2012-05-30
2012-05-16
Urban Spelunk: Boat Graveyard (Episode 2)
The Witte Marine Scrap Yard, also know as the Arthur Kill Boat Yard, or colloquially the Staten Island Boat Graveyard is a region of the channel between Staten Island and New Jersey harboring the scuttled and deteriorating remains of hundreds of marine vessels from the early 1900s to the present. Destined for repurpose, salvage, or destruction, the ships sit marooned in the mud of the harbor until they are bought and refurbished, dismantled for parts and scrap, or deteriorate and sink
Having visited previously, but only sampled a small fraction of the site, another trip (in what is hoped to be a whole series of sorties) was made; this time with better equipment, and more preparation and experience.
Even this episode was for from comprehensive, and cut short by technical difficulties (inflatable boat puncture.) Stay tuned for Episode 3.
Having visited previously, but only sampled a small fraction of the site, another trip (in what is hoped to be a whole series of sorties) was made; this time with better equipment, and more preparation and experience.
Even this episode was for from comprehensive, and cut short by technical difficulties (inflatable boat puncture.) Stay tuned for Episode 3.
Coordinated Crowdsource Protocol
CCP is a way to supply group events that distributes the burden of buying and bringing the supplies, and centralizes the planning. It can be thought of as similar to the Pot-Luck Protocol, except with more direction and administration.
M.O.:
1. Coordinator(s) create a master list of suggested and preferred supplies.
2. Coordinator(s) share the list with participants.
Ideally this will be via some convenient interactive system such as social media.
3. Participants volunteer to bring items.
A process known as "calling." Called items can be either from the list or write-ins.
This allows people to bring items that are easy for them or that they already have.
4. Coordinator(s) assign remaining items as needed.
Assignments can be given to late-committers who want to know what to bring.
The Guerrillegatta - Primer
On a particular weekend day in the late Spring or Summer an unsanctioned, rogue boat "race" is held by self-selected participants using the rental rowboats on Central Park Lake.
While there is an objective, some rules, a course, and participants do compete in contests of rowing prowess, the "race" is mostly symbolic, lasting only around 20 minutes and is neither officiated, nor considered particularly seriously. The majority of the event consists of the pageantry of the competing teams and the collective picnic and socializing that follows. After the "race" the boaters will lash the boats together into a flotilla of sorts and spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the various food and drink they have brought with them and each other's company on the Lake.
Participants will self-organize into teams of 2 to 4. Each team is expected to have a
theme, and dress, accessorize, adorn their boat, and behave according to theme.
If a team can not be assembled, or a theme can not be instituted, it is recommended for those who wish to participate none-the-less to dress and act how they imagine one typically would to attend a regular or famous regatta. For example the Henley Regatta dress code, or derivative thereof.
It is preferred that participants bring food and drink that befits the occasion of a regatta, and to share with everyone. Coordinated Crowdsource Protocol is usually used to supply the comestibles.
While there is an objective, some rules, a course, and participants do compete in contests of rowing prowess, the "race" is mostly symbolic, lasting only around 20 minutes and is neither officiated, nor considered particularly seriously. The majority of the event consists of the pageantry of the competing teams and the collective picnic and socializing that follows. After the "race" the boaters will lash the boats together into a flotilla of sorts and spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the various food and drink they have brought with them and each other's company on the Lake.
Participants will self-organize into teams of 2 to 4. Each team is expected to have a
theme, and dress, accessorize, adorn their boat, and behave according to theme.
If a team can not be assembled, or a theme can not be instituted, it is recommended for those who wish to participate none-the-less to dress and act how they imagine one typically would to attend a regular or famous regatta. For example the Henley Regatta dress code, or derivative thereof.
It is preferred that participants bring food and drink that befits the occasion of a regatta, and to share with everyone. Coordinated Crowdsource Protocol is usually used to supply the comestibles.
2012-05-14
Epic Weekend Is Epic
Agent 74% Day
Birthday cookout and house party at Agent 74%'s apartment.
PromCon 2012
A bar crawl with a Prom theme.
And some karaoke for good measure.
Thunderdome
A mysterious figure called Bobby Redd had rented a disused church in Bushwick.
He and his minions built and operated a recreation of Thunderdome from the 1985 film "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" for a party/art show.
Attendees were invited to don their best Mad Max-inspired outfits and fight each other in the 'Dome...
.. to the soothing sounds on the Lord Humugous on the 1s and 2s.
The Black And Light Ball VII
Every year around this time Burning Man camps Disorient and Kostume Kult join forces to throw this black-lit themed fundraiser...
... that is part social function...
... part DIY fashion show...
... but mostly decadent dance party.
Staten Island Boat Graveyard Spelunk
See here.
Interlude
(nudge nudge...)
Central Park Skate Circle
Dance party in the park.
Birthday cookout and house party at Agent 74%'s apartment.
PromCon 2012
A bar crawl with a Prom theme.
And some karaoke for good measure.
Thunderdome
A mysterious figure called Bobby Redd had rented a disused church in Bushwick.
He and his minions built and operated a recreation of Thunderdome from the 1985 film "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" for a party/art show.
Attendees were invited to don their best Mad Max-inspired outfits and fight each other in the 'Dome...
.. to the soothing sounds on the Lord Humugous on the 1s and 2s.
Every year around this time Burning Man camps Disorient and Kostume Kult join forces to throw this black-lit themed fundraiser...
... that is part social function...
... part DIY fashion show...
... but mostly decadent dance party.
Staten Island Boat Graveyard Spelunk
See here.
Interlude
(nudge nudge...)
Central Park Skate Circle
Dance party in the park.
2012-05-08
Urban Spelunk: The Quester Wreck (Episode 2)
Return expedition to the wreck of the Quester I submarine to attempt to drain the main hull of water and oil.
The Quester I is a 45-foot submarine built by Jerry Bianco, a shipyard worker in Brooklyn, NY in 1967. Using salvaged metal, Bianco built the submarine in order to raise the wreck of the passenger ship SS Andrea Doria. It was painted yellow since that color paint was the cheapest available to Bianco, and is known colloquially as the Yellow Submarine; but a connection to the Beatles' song of the same name can not be verified. The submarine was launched unsuccessfully in 1970 when it tipped sideways (listed,) became stuck in the mud, and could not be relaunched. After that financial backing dried up and the salvage mission could not continue. In 1981 bad weather broke the sub free of its moorings and marooned it in the mud in Coney Island Creek where it remains abandoned and in ruin to this day.
The hull appears to be flooded with sea water and, in places, a layer of oil; perhaps hydraulic. The water makes the hull impassable (without diving equipment) so in order to get in to take a look we are attempting, over the course of several visits, to drain the hull to the point where we can enter and investigate with simple snorkel equipment.
Previous episode: http://saomsdangledthreads.blogspot.com/2012/04/quester-wreck-spelunk-episode-1.html
The Quester I is a 45-foot submarine built by Jerry Bianco, a shipyard worker in Brooklyn, NY in 1967. Using salvaged metal, Bianco built the submarine in order to raise the wreck of the passenger ship SS Andrea Doria. It was painted yellow since that color paint was the cheapest available to Bianco, and is known colloquially as the Yellow Submarine; but a connection to the Beatles' song of the same name can not be verified. The submarine was launched unsuccessfully in 1970 when it tipped sideways (listed,) became stuck in the mud, and could not be relaunched. After that financial backing dried up and the salvage mission could not continue. In 1981 bad weather broke the sub free of its moorings and marooned it in the mud in Coney Island Creek where it remains abandoned and in ruin to this day.
The hull appears to be flooded with sea water and, in places, a layer of oil; perhaps hydraulic. The water makes the hull impassable (without diving equipment) so in order to get in to take a look we are attempting, over the course of several visits, to drain the hull to the point where we can enter and investigate with simple snorkel equipment.
Previous episode: http://saomsdangledthreads.blogspot.com/2012/04/quester-wreck-spelunk-episode-1.html
2012-05-03
The Bouncy Ball
A guerrilla ball upon a rebounding platform. The Bouncy Ball is a guerrilla ball which entails dressing up as if to attend a ball, and jumping on a trampoline.
The Bouncy Ball is actually an ongoing series of instances, rather than a single event.
The Bouncy Ball is actually an ongoing series of instances, rather than a single event.
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