Michael Sporn Animation – Splog

- Before getting into the photopost today, I have to say that I saw Ponyo last night. Pleased to report that the theater was sold out (though I know the prediction at this point is for the film to make $4.3 million over the weekend.)

I have to say that this was far and away the most enjoyable film experience I had this year. The movie kept me on the edge of my seat absolutely enrapt by Miyazaki‘s brilliant presentation. The mid section where the girl returns has to be one of the greatest animated sequences of all time. I will see this film again, and I can’t encourage you enough to take it in. It’s great. Best film of the year so far.

I’ll have a ore detailed review later this week when my brain settles down.

- Here with another gripe, I have the Sunday photo bit. Last Saturday I woke up to Police preparing Park Avenue for the 2nd annual Summerstreets program/festival/whatever. I don’t know what they’re actually calling it.

This is the latest attempt by Mayor Bloomberg to turn all of Manhattan into a suburban mall. He’s taken Times Square/Madison Square and Herald Square and closed them off to traffic. People can sit in the middle of these large thoroughfares and picnic. Excuse me, but Broadway is the major street in New York, and there’s no driving on it. Traffic is what there is now. It’s absurd!

Walking across Broadway and 29th Street, I found the street cut in half. There’s one lane for traffic (this is BROADWAY!) and one lane for pedestrians. What’s to say?

So, I found Park Avenue shutting down to traffic at 6AM last Saturday. The same this week.

Signs were placed in the middle of the street to tell pedestrians
what to do. .

The area that’s closed for these pedestrian malls is quite long.
Maps were set up to show people where they could go
without being run over.

All of Park Avenue from 42nd Street
(photo shot at 30th St looking downtown) down to . . .

. . . Houston Street in the Village. (shot from Bleecker looking uptown)

I haven’t been near the street during the mid-day hours, so I can’t vouch for how crowded it gets. But I’ve been told it’s pretty congested.

At 2pm the program shuts down and traffic can move again.
I wonder how much this costs the city to hire police officers to watch the traffic, set up and pick up the stantions, people to produce the signs and posters, and oversee the whole magilla. I’m not sure, but it seems whacko to me.

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