Christmas in my building #4

We're not tipping ALL of these people, but you get the idea ...
Christmas in my building #3, #2, #1.

Now this from the "life in my building" file:
7 dogs in the elevator.

Here's a suggestion for a last minute gift for Paula Zahn, that is if you think she deserves something more than coal in her stocking this year ...

Pale Male update:


Went up to 74th and Fifth earlier today (about 1PM) to see the progress. As you can see, it didn't seem like the weather was slowing them down any. Because of the scaffolding, I couldn't actually see cradle, or even see if it was in place, but I did see sparks flying (as in welding sparks) so someone was doing something up there. Then, right on cue, Pale Male swung by for a look.

I hope he likes his new digs. There is a big 'celebratory vigil' planned this evening for 4:30pm, but I won't be able to make it. As always, check in with Jo, she'll be at the celebration tonight (I think?) and will hopefully have a report. Also, she's got a link to the PayPal site where you can make a donation to Lincoln Karim's defense fund. Lincoln, if you remember, runs the Pale Male dot com website and was arrested for "stalking" and "harassing" Paula Zahn and her family. I reported on this in an earlier post here>

Ok, so two years ago in was in a really bad play with this guy. A really bad play. He was far and away the most talented person associated with the production, and I think the rest of us felt lucky to be working with Randall McFadden. I know I did.

In this horrendous piece of theatre, I played his mother, and I and the guy playing his father were only on stage for about 5 minutes at the beginning of the play, then had the rest of the night to goof off backstage. One night during this torture, "Bradley" opened a door that led offstage and was greeted by three of us, mooning. He had to go right back out on stage. The play was bad enough, I don't know how he kept it together after that.
As luck would have it, about a week after I almost fell off the couch when I first saw him in this commercial, I bumped into him at Bed Bath and Beyond. I wish nothing but good stuff for him, cause he deserves it.

Pale Male update:
I'm heading up to 927 Fifth to take a snap or two of the 'nest cradle' that should be in place today. Check back to see Pale Male's new digs.

Coming in 2005:
I'm eligible to join the Daughters of the American Revolution! I'll be blogging on the application process.
The Kennedy's are having a tag sale!
I rate and review all the Jessica Simpson websites!
Who is FatAnthony and why is his name John Kelly?

Pale Male update:
The Times is reporting that a "stainless steel cradle designed to support a new nest for Pale Male and Lola, the red-tailed hawks of Fifth Avenue, is to be installed tomorrow [Thursday] on the co-op building where the hawks' former nest was removed on Dec. 7, according to the co-op's board and architect." Read the article here>

Are you still not watching "Arrested Development?" Come on!

Holy cow, this photo is now my most viewed of all time, and it's only been up since Sunday night!
I mentioned then that a poem written by one of the choir members had been read about Pale Male during the service. I spoke to the author, Leila Hawken, (yes, that is her name!) this afternoon and got her permission to reprint a portion of it here (thanks to Claire A. Sanders, also in this photo for getting the text of the poem to me today). Here is an excerpt from
Strictly for the Birds For Pale Male Lola:
"... As a single bright star has guided the lowly to a manger drear,
May the story of Pale Male and Lola in our hearts remain near,
They ask nothing but a place for twigs and branches to hold
Their place by the park, without price, neither bought nor sold
The Manhattan island home of pale Male and Lola."

That night, Molly Gunther, Nina's mom, told me about another poem that I am reprinting here in its entirety. Read it, then go over to Lincoln Karim's site and buy yourself a pack of postcards or a 2005 calendar showing some of Mr. Karim's magnificent photography of Pale Male and Lola.

Evening Hawk
by Robert Penn Warren

From plane of light to plane, wings dipping through
Geometries and orchids that the sunset builds,
Out of the peak's black angularity of shadow, riding
The last tumultuous avalanche of
Light above pines and the guttural gorge,
The hawk comes.
His wing
Scythes down another day, his motion
Is that of the honed steel-edge, we hear
The crashless fall of stalks of Time.

The head of each stalk is heavy with the gold of our error.

Look! Look! he is climbing the last light
Who knows neither Time nor error, and under
Whose eye, unforgiving, the world, unforgiven, swings
Into shadow.

Long now,
The last thrush is still, the last bat
Now cruises in his sharp hieroglyphics. His wisdom
Is ancient, too, and immense. The star
Is steady, like Plato, over the mountain.

If there were no wind we might, we think, hear
The earth grind on its axis, or history
Drip in darkness like a leaking pipe in the cellar.

Upper East Side Holiday spirit

Cards and blinds
Originally uploaded by _Ingrid_.

Took this last week just around the corner from 927 Fifth.
Things are supposedly moving along as far as the installation of the 'nest supports' goes (Lincoln has suggested that we call them that as opposed to 'pigeon spikes'), read Jo Miller's tireless reporting for the latest.

Yesterday, I dashed off some hawkish lyrics to the tune of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (first line written by 'hawk supporter Bill')

Pale Male the Red Tail hawk
Had a very comfy nest.
And if you ever saw it,
You'd-a said it was the best.
All over Central Park,
People came to watch him roost,
They never dreamed poor Pale Male,
Would-a ever got 'the boot!'
then one frosty co-op board
Took the nest away.
Cohen with your fists so tight,
Won't you put those spikes back right!
The everyone will cheer here,
And they'll shout it out with glee,
pale Male the Red Tail hawk,
You'll go down in history!

I've got a kickin' version of "Joy to the World" for when the spikes, er, nest supports go back up.

Per Previous Post ...
Peruse a passel of pix here>

This event is something I look forward to all year. The pews are crowded with all sorts of animals; dogs do tend to dominate, and this year I didn't see any iguanas or parrots as in years past, but there were also just enough cats to make things 'interesting.' Pastor Grandgeorge, I suspect, would not have an especially difficult time doing stand-up comedy. He has a very entertaining and almost 'show-biz' style which is just right for this kind of thing. I especially liked the notation in the program:
"Please bring your pet (or picture or ashes) to one of the clergy to receive a blessing. If your pet has a name, be sure to tell teh clergyperson the name of your pet. If your pet is shy of strangers or in some way dangerous, please inform the clergy of this fact." Here's the best part: "If your pet creates a mess, don't worry about it. It's all part of God's plan for the universe." How cool is that?

As I said yesterday, I thought it would be nice to have someone carry a likeness of Pale Male for the blessing, and this morning, Nina Gunther volunteered. Nina attends PS 6, and has been deeply affected by the nest removal. When I approached Nina and her mother, Molly, tonight at Central Presbyterian to give Nina the framed photo of Pale Male I brought, she was busy joting notes in a small notebook. The notes will be incorportated into an essay she's writing as part of her attepmt to have the Red Tail hawk made her school's mascot. It is actually Nina and a friend who were holding this sign.

Midway through the service Pastor Grandgeorge read a poem written earlier this afternoon by one of the members of the choir about none other than Pale Male. Right on cue, our own hawk advocate (and future large animal veterinarian) Nina, stood up with the photo of Pale Male raised high up above her head, "Norma Rae" style for the entire congregation to see. Here's a shot of Nina (with framed photo), her mother Molly just behind her, and another of Pale Male's fans, Clair, in the center of the photo as Pale Male receives the blessing. [Click the photo to be taken to a larger version. ]

Update: The Audubon Society has NOT pulled their support from the vigils. According to Aimee Van Dyke, though the Audubon Society will not be officially sponsoring or attending the vigils, they continue to work very hard to ensure that the design is approved and implemented as soon as possible.
Really late update: Lincoln Karim was NOT fired, only suspended. Please keep writing/emailing letters of support for Lincoln and forward them to Jo or directly to his attorney (Dino J. Lombardi 52 Duane Street, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10007 dinolombardi.com)

NYC Kids QUIETLY support Pale Male
I guess these two lovely young girls didn't want Anthony videotaping them making any kind of a ruckus, even if it was only via a printed sign, hence the addition of the word "quietly" to the sign.
Why can't Paula Zahn's kids be more like this?

They actually kinda reminded me of myself at that age ...

Peek in tomorrow for pix of pampered pets receiving blessings at Central Presbyterian's Blessing of the Animals tonight, Pale Male included. Phew!