For many of us, it's difficult to even imagine a Morningside Heights without Pinkberry and West Side Market—not that we would ever want to. What would such a haunting reality even look like? Bwog Webmaster Zach van Schouwen stumbled upon a collection of historical photographs of the neighborhood that will give you a good idea. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge.

Enjoy!

(Above photo is of the 110th St. El train.)

Bwog took a frightening walk around Butler. The only thing outnumbering Redbull cans and Facebook page views were the dirty looks directed at our camera flash. Nonetheless, Bwog emerged unscathed and camera intact with a photo essay of Butler's temporary residents.

You don't need a New York City budget to enjoy a New York City Christmas. Every year, department stores create fantastic window displays to lure in the out-of-towners, and Angela Velez braved the tourists and shuffled along a block behind railings to bring you this report--Christmas cheer is optional, but recommended.

First stop was Macy's, where this year's theme was "Miracle on 34th Street." Macy's had pretty standard window displays, featuring the always classic yet slightly creepy moving figurine dolls. The windows included one of Susan Walker waving to Santa from her living room window and Kris Kringle as a mall Santa in "Macy's Santa Land." The best of this set was the last window, which mimicked the court scene from the movie, complete with moving paparazzi figures and tense looks on all the plastic people.

In case you missed what's what happened on Low Plaza this evening, the CSC Night Market brought a different sort of lion to life:

Photos by Justin Vlasits. A handful more after the jump.

They're pretty darling from the back, at least.

A week ago, bwogger Armin Rosen traveled to the ends of the earth--at least for a New Yorker.

You're a long way from Manhattan by the time the A train finally reaches the most scenic stretch of track in the entire New York subway system. Once it finishes plodding 25 miles of subterranean darkness, the A speeds through a national wildlife refuge, and passes scenery more suited to New England or tidal Virginia than New York's largest and second most populous borough. But people don't travel to the Rockaways looking for a typical New York experience--while The L Magazine once deemed the Nassau Avenue G station (not far from the Rockaways, relatively speaking) one of the foulest-smelling places in New York, the Broad Channel station treats passengers waiting for Rockaway Beach-bound shuttle trains to a scent they probably never imagined encountering within the MTA system: salt air.

Armin Rosen reports on the weirdest place in New York's w eirdest event: yesterday's Mermaid Parade in Coney Island.

Many a bare breast was on display at the 25th (and perhaps last) edition of the Mermaid Parade, Coney Island's annual, nautically-themed celebration of the campy, t opless and strange. Indeed, Sodom by the Sea earned its permissive nickname yesterday, as legions of mostly-naked revelers in often-dazzling homemade mermaid costumes caroused their way down Surf Avenue, much to the delight of the thousands of sun and alcohol-drunk onlookers taking in one of New York's more idiosyncratic summer traditions. Since this is a family Bwog, we're obligated to say that there was more to the parade than artfully decorated mermaid mammary. Which is true, we suppose--after all, the parade is proof that when freaks and eccentrics, as well as normals of a freakish, eccentric bent have enough time on their hands the results can be spectacular. So here's our best of the parade--photos and such after the jump.

Well, apparently you all are too busy studying to participate in a photo contest about being too busy studying. Sumaiya Ahmed did get one good shot of Butler craziness.

If you haven't noticed the giant yellow banner in Lerner yet, or the giant yellow posters all over campus, it's V-show time--and tickets for "Insufficient Funds" are going fast (get yours here). Meanwhile, Bwog music critic Bryan Mochizuki has been chronicling rehearsals over the past few weeks, and created this pictorial window into the world of V113.

Our second weekly photo contest, on the theme of consumption, also attracted manifold worthy entrants, forcing some difficult choices. However, by the highly objective standards of the Bwog editorial staff, Janna Herman, B'10, came out on top again! Her winning photo, below, is entitled "Couples Dine Out." See the rest of our picks after the jump, and submit photos for next week's contest, with the theme of conviction HOW-TO.

To send in your photo contest entries to bwog@columbia.edu.

Just letting you know.

We spend an inordinate amount of time cruising Facebook albums. We know that there are a few talented photographers out there. And we sure as hell know how much you procrastinate (Bwog wouldn't exist otherwise). Those realizations have combined to produce BWOG'S FIRST PHOTO CONTEST. Maybe it'll become a weekly thing.

So, here's the deal: being appallingly in debt makes it difficult to offer anything in the way of material incentives, but if your photo wins, we can hook you up with eternal fame and glory. The deadline is SUNDAY, APRIL 8th, at midnight.

And this week's theme is NIGHT. We'll post the winner on Monday. Go!

A sharp-eyed tipster noticed that the rouguishly grizzled visage of erstwhile Artist-in- Residence Vaclav Havel has a near double: that of billionaire financier Kirk Kerkorian, a revolutionary in his own right.

Meanwhile, our man Sunil appears to have put his foot in his mouth regarding footballer David Beckham's move to the Los Angeles Galaxy. Bwog still loves you, professor.

Plus! The long anticipated second oeuvre of Robyn Schneider, BC '08, is now available for $15.99, and the Mao-suited GS student Michael Woodley has published a book on something that we probably couldn't understand. Anyone read them? Reviews welcome.

Photos and commentary by Bwog Photographer Sumaiya Ahmed.

I have been to the Borough Hall section of Brooklyn a few times. The Arabic quarters there are facinating. I never tire of Sahadi - it is sort of a legendary grocery - or the baklava from Damascus bakery. Is it the oldest Arabic bakery in New York? I'm not sure, but I've heard something like that being said about the place.