Greetings Odyssey friends,

Our planet’s tilt is bringing the northern hemisphere into autumn. The sun still has some kick to it. Here’s what’s been happening in our cities since we last spoke:

Urban Sightings in NYC:

• An escapee from the zoo or someone’s household cage: birdwatchers camp in Inwood for the non-native spice finch.
• There’re some nipples on the A train that I’m not sure belong there.
• Heineken has some strange friends.
• An accordion player at the Broadway Lafayette stop conjures some old memories that I’m not supposed to have.

Graffiti:

• Say goodbye to summer, Inwood NYC
• Aliens strike in Catania, Sicily: 1 and 2 along with the Medusa.

Get your nerd on in outerspace:

• Why everything in life can be explained via the Matrix… Breaking through the barriers we set for ourselves.
• Why all of you are trekkies, complete with sci-fi porn (okay, a pin-up).

Films/Books:

• Home Girl: Gentrifiers/”Pioneers in non-affluent neighborhoods”: here is why people get upset about gentrification.
• Hispanic Heritage Month: Thanks for depressing me, PBS

Notable Places:

• A NYC church with a café
• Tavern on the Green, Salsa and I knew it
• Say goodbye to local movie theaters

Salsa (on2):

• Why it’s a cult and why it’s ok to check into a hotel with a man who isn’t your husband.

Harlem Hubris has kicked up again, for those who like commentary on pop culture and politics, from the red cyclopean visor of Roc Belushi.

Be well and happy autumn.

Nova

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Greetings Urbanites-

Who says things slow down in our cities during the summer? Here are some highlights:

·      Coming to a comic store near you are playing cards of Salsa Characters. This list of first editions focuses on some of the men you’ll encounter in the Salsa Universe. Study them like SAT cards, ladies. Your dancing life will improve tremendously when you know how to spot a “Topsy Turvey”, “Predator”, “Romeo Don Juan”, “Have No Rhythm, Don’t Count, Don’t Care”… the list goes on.

·      Nova has a Star Wars- Matrix moment at Jimmy Anton’s… I meet Obi-Wan-On2, who shows me how the way to feel the force is to salsa with your eyes closed. Before anyone gets any ideas, only Fred Astaires and Romeo Don Juans can get away with asking a girl to do this. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Then read up on Salsa Characters!

·      We learn that city heaven has Cecilware Fe-100s, and city hell has announcements managed by the MTA.

·      C-mixto spots a white tiger lurking in the safari of Inwood. Captured on film! Can you spot it?

·      I call the return of paperboys.

·      Get ready for… end-time, black holes, mutants, aliens… or the status quo. You have until about November 2009.

·      Graffiti street art fans should check out a mural in Williamsburg and 2 Dister murals, “I love my hood”. One and two.

·      JPLogan submits a sign from Miami that let’s us know Miami knows what’s up.

·      Nova and Bianca give thought on some cities with memorable sidewalks: Buenos Aires, DC and Gettysburg.

·      Someone made a makeshift map on how to cross 72^nd street NYC on a lamppost, illustration of pedestrian getting hit by bus and all.

 A reminder of how this works:

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 -Nova

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Hi all,

 Here’s what’s been happening odyssey-wise around town, whether it be in NYC, Athens, Alexandria, Sicily or Outer space:

 For those into graffiti or street signs, you have a piece of a mural by Cekis from the Brooklyn Afro-Punk festival, Tony Anny and Up in Catania, Obama in Caltagirone, and an unfulfilled prophecy from Williamsburg, Brooklyn (yes, I’ve really been traveling).

 I ponder what could be the loneliest taxi stand in NYC… hint… alternate title for the blog: tits, tips and then a taxi.

 JPlogan, Bianca and Nova salsa dance in a synagogue, while Narcissus incarnates as DR fire-hydrant guy who prefers to dance with his own reflection (and not the lady he’s got dangling on his arm).

 Cities are the people that make them… so demonstrates Lawrence Durrell in his sensual, The Alexandria Quartet, a series of books that gives you a glimpse of a very personal Alexandria through a handful of its entangled inhabitants. This writing is pure indulgence of the senses.

 We talk about things that work in two cities: Athens (temples, ruins, coffee, fresh produce, beaches and good people) and Syracuse of Sicily (ubiquitous rent-a-bike stations for your mobility needs around the city).

 And how can I not sound-off on the Sci-Fi channel’s idiotic transformation to the “Syfy” channel, taking us further into the frontier of brainless, branded stupidity.

 A reminder of how this works:

Submit your stories to ouo@oururbanodyssey.com

Post your comments on what you see. Don’t be shy. You can see the latest comments on posts in the “Recent Comments” section.

If you like something, share it on Facebook. Some articles give you a chance to Dig it! (icon in the comments section).

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 -Nova

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Greetings fellow urbanites,

We spent another week hopping the globe (and stars) for stories, urban and on the periphery of urban.

We saw some tags and murals from both Sicily and NYC: A Bad Dog series, an 80’s style bus and an Ode to Héctor Levoe by Washington Heights’s own Dister (for you salseros). 

Watch out because Street Cookie appeared in a market in Syracuse, Sicily, manifesting as a Roma tomato (no-one correct me on how that’s NOT a Roma tomato). C-mixto documented a Street Cookie Alien invading Inwood, NYC, emerging from a black hole vortex (not kidding, check it out). Have you seen Street Cookie?

In the dancing and clubbing world, I tell you how salsa puts you (ladies) in place, exploring the gender dynamics one takes home from the dance floor. We get down to the beats of Alex Pearce in Cielo, with Bruce Leroy of the Last Dragon (much respect!) enjoying the vibe (that post was dedicated to Roc Belushi and his raw, in the headlines blog that connects me to the real world, Harlem Hubris). In, Behind the Dancer’s Mask, I tell you how I enjoyed dancing salsa with a salsero who also happens to be a priest, directing you to two articles chronicling his salsa adventures. Not to be missed!

On the subject of hearts, love and the stories that make us who we are…

I get super serious watching sci-fi, giving some serious thought to the story behind Darth Vader, asking, Does the Story Change the Act? Something to think about.

I document love, or its fleshy shell, for sale et en Arcadia- along the rural highways of Sicily. No odyssey is complete without carnal solicitation. Sicily seems to be smart about this, making sure they have public condom machines in town squares.

Air conditioning was thrown into Dante’s Inferno, with some applause. I’d like to take this opportunity to blame air conditioning for a very COLD summer we’re having.

One reader shared a story:

JPLogan of NYC shared a site that gives the male-female game some ladder theory. Does this play out in urban dating?

A reminder of how this works:

Submit your stories to ouo@oururbanodyssey.com

Post your comments on what you see. Don’t be shy. You can see the latest comments on posts in the “Recent Comments” section.

Subscribe for daily updates.

Share word of OurUrbanOdyssey.com 

-Nova

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Ciao Urban Odyssey Travelers,

 How have you all been? We’re back from an odyssey in Sicily. Odyssey=stories.  What’s happened?

Before I left, Body Bag Stiletto Guy was revealed in a NY Times article right after we encountered him in Cielo, begging to be stepped on by my heels.  I found another great use for a Stiletto, in a public area too.

 We bid you farewell with some Odyssey history on Sicily and upon returning give you a Cyclop’s view of the city of Modica. I salsa dance under an active volcano, paying homage to the natural rhythms that our music mirrors. Also pay respect to Michael. Our Ode to Series continues with, what else? Ode to Good Food, where I describe how history (or myth) almost repeats itself, our Odyssey crew narrowly escaping a firery thunderbolt from Helios for eating something we shouldn’t have. (Actually some thingS we shouldn’t have eaten. Too many thingS.) We also spot some cool bus graffiti in the city of Acireale.

Our ear catches two conversations: one in a NYC café (where Nova has the potential to go SuperNova but instead decides to enjoy the literary use of her experience), the other in that wonderful place to meet people: airports.  We also spot another ghost of Einstein in the meat packing district.

 We hop quickly to Buenos Aires with Governor Mark Sanford for another shot in our Urban Tree Series with a tree that spawns alien pods.

A reminder of how this works:

Submit your stories to ouo@oururbanodyssey.com

Post your comments on what you see. Don’t be shy.

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Share word of OurUrbanOdyssey.com 

-Nova

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Buon Giorno Urban Odyssey Friends,

This week had more of a local flavor as we prepare to take our Odyssey to Sicily, Italy.

 So what happened in NYC? For starters, we clubbed in Cielo, where a man in a body bag begged for me to step on him with my heels. Before we walked in, we saw a Ghost of Einstein announcing to the world what the answer is. And the PR Day Parade kicked off with a salsa extravaganza at South Street Seaport- I dance on the pier’s wooden planks like a sloppy pirate, with a high class salsero in a porkpie hat. Current residents of Dante’s Inferno got some company: most yellow cabs and non-local gypsy cabs.  And I sound off on the Parks Department campaign to put a fence around EVERYTHING.

 We made a quick trip to Rio, where I get serious about the serious stuff in life after seeing kids sniffing glue, and ponder contrasts of urbanity.

 I offer some Odyssey Music with Sigur Ros, to a song that will make you travel.

 And I kick off our Sicily trip with a reminder of Odyssey essentials (like keeping your passport up to date).  That said, we head to the city of Catania, home to (Wikipedia link) “a race of cannibals who devoured several of Odysseus’s crew.”

 Stay tuned, be well, and remember….

Submit your stories to ouo@oururbanodyssey.com

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-Nova

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Hi gang of Our Urban Odyssey,

How is everyone? Here’s what’s happened this week in odyssey land.

I get busted in a brothel in Rio (this dancing shit will land me in trouble).

We give due respect to Frappé in an Ode to.. series in Athens. When we’re done with our frappé we join a green and white mob celebrating the elections and spot Rambopoulos smiling at us from the bushes of the National Garden.

Buenos Aires gives us a warning in more street art, “We’re here to protect you.”

In New York City, we spot an Ent for our Urban Tree Series (Lord of the Rings fans are in the know). In salsa, I’ve fallen off the wagon (with help from friends-might as well put the record needle to my vein) and learn that on-2 is about attitude (and how does one teach attitude?). In bizarre Inwood Heights news, the fourth of July came a month early.

Here’s a shout out to Eastern Europe reading this blog. Say hello.

If you want to get a sample of what I get in my spam box, and who your company is in reading this blog, say hello to Rybka, who left the following message for us: “Good afternoon! Escort Kiev information there. escort girl men. Your Kyivska prostitute Rybka”.

You know how this works:

Submit your stories to ouo@oururbanodyssey.com

Post your comments on what you see. Don’t be shy.

Subscribe for daily updates to bring a chuckle to your day.

Share word of OurUrbanOdyssey.com 

-Nova

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Hi friends of Our Urban Odyssey,

 A lot for you to choose from this past week in odyssey entertainment…

 Starting in our hometown, NYC, we had some exciting phenomenon and reflection. We started by giving ode to the hot dog guy. Surely you have your equivalent. As I learned of its legions, Street Cookie made its NYC arrival via interdimensional travel through a concrete sidewalk on Spring Street.  Divafish found two things in Harlem, someone’s shopping list and a poster warning against gentrification. C-mixto and I wonder, “What the f*ck happened to finger painting?” as we pass the Color Spectrum Dogs made by kindergarteners at Mandell private school. In a desperate plea, I ask, Where are you, salsa? after my studio closes for a week. My methadone is celebrating Memorial Day with in the park, surrounded by blasting salsa for six hours straight, making the gentrifiers wish more and more that the PRs would just continue to die out from liver disease and leave them apartments (for real, it’s true). Finally, in Strip Job, we ponder about all those lonely poles in the city with… ha, got you going there… abandoned bikes.In an entry also shared in NYC, but rooted in Athens, Greece, A Loafer’s Manifesto reviews a book that calls for our liberation from wage labor and uncreative mindsets, and answers our previous post’s question on What the f*ck happened to finger painting.

 We saw a wonder of a mural in Buenos Aires, Imagine, and kicked off our Urban Tree Series, because, let’s face it: trees can make or break a city block.

 And to balance things out, Archie of Riverdale gets thrown into Dante’s Inferno for playing Betty.

 In our comment sections, we had some funny chit-chat, with JPLogan and Bianca throwing their elementary school teachers into Dante’s Inferno, and a shared lament about a strip job. We also outed some fellow idlers.

Submit your stories to ouo@oururbanodyssey.com

Post your comments on what you see.

Subscribe for daily updates to bring a chuckle to your day.

Share word of OurUrbanOdyssey.com 

 More importantly, enjoy your odyssey.

-Nova

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Happy Memorial Day Weekend friends of Our Urban Odyssey,

 We’re at the home stretch in New York City at having delicious, consistently warm weather and once again becoming a Sun City.

 We were blogging the week away with some fun topics in some nice places. Let’s start with Outerspace. The gates of hell were opened with the first of our series, Dante’s Inferno. Learn who got thrown in. We also had some dialogue on what it means to enter the Twilight Zone.

 Landing in Athens, Greece we first saw some more wall murals in Gazi, before I ask you to pass me a molotov as I’m caught up with an angry mob.

 Moving to a place where summer is ending, Buneos Aires, we stop to enjoy another street mural before running into Street Cookie again, learning it has legions of demons to help spread chaos.

 Back home in New York we were busy… After seeing some graffiti van art that touts, I love my hood, we noticed a sad trend of closing stores, and sigh yes, but there goes the neighborhood… Then we notice some stores that are open that leave us scratching our heads- who told them this was a good idea? And not to be missed is a panting entry with a salsa update, Salsa Libido. I describe this week’s pool of dancers and salacious moves concocted by some clever men. While you read this entry, you can listen to a great song by Tito Puente, Niña y Señora.

 Divafish become our first blogger to submit a free-standing story, which I called Something fishy. Hear what lurks in the Harlem Meer…

 Finally, Roc Belushi of Harlem Hubris gave us our first little press by sending love, and showing pride on being an inspiration for us. Watch out for Street Cookie, Roc.

 Remember to comment on what you read, and when you’re ready to submit a story, email us at ouo@oururbanodyssey.com. We’re waiting to spread word of your odyssey.

 Hello to the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

 -Nova

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Hello friends of Our Urban Odyssey,

Those north of the equator: are we ready for summer yet?

We were a little chill this week, sometimes serious. Here’s what we heard about:

We opened up the week with another installment of the Ode to series, this week honoring grandma and her Budlights on mother’s day. (For the less sentimental folk, don’t worry… a Dante’s Inferno series will be coming for all who deserve it.)

We shot out to outerspace again, this time to review the new Star Trek movie, exploring why I beg, Beam me back to Earth, young Scottie.

We enjoyed some funky faces in Buenos Aires in the art world, found another themed fire hydrant in Ioannina (that’s Greece, okay?) and in the spirit of our apocalypse theme, identify a flea market in Athens where robots will laser you (and your cars) into a pile of burnt toast.

We have a salsa update with Salsa Rabbit Hole.

Finally, I give you our first literary-like piece by time traveling to St. Petersburg (that’s Florida, sorry), reflecting on a point of my urban odyssey journey that helps us understand the importance of rolling with the tide. A story most women navigate.

Here’s a hello to our Canadian and Ukrainian fans. Please do say hello back.

Enjoy. Spread word of our urban odyssey. Start sharing yours.

-Nova

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