Back in 2013, we posted about a large inflatable rubber duck that was visiting ports around the globe. It was created by the Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman and was named “Spreading Joy Around the World.” Nevertheless, it was universally known simply as “Rubber Duck.”
Seven years later, we have Borat on a barge, an inflatable 40′ long scantily-clad figure of Sacha Baron Cohen’s character, Borat, reclining on a deck barge. And there is not one inflated Borat, but three. Last Thursday and Friday, inflatable nearly-naked Borats appeared reclining on deck barges on New York City’s Hudson River, at Toronto’s Harborfront and in the Thames River near London Bridge.
If the inflatable Rubber Duck was a honey bee meant to spread joy, Borat on a barge is a murder hornet meant to promote a movie. All so perfectly emblematic of the year 2020.
On the eve of the first day of early voting in New York, an exquisite mix of music and the sound of merriment rose from the murky waters of the Gowanus Canal as the 
The story of the New York Marine Hospital in Staten Island—known simply as “the Quarantine,” seems very timely. It was the firey center of what became known as the 
The pandemic has taken a toll on even those of us who remained untouched by the virus. In a trivial example, for me, it was a haircut. After five months without a haircut, I was feeling very shaggy when the barbershops finally reopened.
Two hundred and fifteen years ago today, in 1805, the Royal Navy, commanded by 
The 
Australia’s only home-built icebreaker will soon leave their shores. The icebreaker 
Venice, Italy is sinking at about 
We are a bit late posting about the 
In late August,
The 
Whale-watchers aboard the Atlantic Monterey witnessed an amazing show on Sunday when three humpback whales performed an extremely rare triple breach in Monterey Bay, CA. And it was caught on video (see after the page break.)
Happy Columbus Day, or Indigenous People’s Day, if you prefer. And if you are in Canada, Happy Thanksgiving! Here is an updated repost of when a Viking longship arrived at the 
Built almost 60 years ago, the 126′ long ferry 
Bones left on land can survive for a very long time. The fossil bones of dinosaurs on display in museums around the world are testaments to their durability. Underwater, however, the situation can be very different. Weird and oddly wonderful so-called 
If anyone doubts that the coronavirus pandemic is having a negative impact on the national defense of the United States, one need only look at the expanding Covid-19 hotspot in the White House itself. A recent 
Like so many other organizations, the