Manhattan, N.Y., March 12, 2009: Bernard Madoff (hidden in the back seat) leaves his Upper East Side home at 133 E. 64 St. shortly before 7 a.m. He is expected to plead guilty in court later in the day.

Manhattan, N.Y., March 12, 2009: A helicopter escort right above Madoff's Upper East Side home will follow his vehicle all the way to court.

Manhattan, N.Y., March 12, 2009: A CNBC report relays the information live to the TV news network right after Bernard Madoff left his Upper East Side home for court.

Manhattan, N.Y., March 12, 2009: The NYPD made sure the media and press were in line and made way for the barricade that would allow Madoff's escort vehicle to leave his Upper East Side home.

Manhattan, N.Y., March 12, 2009: By 6 a.m., dozens of reporters, photographers and TV crew were gathered outside Bernard Madoff's home on 133 E. 64 St. As he is expected to plead guilty today, prosecutors may not allow him to return home anymore.

New York, N.Y., March 7th, 2009: Visitors to The Armory Show 2009 view art work by Galerie Thomas. Spread over four days from March 5th to 8th, the show on Piers 92 and 94 features a Modernist component for the first time.

Last weekend I headed to the Armory Show 2009, an annual art fair where expensive works are put in a huge gallery and sold off if prospective buyers are found. Rather than shooting the art, I noticed lookers and buyers easily got tired from all the walking, so here’s a short photo essay on the various methods they took to unwound themselves.

New York, N.Y., March 7th, 2009: Analyzing art on two feet and walking through the long galleries can be a tiring business. Here visitors rest in the Art in America lounge, one of many rest areas in the show.

New York, N.Y., March 7, 2009: Those thirsty for a drink could order a glass or champagne for $12 at this cafe in Pier 92. High stools and circular bar tables provided.

New York, N.Y., March 7th, 2009: The Artforum Lounge in Pier 94 not only supplied sofas and chairs for visitors to rest, but offered art publications for sale.

New York, N.Y., March 7th, 2009: For food, one option was the restaurant at the end of Pier 92. Seats were a premium during the mid-afternoon.

New York, N.Y., March 7th, 2009: Those strapped for cash, either for food, drinks or even art could draw money from ATMs. Here one is conveniently located at the Restaurant on Pier 92.

Magazines: 11
Newspapers: 5
Wire Services: 6
Alternative Weeklies: 1
Online Media: 10
Television: 15
Radio: 2

Those numbers are useless without comparison. See below for the same list for 2008 and come shed some sympathy.

Magazines: 34
Newspapers: 21
Wire Services: 5
Alternative Weeklies: 3
Online Media: 13
Television: 32
Radio: 6

Look at the colors and they tell the whole story — red means a decline, green means up. For reasons that are obviously more complicated than the economic crisis, there will one more wire service coming to the this year’s expo compared to last year. Every other area of journalism is seeing cuts as high as 50%. You’re right, there are still three weeks before the actual event, but I wouldn’t be crossing my fingers at these numbers increasing significantly.

Plastic Logic reader, out in early 2010

I don’t like to predict the future much (because I’m a short-sighted realist), but you’re looking at an exciting new prospect for publishing. The Plastic Logic Reader, slated for release in early 2010, is less than 7mm thick, letter-sized, and can read newspapers, books, magazines and the common computer formats such as Word, Excel, and PDFs.

That’s not all. It boasts a new durable plastic screen that resembles pulp, is touch-sensitive, and can connect wireless-ly to cellular and internet networks. How do I know so much? Because it’s one half of the bloody boxing ring in a fight with Amazon‘s Kindle, and is a topic I’m writing about in a feature article for a school magazine.

Personally, I feel this reader is a true beauty. Not just in form factor, but the idea of slinging a thin, letter-sized device that can replace all your textbooks, newspapers and computer documents from your notebook. Sure, it’s not a computer, and it’s not made for surfing the net. But at the same time, on occasion I just want to read without piggy-backing my heavy notebook.

Right now the biggest low blow is that it’s targeted for the business professional. And with the Kindle currently priced at US$359, don’t look at PL’s reader to be any lower than that. A higher price would be justified — for PL completely wipes the screen with Kindle — but as someone who will probably not earn as much as white-collar executives, this comes as a blow.

Like the Kindle, also don’t expect this to be available outside the U.S., at least not in the near future. Only now is the Kindle being slowly distributed in Europe, and who knows when it’ll be in Asia and other continents. The wireless connectivity that Kindle users enjoy in the U.S. is also not available overseas yet. One option for foreigners is to just buy a reader and upload documents by wire. But where’s the innovation in that?

All the while I haven’t been a fan of the e-book, audio-book, or any other new technology that aims to seduce print. But the Plastic Logic reader is a bit too sexy to give up. It’ll be on my wish-list very soon. In fact, right now.

For starters, there are the accessories. Filters, flashes and fiber cloth are just the top of a long list of ‘essentials’ needed to maintain a basic camera kit of body and lens. A little dust blower could cost $10. Good tripods go up to the hundreds. They all add up to something equivalent to a short weekend trip to New York City (if you’re not from there, of course).

Then comes the computer hardware. Software can be obtained through other channels, but a decent monitor (for seeing correct colors), backup storage, and a processor with enough power all contribute to a considerable chunk of cash needed. The upside is they are long-term purchases. However with technology’s lifespan shortening ever so quickly, these things will also have to be replaced just as fast. Can photographers earn enough to fork out thousands every few years?

Get back to me in a few years and maybe I’ll be able to tell you. It hasn’t been that long since I got serious in photography, but whenever I tabulate my expenses, the figure attached to his ‘hobby’ never fails to jolt. And it’s just going to get higher, as I eye even more parts that need ‘upgrading,’ or to be filled. About a year ago, I bought a new 250GB harddisk. Now that’s almost full, so time to get another one. I’ve bought and sold lenses, but the buying always exceeds the selling, so no luck in cutting back on that.

As with government deficits, an increase in spending in one area often means a decrease in another. In my case, it’s food. I haven’t weighed myself in months, and I’m afraid of how much the number has dipped. My arms have always been thin, but now even the bones are starting to force its shape and form on the skin. Starving for the art, that’s what it is. It just depends which art. Writing is almost free; painting doesn’t sound too bad.

Why must photography be so expensive.

New York, N.Y., Feb. 7, 2009: Christopher Burrill, 22, a comics and Star Wars fan, poses beside a Sandtrooper at the entrance of the New York Comic Con.

New York, N.Y., Feb. 7, 2009: Attendees at the New York Comic Con on Saturday gathered around the Detective Comic booth to take photos of their superheroes.

An Asian Superman? Almost as bad as a White Goku in Dragonball

Riccardo Burchielli and Davide Gianfelice sketching in the DC booth

Eric Maruscak coloring a large, approximate 12' by 8' poster of the upcoming Watchmen movie

Eager fans in line for autographs. One of the biggest names to turn up on Saturday was Terry Moore, writer of Strangers in Paradise

The booth of Torpedo Comics was among many who offered major discounts during the New York Comic Con, a sign of tough times.

Fans could superimpose their images onto prints with their favorite superheroes

Promoting a new Ghostbusters game

Cyclops from X-men and an unknown animated figure...

Impressive and imposing Hulk from Marvel. Well done costume apart from the right shoulder.

One short Predator, and an even shorter Halo character.

The Joker making some devious calls

The only Super Mario character I saw. Needs to get a trim on that moustache

White creature: identify yourself!

After hours of walking and shoving, settle for a massage. Rates from $10 up

It’s only February, but blockbuster fever has set in. I was just at New York Comic Con, part out of interest, and part out of work. You’ll get to see photos in a later post, but but towards the end of my 4-hour wade through the thousands of people, I found myself staring at a 42-inch plasma screen. It was showing the trailer for this May’s Terminator Salvation.

Although it looks somewhat ambiguous and abstract to those not familiar with the series, this 4th (and possibly final) part of the time-traveling, hugely popular franchise looks promising. If nothing else, it also carries a heightened sense of expectation because of the Terminator 3 disappointment. Rise of the Machines, as the third movie is commonly known, was a let down, sticking to the tried-but-ailing Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a more advanced and sultry assasin from the future. It lacked the emotional depth and soul from my all-time favorite Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and Arnie failed to live up to his ‘best Terminator display’ from the 1991 film.

But there’s hope in the upcoming Terminator film. Superstar actor Christian Bale takes up the role of John Connor, legendary but ulmately-doomed leader of the human resistance. He rides on the success of The Dark Knight, highly acclaimed and top-grossing film of 2008. Plot aside, Bale will be looked upon by all Terminator fans to resurrect the series’ reputation. I don’t know much about the plot, under than it takes place in 2018, and a new terminator has time traveled right into the middle of the war. Much will revolve around this new robot and who knows, maybe a new timeline will be created?

Personally, Terminator 3 made too much popcorn out of a film series that was meant to be a sober look into the meaning of humanity. Looking at this trailer gives me (a little) hope that some of the old themes can be rediscovered.

Held on Feb 1, 2009, thousands of tourists and locals gathered in Manhattan's Chinatown to celebrate the 10th annual Lunar New Year parade, popping streamers along the way.

Confetti littered the streets

Those streamer poppers cost $10 each! And everyone would dash to catch the parachutes that flew out of them

I haven't seen this in 4 years.

A martial arts group showing their 'awesomeness'

Source: Kevin Terrell/Getty Images

What an amazing day for sports. Although technically Rafael Nadal‘s five-set victory (7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2) over Roger Federer in the Australian Open final was yesterday, I didn’t know who won until this morning. No need to hide here: my heart was racing for Nadal, a true-bred Spanish matador who just doesn’t quit. He punches through and penetrates even the most skilled of enemies, in this case Federer.

Sure, Federer is a great player, very similar to ‘pistol’ Pete Sampras whom I had supported. But for some reason I don’t fancy Federer. He’s not obnoxious enough to warrant a hate squad, yet I think my dislike stems from the way he makes it look too easy to win. When players like Nadal sweat and bleed to conquer, Federer dispatches challenges so quickly it’s almost — like they say — a ‘Federer’ express.

That’s why I support Nadal, because he’s the undying kind. The kind that doesn’t quit even though he may not be the brightest talent nor the biggest mouth.

Yet underdogs don’t always win. About an hour ago, the Pittburg Steelers claimed the throne of Superbowl XLIII right at the very death (27-23), after underdogs Arizona Cardinals was on the verge of the biggest ever comeback win in Superbowl history. Superbowl, like Wimbledon in tennis, holds some of my heart’s emotional strings. Ever since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers obliterated the New England Raiders in Superbowl XXXVII, the event has almost been a annual date with the TV.

Tonight, the Cardinals almost pulled off a historic win. They were trailing 20-7 by the 4th quarter, after the Steelers’ James Harrison wrote his own name in the history books by complete a 100-yard touchdown after intercepting the ball from his own goal line. Cardinal bit back slowly, fighting to lead 23-20 with about 2:30 minutes left. That was too much time for the Steelers to get another touchdown. Like I said, not all underdogs win.

Sports is truly a reflection of life’s struggles. We win some (like Nadal and the New York Giants in last year’s Superbowl), and in other times we lose. Defeat is always painful, especially after coming so far. But after the despair, I think recognition and pride has been earned. Whenever I come out on the losing side (and it’s happened more times than winning), I always remind myself on what I already have. Then an epiphany creeps up, revealing that I already have what I need to be happy. I’m already a winner.

It's not paranoia if they're really after you

Slightly more than 10 years ago, a moderately-received Will Smith movie came to cinema screens. “Enemy of the State” was set in the real world — our world — about whether the government should cross the lines of civil rights and ethics when it comes to national security.

After you’ve watched the movie, it’s clear that its creators leaned towards being the ‘good guys.’ After all, Will Smith’s character survives in the end. But perhaps no one, not even the conservatives or the civil rights activists could predict that three years after the movie aired, national security (or the lack of it) came into intense question with the events of 9/11.

Accompanied by a moving and melancholic soundtrack, Enemy of the State is about Robert Dean (Smith) caught in political shenanigans. Dean had inadvertently come into pocession of highly important video evidence — the murder of Congressman Phil Hammersly by National Security Agency (NSA) executive Thomas Reynolds. Hammersly was working against a new bill that would give the federal government carte blanche to survey the private lives of Americans. For the sake of national security, Reynolds has Hammersly killed in a cover-up.

Smith is classic Smith in this movie, the same him you may still love now. The wry and slick humor provides some comedy in an otherwise serious film. But the kicker is not in one man, but in the arsenal deployed by many. NSA’s complete infiltration into Dean’s life through wireless tracking devices, background checks, credit card and bank records, and even satellite surveillance elaborate clearly what intelligence agencies are carrying out every day. The leap across the ethical line comes when NSA freely and secretly bugs and monitors Dean’s home.

It may be a movie, but the idea behind it is very real. NSA is widely believed to operate on a different level from the CIA and FBI. While the CIA has agents operating on foreign soil, and the FBI on domestic, the NSA specializes in communications surveillance and intelligence. Their urban legend Echelon system may be a misnomer for something else, but its purpose is very real, sifting through global communications for any bits and bytes of intelligence it can gather. Private conversations hardly exist anymore.

Before September 11, Americans would vehemently oppose any correction to the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment (which forbids unlawful searches), but after the press and the public tore apart the intelligence community for failing to prevent 9/11, the world is a different place now. In October 2001, the Patriot Act was passed, giving agencies more freedom to pursue intelligence data, even on American citizens.

As of today, the Bill still exists but with lesser liberties when it comes to privacy invasion. We live in different times now. After 9/11, security takes top spot and air travel will always carry the burden of being the vehicle for a historic tragedy. Whether on the airplane, or even in your home, don’t expect complete privacy. Because it’s really not paranoia when they’re after you.