I’ve also introduced a brand new UI site allowing visitors to collapse and *dock various panes directly to their dock on the site. Cookies are automatically set remembering the states of the collapse. There are tons of other new features on the site including the ability of h MAG members to send gifts to one another, post images, and interact with a live activity feed.

What initially conceptualized as a website featuring the very same articles that are to be found in the magazine, quickly grew into a full blown social media network for Hoboken’ites. Free registration for an account featuring profiles, friend features, activity feeds, photo galleries, site-based private messaging system, events, and classifieds are just a few of the features. I’m beyond ecstatic in what I’ve build – starting tomorrow and through the weekend the past 4 months of hard work will be put to the test. http://www.h-mag.com

The festival featured 2 main stages and an art-deco contraptions in the middle composed of wooden crates encasing amplifiers, made to look like little huts. DJs in the middle spun house and drum n’ bass. The rain and the constant thunderstorms got so bad that eventauly Natalie and I had to leave. We were told that because of the bad weather on Friday, we can re-use our tickets for Sunday’s show which headlines Coldplay. First thing’s first – drying our mud-stained clothes from Friday.

The ladybug ended up on our picnic blanket which we’ve laid out on the lawn while waiting for a few hours for the fireworks to begin. I can’t wait for next year; it’d be amazing if they ended up having them on the Hudson again.

“An investigation by the Prosecutor’s General Office of the Russian Federation has confirmed Soviet responsibility for the massacres, yet does not classify this action as a war crime or as an act of genocide. This acknowledgement would have necessitated the prosecution of surviving perpetrators, which is what the Polish government had requested.” – Wikipedia.org

The Soviet Union denied the massacre until the 1990s according to other articles I’ve dug up online. I’m not trying to stir anything up, I was just shocked and appalled by what I was reading. Yet, having been born in Poland, I felt proud that this event was acknowledged and amazed by the monuments symbolism and backdrop; the skyline of Manhattan. The monument stands just a few feet away from the WTC 911 memorial.

In 2008, Polish born Andrzej Wajda directed “Katyn” the movie, which was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Film in 2008. I’ll have to rent it this week.

Last night, with the Hudson celebrating its 400th birthday, (kind of ironic since the river existed before it was named) the fireworks were launched of off 4 barges along the Hudson River. We prepared by getting annihilated during the afternoon by Natalie’s home made sangria, took a power nap late in the afternoon and set out to the Hoboken Piers around 7pm in order to get a good viewing spot.

It was the closest I’ve ever gotten to the NYC fireworks; they were literally exploding above our heads. There was nothing special to them but I’ve kind of gotten used to it over the years. The smiley faces have been around for well over 10 years now, and its pretty much the sound of them exploding that turned into a thrill for me. I also seem to have never learned my lesson about bringing a tripod. It’s pretty much impossible to keep the shutter open for at least 2-3 seconds while trying to hold the camera still. I did get a couple of good shots, however I was disappointed at myself for not taking a tripod along with me. Next year.

We took a peek on the uncompleted 11th floor earlier as well. Pool, jacuzzi, residence lounge, park, gym, all the little perks that came with the lease are scheduled to be completed by July 4th. Since we’ve decided to stick around that weekend, we’re definetly indulging in all of the amenities this up-coming weekend with friends.

Last night I took a quick trip to Guitar Center on 14th street in the city and git Natalie a MIDI adapter for her piano keyboard. We’re both trying to record and layer her original compositions on the laptop and start experimenting with composing a complete track. We’ll see how that goes.