Sunday Times: "Objects in refection are closer than they appear to be"

"weather is like the lover's infidelity once occurring sunshine becomes the surprise; owed, overdue, otherwise always disappointing. it's past barely relevant except it's fall."*

A sudden drop in temperatures aside it's not really as bad outside as everyone I know has been talking about, granted to agree you probably have to imagine a cataclysmic child eating blizzard.

"Objects of affection in refection are closer than they appear to be"

Context is everything always. Yes? Take this article from today's Sunday New York Times, "When Love is a Schelp" about the long distances lovers in NYC tend to commute just to exchange one bump and grind for another. With it's title attempting to brand this experience in broad New York terms, (using "schlep" to describe the journey's ordeal) the Times does it's best to make an experience that has been occurring for decades seem brand new.

subway barriers

I guess credit could be given when the times makes the distinction that they aren't referring to many long-term new yorkers by stating that the lovers in a earlier era would have probably lived in clustered Manhattan neighborhoods. Reminds me of something a famous NY musician once reminded me, "the New York Times has no idea and no interest in what happens outside the boroughs." I argued that statement to be false, citing major events that get covered outside of Manhattan, and the musician said, "MAJOR events yes, a rape, a plane crash. but otherwise no." It seems the New York Times cares now although sometimes that news coverage outside Manhattan is not so actually new.

"From Russia to far with love?"

An actually newer occurrence that drives me and apparently others is the human barricades many people have decided to become with the help of their cell phones. I've noticed many people who take a phone call in the city streets as a entitlement to become an island of immobility on our otherwise mobile isle, much to my disgust. We all know forward speedy movement is the way on city streets. Not for the life of me can I figure out why in the middle of the typical full on street stampede, cell phone users take "hello" to mean "freeze". In a piece I do like, the online sunday times has this from the city room "Complaint Box | Immobile on the Phone"

The piece details the writer's encounter with the cell phone users who violate our expectations of motion by standing at the top and blocking subway entrances (the worse). Maybe they're trying to talk their way out of a lover's schlep.

(*source of the musing at the top is me. © no uncredited biting.)