Static (according to a digital television tuner) NeoAmsterdam 2009-12-14 | This is what static looks like in the digital age. Sort of (caveat emptor: codec error). One of the problems with digital tuners is that virtually all of them will display a blank screen reading "no signal" rather than show you a screenful of static. The manufacturers do this thinking that they're doing a favor to the consumer. But, as usual, I think otherwise. After failed attempts to cajole and coax my digital tuner into giving the "no signal" screen the boot, I finally managed to subvert the tuner into doing my bidding and record ten minutes worth of static (albeit without audio). (Unless you're interested in the complicated process behind this "video", you can stop reading now.) First of all, I set the tuner to analog channel 37. As far as I'm aware, no one is allowed to transmit on that [analog] channel, so any signal that the [digital] tuner interpreted as being a valid data packet was pure chance. Second, I had to record this "video". Unfortunately, the recording tended to have a few frames changing in rapid succession, followed by lengthy pauses of inactivity. From the trial runs, I determined that I would need to record for (roughly) three hours in order to get ten minutes of activity. Third, distilling the video. I could easily export a sequence of images since the recording was in MPEG, but it would take some time, a lot disk space, a bit of shell scripting, and heavy use of ImageMagick's "identify" to delete the repeated frames. For the record, it took about a week for the shell script to run. Finally, all the remaining frames were stitched back together in Final Cut Pro. Yes, it takes ages for 17,982 images to be imported, laid out on the timeline, and rendered. But in the end, it's worth it: it's more authentic-looking than Final Cut's "Noise" generator, it's interesting from a technical perspective, and it satiates my curiosity.
Star Raiders Type-In (p.80-89) NeoAmsterdam 2015-11-29 | So how does one go about typing in the source code assembly listing to Star Raiders? One keystroke at a time.This video is composed of the on-the-screen and on-the-keyboard activity covering pages 80 through 89 inclusive. Quick-eyed viewers may spot some of the shortcuts employed to expedite type-ins. Older viewers may suffer acute onset nostalgia. See archive.org/stream/AtariStarRaidersSourceCode/Atari_Star_Raiders_Source_Code for more information.POKE 54018,52:REM That's AtariBASIC for "play a tape in the background"The audio is one part open-mic and one part "Conet Project", freely available to all on the Internet Archive at archive.org/details/ird059 - I mention it because the previous video in this series had no less than six copyright trolls claiming copyright on aforementioned public domain recordings within half an hour of having uploaded aforementioned video.[Addendum]:The following have ASSERTED COPYRIGHT ON PUBLIC DOMAIN AUDIO:- [Merlin] IDOL, "Friends of the Stars-Meditation On The Word Turtle"- AdRev, "Djet-Underwaterradio-7303"- CD Baby, "Francisco-Adding and Subtracting" and "Blank Radio-Hot Hand Sandwich"- [Merlin] KudosRecords, "Skull:Axis-Surveillance I"- Believe Music, "Woodpecker Wooliams-Crow" and "ArtemiXia Cor-A Chip On My Shoulder"- The Orchard Music, "Last Winter-Vela To Norma"- UMG, "Cut Teeth-Rehearsal Dojo"- INgrooves, "3kStatic-Dadacracy"- Proton LLC, "The Pocket Orchestra--55cherta00 (Original Mix)"Interesting how the same company can claim "theft" from TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT audio sources. Intersting also that NONE OF THESE FUCKERS have even a remotely legitimate clue.Fuck you, YouTube, for letting fuckers like these fuck you over.
Star Raiders Type-In at 6× NeoAmsterdam 2015-11-29 | So how does one go about typing in the source code assembly listing to Star Raiders? One keystroke at a time. (But at 6×!)See youtu.be/_Y7-PNaxxvk for more information.
Star Raiders Type-In NeoAmsterdam 2015-11-29 | So how does one go about typing in the source code assembly listing to Star Raiders? One keystroke at a time.This video is composed of the on-the-screen and on-the-keyboard activity. Quick-eyed viewers may spot some of the shortcuts employed to expedite type-ins. Older viewers may suffer acute onset nostalgia - the audio recording is completely unintentional and will not be "fixed" .o0(POKE 54018,52 before RUNning)See archive.org/stream/AtariStarRaidersSourceCode/Atari_Star_Raiders_Source_Code for the source code listing; see archive.org/details/ird059 for the background "noise".
2015-05-31 17:00 EDT The Keys NeoAmsterdam 2015-11-28 | The nightmare at 595 West 207th Street ends; USPS is entrusted to deliver the keys.
Rear-View out of Penn Station NeoAmsterdam 2015-11-27 | Ever since the introduction of the M7 rolling stock, the front and rear views on the LIRR have been (more often than not) closed off to the public.Until/unless Fortune smiles, this view exiting the tunnels out of Penn Station is the next-best thing.
2015-01-11 14:27:44 NeoAmsterdam 2015-01-12 | Proof that I'm not making any of this shit up: a second angle. To paraphrase The Beatles, "Still my bathroom gently leaks".The superintendent fails to make today's appointment, so up to my apartment comes the superintendent's son. You might remember him from such videos as «youtube.com/watch?v=saB5ajJMWQA» and «youtube.com/watch?v=y_XmWJkd2iE» from three days before, promising that someone will be doing something about the leaking radiator. This, of course, does not happen.(...other than suggest I turn off the radiator on a night for which the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory on account of the sleet, snow, and wind that will keep New York City below freezing for the next few days.)Let's jump ahead to 06:41. Now, I might have a hard time remembering when the ceiling collapsed (it was either 2007-03-03 or 2008-02-21 because I remember it coincided with a lunar eclipse) but I find it amazing that no one else seems to remember that the broken plumbing in the bathroom ceiling was never replaced. Again, an agreement is made to "fix it when we can" - the same line I've been fed for at least seven years now.And so, to the crux: I'm talking about two items on DCHR's list of services that have not been maintained. DHCR's inspector, never having clapped eyes on anything, concluded that these problems do not exist AND therefore a rent reduction order can be lifted.There's just one snag in all of this: nothing was repaired - it was all covered up in layers of paint and hidden behind new sheet rock. So the question tomorrow in housing court will go like this: "If your car gets a flat tire, and you take it to the mechanic, and the mechanic fills your tire up with air, can you really say that the flat's been fixed?" Or perhaps "If you go to the doctor complaining of a cough, and the doctor keeps issuing prescriptions for cough syrup, how does that cure you of tuberculosis?" Either is a cogent simile to what's been going on here.Or more accurately, what hasn't happened here.
2008-02-16 07:51:58 NeoAmsterdam 2015-01-11 | • Progression of water damage to the bedroom wall — Water leaking from the bulge on the bedroom wall — Cleaning up after a water leak emanating from a bulge on the bedroom wall
2008-02-10 23:03:03 NeoAmsterdam 2015-01-11 | Tracking the progression of water damage to the bedroom wall.
Snowfall (Time Lapse) NeoAmsterdam 2015-01-11 | A time lapse of a late-January 2005 snowfall. I don't remember if it was a blizzard or not, but I do remember my back aching for a day or two afterwards. ISO-8601:20050122T123302-0500/20050123T150302-0500
2015-01-09 21:17:53 NeoAmsterdam 2015-01-11 | The kitchen window, which opens at the slightest breeze. Or, in this case, one finger. Even when it's snibbed.According to a DHCR inspector who never set foot in my apartment, this problem doesn't exist.
2015-01-08 20:29:37 NeoAmsterdam 2015-01-11 | Following on the heels of 2015-01-08 20:29:37, an agreement is made so that repairs can be made on Sunday, January11, 2015.My comment at 00:50 into the video poses a conundrum: How can DHCR claim the radiator was repaired if it's still leaking? Keep in mind, it is because of DHCR's erroneous conclusion that I'm being taken to Housing Court.
2015-01-08 20:25:32 NeoAmsterdam 2015-01-11 | A little backstory is warranted: about five days earlier I was notified that I was the subject of a Housing Court action. Since anyone knocking on my door is such a rare event, and coupled with this new threat to my housing, I anticipated that there was someone outside my door wanting to harass me.I was much surprised to discover the superintendent's son asking if the radiator in the bedroom was leaking. If you've seen the video I recorded from earlier this day (at 03:40 AM) then you would know that the answer is "yes". The rest of the discussion on camera is fairly straightforward. Except...This radiator was repaired (taken out and put back in really) some years ago by the superintendent. It remains the subject of a DHCR "failure to maintain services" claim. A DHCR inspector - who never set foot in the apartment - said sometime in the spring/summer of 2014 that this problem does not exist. That is, of course, an obvious conclusion considering that (A) the heat isn't on during spring/summer and thus the problem would not present itself, and (B) the inspector never set foot in the apartment in the first place! It is based on this erroneous conclusion that I became the subject of a Housing Court action.Hence my comment at 00:59 into the video.
2015-01-08 03:40:08 NeoAmsterdam 2015-01-11 | It's the coldest night New York City's experienced in a long time. The apartment is cold. And the bedroom radiator is leaking again.Why am I up at this hour? Because I can't sleep. Why can't I sleep? Because I'm being taken to Housing Court. Why am I being taken to Housing Court? Because the landlord says I'm not paying the rent in full. Why am I not paying the rent in full? Because last I heard from the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal, my rent is capped until repairs are made and DHCR verifies that the job was done correctly.But as it turns out, DHCR has come to the erroneous conclusion that *all* of the issues my apartment has had are *all* repaired. DHCR failed to tell me about this decision, but was more than happy to tell the landlord. The landlord, rather than knocking on my door and saying "Hey, you're a bit short on the rent - what gives?" instead prefers to sue me. Me? It's 3:40AM and I'm staring directly at a contradiction and contemplating the very near-term future.
2015-01-11 14:31:51 NeoAmsterdam 2015-01-11 | Short version: "Yeah, we'll fix it someday."Longer version: "You mean replacing the sheet rock didn't solve the broken pipe? We'll get it fixed real soon..." (Where "real" means "practically" and "soon" means "never")The bathroom ceiling has been the bane of living in this apartment for over seven years. It is the top issue on my list of complaints with the superintendent, the managing agency, the landlord, HPD, DHCR, and anyone who has been willing (or compelled) to listen. And here we have proof - straight from the source, no less - that they haven't repaired the problem; only hidden it behind a sheet-rock façade.Have I mentioned that this is the root of why I'm being taken to housing court tomorrow morning? DHCR says there's no problems here, yet these two issues (the radiator leak and bathroom leak) are documented as having needed repairs AND STILL NEED REPAIRS!!
2015-01-11 01:10:40 NeoAmsterdam 2015-01-11 | A tour of the leaky and water-damaged bathroom ceiling that DHCR insists was repaired.
2015-01-11 14:29:34 NeoAmsterdam 2015-01-11 | You may recall from my 2015-01-08 videos («youtube.com/watch?v=saB5ajJMWQA» and «youtube.com/watch?v=y_XmWJkd2iE») I was to expect the superintendent to come today to look at the leaking radiator. Instead I had to chase after him, seeing as how no one's knocked on my door yet and the day is rapidly drawing to a close.
2013-09-20T05:24Z NeoAmsterdam 2013-09-20 | Two (and a half) words: it's backOn 2011-Dec-28 an HPD contractor "repaired" the leak in my bathroom ceiling. Of course it was a cosmetic job as the contractor brought no new plumbing along, but nevertheless I was told "no more leaks".I didn't believe him then, and now the proof is self-evident.
Manhattan-bound on SBS Bx12 NeoAmsterdam 2013-09-20 | It might be a good idea to mute the audio here as I willingly ignored sound in this test shot.Taken out the window of a Manhattan-bound Bx12 Select Bus as it merged with traffic on Pelham Parkway.
2011-11-11 08:44:42 NeoAmsterdam 2011-11-13 | Water leaking and pooling in the bathroom ceiling. The "newly-discovered" leak (see "2011-11-06 14:51:51") is back, but this time the water is on the march in search of a point of drainage. At 0:24 we can see the extent of the leak in progress. Note well how the backing of the sheet rock is saturated with water - and there is still more on the way as the toilet flushes at 1:15. Keen viewers will not the reflection of the light in the upper left-hand side of the frame caused by water flowing along the side of a supporting beam, raising a disturbing question about the structural integrity of the upstaris neighbor's bathroom floor. Another flush at 2:16 increases the leak rate further, and leaving the structural integrity of the plumbing in no doubt: it hasn't any. Note well the discoloration of the wooden slats at 3:53 as it illustrates the area in need of repairs. From 4:17 through 04:45 we see that the pooling of water has increassed and is now in contact with the conduits. Note that the water is gravitating towards the lowest and nearest point in the bathroom ceiling: the light fixture. Note also that water is still leaking at 5:30 - more than three minutes after the last flush! As the camera tilts down to give some perspective at 5:40, I ask the view to consider what it must be like to have a leak directly above one's toilet. Being piddled upon from up on high when on the throne is NOT plesant. At 5:54, we see the light fixture from below the sheet rock. By 5:58 it becomes obvious that the leaking water is making its way towards the light fixture. I do not know if having electrical conduit in direct contact with water qualifies as a fire hazard, but this footage certainly does not offer peace of mind.
2011-11-06 14:51:51 NeoAmsterdam 2011-11-13 | Observation of a leak in progress emanating from the bathroom ceiling. Unlike previous recordings (see "2011-07-31T14:43:16Z"), the water-damadged sheet rock at the far end of the bathroom has been removed in its entirety. This has allowed for a better picutre and a better understanding of what is going on. The first hard evidence confirming my suspicion of multiple leak points appears at 0:41. This particular leak does not drain - it puddles along the part of the ceiling where the sheet rock still remains. You can see the progression of moisture through the wood along the top of the frame from 0:49 to 0:52. At 1:08 you can see how the leaking water makes its way along the wooden cross-beam and is absorbed by the exposed sheet rock. The discoloration is more clearly cisible at 1:25. The "fun" begins at 1:42, when the upstairs toilet is flushed: the leak resumes within ten seconds; 1:57, the newly-confirmed leak source is obvious. At 2:37 we see that the water is dripping directly onto the cross-beam in the lower left quadrant of the frame. As my commentary suggests, this too is a new discovery. The torn paper that the corss-beam obscures is in fact that paper backing of the sheet rock. As I have stated in previous videos, this sheet rock was installed in September 2007 - note well the damage that four years of unabated leaks can do. If you listen carefully from 3:05 to 3:22 on the right audio channel, you will be able to hear the pitter-patter of water droplets hitting the sheet rock. The mess of electical wiring becomes visible at 3:35. This continues to be a concern as the area around it remains inaccessible, and thus impossible to assess for water damage. By 3:54 one can't help but wonder why there is so much wiring for an otherwise simple electrical fixture. The crossbeam visible at 4:15 appears to be splitting where a nail has been hammered in. I am not sure if it is because the wood is being work down by the continuing leak, or if it is a knot in the wood and a trick of the light. The fact that the camera has a hard time focusing on the area adds to the uncertainty. That said, the discoloation on the wood comes into focus by 4:33 - tree rings and water damage become clearly distinguishable. At 5:06 the upstairs toilet flushes again; by 5:14, the leaks resume; and by 5:49, the source and destination of the leaks are visible to all.
2011-08-16 09:57:35 (Raw Footage) NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-18 | CHRONOLOGY: Note that parenthesis ("(#)") indicate events to which I was not present; brackets ("[#]") indicate events at which I was present. (1) A person was sent by HPD to take a look at the leak in the bathroom ceiling. We'll call him "Mr. A" as I don't know his name. (2) Mr. A attempts to enter the building by asking the superintendent, "Mr. B", to let him in. (3) Mr. B ejects Mr. A from the building, despite the seemingly-obvious fact that Mr. A is on official HPD business. [4] Mr. A contacts me directly and asks me to let him into the building. I concede. [5] I go downstairs to open up the door of the building for Mr. A and escort him up the flight of stairs and to my apartment (as is my custom). [6] As Mr. A and I head from the building's entrance to the stairwell through the lobby, I spot the backside Mr. B entering into apartment 3. This is the first time that I have seen Mr. B with my own two eyes since February 2008. I assume that Mr. B is likely conducting repairs to a ground-level apartment, or more likely renovating a vacant apartment, or most likely confronting the tenant(s) with his trademark charm and diplomatic touch. (That was sarcasm, in case you weren't aware.) [7] Not wanting a confrontation of my own, I discretely head for the stairs and lead Mr. A up the stairs. Note well that I do not yet know about the previous altercation between Mr. A and Mr. B. Also note that I do not yet know that Mr. B had ejected Mr. A from the building. Finally, note well that although I could see Mr. B the whole time, Mr. B could not see me - he would have had to turn around 180° to see me, and I did not see him move at all. [8] Mr. A and I enter the apartment and and close the apartment door behind us. By now I am bracing for a confrontation with Mr. B. The last time HPD inspected the apartment, Mr. B banged on my door, raised all sorts of cain, blamed me for all the problems in the apartment, and effectively asserted his "authority" by bullying me. (9) Mr. B decides to comes up the stairs to my apartment. I just want to underscore that point: Mr. B made the decision; the decision was not made for him. [10] Now in the bathroom and with the apartment door closed, Mr. A informs me of the altercation he had with Mr. B. Before I can say "I'm not surprised - every thing in need of repair reflects poorly on him", Mr. B starts pounding on my apartment door. [11] Mr. A says "That will probably be him." I say "I hope you don't mind, but I have to start recording." This is where the video begins. COMMENTS: — Indeed I am late for work - I woke up less than five minutes before point 4. In fact, I was still stunned when I arrived at work an hour later. — I was not expecting HPD to show up, nor had I filed any complaint recently enough to warrant an HPD inspection. — I do not know if the person sent by HPD came to see the repairs needed in my apartment only, or if he came to see other repairs needed in other tenants' apartments. — Note how superintendent goes from making demands that HPD leave and that repairs will being immediately, to "I want to be good neighbors". This is how the superintendent has treated me in every one of our (mercifully) few encounters. — My remark that the superintendent "can not" begin making repairs "by law" without "prior advance notice" is 100% correct: see «http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/tenants/faqs-for-tenants.shtml#tr1» and «http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/faq/quality.html#force». — My remark that I "will call the police" is genuine and dead serious: I am being harassed by my superintendent; the superintendent is obstructing HPD from conducting official business; the person sent on official HPD business is being harassed; and the superintendent is interfering with the "privacy, comfort, or quiet enjoyment" clause of DHCR fact sheet 14 «http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/dhcr/dhcr17.html» by acting bombastic, belligirent, and, quite frankly, crazy. — Note that the superintendent refers to the bedroom steam riser, the radiator, and other issues that are completely irrelevant to this visit from HPD. This indicates that he is demanding to repair everything immediately while simultaneously indicating that he doesn't know what needs to be repaired in the first place. — NOTE DAMN FUCKING WELL that the superintendent HAS been informed of this particular needed repair as far back as 2008 - see «http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UeFfM_JX8o» (2008-02-19 15:15), «http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK7BgaBJR9E» (2008-02-19 15:30), «http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j8KyjBQKPg» (2008-02-21), and «http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsIRzPh60Xc» (2008-02-24). — Finally, I mean it when I compliment his beard - it really does look good on him. It reminds me of, but lacks the grooming of, George Clooney's character in "Syriana" (2005).
2011-07-31T14:43:16Z NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | Detailed panoramic assessment of the ceiling-space above the bathroom in "normal" light, starting from the direction that faces the entrance of the bathroom and panning counter-clockwise. Note the buildup of fine sediment adjacent to the central stud (0:24, lower center of frame). This buildup is consistent with water flowing towards the central stud (owing to the pitch of the ceiling) and being deposited there. The water that isn't absorbed through the sheetrock makes its way to the thin space between the bottom of the central stud and the top of the sheetrock (0:33, lower center of frame) towards the [unsealed] light fixture, through which the water exits the ceiling-space and drips into the bathroom proper. Note, however, the mess of wires, cables, and sheaths at the top of the ceiling-space (0:35, center of frame). As it is not possible to inspect this area in better detail, it should be considered possible that this too is where water has been entering the ceiling-space and exiting through the light fixture. Considering that the sheetrock from the central stud on backwards (towards the camera) was installed in 2007 (see "2007-09-18 10:39:41"), it should be noted that the debris seen is at most four years old. I can think of no explanation for this phenomenon, nor am I able to interpret its significance (if any) at this time. The discoloration running across the paneling on the wall adjacent to the living room (0:56, spanning the width of the frame) suggests that water leaks observed in the living room (see "2011-01-14 19:46:03" and "2011-02-05 13:40", ) share a common source. There is no way to tell if the gap of slats and the debris pile beneath it is in any way significant (0:59, top and center of the frame respectively). That said, it is important to note that electrical cabling appears to run through/along the water-damaged panelling as it raises the possibility of an electrical fire started by a water leak. I am not sure what to make of the discoloration of the outer wall (1:06 through 1:16) - it is likely that it is merely rusting iron but it is possible that it contains asbestos (the fire retardant of choice at the time the building was constructed). I am not sure if the series of cracked slats (1:42, top-center of frame) indicate buckling under pressure of an object behind the slats, but I find it odd that the slats appear to end along the same line. A zoomed-in panorama begins at 2:27 following the general look-around. Once again, the camera is aimed in towards the entrance of the bathroom and rotated in a counter-clockwise direction. The discoloration of the sheathing (2:42, center of frame) suggests that water has indeed come into contact with the electrical lines. This would confirm my long-running suspicion that the bathroom light switch and electrical outlets are suspect. The moisture in the paneling on the wall adjacent to the living room, the debris pile under the "slat hole", and the buildup of reside on the electrical sheaths, and the water leak escape route towards the light fixture can be seen in great detail at 3:30 (center and along top), 3:33 and 3:51 (center), 3:40 (lower-left corner), and 3:47 (dead center) respectively. As the camera exits the ceiling-space and returns into the bathroom proper, we are confronted with visible damage. Armed with this footage, every concealed leak and indicator of water damage becomes as obvious as if the ceiling were made of transparent acrylic.
2011-07-31T04:33:53Z (High-speed) NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | High-speed recording of water leaking through the bathroom ceiling.
2011-07-31T04:33:29Z (High-speed) NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | High-speed recording of water leaking through the bathroom ceiling.
2011-07-30T10:01:58Z (High-speed, Infrared) NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | High-speed infrared recording of water leaking through the bathroom ceiling.
2011-07-30T08:35:41Z NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | · Assessment after a water leak. · Assessment of the ceiling-space.
2011-07-30T08:29:44Z (Infrared) NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | Infrared recording of water leaking through the bathroom ceiling.
2011-07-30T07:37:09Z (Infrared) NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | Infrared recording of water leaking through the bathroom ceiling.
2011-07-18T01:14:39Z (Infrared) NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | Assesment of the space above the ceiling for signs of other water leaks and water damage. Unlike "2007-09-18 10:39:41", this footage documents all of the ceiling-space (albeit in infrared and with a shaky hand).
2011-07-10 15:58:01 NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | Water leaking though the hole in the bathroom ceiling. It should be noted that this is the first time that the source of a water leak could be directly observed while in action. In the pervious such incident, the exact source was obscured in (see "2007-03-12 16:19:00") and became inaccessible after the ceiling was "repaired" (see "2007-09-18 10:39:41")
2011-07-09 20:10:20 NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | Damage assessment after the discovery of a ceiling collapse in the bathroom (see "2011-07-09 19:04:21"). The reason for the delay between the initial discovery and this damage assessment was because other areas of the apartment had to be checked and because filing a complaint with HPD through 311 takes a while.
2011-07-09 19:04:21 NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | Discovery of a ceiling collapse in the bathroom. The ceiling must have collapsed between 2011-06-30 (see "The West Side from a Northbound Amtrak") and 2011-07-09 (see "Southbound Amtrak from South Station" and "New York City: Summer at its zenith from an air-conditioned carriage"). The first indication of a water leak in-progress was documented in "2009-10-13 00:06", and was mentioned in the "2010-04-30" series of videos. Note that the area affected was previously "repaired" by the superintendent on 2007-09-18 as evidenced in "2007-09-18 10:39:41".
New York City: Summer at its zenith from an air-conditioned carriage NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | This view was worth the cost of the Amtrak ticket. A continuous take from just a little bit south of New Rochelle through the entrance of Tunnel 4 to Penn Station. Once above the South Bronx skyline, Manhattan is revealed - basking (and baking) under sunny blue sky... low-budget cinematographers in need of a super-üper-duper wide-shot of The City, take note. Once past the juxtaposition of skyscrapers and open lands (and the graffiti-adorned expressway structures), New York beckons the weary traveller: The Triboro hides the "far side" of Randall's Island and obscures an otherwise-spectacular view down 125th, but you can see the ballfields, some of Ichan Stadium, and Wards Island Park (the FDNY training grounds are below and "behind" this view). You may notice that frames of high illumination and rapid motion appear as black blocks. I believe this is a codec error stemming from the need to rotate the source 180° (yes, there was no alternative but to shoot "upside-down"). Frankly, there is no reason why YouTube can't provide this service instead placing the onus on the user. But no matter: enjoy the ride.
Southbound Amtrak from South Station NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | I won't hazard describing the scenery as I know next to nothing about Boston.
The West Side from a Northbound Amtrak NeoAmsterdam 2011-08-02 | An uncommon view of Manhattan from 125th Street to Spuyten Duyvil (when not obstructed by buildings and overgrowth). Highlights include elevated Riverside Drive, graffiti under the Henry Hudson Parkway's supports, a substation on Dyckman Street, the peninsula and pond at Inwood Hill Park, and a view of the Henry Hudson Bridge from the west. The audio track for this clip was excised as it contained a conversation that probably wasn't meant to be overheard (much less recorded).
