Go to the east side of Union Square park at lunchtime, sit very quietly and observe.

Make note of Joey Ramone and Frank Zappa, trading barbs with a disheveled Popeye and falling asleep on their feet, cigarettes burning into the filter and right down to their yellowed fingers.

If you're lucky, the Deal sisters show up and pass out on each other's shoulders, waking up seconds later to jabber at one another like threatened sparrows, only to doze off again unexpectedly.

A greyed Nick Nolte shuffles through his bag all the while, handing out hushed treasures to the whole lot.

Beware of the glarer, who sits away from all of them, keeping watch and burning holes in the backs of passersby.