prices on cameras are simultaneously decreasing. The good news on that is that the consumer is the winner.

When I've had time to take lots of pictures, I'll bring you my thoughts on the camera. Come to think of it, I haven't done any reviews on my EOS 5D, either. I'll get to those later in January when I've had even more time to use all of my equipment that I bought this fall.

I'll talk about another one of my favorite gifts in another post that I'll put up shortly.

I'm so fortunate to have such wonderful, loving, generous family and friends, and for that I'm ore thankful than any gift I received this Christmas.

Ford's legacy will endure

Tuesday marked the passing of one of our most underrated presidents, Gerald R. Ford. Of all of the mid-to-late 20th century presidents, he gets talked about the least, but he deserves a great deal of credit for his stewardship following President Richard Nixon's downfall and resignation.

I post the photo above because when people pass away, I prefer to remember and commemorate them as they looked during their younger days, not how they looked just prior to death.

Many call Ford our "accidental president," not out of malice, but because he really did not want, nor did he seek the presidency.

His ascension to the Oval Office is without parallel. On October 10, 1973, President Nixon's first vice president, Spiro Agnew, resigned in disgrace amid charges of income tax evasion. Ford was nominated to take Agnew's place on October 12, and he took the oath of office for vice president on December 12, 1973 upon his confirmation by the House. It received scant attention by the media, as the political firestorm continued to envelop Nixon's presidency.

Ford barely had time to make the seat warm in the vice president's chair before he was summoned again, this time by White House Chief of Staff Alexander M. Haig on August 1, 1974, to let him know that a "smoking gun" had been found on the Nixon tapes, implicating the president in criminal wrongdoing. Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, and at noon, Ford took the oath of office. ...

However, upon taking the oath of office, President Ford made the biggest of all political blunders - pardoning President Nixon. It's a debate that will probably rage for decades, if not centuries in American political discourse. Should Ford have pardoned Nixon, or should have Nixon suffered the consequences for his administration's criminal behavior?

Ultimately, I understand why Ford pardoned Nixon. America needed to get moving again. Watergate had enveloped the nation for over two years and paralyzed its foreign policy. I've changed my stance over the years on Ford's decision to pardon Nixon. Up until a few years ago, I thought it was criminal of Ford to let Nixon skate; the American people deserved answers, I used to haughtily intone.

Well, I still feel that way - a trial would have paralyzed the nation, and probably almost certainly would have killed Nixon, and by that I mean physically. Some close to the former president at the time following his resignation even felt that Nixon might have committed suicide.

But, I strongly feel that Ford pardoned Nixon too soon. Without even being formally charged, Nixon was exonerated of all charges. The American people deserved better. Yes, I realize I didn't "live" in those times, so I'm only going on what I've read. I was born in 1971, so I was alive, but at three years old, I remember nothing of those events.

In my view, Ford should have at least let the charges come out against Nixon. Americans at least deserved to learn of Nixon and his administration's criminal misconduct before the entire mess was swept under the rug with a pardon. (Above, Ford signs the pardon on the Oval Office on September 8, 1974)

The pardon set off another political firestorm in America, and this even touched his own administration. Ford's first press secretary, Jerry terHorst, resigned in protest the next day. More importantly, it severely hurt Ford's credibility as the new president. Many still believe that a deal had been struck between Ford and Nixon; in return for Nixon's resignation, Ford would grant him a pardon.

Prior to Nixon's resignation, Haig had indeed offered Ford a deal, but most historians agree that Ford pardoned Nixon on his own.

In the end, though, I think the pardon, irrespective of its timing, was the right thing to do, even though it certainly cost him the election in 1976. Had he not pardoned Nixon, Ford would have beaten Jimmy Carter and remained president. (The election was very close, so no pardon could have made a world of difference.)

Several former leaders also gained experience in the Ford Administration. Future President George H.W. Bush (above, left) meets with President Ford after being appointed Director of the CIA.

A Ford between two Edsels. President Ford (center) talks with Donald Rumsfeld (left) and Dick Cheney (right) in the Oval Office in 1975.

Here's one that a president got right - Gerald Ford tears up in the East Room of the White House while listening to President Clinton's remarks while receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999. It was certainly a better decision than Bush's awarding the Medal of Freedom to the likes of George Tenet, who oversaw one of the biggest intelligence failures in U.S. history. Bush threw him under the bus in the wake of the WMD intel failure, Tenet resigned, and Bush gave him the MOF. I wonder how long it will be until Rumsfeld gets his? But, I digress.

Ford also had his dangerous detractors. On September 5, 1975, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme tried to shoot Ford, and she may have succeeded, but she forgot to chamber a round into the firing chamber of her .45 before pulling the trigger.

Fromme (above) is currently serving a life sentence.

Just 17 days later, Sara Jane Moore (Below) managed to get off a shot toward Ford in San Francisco, but the shot was deflected. (Above, Ford approaches his limo as Moore fires)

After losing the '76 election, Ford kept probably the lowest profile of any recent former president. He occasionally made an appearance or went out for a round of golf, but he didn't make headlines in the vein of Clinton or his successor, Jimmy Carter.

He did do one thing that all other ex-presidents to date haven't managed to do, and that's live 93 years plus. He became the longest living president last month, besting Ronald Reagan by a little over a month.

Ford was a good and decent man who healed our nation in the aftermath of a real constitutional crisis, and that will be his greatest legacy.

God bless, and rest in peace, Mr. President.

A special holiday box

A friend sent this to me, and I laughed for about 20 minutes. Yes, a little bit ribald, but funny nevertheless. The best part is that it takes a swipe at Boy Bands, which annoy me even more than Celine Dion's lame-assed attempts at covering hard rock songs.

This appeared on Saturday Night Live, but in a cleaned up version.

Take a listen, and pass it on. Because you want to.

Worst song parody EVER

Take a look at this disaster. I'm almost sorry that I'm even posting it. Almost. But, it's too freakin' awful not to share.

It's Celine Dion and Anastacia singing AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long.

I've never been a Dion fan, but the depths of depravity this "effort" sinks to left me breathless with laughter. This qualifies as sound pollution and hate speech, all rolled into one.

I haven't heard a song cover this bad since Sheryl Crow's awful attempt at singing Led Zepplin's D'yer Mak'er. I remember Crow trying to explain that noise as her salute to the band because she was a fan. Note to Crow and Dion - just because you're a fan doesn't mean you have to push this garbage on anyone else. I'm an avid Dave Matthews fan, but that doesn't mean I'm doing song covers of #41 and Ants Marching.

Yikes.

Great hockey fan pic

REUTERS/Shaun Best (CANADA)

I found a few cool year-end pictures on the 'Net, and here's one of them - a hockey fan who knows how to get ready for a hockey game. This is hockey fan Clinton Pazbzierski of Vancouver, cheering before the start of the gold medal game between Canada and Russia at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia, this past January. Awesome!

Some pix for NYC

Phew! What a few weeks it's been. This is the longest I've gone without posting since I began blogging very early this year. I guess I didn't anticipate how busy my first Christmas would be as a married man. More on my Christmas in a bit - I wanna catch up on some posts first.

A few weekends ago, we got a chance to visit New York City while it was all decked out for Christmas. It was my first time in the city in December, and it was awesome. Here are a few pictures of our trip. ...

Not long after arriving in the city, we enjoyed a great meal at Carmine's, one block off of Broadway. Awesome Italian food!

Bonus - Carmine's uses energy-saving bulbs. Yes, I know, me and Al Gore and other assorted environmental dorks are the people who notice this stuff.

Next, we checked into the Marriott Marquis, and this was the view from our room, overlooking Times Square.

Another view.

And one more - this is my favorite snap of our view from our room. The Marriott Marquis is one fantastic place to stay, and an expensive one. Thank God for hotel points.

We laughed when we rean across this Pimped Out Sleigh in an MTV storefront.

This is a view of Radio City Music Hall from a few blocks away.

A street vendor near Radio City Music Hall.

Next we headed to Central Park for a skate on the rink. It was packed! I'd never seen so many people on a skating rink at one time. We had fun, but the rental skates were anything but optimal.

Our friend Robin and Vandra at the rink.

The lighting wasn't too friendly, or plentiful, so I decided to get creative with some shots. Panning is one of my favorite techniques. These aren't great, but they turned out okay. Here's another one...

These don't always turn out great, but it's fun experimenting with panning. It's a cool effect, and it eliminates camera shake in low light, because you're moving the camera.

Another one of my favorite techniques - zooming while taking the picture. I actually really like this picture of Vandra.

One final pic before we head to the Rock to see the tree.

On the way, I decided to have some fun with the camera. I did a drag shutter on purpose.

And...
Pow! Just havin' some fun.

This is the front of Sak's at night. It was pretty cool; every 1/2 hour (I think), the lights go out, and then they light up to the lyrics of Carol of the Bells.

The tree at the Rock. It was awesome! A sea of people, but it was worth fighting the crowd. We didn't skate there - the rink is small, and it was cleared out anyway while we were there because two guys had just proposed to their girlfriends.

One more view of the tree, but vertical. I like this one. There's distortion because I took the shot at 24mm, and when you do that, the lines bend on the edges of an image. Sometimes this distortion is desireable; and I think it works for this shot.We saw this guy on the way back to our hotel. It was the third night of Hanukkah. A menorah on wheels - cool! He was nice - I walked up and asked him if I could take his picture, he said sure, and asked if I was Jewish. I said no, but he smiled and offered me some literature. Cool guy, cool car.

A few more sights before we called it a night...

St. Patrick's Cathedral at night. I almost fell about 10 feet on my ass trying to get this shot. I climbed a statue across the street, trying to be the big-time photographer, and I almost crashed to the ground. Thank God I managed to keep my balance, jumping to the ground, all while not dropping my camera. Anyway, lesson learned.

This was the best shot of the bunch. It's a gorgeous building, and it looks best at night.

The window displays were the best - I can't imagine how much work and planning went into designing and building all of them.

Another cool storefront - decked out for Christmas.

Those belts are lights!

I got this shot shortly before we left on Sunday afternoon. Only in New York.