After work on Tuesday, I walked a few blocks to a debate in which one of our named partners was participating. On my way there, I passed a Best Buy that had one hundred or more people standing in the rain (blocking part of the sidewalk and street, naturally). Most were African American. People stood on the corners holding up posters of Janet Jackson. I guessed that she was there signing albums, and I was right: http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.as...6521&nbc1=1

After work last night, the SDJ and I walked a few blocks to a restaurant. On the way there, we passed one area where there were a number of policemen standing in the street, close to a restaurant entrance. It's not unusual to see a heavy police presence in midtown, but two of the policemen were carrying assault rifles, which seemed odd. Perhaps there was a dignatary present.

Ater dinner, the SDJ and I caught a bus to Julliard, where we made it just in time for a free two-hour concert of Olivier Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles. The website indicates that free tickets go quickly, though people can sometimes show up without tickets and be seated, so I was debating whether it would be ethical to give a tip to the doorman and get in that way. But as it turned out, there were plenty of empty seats and they welcomed us to join the audience. I'm pretty ignorant about music, so to me the performers sounded great, and it was free! How cool is that! Maybe if I knew a lot about music I'd think, "I'd rather pay money and hear some famous musicians," but I was quite satisfied.

One of my most enduring New York memories was on one of my earliest visits, when I still had small children.

I was walking up and down 13th Avenue BP pushing a stroller, when I witnessed a traffic accident. A car plowed into a pedestrian crossing the street and ended up tangled in a parked car. A crowd gathered, and I stopped to watch. Everyone seemed intent with getting the driver's car unstuck from the parked car, there was a lot of shouting and gesticulating going on. No one seemed interested in the pedestrian who was lying in the street, so I watched him. Gingerly he sat up, feeling his various limbs; all seemed to be in working order. Delicately he half got to his feet, and looked around him. No one was looking at him (except me and he couldn't see me). I could almost see the cogs in his brain start turning. With a groan, he lay himself down in the street again, and continuing moaning loudly.

And then this morning, as I walked to shul, I passed my car and saw that some Arab had smashed my passenger side window, and ransacked through my glove box and armrest box.

It was hard to put that out of my head during Shabbos, especially as it was pouring all day and I knew that my car was going to be soaked.

I had very little in the car, and the only thing stolen was the car charger for my GPS unit. But I'm sure it'll cost me a fortune to have the window replaced.

Did the Arab live a business card behind ?

No. I assume it was the same one that stole K_Rebbe's car stereo.

Yours had darker skin.

NYC Rule # 1: You don't leave any GPS accessories in the car, where it can be seen from the outside.

Yes, it's my fault because I had the suction cup on the front windshield. At least the GPS itself wasn't in the car, so the thief only got a charger for his trouble.

I ordered a replacement window from E-Bay for $60, and I'll see if I'm adept enough to install it myself.

What are some other NYC rules? I'm working on a list.

NYC Rule #2: If you see a homeless guy on the subway, and no one is sitting within 6' of him, don't approach within 20', because he smells like feces.

It looks like they they comb the Jewish neighborhoods late on Friday nights, for obvious reasons. The rule includes anything that resembles GPS in any shape or form. For example, some women like to use a small windshield mirror to check on their babies while driving. The obvious difference between a GPS device and a baby mirror will not prevent their glass from being broken, as the acceptance criteria for car burglars is on par with that of Project Sweep public servants.

NYC Rule #3: Keep your parking tickets in judgment below $225, because your car will get towed at the worst time in the worst place. Then it will take you about 8 hours of running around unsafe neighborhoods, hopping through the loops of the most demonic of bureaucracies, producing needless documents, and also $353.25 on top of your tickets in judgment, to get it back. And if you had a 4WD, well, it is no longer.

Twice in the last week or so, thieves have stolen all four wheels off late-model cars in Kew Gardens Hills.

That's 8 free cinder blocks!

Also, for some unknown to me reason, they like to rip out headlights from Acuras. Why healights? Why only from Acuras? If someone in the know could please explain...

But there's almost nothing that they won't steal. One of the wost foes of Brooklyn home owners? Those who steal their front yard flowers the night after they are planted.

The NYPD seems largely ineffective. I think that 99% of them are in midtown Manhattan, where all they do is parade around in convoys.