Goodbye to the Peeler Artist

One of the best things about New York City is it's characters, and one of those was 'The Peeler Man', who passed away on Sunday. You can read his obit in the New York Times, here.

I'm sure I speak for many in the neighborhood when I say I'm going to miss walking through the Union Square Farmer's Market and hearing his familiar British busking. He brought a bit of London's East End to New York. His entertaining sales routine - which never wavered, ('why do you need 5 peelers? Because you have 4 friends!'), but never got stale; and also never failed to elicit smiles. Being set up near him, as a vendor, you couldn't help be amazed at his energy. I've heard him do his spiel hundreds of times, and never once without enthusiasm!

He also never failed to draw a crowd; an audience who stood around him, often three and four deep; totally mesmerized by his creative vegetable peeling act, photographing him like he was an NYC landmark, and who couldn't resist buying one of his $5 peelers. (I know. I bought one myself but have never been able to use it with the same artistry. The potato flowers still elude me.) The peelers themselves were probably worth about 79 cents; it was the entertainment that was gold.

Using nothing but a peeler, some carrots, and his wit, Joe Lauer, The Peeler Man, became a New York City legend. (I'm thinking there's a lesson in there somewhere.)

Peeler Man won't be forgotten anytime soon.

If Cats Had Thumbs...

If cats had thumbs, they would be running things, and we would be using the litter box, (and when I say 'we', I mean 'humans', because I am assuming that your cat is not reading this over your shoulder.)

But sadly for cats, without thumbs, they cannot work the can openers and they cannot work the doorknobs. These two obstacles have severly limited their plans for total world domination, and you can sometimes see how they resent it.

You can see in their little faces how they seethe at their subjugation to the clearly inferior beings, that are humans. Yet, such is their lot. Cat 'owners' often say that they wonder what their cats are thinking. I can tell you: They are quietly judging you.


At left, Oscar Meyer, Feline Superstar: He will not deign to be photographed without turning his best side to the camera. He learned this from Barbra Streisand. He also, after a few drinks, does a mean rendition of 'Second Hand Rose', and will tell anyone who listens that he could have been a big star, but was taller than all the leading men.