Uncategorized – Mitchell's thoughts, photos, etc.

QR Codes, Clean Bowls, and Hopes for a Trophy

From Camp “Willies” to the Elston Howard Field Throne

If you know me, you knew it was only a matter of time before I wrote a post about the willy. If you went to certain camps, you know what a willy is. If not, let me explain. A willy is the camp latrine. If you camped in the Brooklyn sites, you called the latrine the “willy.” If you were in the Queens sites, you called it the “Larry.” The other boroughs generally called it the willy.

My site had the last tip pan willy. That’s a classic, semi-automated plumbing system designed for heavy-use, multi-seat seasonal environments like mid-century military installations and summer camps. It was a five-seater with a trough for peeing. At the time, it was an all-boys camp. Some people spent their summers on their seats. One seat was blue and reserved for someone. These days, the camp has regular bathrooms. Boring.

A Holy Place and a New Free Throne

I recently did a photo shoot at Yankee Stadium. To me, it is one of the holiest places in the world. I hope we take home #28. After getting off the 4 subway line, I walked toward Macombs Dam Park and the bathroom. As I entered the park, I noticed a new free public restroom. I was at the Stadium about a week ago. The only outdoor lavatory facilities were in the adjacent parks.

My eyes lit up. It said free throne. All you had to do was scan the QR code on the door, and it would magically open. It said you had a ten-minute limit. With excitement, I opened the camera on my iPhone and scanned. A text arrived: “Send this message to the Elston Howard Field Throne.” The field in the park is named after one of our great catchers and the first Black person to don the pinstripes. I immediately clicked send. All of a sudden, the door started opening, and it welcomed me.

Is There Anything Better?

I have never seen a public restroom this clean. A urinal sat to the right—a small sink in the middle. The bowl was to the left. Rules were taped to the wall, and hand towels sat to the right of the urinal. When you were done, you could type “EXIT” on your phone. Or wave your hand in front of the door’s sensor. Either way, the door opens. Is there anything better? Other than watching the team hoist the trophy at the end of the pending World Series, probably not.

A parks employee was hanging out nearby. He smiled at me and said, “What’d ‘ya think?” I said, “Incredible.” But how will it survive during the playoffs and next season? How will they keep it clean? Will people try to flip it over? That’s possible. We chatted for several minutes about how people might be pigs. Especially fans coming in from out of town. Time will tell.

A Typical NYC Transit Disaster

4 Subway Station at 161 Street Yankee Stadium

I was so happy. I often get to the stadium at least four hours before game time. I walk around and pray. The park bathrooms leave much to be desired.

I did my photo shoot and took a look at the park toilets. They are the standard parks department bathrooms. Use your imagination. I completed my shoot. Now the train ride to the Stadium was a typical NYC Transit disaster. We sat between 86th Street and 125th Street for nearly 25 minutes. Then it chugged along until it reached 161st Yankee Stadium.

I did drink some water during my shoot. But I knew of my new friend not terribly far from the subway station. The same guy was hanging there. He smiled, and we said, “We need to win.”

The Aaron Judge Paradox: Can a Generational Titan Cost You Rings?

Individual MVPs vs. Championship Grit: Why the Yankees’ biggest star leaves the Bronx yearning for the days of “The Warrior.”

Would the Yankees Be Better Without Aaron Judge? I know this is controversial. Rings have always measured the Yankee dynasty. Not individual MVPs. We know Judge has three. Our former captain, Derek Jeter, had none. But he has five rings. He led in the style of many of his predecessors: Mattingly (Donnie Baseball), Munson, Randolph, and the best of them, the Iron Horse (Lou Gehrig), led the team with class and grace. All but Donnie Baseball have multiple rings.

Given a choice of right fielders of who I’d rather have at the plate or in the batter’s box in pressure situations, Paul “The Warrior” O’Neill or Judge, who do I put in? It is a no-brainer—the Warrior. Judge can fill up everyone’s cups with water from the water cooler before The Warrior destroys it.

The Soul of the Bronx Zoo

I became a fan when I was quite young during the so-called “Bronx Zoo” years of the Yankees, when #1 Billy Martin was managing them. We had all sorts of craziness—the words between Mr. October (Reggie Jackson) and Thurman Munson. Martin pulling people out of games and the fights. But we won. Then came Torre and Girardi. More rings.

The teams had heart and soul. Enter Judge. No question he is an amazing player. He has his moments. But he’s missed so much time. I remember during his rookie year (2017), when he won Rookie of the Year by a unanimous vote and should have been MVP (F Altuve, the cheater), I was in my sister’s pool. I was debating with her father-in-law whether he was the real deal. He was all about Judge. I was like, let’s see if he’s a flash in the pan. He said no. I said time will tell. He’s not. He has helped win games. In some seasons when he was healthy, we’ve won about 10 more games than when he was out.

Since 2017, he has missed 22 percent of all regular season games. This year he’s missing the Wild Card Series vs. Boston. Except for 2023, the Bronx Bombers have made the playoffs every year he was injured. [1]

The October Problem

His postseason record is pathetic. We all remember the 2024 World Series, when he dropped the ball at Yankee Stadium in the only game we were ahead. If we won, we would have had another game to face the Dodgers. But his error allowed Los Angeles to take the lead and the trophy.

The legends of the past—Ruth, Gehrig, Lazzeri, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra, Rizutto, Munson, Jackson, Jeter, O’Neill, Posada, Martinez—were monsters at the plate and in the field during the regular season. They stepped it up in the postseason. Bear in mind, many on this list went straight from the regular season to the World Series. I wish we still followed old-school ball.

Searching for Grit

Judge, on the other hand, is a generational titan during the regular season. But has struggled at the plate and on the field in the postseason. But talent alone doesn’t parade down the Canyon of Heroes.

In terms of pure grit and intensity, The Warrior is the man. I remember years ago, way before Judge, I was at a singles night and met a woman. The first three things she told me were that she’s divorced and in love with Paul O’Neill (she played RF and wore his number (21) on her school’s girls softball team) and Harrison Ford. Not a bad mix: the Warrior, Han Solo, Indiana Jones, and now a shrink. She may have known more about O’Neill than he knew about himself. LOL. But the point is he was a gamer. He famously played through injuries. We know Mantle and Gehrig did. That’s the toughness I wish today’s players still exhibited.

Judge is a great player. But we need to find better. Tough, that is. But eyes need to be open. Let’s see where we go without him, whether we make the next round, and whether he plays and has Jeter moments.

I am lucky I got to see so many Hall of Famers play for the Yankees and lead us to the World Series trophy. Today’s generation isn’t as lucky. Share your thoughts.

It’s Okay and Awesome to Change Your Lifestyle or Move Forward—But Remember Where You Came From

We all go through changes as we age, get more educated, meet new people, and try new things. What matters is remembering where you came from and who you were before.

I am involved in many organizations—probably too many—including Scouting and religious organizations. I grew up Scouting and still chair the Ten Mile River Scout Museum in Narrowsburg, NY (visit us!).

At 25, I worked with teens to build a ceremonial campfire for an induction ceremony to initiate new Scouts. A gentleman who was never a Scout—but got involved when his kids did—decided he was gonna teach the teens how to build the fire and set up the council ring.

Big mistake. He meant well, but he was less experienced than the teens. Because he was older, he thought he would show us the ropes. He had no idea how to cut the wood, lay the fire ring, or run the ceremony scripts. I had to jump in and show everyone how. I may have been annoyed, but we got it done, and the kids had a great time. More importantly, many are now leading the next group.

Let’s jump to religion. Some people grow up that way, some leave, and some practice just the basics. Times change, and we decide to learn more. I can run services and have run sederim for Pesach. It is fun. Did I grow up that way? No. I took more upon myself.

But some people never did any of this. Then the bug bit them, they learned more, and decided to keep going. That’s great. But these folks don’t need to criticize those who didn’t follow this path or tell people at services what they are doing wrong. In most cases, nothing is wrong, and the “newbie” doesn’t grasp how many customs there are.

They often like to talk about how good they are now. I know a few die-hard Mets fans who said they gave up their TVs. It is killing them that they can’t watch sports. (For the record, there’s nothing to watch when it comes to the Mets. Watch the Yankees.) Anyway, they talk about how they used to see Broadway shows, concerts at the Garden, and Marvel movies, and now say it is wrong. They criticize others for doing so.

Their current lives are lifestyle changes and major transitions. But it doesn’t mean the old life was wrong. It is not like you were a druggie or an alcoholic and are now drug-free and sober. Enjoy your new life and remember where you came from.

Marc and Christy Battle

Things were pretty chill. Marc and Alana were taking care of their kids. Anat and Dan were doing the same. Alana sent Marc out to pick up some groceries. He went over to Key Food to buy what he’d forgotten at FreshDirect. This was a usual occurrence.

Slowly walking down the block, Marc went through his head what he was supposed to buy. He walked around the construction on the block leading to the supermarket. All the usual people were out. Some were running in and out of stores. Some were standing on the street corner. All was well.

Marc didn’t need a shopping wagon. He had his FreshDirect bag to pack up the few things he was purchasing. He approached the store entrance and all of a sudden, he was nailed in the face with moldy bread. He took a few steps back.

He saw Christy on the roof. She was perched like a sniper. He launched barley and smacked her in the eyes. She fell back. But sprang up. She fired rye bread. Marc hates rye bread. The two volleyed back and forth. At this point, he was only fighting with barley.

Marc jumped on top of the delivery truck and clawed his way up to the roof. He did it on the other side of Christy. She was looking for him on the ground. As he got to the roof, he launched dozens of pomegranates. He didn’t miss. He nailed her in the head with both the seeds and the entire fruit. She screamed. She began to cry hysterically.

He walked over to her and stared her straight in the eyes. She started to shake. He unleashed a lot of barley. It got stuck up her nose. Her breathing slowed. He was wearing his docs. He put his foot on her head. He just smiled. She screamed at him to let her go. Her legs kicked. He added pressure. She tried to turn over. As she did, he belted her with all of his weapons and kicked her hard in the face. She fell over and was a bloody mess.

Marc jumped off the roof and landed on top of a truck. He jumped off, went into the store, and bought what Alana wanted.

I Got a Ticket. Not a Ticket to Ride.

The other day, I got a ticket. No, it wasn’t a speeding or parking ticket. Or one for not properly placing my trash cans at the curb. I don’t have to do that. I have the joy of an incinerator. I visit it many times a day. My grandfather would be proud. I did not get a ticket to ride.

I was at Lincoln Center for a photo shoot with my wide-angle lens. Before shooting, I went to the Metropolitan Opera House and bought a ticket for “Tosca.” I went to Vivian Beaumont Theater and purchased tickets for “A Few Good Men.” I finished my shopping by entering David Geffen Hall and renewing my New York Philharmonic subscription. I will be attending several concerts.

At David Geffen Hall, the ticket clerk looked up my email address (they did that at the opera house, too) and asked me what shows I wanted. I picked a few and tapped my iPhone to pay. I said, will my tickets be in my account? He said, yes or do you want paper tickets? I thought for a minute and asked which is better. Mind you, I have been a subscriber for about a decade and always had electronic tickets. You know, you download them, save them in your Apple Wallet, and scan them in at the theater.

Lincoln Center Theaters and Revson Fountain

He then said, “It does not make a difference. Do you like electronic things, or do you prefer paper?” I love electronic stuff. I said, paper. He printed them and stuffed them into an envelope. Keep in mind, at Beaumont and the opera house, they handed me paper tickets immediately. I didn’t get a choice.

As I was thinking about my e v. paper tickets. I was blasted back to the old days. Remember when we used to call Ticketmaster and wait on hold for what seemed like hours for tickets for The Cure, Depeche Mode, Yankee-Red Sox games, and U2? Sure, you do. Eventually you spoke to an agent, gave them your credit card number, and were told they’d mail your tickets. Of course, there was a fee for that – Standard postage or more for FedEx. For Broadway theater, I often went to the box office and got paper tickets.

Then the day came when you walked into the Garden, the Stadium, or the Nederlander. The person at the door tore your ticket, gave you the stub, and you went to your seat. You waited and hopefully made it to the top of the ninth with the Yankees ahead, heard “Enter Sandman,” watched Mariano save the game, and walked to the subway to “New York, New York.” Or you saw Robert Smith come out and sit in the dark while he played for nearly three hours. Fun times.

We are still doing that. But now they scan your phone, and you hope it works. The other day for a Yankees-Red Sox game, I had to scan the ticket many times until I got in. I did. We lost. I was back the next day; we won 16-1. The day we lost, I headed to Radio City Music Hall after the game, scanned my ticket, and suddenly, I was “Up the Junction”—in other words, I saw Squeeze.

To me, it doesn’t matter how I enter the venue. I just wanna be in. But I must admit there is something magical about the paper ticket. I always keep them. I have journals with tickets from my first Yankee games back in the day when number 1, Billy Martin, was managing, and from seeing The Cure in the 80s. And of course, “Rent” with the original cast.

There was something special about looking at that ticket. When I look at them in my Apple Wallet, it is not as special. I am just happy the transfer from AXS or Ticketmaster processed.

Talk to ‘ya after “Tosca.”

Planning the Perfect Shoot: How I Used AI as My Photography Coach at Lincoln Center

Lincoln Center, Coney Island, the South Street Seaport, the East and Hudson Rivers, and Yankee Stadium are among the most photogenic places in NYC, whether you’re out there with an iPhone or mirrorless camera.

For a long time, I have been thinking about a shoot at Lincoln Center. It is one of my favorite places. Many years ago, I did a shoot. But didn’t think it through enough. This time, I used AI to help me. I took all the shots myself with my Nikon mirrorless camera and did all the edits using Adobe’s suite.

AI Served as the Aide. Not the Photographer or Creator.

I did not create any of the shots with AI. But AI played a role. I told it what I was hoping to accomplish. It made lens recommendations. I have all the lenses it recommended. But to save myself from back pain and be able to walk freely without feeling weighed down, I chose a Nikkor 14-24 F2.8. These days when I go out, I rarely bring more than one lens. I still have visions of a vacation my mom and I took, and I brought all of them. I loved switching from wide to zoom to the “nifty 50 (50 mm f/2.8)”. But I spent too much time switching lenses and packing and repacking them.

The night before I went to Lincoln Center, I reviewed what AI told me. I know the layout inside out. I am there regularly for all it offers. Before the shoot, I renewed my NY Philharmonic subscription and bought theater and opera tickets. I can’t wait to see, once again, “Tosca.”

AI’s Advice

AI measured things out for me. In other words, it told me exactly where to stand and at what level to bend my knees or to stand on a bench to shoot the fountain. (Side note: I love that fountain. I so want to jump in. That’s much cooler than jumping into the Washington Square Park fountain. That happens daily. I wish Lincoln Center would take donations and let me jump in. Doubtful. That place is too classy. I hope it always stays that way.”

Back to AI. It told me where to stand near the Metropolitan Opera House to capture this majestic building best. Same with David Geffen Hall, the David Koch Theater, Beaumont/Newhouse Theater, and the library. It was also helpful for where to stand to capture a landscape shot of Geffen Hall, the fountain, and the Koch Theater.

I spent under an hour shooting and captured what I wanted. AI served as a great coach or aide. I look forward to using it on my next shoot.

The Dads Hang

While Alana and Tzipora were at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Marc, Dan, Jake, and Eran were at Liberty Island with all their children. No one was worried about anyone causing problems. Only Jake’s and Eran’s kids had no superpowers. Marc’s and Alana’s twins are probably the most powerful of them all. They’re predicted to grow up to be the strongest ever. Their DNA contains the biological code from two people with powers. Rare, that is.

They were walking outside the Statue of Liberty. The kids were too young to understand what they were seeing fully. But they were being taught. Marc made sure his kids learned. He thought it was essential for them to start learning when they were very young. They could barely walk. But their eyes took in the statue. The other kids were a little older and were talking about it.

Marc handed out bottles of water to all the children. No one was allowed ice cream or other junk. Once in a while it was permitted, usually during the sixth inning of a Yankee game. Only while at the Stadium. They had tickets to go up to the crown and began their entry.

Everything was moving quite nicely as they made their walk along the winding staircase. All of a sudden, someone went flying down the stairs. They thought the person tripped. The faller bumped into a few people, causing them to lose balance. Marc and his crew were fine. Security guards came to help all those in need—this delayed things.

Everything snapped back into play, and they kept climbing. As they got there, they noticed one of the security guards. She had blood-red eyes and cuts all over her face and arms. She was chanting about and screaming more people would fall. Marc looked at David Benjamin, Sarah, Jerry and Gili. He signaled that they might need to take her out. He knew it was unfair for all of them to attack. But knew it’d be quick.

Quickly, Sarah turned into a serpent, and her twin became a whale—the security guard, high as a kite, freaked out. Jerry started tossing olives at her. Marc unleashed dozens of pomegranates—both seeds and the whole fruit. Sarah’s fangs were getting ready to make an incision when the guard passed out. Quickly, everyone turned back into themselves. Marc got another guard, who helped her get up and got her out of the statue.

Everyone else proceeded as they wished.

How to Weaponize AI Against Employment Scams

How AI Prevents You from Falling for Scams During the Job Search

We all know looking for work is work. You spend hours perfecting your resume, cover letters, and networking. You reach out to everyone to make introductions, share your resume, and get recommendations. You make sure your information is posted on all the job boards, then you pray and wait.

The Search

We’ve all been through it time and time again. In the old days you mailed your resume, then you faxed, and now you email or text. I remember searching ads in the job section in Sunday’s The New York Times. It seems the same roles I applied to in the early 90s are still featured as open on today’s job boards – Be it Glassdoor, Indeed, or LinkedIn.

The Scammers

Most of the time recruiters email you using the address on your resume. They might reach out to you via LinkedIn. Some still call. But thanks to today’s social media and scammers, many of the people reaching out have nothing to do with the company you applied to. I have received far more fake requests than I can count. Many say they are recruiters who’ve found the perfect job opportunity that matches my experience. They coax you into supplying your resume and other data. Then they tell you they need to rewrite your resume and ask for your credit card. I have never fallen for this. Those who do never get a perfect AI-sourced resume. But they get plenty of stuff from Apple, Google, Microsoft, and high-end fashion designers. Only they never get the merchandise. Bills appear on their credit card statements.

Some recruiters impersonate real recruiters. They spell Apple, “Aple.” Most people don’t carefully look at the emails, and they write their recruitment emails “Hollywood style.” They also say they want to do interviews via chat on Microsoft Teams and ask you to download and become their friend. Many people, even me, fell for this. You do an interview, and most of the time they schedule follow-ups. Sometimes they happen. Usually not. All a scam.

How AI Helps

How does AI help you? It helps you quite a bit. All you need to do is take the ad and the email it was sent from, then input them into an AI search. It will think for a few seconds. Then it will tell you if it is legitimate. Most of the time, it notes red flags with the email addresses and URLs. Often the recruiters make minor changes to the URL. Sometimes they direct you to the company they claim to represent. Most often it goes nowhere. But they may implant malware into your computer to track your credit card and which sites you buy from. AI will note inconsistencies with the job description and the recruiter’s LinkedIn or other social media profiles.

AI will also search the job sites of the companies the recruiters allege they work for. It will give you an outlook on what is really going on. It often tells you to write to the actual recruiter to see whether they really contacted you and to express your interest.

AI is making great strides in helping people in their searches. Now the search needs to end with the role that is right.

Girls Day Out

The Wine is Flowing

Alana and Tzipora haven’t hung out in ages. They texted a lot. Mostly sending photos of their children. Tzipora now had, in addition to Tamar Hannah. He is 18 months old and quiet.

Bee Fetching Honey at Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Today they were hanging at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden—just the two of them. The kids were with their dad. The weather was nice. Tzipora has been 100 percent faithful to Eran. She’d never sleep with another guy. But we know she used to coax Alana into bed. She knew Alana was experimental. But one hundred percent devoted to Marc. But she was mad at him because that’s when he decided to try again with Jen. Alana knew it would not last. But she was annoyed. She knew she and Marc would never wed. But she wanted him as her one and only. She had just saved Tzipora and Stacey from some dumb jock. It was the first time she publicly used her powers. Tzipora was hot for her at that moment.

Alana didn’t fight back. She was depressed over Marc and needed someone. Tzipora recognized this and lured her in. These days they are two devoted moms. Tzipora’s medical practice is doing quite well. She and Alana looked at the flowers and sipped bottled water. Both wore their usual black clothes, and before arriving, they’d been listening to Joy Division. They smiled at each other when they mentioned this. There will always be a connection between those two.

All was well at least for the time being. Alana heard kids screaming. Most were those annoyed because mom and dad didn’t let them have all the candy they wanted. They heard a teenage girl scream. They recognized her voice as more mature than the little ones. They figured she was annoyed with how the wind was blowing and messing up her hair. That was happening to Alana. But she didn’t care.

Screams got louder. Tzipora poked Alana in the back and told her to turn around. She saw a 14-year-old girl getting smacked by another teen girl. The aggressor was about two years older. She looked like the crazies you see on the subway. Tzipora knew Alana wasn’t gonna let this girl get hurt. Alana did not want to make a scene. She inched up to the two teens, opened her eyes, and shot wine into the attacker’s eyes. She followed up by lunging a few apples, which nailed the belligerent teen in her knees. She fell to the ground. Alana switched to white wine and splattered it all over her body. She buried her head into the ground and started weeping. The other girl was nervous about what was going on. She got up and walked toward the ladies’ room.

Alana and Tzipora continued their walk through the gardens.

Why AI Won’t Steal Your Camera’s Soul

The Spellcheck of Photography

To continue the discussion on AI and photography, I think the shot’s creativity comes from the photographer. Like Paul Simon, I have a Nikon camera and I take photographs. Back in 1973, when he wrote that song, Photoshop didn’t exist. Neither did mirrorless cameras. In the darkroom, you did Photoshop. You processed your film in darkness and threw it into a chemical bath.

Everything was timed. A little shorter or longer would change your image. That was about as AI as it got. Jump ahead to 1990, when Photoshop was first released for the Mac. A whole new world of photo editing opened. I know some who do not believe in any edits. Berengo Gardin, the master of photojournalism, who shot with a Leica, believed editing was fine for advertising and fashion. But not for news. He never cropped or manipulated his images. He stamped the back of images with “Vera Fotografia” (True Photography).

Jump ahead to today’s world. Everything is edited. Apps on your iPhone can edit what you shoot. They sit on mine. I haven’t used them in years. I consider my phone shots quickies. Phones do take terrific shots. However, they cannot beat the depth of a mirrorless or DSLR camera. Adobe’s Lightroom and Photoshop tools have added AI.

It is a breath of fresh air. The new features are a pleasure. Remember, you still need to take the best picture you can. Meaning, use the right lens, ISO and F-Stop settings. I used Adobe’s Pre-AI suite to remove shaving cuts from someone’s face and remove fences from pictures of animals in zoos. I don’t like them being there. So, removing the fence makes them look free. I know they are not. I have touched up bodies of water and the sky.

In the old days, taking out shaving cuts and/or removing fences, be it at the zoo or the ones around the planes at the USS Intrepid, could have removed part of the person’s face, the wolf’s teeth, or the propeller on the USCG chopper. You had to be very careful with your brushes in Photoshop. The remove feature wasn’t like it is today. Now you can use AI to remove these things, and it recognizes that someone’s face is very close to the cuts. It realizes you likely want to keep what is behind the fence in full. Denoising photos falls into the same playbook. AI can sharpen your photos.

I don’t like all the new features. I am not sure they are fully ready. But they are there. If you’re willing to toy around and put in the time, you will find many will enhance your photo and make it much better. Microsoft launched Word in 1983. It did not add spell check until 1985. For two years, we had to proofread ourselves. Now we set it to auto, and it cleans up our documents.

Photoshop is a tool to clean up your pictures. Now that it has added AI, it is no different than how Word evolved. Technology will keep evolving, and it is up to us to evolve with it.