SfanGoch

My mistake about the Taurus. It just went together so well, it seemed like a snap kit. The Revell Impala SS is indeed a snap kit. I still have two unbuilt kits and the box sez:

As they say in the commercials, "But wait!" Ever wonder what all those 20' shipping containers are good for besides shipping stuff in?

New approach, huh? A little slow on the draw with that revelation. Kids have been playing with models for years. The Revell 1994 Impala SS is a nice kit. It has an opening hood and full engine detail. Ditto with the AMT Ford Taurus SHO.

On the other side of the kern, there's this: Williamsburg Dumpster Seeks $1,200/Month—Yes, Really

Metal Powders - For Real Metal Cold Castings

I read about that somewhere.

If I didn't see or hear it before today, it's news to me. Did you forget that you already replied? That is SO one minute ago.

Garry Shandling Dies at 66

This is along the same lines as the "There is a problem with your _______ account" emails. The scammers send emails with the name of genuine banking institutions included in the subject and sender's address. If you hover the pointer over the sender's name, you will see the name of the bank. Upon closer scrutiny, you will also see extra items, such as odd additions pointing to a bogus address. The scammer will indicate that there have been unusual transactions associated with your account and request that you verify your account information by sending your account number and login info for the purpose of conducting a security review. Yeah. right. Most of the emails are written in pidgin Engrish, which should be a dead giveaway to anyone not in a coma.

Love my Deutsche Neue Welle. Falco was just plain cool.

One of my favorite bands is New Order, going back to their days as Joy Division. I was home on leave in November 1981 and saw them at the Ukrainian National Home, on the Lower East Side. This Youtube video is from the Nov. 18 show my friends and I attended. After the show, we hand the pleasure of hanging out with the band at Lys Mykyta, the bar in the place. It's always good to be friends with the owners who let us in.

Unless I choose to upload an existing image from my computer which is pertinent to a question I might have, it's a PITA. If I choose "Insert image from URL", I feel like I'm staring at a pair of X-Ray Spex watching that upload doodad spinning endlessly. Plus, in order to post an image from my computer, I have to download it first, adding to my agita.

I liked XTC up to "Black Sea". I wasn't crazy about their sound from "English settlement" onward.

I have fond memories of getting run out of Hammacher-Schlemmer in my youth. "Window shopping by little creeps like you doesn't pay my salary" is what the weaselly sales clerk with the hole in his hair told me and my friends on numerous occasions.

I'll wager that your wife did an online recon of Midtown and mapped out the locations of Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale's, Salvatore Ferragamo and Cartier. If you do take the Statue of Liberty tour, avoid the skels who will surround you and offer to sell you tickets. These greaseballs are peddling counterfeit tickets and are in no way associated with any tour office. Check out Statue Cruises for tour options and ticket prices. Since you'll be in Manhattan, choose "Departure from New York". after the tour, you could walk over to the South Street Seaport, on Fulton and Water Streets or walk to Chinatown and Little Italy for some great food. If you like Italian, let me recommend Grotta Azzurra, located at the intersection of Mulberry and Broome Streets. If you will be staying in or near Time Square, you can take the 1 Train from Time Square to South Ferry in order to get to the pier. You'll be in Battery Park once you exit the subway station. If you have the time, visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, by Central Park, and the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum at Pier 86, W. 46th St. and 12th Ave. It's a short walk from Times Square. PM me if you have any questions about some other places and things to do.

Take it from a city rat, NYC is a dead zone when it comes to hobby shops. The only hobby shop in Manhattan is Jan's Hobby Shop, on Lexington Ave. between E. 93rd and E. 94th Streets. You don't want to go there. You will pay anywhere from 35-100% over list price on kits there. You'd be better off getting ripped off at a streetside Three Card Monte game. You're already going to get fleeced in the world's biggest tourist trap, Time Square. I'm not being a smart aleck, just giving you the skinny on what to expect. If you're bringing kids, keep away from the dirtbags dressed as superheroes and Sesame Street characters. They'll harass you for money to take a picture with your children and they will pick a fight. If you want to have a good time, don't spend it in the Times Square area. It's nothing but a giant shopping mall and Disney advertisement. Take the subway to Greenwich Village, Chinatown or Little italy. The sights are more interesting and the food is better.

It's a cat yacht. Hammacher-Schlemmer sells them.

Not to mention "The French Connection".

I'm also an Eastwood fan. But, don't forget one thing. If it wasn't for his roles in "Revenge of the Creature", "Tarantula", "Francis in the Navy", "Highway Patrol" and, most importantly, "Mr. Ed", Clint wouldn't be the actor/director/producer/tough guy we know today.

How about that there John Waters? Not in the same class as others previously mentioned; yet, he is responsible for some cult classics. Ditto with Brian DePalma. Both have their places within the group of great directors.

My late friend from the neighborhood, David "Bosco" Danford, was the bassist for the Darby Crash Band in L.A. back in 1980. Unfortunately, they never recorded because Crash committed suicide later that year.

John, I missed the shows with Richard Hell. I did catch Television in April '75 and the Voidoids in October '76 at CB's and at Max's in '77, though. My friends and I lived at these clubs. Please Kill Me is a great book. I won a pre-release copy during a call-in contest during The New Afternoon Show, on WNYU-FM, in 1996. Still have it. Like I said, that was a golden era. I used to see Patti Smith, Wayne County, The Ramones, The Dictators, Blondie, etc. on any given day. The great part was that it was in small, hole-in-the-wall dives, not in Madison Square Garden. You would be up close and intimate with these bands because you could stand right near the stages and have a couple of beers with them at the bar after they finished their sets. There'll never be another time like it again.

Man, that is a classic! The '70s were a golden era for music venues in NYC. Got to see Johnny & the boys at CBGB's, Max's Kansas City and the Mudd Club.

One of my favorites is "Hard Attack" by MX-80 Sound

I should include one of his associates and contemporary, Irwin Winkler.