Mermaids on Parade

Remember aaaaalllll the way back in 2009 when I wrote about Coney Island mermaids sloshing through a mid-June rainstorm and made a promise to never neglect my poor blog again?

Well, it's been a whole year and another 90 posts, which means it's time for more Coney Island mermaids!
This year the sun was shining oh so bright, but I didn't get sunburned because I stuck myself like a little lamprey to people with huge umbrellas, staying shady and protected from large predators. I actually hung around for the whole parade this time, even venturing up to the boardwalk to put up posters for the Village Voice's Siren Music Festival (July 17th, 10th annual, and boy was my mouth tired of saying that after a couple of hours). I ended up hopping the barricade because I got stuck in a tight crowd where I couldn't breathe, and some guy walked way too close to me wearing a huge, live snake, and some other guy spilled beer on me, and two OTHER guys started to fight, and I smelled vomit--anyway, I got all panicky and shoved my way into the parade. I figured that if any cops questioned me, I would tell them that I was with the Village Voice and I was taking picture, both true statements, albeit unrelated. That's how I got this killer shot of these topless women. I was wearing a skirt with reef fishes all over it, so at least I was in theme, and I've learned that if you just walk with confidence wherever you go, no one bothers you. And it's a good thing I jumped into the parade when I did, because just as I cleared the barricade, two cops ran passed me to break up the fight that was brewing where I'd just been trapped.

One more picture for today, and later I'll post a link to my Flickr account so you can see all of the pictures from Coney Island's 2010 Mermaid Parade.

Mermaid Parade in the Rain

I've been feeling bad about my poor orphaned blog... all alone in the netwebs... languishing... abandoned...



So here's a mermaid!



Some of the what, four people who read my blog (thanks very much, by the way), may already know that in addition to my mighty temping powers, I am also a part-time Street Teamster with the Village Voice. Not exactly writing restaurant reviews, but at least they let me inside of their offices now, if only to pick up postcards and fliers to distribute. It gets me out of the house and I get to hang out in Bedstuy's ritzy neighbor, Fort Greene, so I'm pretty pleased I have this gig.



Today, the Village Voice sent me to Coney Island to put up posters for the Siren Music Festival. (July 18th, if anyone is wondering.) Since it was Mermaid Parade Day, there were lots and lots of mermaids wandering around, along with sailors, Greek gods, Elvis, and a British judge from the 1700s, because apparently "mermaid" is more of a guideline than a rule. Unfortunately, I didn't take very many pictures because it was pouring rain and I was juggling Siren posters and an umbrella. So here's a picture of a dude craming a Nathans hot dog into his mouth. I wanted to get the mermaid in front of him--that's the crap of blue in the left corner--but alas: only hot dog guy.



Coney Island is a pretty crap-tacular experience, as evidenced by this palm tree. It's where old carnivals--and carnies--come to die. The rides were literally the same as the ones at the Kailua-Kona Farm Fair, and I saw more neck growths on the staff members than a person should see in a single day.



Needless to say, as soon as my vaccinations are up to date and it stops raining, I'm totally going back there.