LTVSquad

Author: Control@ltvsquad.com

  • Murderous Nutcase was a Graffiti Nobody

    Murderous Nutcase was a Graffiti Nobody

    If you haven’t heard by now, a real freak broke loose this last weekend and went on a murderous rampage. Early coverage of the story did not mention though that he had prior arrests for graffiti:

    (CNN) — A New York man fatally stabbed three people, slashed at least five others, hit and killed one man with a car and hijacked two vehicles before being wrestled to the ground early Saturday while trying to break into the cab of a subway car, police said.

    Maksim Gelman, who is unemployed and known to authorities mostly as a graffiti artist, was arrested aboard a northbound train in Manhattan around 9 a.m. Saturday, about 28 hours after he allegedly began a spree that spanned three New York City boroughs, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

    So just what did this a-hole write? At press time, no one seems to know. One all city street bomber only had this to say: “He was a nobody in the graff game.”

    I knew there had to be something to this guy when they said he crossed tracks while running from slashing yet another person on the subway.

  • Just doing it for the cause…

    Just doing it for the cause…

    Look, I want to make this perfectly clear, I’m only going to say this once so pay attention, take notes, and tape said notes to your forehead for future reference.

    We here at LTV are not interested in your TV shows, Merchandising Schemes, or desires to make a fast buck off ‘urban exploring’. We don’t explore for the fame, the money or the attention. We do it because we love to do it.

    I think I can speak for must of us when I say we’ve got jobs, plenty of dates (for the single folks, plenty of us are happily married), and if we want fame, yeah we’ll take that too on our own terms. TV? Been there done that. Interviews in major news outlets? Been there done that too. We’ll talk to the press on occasion, but more often than not we turn down the interview offers.

    Occasionally we put out our own products, mostly books, a few prints at gallery shows, nothing major – though you’ll probably see a lot more of this in the future. We control the process though. Why should we hand over control of the process to anyone else, especially to media companies and corporations that just want to rape the lifestyle, make a fast buck, and move on? No thanks.

    So in a nutshell, don’t come knocking unless you’re willing to split the profits 80/20 (80 for us, that is) and realize that no, you don’t own us, and you never will.

  • ‘Probation Vacation’

    ‘Probation Vacation’

    When Bonnie and Clyde over here ain’t rolling deep with a truckload of crazed MUL motherfuckers kicking dry snitches asses, they’re creating some nifty shit worth your dollars. Their first book, ‘Probation Vacation’ is out now.

    This book has some great photos and is guaranteed to inspire and make you look into upping your own game. The print & paper quality top notch. I’ve had mine for a few weeks now and paging through it has definitely inspired me to get off my own fat ass and publish again soon.

  • LTV Racing

    Some day soon the stories from this spot will be told… until then, here’s a few more via Mr F5sky. Also, large props to The Jice Man. This one goes out to Queens.

  • There is no snow in NYC!

    There is no snow in NYC!

    The city is going fine, Broadway shows were full last night. There are lots of tourists here enjoying themselves. – Mike Bloomberg

    For anyone that doesn’t get it

    Epic Photoshop cred: Grep

  • MTA Snow Subway Service, Explained.

    MTA Snow Subway Service, Explained.

    For anyone that might not understand why some subway lines run in the snow, while others do not, consistently year after year, here’s a mini guide with explanations that the MTA never seems to want to admit to.

    Let’s take this Line by Line with 4 samplings of major routes.

    The A Train:

    The A of course is not running south of Euclid Ave, with the already famous horror story of the one train that was stuck in the snow all night.
    Explanation: The A line is above ground after Euclid Ave – first on an elevated line then on the surface (old LIRR Rockaway branch) out over Jamaica bay. Any subway line running on flat on the ground in a blizzard will soon shut down. The third rail will be buried. No power, no trains. On the Rockaway side, the subway line is elevated again- though it is not a traditional elevated subway line. It’s a solid viaduct where snow can accumulate and bury the third rail – unlike the other elevated lines in the system where the tracks sit on beams and the snow falls through.

    The 4.5.6 Lines:

    Explanation: The 4 and 6 lines only run either in tunnels (where no large amount of snow can get in) or elevated lines, where the snow simply falls between the tracks to the streets below and rarely gets a chance to cover the third rail.

    The 5 though, runs on the surface (along the route of the old NYW&B RR) in the northern Bronx, and thus will always be shut down in a major snow storm. Third rail buried, no power, no trains. Done.

    The BDFM:

    Explanation: The D runs in a cut below street level around the 9th ave station in Brooklyn, thus it’s no surprise that this line is prone to getting shut down. The B (and the Q) run through the ‘brighton beach’ line in Brooklyn, which is also a ‘cut’ below the streets, yet open to the air and elements. It’s the perfect ditch to get snowed in. It doesn’t take much for the snow to go over the 3rd rail here.

    The M line near fresh pond is on the surface, and thus prone to 3rd rail burial. You’ll note service ended where the elevated line begins.

    As for the F, the viaduct around Smith / 9 is solid, much like the A line in Rockaway. Without holes for the snow to fall through, burial happens.

    And lastly, the N and Q lines:

    Explanation: Both of these lines run in ‘cuts’ in Brooklyn. Ditches where snow gathers fast. Both lines always shut down in the snow. On the Queens end, they’re on an el, and through Manhattan in tunnels. The R rarely shuts down in the snow, because it’s in a tunnel the entire length of it’s run. Same goes for the E and a few other lines.

    Variety of subway line types
    By now you might wonder, why the hell were some subway lines built in ‘cuts’, others on elevated lines, and still others in tunnels and flat on the surface. The reason of course is hinted at above- all of these lines were build by different companies, none of which I’d imagine gave much thought to how nature might effect day to day operations of each.

    As you can gather from the above. There should never be any surprise what subway lines will shut down in the snow. When you look at the physical characteristics of where each subway runs, it’s pretty obvious what to expect.

    Of course, what has made the 2010 storm worse is the fact that it happened right after a holiday when most people were off, and even if they wanted to, a lot of workers couldn’t even make it in to clean up the mess. But that’s fodder for some other blog post..

  • NYC Underground LAPP Dance

    NYC Underground LAPP Dance

    Surviving a trip into the NYC underground and shooting some quick video and photos is so 1995. Under pressure from imminent death, CHUDS and various people that don’t want you around, the ability to seriously create in this situation is the new standard of excellence.

    Major props to my science lab partner, P-Zak, Esq.

  • The Blue Bolt Express

    The Blue Bolt Express

    Here is the perfect home for those perpetually perturbed by life in New York Above.

    Here is where in your darkest hours, the writing on the wall can show you the way.

    Here is where boys become men, and where the scared either die a grim death or get over themselves.

    Here is heat, hot in the winter and sweltering in the summer.

    Here is simplicity: You follow the rules, because death is the only other option.

    Here there is only one rule: Survival. Beyond that there are no laws, no heros, no one coming to save you from your demons.

    Here is ritual, here is religion. And here the proverbs need not be spoken.

    Here is the gateway to Creation. Reinvention. Solitude. Soul building hours alone in the darkness left with nothing but your brain, a camera and a memory card… and the grim reality that yes, sooner or later one of the above will run out…

  • Ripping people off with fake NYCTA lanterns

    Ripping people off with fake NYCTA lanterns

    This is amazing. Some company is selling what some claim are NYCTA lanterns for the ridiculous price of $150. The only thing is they look very little like actual NYC MTA safety lanterns.

    Here is what they are selling: Note the rubber handle and non-MTA logo.

    Now here is a real MTA lantern (photo provided by one of our trackworker friends). Note the plastic handle, and embossed ‘NYCTA’ lettering along the side.

    These lanterns are not sold to the public (though you can occasionally find them on ebay, craigslist, etc).


    See that lantern on the far right – it’s the type that contractors use, which is the same model as the one this company is selling, only it has no weird logo on it.

    The lantern these guys are selling can be found online for a mere 50 bucks. I guess that logo on there warrants a huge mark up? That’s like taking a honda, sticking a ferrari-esque logo on it, and selling it for 3 times the price to unsuspecting consumers who don’t know better.

    Hey I’m all for people making money, but consumer deception is lame.

    Gizmodo says you can look like a real MTA engineer with one of these fake lanterns. Uhm… No. If you really want to look like an MTA employee, this is the gear you need:

    And if you want a real original set of MTA work lanterns, you’ll have to contact the infamous Caveman and make a seriously good offer, though really, I don’t think money can buy these.

    I’m going to drop the same knowledge my first boss ever gave me: ‘Don’t take any wooden nickels‘. If it ain’t real it’s nonsense.

    (Thanks to The Don, MW, Axe and Caveman for much of the fodder in this post)

  • Gimme Gimme Gumballs

    Gimme Gimme Gumballs