july 4 fireworks

IMG_3289, originally uploaded by socs.

It was an evening like any other. Except that there was no work when there should have been one. And that all roads lead to Manhattan -- more than usual.

It was July 4 and it was my first ever US Independence Day celebration. Macy's fireworks are THE fireworks display to see when in New York (or nearby New Jersey).

The original plan was to watch from Jersey City's Liberty State Park with a friend, an officemate and my officemate's family. But a few hours before that, someone offers an extra pass to watch from within the UN grounds in Manhattan. Hmm....lets see...New Jersey or New York? It was an absolute no brainer.

So I went with him to NY....got there a bit late and didnt really get a good spot. But hey, with all the people fighting for space, I'm just glad we had space to breathe and sit and be comfortable. The end result is a handful of photos which are less than half of the total photos I took from that night. I used the crowd's silhouette as a foreground and tried as best as I could to capture the fireworks.

Pbase and Flickr have photos of the event.

uploaded

where I live
Originally uploaded by socs.

I've uploaded a new batch of photos taken last week of my current 'hometown', Hoboken, New Jersey. My favorite photo is this one above...if you go to my flickr account and view that photo, you'll find the notes I made and you'll know why I'm so fond of it :p

Both pbase and flickr have been updated, please drop by when you can :)

sad, sad day

Brazil is out of the World Cup.

I have now settled down and am dealing with the shock. How could the defending champions lose?????

The answer is in Zidane great skill in leading France. He was clearly in control, moving the ball around, displaying great skill in ball control and passing it accurately to his equally impressive teammates. It was a beautifully executed free kick...landing near the edge of the far post, where a very free Henry picked it up and flicked it into the goal in one accurate touch.

What I'm not sure of is whether France's defense was really so tight that they prevented any Ronaldo or Ronaldinho attempts and plays...I suppose they were because I didnt see any Brazil magic that I've always loved and always look forward to.

Now I have to find a new favorite team to win this year's cup.