Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

CONTENTS_28 FEB 05

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Afterimage by Louise G. Crawford

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.
Learn how to win: Power Struggles with Kids, Running with Jack Rabbit, Controversy at MS 51, Horror Movies at BAM

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Points of Light or Why I Want an Oscar by Oswegatchie, Last Night at the Oscars by Louise Crawford

SIDE PANELS_Everything you want to know about Brooklyn but didn't know where to find it. Scroll around.

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_by Louise G. Crawford

What was it about The Gates that kept bringing 9/11 to mind?

The color for one thing. Christo and Jeanne Claude's choice of hue was both an acknowledgement and a joyful defiance of the city's perpetual orange alert.

One friend said the plastic orange structures reminded her of the twin towers. And the way everyone kept looking up at the fabric recalled those nightmare September days when everyone was looking up at the sky.

Someone else said that when The Gates are dismantled, it will be like life after September 11th. The way we still see the twin towers in their absence; ghost images in the skyline of what once was and will always be.

The Gates united our city in much the same way that 9/11 did. But this time we weren't joined in grief, fear and confusion. The Gates were about joy, about the meaning of art, about being alive.

It was a carefree walk in the park for our neighbors and friends. And for that The Gates was worth every penny Christo and Jeanne-Claude spent on them.

Yours from Brooklyn,
OTBKB

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: Snow: the sequel. Expect 2-5 inches.     More Brooklyn weather here.

CITY NEWS: Wake up and shell out more money! MTA fair hike went into effect this weekend. The price of a $70 Metrocard rocketed up to $76. A weekly pass from $21 to $24. The cost of a single ride remains: $2.00.Read all about it.

BROOKLYN BEAT: Slope Kids Bash American Soldier, was the headline in our local "Park Slope Paper." The article goes on to say that sixth graders at MS 51 sent so-called "demoralizing letters" to a soldier stationed near North Korea as part of a social studies assignment. Several of the letters sent to Pfc. Rob Jacobs by students "attacked soldier for participating in the war in Iraq." writes Park Slope Paper reporter Jotham Sederstrom. Deputy Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina said on Tuesday that she will personally issue an apology to the New Jersey soldier and his family. The teacher, Alex Kunhardt, was reprimanded by Principal Xavier Castelli, who said that he plans to add a letter of reprimand to Kunhardt's teacher's file.

_Two con artists robbed the Park Slope Food Co-op of a money bag containing nearly $5,000 on February 16.

_The ASPCA arrested Hearts and Homes Animal Shelter founder Carmello Salamone, who  is charged with overdriving, torturing, and injuring animals and failure to provide proper sustenance for animals, says  the district attorney's office. He could face up to 11 years in prison. 

_Firefighters battled a huge blaze at a Brooklyn Navy Yard warehouse said to belong to B&H Camera. The fire started when sparks from a worker's blow torch ignited plastic and cardboard inside the warehouse. An acetylyne tank then exploded things making things much worse.

_The human body parts that were found in a recycling plant in Greenpoint and a nearby subway tunel belong to a 19-year old murder victim named Rahshawn Brazell.  Read all about it.

MONDAY:  Public school kids back to school. Hear the the sound of parent's sighing in relief.

_Workshop on Sibling Rivalry for Parents presented by Family First, 250 Baltic Streetm. 8:30 p.m

_Ft. Greene Association discusses Atlantic Yards. Lafayette Presbyterian Church. 35 South Oxford Street. www.historicftgreen.org

TUESDAY: PS 321 Presents: Power Struggles and Kids. Dr. Bernard Ott offers advice and expertise to parents. March 1. 7:30 p.m. PS 321. Seventh Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets.

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO: Kathleen Edwards, "Failer,"  Zoe Records. Her new album, "Back to Me" comes out tomorrow. Hers are story songs with a smidgen of Lucinda Williams and a pinch of Tom Petty.  The cuts: "Hockey Skates" and "Another Song the Radio Won't Like" are winners.   

THIS SOUNDS COOL: This month at BAMcinematek: "Fright Nights: International Horror," a selection of a dozen films, playing Mondays and Tuesdays from Feb. 21 to March 29 at the , including "Demons" (Italy, 1985; screens March 29) about a horror film audience who turn into monsters in their seats and "The Devil-Doll" (USA, 1936; March 21)  directed by Tod Browning. Also "Kwaidan" (Japan, 1964; March 8) and more.

NEW SNEAKERS: Jack Rabbit's beginner and intermediate running workshops are starting up in March. Great coaches, great people, great motivation: the course will, without a doubt, improve your running. Think about it. See Brooklyn Fitness on the side panel.

Registration for the Brooklyn Half-marathon on March 19th is now open.

HEAR/SAY: “I want to thank anyone who spends part of their day creating. I don’t care if it’s a book, a film, a painting, a dance, a piece of theater, a piece of music. Anybody who spends part of their day sharing their experience with us. I think the world would be unlivable without art.” - Director Steven Soderbergh's Oscar acceptance speech in 2001.

BROOKLYN THINKERS_by Louise Crawford

Last Night at the Oscars 

It was a mostly uninspired night at the Oscars. Perhaps it had something to do with the new staging. Instead of having the presenters walk out on stage, many were filmed in the audience. It was like something out of "Lets Make a Deal." The winners walked up to a microphone-stand in the aisles, where they made their acceptance speeches. This definitely sped up the proceedings but, as Chris Rock said, what's next, "the drive-thru Oscars, get your statue, your McFlurry and keep going."

There were a few high points and one or two surprises. Clint Eastwood winning over Martin Scorcese elicited major gasps in this apartment. Let's not get started on that one. We were, however, pleased to see Morgan Freeman get his.

Robin Williams' zany imitation of Marlon Brando as Bugs Bunny was probably the funniest bit of the night. The best acceptance speech belonged to the composer of the song from the "Motorcycle Diaries" who sang in Spanish into the mike.

The best moment of moral indignation was Sean Penn's pissed off rebuttal to Chris Rock's joke about Jude Law.

There were some moving moments: Sidney Lumet thanked "the movies" for his Lifetime Achievement Award, and listed a wonderfully eclectic group of inspiring filmmakers, including Jean Vigo. Nice cutaways to his daughters holding hands in the audience crying. 

Robert Richardson, who won for best cinematography for "The Aviator" dispensed with the usual thanks and dedicated his Oscar to "my mother whose been in the hospital for 45 day This is for her caregivers and friends who have been watching over her."   What a nice son.

We were all relieved when Hilary Swank thanked her husband Chad. And we kvelled over Jaime Foxx's multi-layered acceptance speech, which included a Ray Charles moment, a nod to his young daughter who told him "Don't worry Dad even if you don't win you're still good." And a choked-up mention of his grandmother, who he now speaks to in his dreams. "I can't wait to go to sleep tonight because we've got a lot to talk about. I love you." Nice.

I missed most of Chris Rock's introduction doing dinner dishes in the kitchen, but his final line was a pitch perfect send off. "Good night, Brooklyn," he said, and off we went to our bedrooms. The new high-speed Oscars were over before mid-night and boy were we tired.

-

Brooklyn Thinkers_by Oswegatchie

POINTS OF LIGHT or Why I Want an Oscar

One morning I sat across from my energy healer and confessed to fantasizing about getting an Oscar. It felt like a horrible cliche, and I always feel like I jinx my life by mentioning it. She mentioned that a friend of hers really, really wants a Grammy.

"Really? A Grammy?" I said. "I don't want a Grammy at all." It was a revelation. People really do fantasize about different things! Wow! "I mean, the Grammy awards are full of music that's just awful, yuck. They're infuriating." I saw immediately this applied just as well to the Oscars. But the Oscars are not about quality, necessarily, and that's where different people's fantasies come in. What are they about? I remember when it finally became clear what they represent for me.

When I was young I watched them every year. As a teenager I kept a three-ring binder and typed up my notes of the winners each year and kept it on my bookshelf. (Ha! Imagine feeling you had to do that now.) I looked up the technical people in copies of American Cinematographer and American Film that my dad had given me as gifts. I studied the gowns and found them all wanting, reasoning that a tux would be much more comfortable and allow me to stride confidently to the microphone to receive my award. My favorite speeches became models of how to avoid saying a simple "thank you," my favorites being Vanessa Redgrave accepting for Julia (standing for principles despite the booing, life is bigger than Oscar, people matter, people's rights matter dammit!), and Dustin Hoffman for Kramer vs. Kramer, because he'd always boycotted awards and used his time to praise the other nominees and bless the community of actors, who race to auditions from their taxi shifts, and none of whom, really, are losers, which makes the whole idea of awards suspect (but not too suspect to show up, accept your award, and point all this out very eloquently).

In my 30s, long after passing by film classes for English lit and circling back through cinema studies and dropping out of museum studies and being unclear and working at nonprofits devoted to alternative media exhibition, education, history, and criticism (the "little people" of the film world), I was still watching the Oscars every year. In 1998, my son was less than a year old and we still had television reception. There were two things besides watching movies that H & I still used the TV for: The X-Files and the Oscars, our baby a sleeping lump between us. As usual, that year the awards dragged on with nothing very interesting going on, except for any time the film Gods and Monsters was nominated. There sat Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser and Lynn Redgrave in a cluster, two of them behind the other so that they could hold hands in a circle whenever their film was nominated. They radiated intimacy, love and good feeling; they had made of their film set a functional family, you could feel it. When Bill Condon won for his screenplay they hugged and beamed, and showed real unselfconscious joy—clearly behaving just as they would have if a camera hadn't been shoved in their faces. I applauded.

A few weeks later I was sitting with a therapist, puzzling over the whole Oscar thing and why I kept on watching year in and out, and told her that story about the Gods and Monsters actors, and discovered in the sobbing mess I was reduced to that I was always looking for the same thing in those Oscar speeches, a moment— in that most competitive of competitions, before hundreds of millions of viewers—in which rank will be negated and the circle will be affirmed. Anyone who enters that territory while they are standing there punctuating their sentences with tips and bobs of the gold guy gets me in the chest, whether it's Tom Hanks thanking Rita Wilson, Warren Beatty looking at Annette Bening and invoking the "sanctity" of their family, Halle Berry thanking Dorothy Dandridge, Michael Moore taking the stage with the other nominees and acting up and talking back for those of us who don't get any air time. The acceptance speech is the thing that distinguishes Oscars from Olympics or spelling bees or whatever, the illuminated realm of grace to which the true winner welcomes the rest of us, the other winners. The whole point of the limelight is to share it with people you love.

Former Park Sloper, Oswegatchie writes, does mediation training in public schools, draws, makes animations and home-schools her children in Kingston, New York.

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

CONTENTS_27 Feb 05

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_by Louise G. Crawford

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.
Slope kids under fire for letters to American soldier, Park Slope Food Co-op scammed by scam artists, Big Navy Yard Fire and more. 

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Points of Light or Why I Want an Oscar by Oswegatchie

SIDE PANELS_Links to everything you need to know about Brooklyn but didn't know where to find it. Scroll up, scroll down.

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_by Louise Crawford

Earlier today I got an interesting e-mail from a friend, the mother of a 12-year old girl: "I had a crazy experience last night watching all the teenagers that hang in front of PS 321 throwing up, being picked up in ambulances,  and generally misbehaving. It really did me in. A friend and I  were chatting about what we could do. I'm even thinking about organizing some kind of neighborhood meeting. I don't know - it just really got to me."

My husband and I were eating dinner at Miracle Grill around the same time so we caught the very tail end of the incident my friend is talking about. We asked someone what happened and he said, "Some kids had too much to drink." That really got to me too. It got me good and scared for all of our children.

I know that a lot of parents are concerned about their tweens and teens. There do seem to be a lot of kids smoking, drinking and doing god knows what right out there on Seventh Avenue. Many of us are especially nervous because we did similar stuff when we were in high school and we're scared out of our wits to go through it with our own children.

My friend's idea: to have a community meeting seems like a good plan. In my mind, it's not a clean up the neighborhood kind of meeting but a way to figure out how to really address the issues these kids are facing. I think the teens and tweens should be part of the meeting along with their parents and it should feel like a brainstorming session and not a reprimand. Maybe there's some way we can prevent our kids from going down a road that leads to throwing up, being picked up in ambulances, and generally misbehaving.

What do YOU  think?

Yours from Brooklyn,
OTBKB
 

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: SUNSHINE. High 36 degrees.     More Brooklyn weather here.

CITY NEWS: MTA fair hike will go into effect this weekend. The price of a $70 Metrocard will rocket up to $76. A weekly pass from $21 to $24. The cost of a single ride remains: $2.00.Read all about it.

_Olympic Committe makes it clear; No Stadium: No Deal. Read all about it.

_City unveils plans for a waterfront park underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. The first public meeting for a Brooklyn Bridge Park in nearly three years was held Tueday. Unveiled were the new designs for the more than one-mile long waterfront park that stretches under the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Read all about it.

BROOKLYN BEAT: Slope Kids Bash American Soldier, was the headline in our local "Park Slope Paper." The article goes on to say that sixth graders at MS 51 sent so-called "demoralizing letters" to a soldier stationed near North Korea as part of a social studies assignment. Several of the letters sent to Pfc. Rob Jacobs by students  "attacked soldier for participating in the war in Iraq." writes Park Slope Paper reporter Jotham Sederstrom. Deputy Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina said on Tuesday that she will personally issue an apology to the New Jersey soldier and his family. The teacher, Alex Kunhardt, was reprimanded by Principal Xavier Castelli, who said that he plans to add a letter of reprimand to Kunhardt's teacher's file.

_Two con artists robbed the Park Slope Food Co-op of a money bag containing nearly $5,000 on February 16.

_ASPCA arrested Hearts and Homes Animal Shelter founder Carmello Salamone, who  is charged with overdriving, torturing, and injuring animals and failure to provide proper sustenance for animals, says  the district attorney's office. He could face up to 11 years in prison. 

_Firefighters battled a huge fire at a Brooklyn Navy Yard warehouse said to belong to B&H Camera. The fire started when sparks from a worker's blow torch ignited plastic and cardboard inside the warehouse. An acetylyne tank then exploded things making things much worse.

_The human body parts that were found in a recycling plant in Greenpoint and a nearby subway tunel belong to a 19-year old murder victim named Rahshawn Brazell.  Read all about it.

_The Brooklyn dance floor where "Saturday Night Fever" was filmed is on the auction block. Bids at e-bay are expected to exceed $80,000 for the lighted Bay Ridge dance floor where John Travolta's character, Tony Manero, strutted his stuff. The club, "2001 Odyssey" (renamed "Spectrum" after the movie was made) is closing.

_Five Brooklyn bike riders are suing the city over bumps on the Williamsburg Bridge. The cyclists claim they were hurt when their bikes hit metal  plates that are part of the bike path on the bridge. Cyclists say these metal plates make the commute difficult. The five riders who filed the law suit say they suffered injuries from broken bones to fractured eye sockets.  One rider said he shattered his pelvis. They are suing for $2 million each. Read all about it.

SUNDAY:  Austrailian didjeridoo workshop at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 1 p.m. to 2:30.

_"Porgy and Bess" at Walt Whitman Hall at Brooklyn College. 2 p.m. Tickets: $40.

_Brazillian music at the Brooklyn Lyceum. Fourth Avenue at President Street. Program features voice, drums, guitar and homemade instruments. $12. 7 p.m.

_Oscar Party at Cocotte, the cozy French restaurant on Fifth Avenue at 4th Street: large screen TV,  Special prix fix dinner. Reservations are a good idea. Root for Martin Scorcese for Best Director and Hilary Swank who trained for " Million Dollar Baby" at Gleason's Gym in DUMBO.

_ Laurie Anderson performs her one woman with violin show:   "The End of the Moon" at BAM 2/22 - 3/1. According to The Yellow Rabbit: " Part travelogue, part personal theory, history and dream The  End of the Moon looks at the relationships between war, aesthetics, spirituality and consumerism. Anecdotal, wide ranging and epic, this original work also features her new music for violin and electronics. Of The End of the Moon  Anderson writes, “I find that the best way to look at our culture these days is not through a multi-media show, but with the simpler and sharper tools of words.”"  Get your tickets here. Now!!

__Art at St. Anns presents the Wooster Group's "House/Lights." Wed - Sun through April 5 at 8pm. 38 Water Street. Dumbo. Ticket info here.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS:  PS 321 presents "Power Struggles with Kids." Psychotherapist Bernard Ott offers advice and expertise to parents. March 1. 7:30 p.m. PS 321. Seventh Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets.

GOOD EATIN': Deep fried Snickers bar, anyone? The Atlantic Chip Shop in Brooklyn Heights, a collaboration between the owners of the Park Slope Chip Shop and the Brooklyn beer bar, The Gate, is officially OPEN. 129 Atlantic Avenue near Clinton Street. 718-855-7775

_Dinner for three at the new Miracle Grill on Seventh Avenue at Third Street was quite delicious marred only by slow service. Our waitress apologized for the long entree wait by offering us complimentary desserts and coffees. "To make up for the lousy service," she said. They've only been open a week and they deserve BIG POINTS for that one. We'll be going back.

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO: Tom Waits, "Rain Dogs" on Island Records. Breakthrough Tom Waits: raunchy, rustic, raw, and romantic. Oh man, he's so damn good. 

SILVER SCREEN: This weekend and next week a festival of films by Henri-Georges Clouzot, "the French Hitchcock," at BAMRose Cinema.  Movie titles and times here.

"Nobody Knows," a  Japanese  film about kids left alone in a Tokyo apartment is playing at the Cobble Hill Cinema. Not for the easily depressed, well-worth seeing for its visual beauty and subtle observations of the behavior of children.   

THIS SOUNDS COOL: This month at BAMcinematek: "Fright Nights: International Horror," a selection of a dozen films, playing Mondays and Tuesdays from Feb. 21 to March 29 at the , including "Demons" (Italy, 1985; screens March 29) about a horror film audience who turn into monsters in their seats and "The Devil-Doll" (USA, 1936; March 21)  directed by Tod Browning. Also "Kwaidan" (Japan, 1964; March 8) and more.

NEW SNEAKERS: Jack Rabbit's beginner and intermediate running workshops are starting up in March. Great coaches, great people, great motivation: the course will, without a doubt, improve your running. Think about it. See Brooklyn Fitness on the side panel.

Registration for the Brooklyn Half-marathon on March 19th is now open.

HEAR/SAY: "The first time I didn't feel it but this time I feel it and I can't deny the fact that you like me - right now, you like me!" - Sally Field in 1985 after she gets the best actress award in 1984 for Places In The Heart.

"This is for every nameless, faceless woman of colour who now has a chance tonight because this door has been opened. I thought I wasn't going to make it up those steps. I just said, 'don't let me embarrass my mother.'" - Halle Berry on receiving the Best Actress Oscar for Monster's Ball

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

CONTENTS_26 Feb 05

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Recycling The Gates by Louise G. Crawford

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.
Book sale, Show of Graffiti Art, Oscar Party at Cocotte, Soul Music at the Brooklyn Conservatory, Native American Storytelling at the Green-Wood Cemetery, Laurie Anderson at BAM, The Wooster Group in Dumbo, Klezmer master at Barbes

BROOKLYN THINKERS_We've Got Oranges by Oswegatchie, Bullets in the Hood: a documentary by Terence Fisher

SIDE PANELS_An ever-expanding list of links to Brooklyn essentials: meals, music, museums, theater, schools, services, stores, and much more. Scroll up, scroll down.

Postcard from the Slope_by Louise G. Crawford

Saturday and Sunday are the last two days to see orange drapes in Central Park. My husband has spent much of the last two weeks there. Day and night, in fair weather and snow, he's been photographing The Gates, amassing an amazing collection of shots.

So what happens after The Gates leave the Park? Well, I'll get my husband back for one thing. But first he'll be out there phographing the dismantling of The Gates -- and that should be a site to see.

It turns out that all the materials will be recycled: The steel bases are to be melted and recast as rods for reinforcing concrete, steel plates or steel coils.

The aluminum corners and base sleeves are to be recycled for gutters and aluminum sheeting.

The vinyl frames will be fed into large-capacity grinders and become products such as PVC pipe, fences, tool handles or the inner cores of paint rollers.

The ripstop nylon curtains will go back to being nylon thread.

I hope they leave at least one of The Gates up in the park, a reminder of a very unusual, art-crazed February in our city.

Yours from Brooklyn,
OTBKB

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: There's gonna be sunshine. And wind. Slightly warmer than yesterday.   More Brooklyn weather here.

CITY NEWS: MTA fair hike will go into effect this weekend. The price of a $70 Metrocard will rocket up to $76. A weekly pass from $21 to $24. The cost of a single ride remains: $2.00.Read all about it.

_Olympic Committe makes it clear: No Stadium: no deal. Read all about it.

_City unveils plans for a waterfront park underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. The first public meeting for a Brooklyn Bridge Park in nearly three years was held Tueday. Unveiled were the new designs for the more than one-mile long waterfront park that stretches under the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Read all about it.

BROOKLYN BEAT: Firefighters battled a huge fire at a Brooklyn Navy Yard warehouse said to belong to B&H Camera. The fire started when sparks from a worker's blow torch ignited plastic and cardboard inside the warehouse. An acetylyne tank then exploded things making things much worse.

_Human torso found in a Brooklyn recycling plant. The remains were found around 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Rapid Recycling Corporation in Greenpoint. The medical examiner is trying to figure out if the torso belongs to the victim whose arms and legs were discovered at a nearby subway station.  Read all about it.

_The Brooklyn dance floor where "Saturday Night Fever" was filmed is on the auction block. Bids at e-bay are expected to exceed $80,000 for the lighted Bay Ridge dance floor where John Travolta's character, Tony Manero, strutted his stuff. The club, "2001 Odyssey" (renamed "Spectrum" after the movie was made) is closing.

_Five Brooklyn bike riders are suing the city over bumps on the Williamsburg Bridge. The cyclists claim they were hurt when their bikes hit metal  plates that are part of the bike path on the bridge. Cyclists say these metal plates make the commute difficult. The five riders who filed the law suit say they suffered injuries from broken bones to fractured eye sockets.  One rider said he shattered his pelvis. They are suing for $2 million each. Read all about it.

_Brooklyn preservation activists are calling upon Ikea to save Brooklyn waterfront architecture that dates back to the Civil War.  The Municipal Art Society unveiled two alternative plans on February 14th  that would ensure that two dry docks and buildings would not be destroyed to make room for the new Ikea in Red Hook.

AMERICAN GIRL DOLL IN THE NEWS: Marisol, the new Mexican-American American Girl Doll, is causing some controversy. Actually it's the book that is sold with the doll that has community activitsts in Pilsen, a Hispanic community in Chicago, up in arms. "While it is delightful that the company has decide to create a Mexican-American doll, I find it insulting to the neighborhood that she has to move to the suburbs to be safe," said Juan Guzman, Vice President of the Mexican Fine Arts Museum located in Pilsen: Read all about it.

SATURDAY: Native American storytelling and dancers at the Green-Wood Cemetery. 1 pm at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street.

_Book Fair at Park Slope United Methodist Church. Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

_Reception at Skylight Gallery for The Written War: A Retrospective of Graffiti Crews of Kings County.  1368 Fulton Street. Free. 6 p.m.

_ Laurie Anderson performs her one woman with violin show,  "The End of the Moon" at BAM 2/22 - 3/1. According to The Yellow Rabbit: " Part travelogue, part personal theory, history and dream The  End of the Moon looks at the relationships between war, aesthetics, spirituality and consumerism. Anecdotal, wide ranging and epic, this original work also features her new music for violin and electronics. Of The End of the Moon  Anderson writes, “I find that the best way to look at our culture these days is not through a multi-media show, but with the simpler and sharper tools of words.”"  Get your tickets here. Now!!

_Concert at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.  "Variations of Soul: Crisscrossing boundaries of African-American Music.  58 Seventh Avenue.  8 pm.  $10.

_Art at St. Anns presents the Wooster Group's "House/Lights." Wed - Sun through April 5 at 8pm. 38 Water Street. Dumbo. Ticket info here.

_Andy Statman, Klezmer master and clarinetist extradonaire, plays at Barbes, that little treasure on Ninth Street and Sixth Avenue. 8 pm

GOOD EATIN': Deep fried Snickers bar, anyone? The Atlantic Chip Shop in Brooklyn Heights, a collaboration between the owners of the Park Slope Chip Shop and the Brooklyn beer bar, The Gate, is officially OPEN. 129 Atlantic Avenue near Clinton Street. 718-855-7775

_Dinner for three at the new Miracle Grill on Seventh Avenue at Third Street was quite delicious marred only by slow service. Our waitress apologized for the long entree wait by offering us complimentary desserts and coffees. "To make up for the lousy service," she said. They've only been open a week and they deserve BIG POINTS for that one. We'll be going back.

OSCAR PARTY: Cocotte, the cozy French restaurant on Fifth Avenue at 4th Street is having an an Oscar dinner party: large screen TV,  Special prix fix dinner. Reservations are necessary. Root for Martin Scorcese for Best Director and Hilary Swank who trained for " Million Dollar Baby" at Gleason's Gym in DUMBO.

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO: Tom Waits, "Used Songs: The Asylum Years 1973 - 1980" on Rhino Records. Maybe you've forgotten the early Waits: "Blue Valentine," "I Never Talk to Strangers," "Jersey Girl," "Heartattack and Vine," "Looking for the Heart of Saturday Night." Oh man, it's so good. 

SILVER SCREEN: This weekend and next week a festival of films by Henri-Georges Clouzot, "the French Hitchcock," at BAMRose Cinema.  Movie titles and times here.

"Nobody Knows," a  Japanese  film about kids left alone in a Tokyo apartment is playing at the Cobble Hill Cinema. Not for the easily depressed, well-worth seeing for its visual beauty and subtle observations of the behavior of children.   

THIS SOUNDS COOL: This month at BAMcinematek: "Fright Nights: International Horror," a selection of a dozen films, playing Mondays and Tuesdays from Feb. 21 to March 29 at the , including "Demons" (Italy, 1985; screens March 29) about a horror film audience who turn into monsters in their seats and "The Devil-Doll" (USA, 1936; March 21)  directed by Tod Browning. Also "Kwaidan" (Japan, 1964; March 8) and more.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS:  PS 321 presents "Power Struggles with Kids." Psychotherapist Bernard Ott offers advice and expertise to parents. March 1. 7:30 p.m. PS 321. Seventh Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets.

NEW SNEAKERS: Registration for the Brooklyn Half-marathon on March 19th is now open.

HEAR/SAY: "This is for every nameless, faceless woman of colour who now has a chance tonight because this door has been opened. I thought I wasn't going to make it up those steps. I just said, 'don't let me embarrass my mother.'" - Halle Berry on receiving the Best Actress Oscar for Monster's Ball  

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

CONTENTS_25 Feb 05

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Snow

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN THINKERS_We've Got the Oranges by Oswegatchie, Bullets in the Hood: a film by Terence Fisher,
Remembering Malcolm X, Fitness in the Slope

SIDE PANELS_An expanding list of links to Brooklyn essentials, food, movies, schools, museums, government, services, stores, blogs, and more. Scroll up, scroll down.

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_New Fallen Snow

Except for the sound of a lone shoveler across the street, the Slope is hushed this morning. Sidewalks are thick with snow, tree branches iced with white frosting. For those of us who didn't fly off to beach vacations, this is our reward.

It is Day Five of school vacation and children will rise happily, enthralled with what went on while they slept. The Third Street hill in Prospect Park is primed for giddy children on sleds, who won't feel cold temperatures as they fly down the hill fast as comets.

Even the garbage pails awaiting pick-up look beautiful in the snow. Everything does. Winter has returned to our city.

Yours from Brooklyn,
OTBKB

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: Wake up and smell the snow. Getting up to 33 degrees.  More Brooklyn weather here.

Alternate-side-of-the-street-parking suspended but you still have to feed the meters.

CITY NEWS: City unveils plans for a waterfront park underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. The first public meeting for a Brooklyn Bridge Park in nearly three years was held Tueday. Unveiled were the new designs for the more than one-mile long waterfront park that stretches under the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, boasting spectacular views and lots of amenities including playing fields, recreated natural areas, 10 acres of river that will be available for kayaking, playgrounds, dog runs. Read all about it.

_Many in NYC are waiting to hear what the Supreme Court has to say about the eminent domain case in New London, CT. The case questions  whether a city can seize a person's property and transfer it to private developers whose project could, theoretically, boost an ailing economy. This could have ramifications for the Atlantic Yards development... Read all about it.

_NYC Transit handed out more than 20,000 MetroCards to city police officers Thursday, in direct response to a deadly shooting inside a Manhattan subway station last weekend.
Officers picked up 24,000 additional "Police Pass" MetroCards this morning. This is in addition to the 15,000 cards the NYPD already distributes to officers. The head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority says it responded quickly to the NYPD's request for more cards. The NYPD is also trying to educate officers who are not familiar with the transit system. Read all about it.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Human torso found in a Brooklyn recycling plant. The remains were found around 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Rapid Recycling Corporation in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.  Read all about it.

_The Brooklyn dance floor where "Saturday Night Fever" was filmed is on the auction block. Bids at e-bay are expected to exceed $80,000 for the lighted Bay Ridge dance floor where John Travolta's character, Tony Manero, strutted his stuff. The club, "2001 Odyssey" (renamed "Spectrum" after the movie was made) is closing.

_Five Brooklyn bike riders are suing the city over bumps on the Williamsburg Bridge. The cyclists claim they were hurt when their bikes hit metal  plates that are part of the bike path on the bridge. Cyclists say these metal plates make the commute difficult. The five riders who filed the law suit say they suffered injuries from broken bones to fractured eye sockets.  One rider said he shattered his pelvis. They are suing for $2 million each. Read all about it.

_Brooklyn preservation activists are calling upon Ikea to save Brooklyn waterfront architecture that dates back to the Civil War.  The Municipal Art Society unveiled two alternative plans on February 14th  that would ensure that two dry docks and buildings would not be destroyed to make room for the new Ikea in Red Hook.

AMERICAN GIRL DOLL IN THE NEWS: Marisol, the new Mexican-American American Girl Doll, is causing some controversy. Actually it's the book that is sold with the doll that has community activitsts in Pilsen, a Hispanic community in Chicago, up in arms. "While it is delightful that the company has decide to create a Mexican-American doll, I find it insulting to the neighborhood that she has to move to the suburbs to be safe," said Juan Guzman, vice president of the Mexican Fine Arts Museum located in Pilsen: Read all about it. 

VACATION NEWS FLASH: There's a Children's Winter Festival daily in Prospect Park at the Audubon Center. Daily: Films, Nature and Crafts, and Storytelling.  More information here!

TODAY: Laurie Anderson performs her one woman with violin show,  "The End of the Moon" at BAM 2/22 - 3/1. According to The Yellow Rabbit: " Part travelogue, part personal theory, history and dream The  End of the Moon looks at the relationships between war, aesthetics, spirituality and consumerism. Anecdotal, wide ranging and epic, this original work also       features her new music for violin and electronics. Of The End of the Moon      Anderson writes, “I find that the best way to look at our culture these days is not through a multi-media show, but with the simpler and sharper tools of words.”"  Get your tickets here. Now!!

GOOD EATIN': Deep fried Snickers bar, anyone? The Atlantic Chip Shop in Brooklyn Heights, a collaboration between the owners of the Park Slope Chip Shop and the Brooklyn beer bar, The Gate, is officially OPEN. 129 Atlantic Avenue near Clinton Street. 718-855-7775

SILVER SCREEN: "Diabolique," directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, "the French Hitchcock," plays at BAMRose Cinema. One of the most imitated suspense films of all time, Hitchcock was so impressed, he made "Psycho" after seeing it. Simone Signoret stars. Need I say more? 2/26 at 2 p.m., 4:40, 6:50, 9:15. Other Clouzot films are also playing. Movie titles and times here.

"Nobody Knows," a  Japanese  film about kids left alone in a Tokyo apartment is playing at the Cobble Hill Cinema. Not for the easily depressed, well-worth seeing for its visual beauty and subtle observations of the behavior of children.   

THIS SOUNDS COOL: This month at BAMcinematek: "Fright Nights: International Horror," a selection of a dozen films, playing Mondays and Tuesdays from Feb. 21 to March 29 at the , including "Demons" (Italy, 1985; screens March 29) about a horror film audience who turn into monsters in their seats and "The Devil-Doll" (USA, 1936; March 21)  directed by Tod Browning. Also "Kwaidan" (Japan, 1964; March 8) and more.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS:  PS 321 presents "Power Struggles with Kids." Psychotherapist Bernard Ott offers advice and expertise to parents. March 1. 7:30 p.m. PS 321. Seventh Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets.

NEW SNEAKERS: Registration for the Brooklyn Half-marathon on March 19th is now open.

HEAR/SAY:  "Say what you want and be who you are because those who mind don't matter and those who  matter don't mind." Dr. Seuss 

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Oranges

We've Got the Oranges by Oswegatchie

You can buy it on ebay for ten bucks: a swatch of fabric from The Gates by Christo. They're handing them out in Central Park, the people in the gray suits with tennis balls on poles, the docents, or whatever they call them.

It was "a good day for viewing," as they say. Forty degrees, sunny, snow setting off the brillant orange/tangerine/saffron/traffic cone color. The swatch doesn't do it justice, of course.

If I had been alone, or with my husband, we might have made a day of it and kept walking. Gates draw you on, you don't want to step off course or abort the journey. Coming to a fork, there's a desire to go on both paths and not miss a single Gate. But we were with R & A, and by the third time they asked if we were nearly at the Natural History Museum, I knew we would see only ten blocks or so of the whole.

I wish I could stop thinking of Bill Gates when I write this.

Like you, I've gotten a lot of email from friends with their photos and their comments. "It leaves me cold." "It's beautiful, you have to see it!" "Stunning." "There's not much to it." "I wish they'd picked a deep red."

I wished the color were a bit more yellow, but with the sun behind the drapes, firing them up, it is one of the happiest colors. But the festive atmosphere is the key to a public art project, and I did feel it with this one. Everyone becomes a little more present. Usually it takes a public emergency to do this for a city; how much healthier when it is art. People look into each other's faces and smile at the shared experience, attention focuses on a thing, these things—steel arches resting on their supports, looking like the wings of a stage or flags at an exposition, depending on the wind, or if you spend enough time among them, seen partially through trees, peeping from over rocky ledges, arrayed around ponds—friends.

People walking in cities drift in their heads, isolated in fantasy and connected in physicality. The Gates is a way to connect, share head space for a while and enter the same tangerine dream.

A former resident of Park Slope, Oswegatchie lives in Kingston, New York where she writes, does mediation training in public schools, home-schools her children and makes animated films. This post first appeared on her blog.

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Bullets in the Hood

Bullets in the Hood a film by Terence Fisher

The following is an excerpt from a web-site for the new Brooklyn documentary "Bullets in the Hood."  Go here for more information.

Terrence Fisher, a teen living in a housing project in Bedford-Stuyvesant,       Brooklyn, had seven of his friends shot and killed by a gun. Terrence is       not a gang member or a drug dealer—he is just a normal teenager who likes       making hip-hop music with his friends. What could Terrence do to stop gun violence in Bed-Stuy before losing another friend, or his own life? Terrence and a fellow teen filmmaker, Daniel Howard, picked up a camera to tell the story about gun violence in Bed-Stuy.
      
             

Ironically, a few months into the production, Terrence lost another friend. This time, Timothy Stansbury who was his best friend from elementary school, was shot and killed by a police officer right in front of Terrence’s face. Terrence, Timothy and another friend were approaching the rooftop door of Terrence’s building when they were met by a bullet fired by Officer Richard Neri who was on a regular rooftop patrol. The three fell down flights of       stairs in a spray of Timothy’s blood.
      
             Terrence was severely scarred by this incident and the Bed-Stuy residents       were outraged by the killing of an innocent teen. However, the Grand Jury decided that the shooting was a tragic accident and no indictment was issued against the officer. Terrence and his friends were furious. Uncontrollable anger and pain were eating Terrence alive. But instead of retaliating or starting a riot, Terrence and his friends took the path of organizing protests    and creating tribute music for Timothy so that their story will spread to the world outside of Bed-Stuy.
      
      This documentary contains images that could only be captured by someone like Terrence, who has spent his entire life in the projects and experienced fear and sadness of gun violence in his everyday life

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Malcolm X

Remembering Malcolm X by Laments of the Unfinished

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X. Of the four American leaders assassinated in the 60s, for some reason, Malcolm X’s life and death resonates with me the most. I’m not sure why. Growing up, I’d heard much about JFK and MLK and to a lesser extent, RFK (mostly because of the stadium where the Redskins played). My parents talked about them, they were honored and revered for their fights for freedom (perhaps more than they should have been), and they were faithfully mourned and venerated upon their deaths.

Each of them had their share of controversy, of course; MLK was regarded as a troublemaker, the Kennedy boys were rumored to have ties to the mob, but by the late 70s and 80s, they were enjoying the respect and adulation of a proper martyr by people of all races, ages and socioeconomic groups.

Malcolm, on the other hand, was lesser known and what I did know about him wasn’t positive. Contrary to Martin, he wasn’t known for being a Christian minister preaching love and non-violent protest; he made controversial statements implying that violence was an acceptable response to the racism experienced by blacks in America. He died with that reputation and it is a reputation that still lingers.

I was a junior in high school when I first became interested in Malcolm X. I was going through my black power phase (obligatory for all blacks growing up in a white, suburban neighborhood), but more importantly, studying the 60s in American History, a photograph of his body lying underneath a blanket moments after his death painfully gripped me in a way it never did for his more highly esteemed peers. When the movie about his life came out a couple of years later, I intended to see it until I saw a preview featuring a scene of his assassins running to kill him. Once again, I felt that sadness and disgust and even grief that I felt back in high school. When I read his autobiography, it took me months to read the last bit and the epilogue after tearing through the story of his life, but when I finally saw the movie a couple of years ago, I forced myself to watch. I felt some relief when Denzel Washington smiled up on that stage at the Audubon Ballroom, knowing that death was imminent. For some reason, the knowledge and acceptance of what was to be eased some of my distress of the actual violence and horror of the event.

Audubon Ballroom sits in a once-again transitioning neighborhood a few blocks from my apartment. There isn’t much left to remind you of its historical significance. Most of the original building is gone – it’s basically a high-rise office building that has kept its original façade. Even the ground level contains innocuous businesses – a Chase Bank, a tacky Dallas BBQ and a doctors’ supply store. A small restaurant run by people of Middle Eastern descent calls itself the X Café and standing center in the lobby of the building is a memorial to Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. Tonight, with the inclusion of people returning for the first time since February 21, 1965, Columbia University and the City of New York dedicate a library in his name.

It’s a shame that Malcolm X died so soon after his public change of heart. It’s a shame because many people still don’t believe that in his final months, he embraced the people he had formerly accused of being the devil. He says toward the end of his autobiography:

One of the major troubles that I was having in building the organization that I wanted – an all-black organization whose ultimate objective was to help create a society in which there could exist honest white-black brotherhood – was that my earlier public image, my so-called “Black Muslim” image, kept blocking me. I was trying to gradually reshape that image, I was trying to turn a corner, into a new regard by the public, especially Negroes; I was no less angry than I had been, but at the same time the true brotherhood I had seen in the Holy World had influenced me to recognize that anger can blind human vision.

True Islam taught me that it takes all of the religious, political, economic, psychological, and racial ingredients, or characteristics, to make the Human Family and the Human Society complete.

Since I learned the truth in Mecca, my dearest friends have come to include all kinds – some Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, agnostics, and even atheists! I have friends who are called capitalists, Socialists, and Communists! Some of my friends are moderates, conservatives, extremists – some are even Uncle Toms! My friends today are black, brown, red, yellow, and white!

Malcolm X, unlike his iconic counterparts, represents a person in spiritual, financial and social turmoil who transforms. We didn’t know exactly how flawed MLK, JFK and RFK were until after they were gone. Malcolm X’s flaws were apparent from the beginning and as a result, he had to prove to all of us that he overcame them. He was a convicted felon who educated himself in prison and rose to great leadership, he was an apathetic youth who developed a passionate love for God, he disrespected women yet came to respect not only women, but the significance of and responsibility to family, he was a hater of men who acknowledged his error. Maybe that’s why I resonate with him. He was a sinner who confessed and repented his sins and I think he’s an ideal model of the kind of person we can become.

As member of a Park Slope writer's group, Laments of the Unfinished is an honorary Park Sloper. In addition to blogging, LOTU writes fiction, poetry, sings, acts and works for a major accounting firm. This piece first appeared  on her blog.

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

CONTENTS_24 Feb 05

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Domestic Squabble

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Remembering Malcolm X by Laments of the Unfinished, Fitness in the Slope by Elizabeth Pongo

SIDE PANELS_Links to Brooklyn essentials, arts, movies, fitness, recreation, museums, parks, gardens, stores we love and much, much more. Scroll up and down

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Puple Tulips

My mother-in-law is  coming to visit for a few days to see The Gates in Central Park. She'll be arriving at 5 a.m. in the morning (Jet Blue's red-eye from Oakland gets in bright and early.)

I spent much of the day thinking about ways to make the apartment appear less cluttered, less crowded than it really is. I rearranged the living room, and cleaned and cleared things away;  threw out as much as I could. My husband,  of course, picked through the garbage before it left the apartment. But that's to be expected.

Early evening, I asked him to clean his portion of the living room: the part of the living room that has become his de-facto photography studio and office. It is unbearably cluttered with computer equipment, photography equipment, wires, boxes, magazines, manuals, books, and other sundry detritus. The request made him very exasperated and he told me that the real mess in the living room, the REAL MESS, was mine. He then pointed to a small gaggle of things on the metal table: a stapler, a pair of binoculars, some CD's, this and that. It was such an obvious diversionary tactic that I found myself ENRAGED. So enraged, that I  could barely speak for the rest of the evening.

This is a battle we've been fighting for too many years. Our domestic styles just don't mesh - any professional could tell you that. He with his packrat tendencies and me with my desire for a home I can feel proud of. On the eve of a visit from my mother-in-law, I am at my most vulnerable.

My husband and I are not speaking. His mother arrives early. The apartment is, for the most part, clean. His portion of the living room looks like a tornado zone.

He just returned from a quick outing to the Met Food for coffee. He brought flowers (probably from the Apple on Garfield). I am studiously avoiding them; they sit wrapped on the dining room table. Oh, maybe I should just put them in some water...

Deep purple tulips. They're really quite pretty.

Yours from Brooklyn,
OTBKB

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: Partly cloudy. Snow is likely. 31 degrees is the top temperature.   More Brooklyn weather here.

CITY NEWS: City unveils plans for a waterfront park underneath Brooklyn Bridge. The first public meeting for a Brooklyn Bridge Park in nearly three years was held Tueday. Unveiled were the new designs for the more than one-mile long waterfront park that stretches under the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, boasting spectacular views and lots of amenities including playing fields, recreated natural areas, 10 acres of river that will be available for kayaking, playgrounds, dog runs. "Just about everything the neighbors could want in a park, says project designer Michael Van Valkenburgh. Read all about it.

_Many in NYC are waiting to hear what the Supreme Court has to say about the eminent domain case in New London, CT. The case questions  whether a city can seize a person's property and transfer it to private developers whose project could, theoretically, boost an ailing economy. This could have ramifications for the Atlantic Yards development... Read all about it.

_In a recent study about the city’s transportation infrastructure, the Automobile Club of American reports that the city’s roads are outdated, poorly designed, and require excessive maintenace. One of the worst trouble spots is the Gowanus  Expressway which has no shoulders for breakdowns and can cause traffic nightmares all the way to Staten Island.  Another traffic hot spot is the BQE between Hamilton Avenue and Tillary Street.  Read all about it.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Human torso found in a Brooklyn recycling plant. The remains were found around 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Rapid Recycling Corporation in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.  Read all about it.

_The Brooklyn dance floor where "Saturday Night Fever" was filmed is on the auction block. Bids at e-bay are expected to exceed $80,000 for the lighted Bay Ridge dance floor where John Travolta's character, Tony Manero, strutted his stuff. The club, "2001 Odyssey" (renamed "Spectrum" after the movie was made) is closing.

_Five Brooklyn bike riders are suing the city over bumps on the Williamsburg Bridge. The cyclists claim they were hurt when their bikes hit metal  plates that are part of the bike path on the bridge. Cyclists say these metal plates make the commute difficult. The five riders who filed the law suit say they suffered injuries from broken bones to fractured eye sockets.  One rider said he shattered his pelvis. They are suing for $2 million each. Read all about it.

_Brooklyn preservation activists are calling upon Ikea to save Brooklyn waterfront architecture that dates back to the Civil War.  The Municipal Art Society unveiled two alternative plans on February 14th  that would ensure that two dry docks and buildings would not be destroyed to make room for the new Ikea in Red Hook.

AMERICAN GIRL DOLL IN THE NEWS: Marisol, the new Mexican-American American Girl Doll, is causing some controversy. Actually it's the book that is sold with the doll that has community activitsts in Pilsen, a Hispanic community in Chicago, up in arms. "While it is delightful that the company has decide to create a Mexican-American doll, I find it insulting to the neighborhood that she has to move to the suburbs to be safe," said Juan Guzman, vice president of the Mexican Fine Arts Museum located in Pilsen: Read all about it. 

VACATION NEWS FLASH: There's a Children's Winter Festival daily in Prospect Park at the Audubon Center. Daily: Films, Nature and Crafts, and Storytelling.  More information here!

TODAY: Learn more about the Atlantic Yards development controversy. Councilmember Letitia James, State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery and Rep. Major Ownes host a meeting: "Democracy and Development in Brooklyn: Protecting and Promoting our Atlantic Yards. 8 Featured panelists. 6:30 p.m. NYC College of Technology, 300 Jay Street between Johnson and Tillary Streets.

_Bach on a boat. Barge music has music by Debussy, Scarbian and Bach. 7:30 p.m. at Fulton Landing.

_Laurie Anderson performs her one woman with violin show,  "The Song of the Moon" at BAM 2/22 - 3/1. "Anderson weaves stories, music, songs, and words into epic portraits of American culture."  Get your tickets here. Now!! 

GOOD EATIN': Miracle Grill is looking good. The summer rolls are awesome. So is the Chicken Fajitas entree. Looks like a nice place to have drinks too. Seventh Avenue at Third Street.

SILVER SCREEN: "Nobody Knows," a  Japanese  film about kids left alone in a Tokyo apartment is playing at the Cobble Hill Cinema. Not for the easily depressed, well-worth seeing for its visual beauty and subtle observations of the behavior of children.   

THIS SOUNDS COOL: This month at BAMcinematek: "Fright Nights: International Horror," a selection of a dozen films, playing Mondays and Tuesdays from Feb. 21 to March 29 at the , including "Demons" (Italy, 1985; screens March 29) about a horror film audience who turn into monsters in their seats and "The Devil-Doll" (USA, 1936; March 21)  directed by Tod Browning. Also "Kwaidan" (Japan, 1964; March 8) and more.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS:  PS 321 presents "Power Struggles with Kids." Psychotherapist Bernard Ott offers advice and expertise to parents. March 1. 7:30 p.m. PS 321. Seventh Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets.

NEW SNEAKERS: Registration for the Brooklyn Half-marathon on March 19th is now open.

HEAR/SAY: "Marriage is an alliance entered into by a man who can't sleep with the window shut, and a woman who can't sleep with the window open."  -George Bernard Shaw

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Fitness in the Slope

Fitness Revolution by Elizabeth Pongo

As a personal trainer, here in Park Slope I've taken careful note of many an interesting phenomenon. Primarily, the gym is a surreal and extraordinary place. I enjoy the challenge of teaching people new things. And I must admit, sharing the excitement with my clients of learning how to grow and change things inspires me. After all, transformation of a body and growing into a functional, flexible, strong human being is no easy task! Yet, above and beyond the joy of learning, is the power of knowledge.

But there's one thing I know for sure, the gym is the school playground of the middle aged.

If you threaten to take away a baby-boomer's Social Security, you'll see that individual whip his or her self into shape, faster than you can say, "George, that's  a stupid idea."  Strength and power come from within. And the baby-boomers, who grew up during the bloom and blush of the cultural revolution of the 1960's and 1970's are striking back! Have you noticed the biceps on women who work out between the ages of 40 and 60 lately? Now there's a bunch of women I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. I can just imagine what might happen if someone threatened one of these lovely ladies. The assailant would certainly be beaten down with a bag of organic vegetables.

I admire the courage, the conviction and the commitment of my clients who are middle aged. I look up to these people. I am the typical cute little kid, who befriends the older kids, to make sure that I get taken care of. What I've found is that while I admire their focus, and encourage them to get stronger, we do end up addressing certain fears about our bodies, and our selve's together. That's the real fun, and the true catharsis. Looking at a weakness together and learning how to tackle it as a team, is powerful stuff: the stuff that revolutions are made of.

There's a lot to be afraid of in the school playground, and in the gym. While some clients are afraid of the gym equipment, other clients are afraid of the other members in the gym. I made the mistake of asking a client to mount a stationary bike, before adjusting the seat for her. She replied, "That's a 15 hand stallion, baby and I'm not getting up there."

People stand around and literally gawk at other people who are doing things that seem too difficult or exotic. This is much the same as the group of kids standing around and staring at the kid doing crazy things on the jungle gym. But all the while, we are learning from each other -- no matter how uncomfortable or bizarre it may seem at the time. 

Here's how I see it: the important thing is the evolution of our society. The digital revolution and the information age may not be as exciting as the sexual revolution and the age of Aquarius, depending on your view point. But in order for a society to remain strong and healthy, a cultural revolution must take place every 30 years.

I think we're in the middle of a new era, and although it may seem odd to run around like gerbils on a treadmill and go inside to an indoor playground in order to workout; these are monumental and surreal and important times we're living in. And as the adults now, we must embrace that. So I say: play hard and be strong. We've got our work cut out for us. The revolution is here again!

Elizabeth Pongo is a stand up comedian and a fitness trainer in Park Slope. She can be reached on her cell phone at (917) 207-3588 or by e-mail: pongofitness@yahoo.com.

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

CONTENTS_23 FEB 05

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Rejeuvenation

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Remembering Malcolm X by Laments of the Unfinished, Vacation Brainstorm by OTBKB, Fitness Revolution by Elizabeth Pongo,

SIDE PANELS_Links to Brooklyn essentials: museums, movies, theater, arts, recreation, fitness, city government and more. Scroll around and see.

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Rejeuvenation

Yesterday was Day Two of the kid's mid-winter break and I was so desperate for alone-time that my ride on the subway into Manhattan felt like a luxurious spa vacation. I closed my eyes and tried to  meditate on the F-train. Breathing in, breathing out, I let my thoughts come and go and didn't dwell on anything for long. No thinking, no thinking, just the rhythm of the rails; the doors opening, the doors closing; a panhandler asking for some change.

It was a heavenly break from the chaos of the apartment; from too much togetherness in too small a space. School vacations are fun but I was already in need of a vacation from this one.

When I got off the subway spa, I walked peacefully toward my endontist's office on East 53rd Street past Rockefeller Center and the soothing hustle-bustle of Fifth Avenue. Even the root canal was better than the mayhem back home. The dentist barely spoke - so busy was he drilling and poking, and thrusting his fingers into my mouth. I lay on the chair, my mouth covered with rubber, dental dam in place.  Eyes closed, breathing in and out through my nose, I listened to oldies on WCBS radio feeling thankful for this pensive, if not peaceful, time.

When the dental work was done, I was ready to re-enter vacationland. My husband and daughter met me for ice skating at Wollman Rink. We walked into Central Park and admired orange colored curtains, which have begun to feel like a permanent part of Olmstead's plan. Rejevenated, I skated with my daughter for three hours on an unseasonably warm and blue sky day.

Yours from Brooklyn,
OTBKB

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: Sunny day with temperature up to 42 degrees.  More Brooklyn weather here.

CITY NEWS: Many in NYC are waiting to hear what the Supreme Court has to say about the eminent domain case in New London, CT. The case questions  whether a city can seize a person's property and transfer it to private developers whose project could, theoretically, boost an ailing economy. This could have ramifications for the Atlantic Yards development... Read all about it.

_In a recent study about the city’s transportation infrastructure, the Automobile Club of American reports that the city’s roads are outdated, poorly designed, and require excessive maintenace. One of the worst trouble spots is the Gowanus  Expressway which has no shoulders for breakdowns and can cause traffic nightmares all the way to Staten Island.  Another traffic hot spot is the BQE between Hamilton Avenue and Tillary Street.  Read all about it.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  The Brooklyn dance floor where "Saturday Night Fever" was filmed is on the auction block. Bids at e-bay are expected to exceed $80,000 for the lighted Bay Ridge dance floor where John Travolta's character, Tony Manero, strutted his stuff. The club, "2001 Odyssey" (renamed "Spectrum" after the movie was made) is closing."

_Five Brooklyn bike riders are suing the city over bumps on the Williamsburg Bridge. The cyclists claim they were hurt when their bikes hit metal  plates that are part of the bike path on the bridge. Cyclists say these metal plates make the commute difficult. The five riders who filed the law suit say they suffered injuries from broken bones to fractured eye sockets.  One rider said he shattered his pelvis. They are suing for $2 million each. Read all about it.

_Brooklyn preservation activists are calling upon Ikea to save Brooklyn waterfront architecture that dates back to the Civil War.  The Municipal Art Society unveiled two alternative plans on February 14th  that would ensure that two dry docks and buildings would not be destroyed to make room for the new Ikea in Red Hook.

_Public School Mid-Winter vacation is February 22 –26. Make plans and playdates. Or just chill.

AMERICAN GIRL DOLL IN THE NEWS: Marisol, the new Mexican-American American Girl Doll, is causing some controversy. Actually it's the book that is sold with the doll that has community activitsts in Pilsen, a Hispanic community in Chicago, up in arms. "While it is delightful that the company has decide to create a Mexican-American doll, I find it insulting to the neighborhood that she has to move to the suburbs to be safe," said Juan Guzman, vice president of the Mexican Fine Arts Museum located in Pilsen: Read all about it. 

VACATION NEWS FLASH: There's a Children's Winter Festival daily in Prospect Park at the Audubon Center. Daily: Films, Nature and Crafts, and Storytelling.  More information here!

WEDNESDAY: The author of  Where'd You Get Those?: New York City's Sneaker Culture will discuss New York's Hip Hop culture and music at the Grand Army branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. 7:30 p.m. Free.

_Laurie Anderson performs her one woman with violin show,  "The Song of the Moon" at BAM 2/22 - 3/1. "Anderson weaves stories, music, songs, and words into epic portraits of American culture."  Get your tickets here. Now!!

THURSDAY: Councilmember Letitia James, State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery and Rep. Major Ownes host a meeting: "Democracy and Development in Brooklyn: Protecting and Promoting our Atlantic Yards. 8 Featured panelists. 6:30 p.m. NYC College of Technology, 300 Jay Street between Johnson and Tillary Streets.

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GOOD EATIN': Fifth Avenue's Thai Sky has a delicious Duck Pad Thai and Panang Curry. Great Thai iced coffee too. Fifth Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets.

SILVER SCREEN: "Nobody Knows," a  Japanese  film about kids left alone in a Tokyo apartment is playing at the Cobble Hill Cinema. Not for the easily depressed, well-worth seeing for its visual beauty and subtle observations of the behavior of children.   

THIS SOUNDS COOL: This week at BAMcinematek: "Fright Nights: International Horror," a selection of a dozen films, playing Mondays and Tuesdays from Feb. 21 to March 29 at the , including "Demons" (Italy, 1985; screens March 29) about a horror film audience who turn into monsters in their seats and "The Devil-Doll" (USA, 1936; March 21)  directed by Tod Browning. Also "Kwaidan" (Japan, 1964; March 8) and more.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS:  PS 321 presents "Power Struggles with Kids." Psychotherapist Bernard Ott offers advice and expertise to parents. March 1. 7:30 p.m. PS 321. Seventh Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets.

NEW SNEAKERS: Registration for the Brooklyn Half-marathon on March 19th is now open.

HEAR/SAY: "Paradise is exactly like where you are right now... only much, much better." - Laurie Anderson

Here are some ideas for the mid-winter break. For links to the museums mentioned, look for a list called, Manhattan Arts on the grey sidebar to your left.

VACATION NEWS FLASH: There's a Children's Winter Festival daily in Prospect Park at the Audubon Center. Daily: Films, Nature and Crafts, and Storytelling. More information here!

Ice skate_Central Park, Prospect Park, Rockefeller Center, or Chelsea Piers.

Swim_Use the pool, whirlpool and sauna at the Brooklyn Mariott...

Look at Art_The Gates in Central Park, Tim Hawkinson at the Whitney Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Egyptian Wing at the Met, Museum of the City of New York, Retratos: 2000 Years of Latin American Portraits at the El Museo Del Barrio, photographs by Ralph Eugene Meatyard at the International Center of Photography, show the kids your favorite old TV shows at the Museum of Television and Broadcasting, show the kids what it was like back in the '80s: East Village USA at the New Museum, Noguchi and Martha Graham exhibit at the Noguchi Museum in Queens right near Socrates Sculpture Garden...

Theater_25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Avenue Q, Brooklyn Boy, Wicked, Little Women, Waiting for Godot...

Be a Tourist_Go grocery shopping in Chinatown or wander around Pearl River, browse art supplies at Pearl Paint on Canal Street, wander around Times Square, take pictures on the Coney Island Boardwalk or Brighton Beach, have lunch at Katz's Deli on the Lower East Side and explore the neighborhood, tour the Prospect Park, Central Park or Bronx Zoo...

Just Hang_Sleep late, read books, watch classic movies, catch up on homework (ha), if the weather permits, take a bike ride, read a book aloud, do an art project, clean the house together (ha), nap, clean the rabbit's cage...

Tip: Everyone spend some time alone.

More ideas needed. Send them in. Best idea wins a PRIZE. Details to come.

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

CONTENTS_22 FEB 05

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Smooth Skating

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.
_Eminent domain and American Girl Doll in the news and more...

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Vacation Brainstorm by OTBKB

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Fitness Revolution by Elizabeth Pongo

SIDE PANELS: Links to Brooklyn essentials, museums, arts, parks, restaurants, movies, theater, politics, government, public services, parking, Manhattan arts, Brooklyn blogs, non-Brooklyn blogs, and more. Scroll through it.

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_Smooth Skating

Yesterday we bought ice skates. Oh, and we went ice skating too. But first came the big SPLURGE at Good Footin', the active shoe store on Seventh Avenue near Second Street.

My sister called first thing in the morning wondering if we wanted to go ice skating, which we all thought was a perfect idea for a snow covered day. Then my daughter said,  "Mom, let's go buy those pink velcro skates they have in the window at Good Footin'."

Now this wasn't completely out of the blue. We'd been talking about buying skates because having your own skates is just so much better than renting those awful blue skates they rent out at the rink. Awful just awful those blue rental skates are.

We all met at the shop, which was having a BIG SALE. As my daughter tried on the skates, I decided to buy myself a pair of skates.  Then my sister, decided to get in on the act. Suffice it to say, the three of us left the store with NEW SKATES ready for some icy fun in Prospect Park.

And what a difference good skates make. They really make the whole experience so much better. In fact, I  felt like I was twelve again: really light on my feet, twirly, swirly and fast. Figure eights, going backward, I was spinning and skating smoooth. 

Yours from Brooklyn,
OTBKB

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: Partly cloudy skies may give way to snow showers in the evening. Temperatures 32-42 degrees.  More Brooklyn weather here.

CITY NEWS: Many in NYC are waiting to hear what the Supreme Court has to say about the eminent domain case in New London, CT. The case questions  whether a city can seize a person's property and transfer it to private developers whose project could, theoretically, boost an ailing economy. This could have ramifications for the Atlantic Yards development... Read all about it.

_In a recent study about the city’s transportation infrastructure, the Automobile Club of American reports that the city’s roads are outdated, poorly designed, and require excessive maintenace. One of the worst trouble spots is the Gowanus  Expressway which has no shoulders for breakdowns and can cause traffic nightmares all the way to Staten Island.  Another traffic hot spot is the BQE between Hamilton Avenue and Tillary Street.  Read all about it.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Five Brooklyn bike riders are suing the city over bumps on the Williamsburg Bridge. The cyclists claim they were hurt when their bikes hit metal  plates that are part of the bike path on the bridge. Cyclists say these metal plates make the commute difficult. The five riders who filed the law suit say they suffered injuries from broken bones to fractured eye sockets.  One rider said he shattered his pelvis. They are suing for $2 million each. Read all about it.

_Brooklyn preservation activists are calling upon Ikea to save Brooklyn waterfront architecture that dates back to the Civil War.  The Municipal Art Society unveiled two alternative plans on February 14th  that would ensure that two dry docks and buildings would not be destroyed to make room for the new Ikea in Red Hook.

_Public School Mid-Winter vacation is February 22 –26. Make plans and playdates. Or just chill.

AMERICAN GIRL DOLL IN THE NEWS: Marisol, the new Mexican-American American Girl Doll, is causing some controversy. Actually it's the book that is sold with the doll that has community activitsts in Pilsen, a Hispanic community in Chicago, up in arms. "While it is delightful that the company has decide to create a Mexican-American doll, I find it insulting to the neighborhood that she has to move to the suburbs to be safe," said Juan Guzman, vice president of the Mexican Fine Arts Museum located in Pilsen: Read all about it. 

VACATION NEWS FLASH: There's a Children's Winter Festival daily in Prospect Park at the Audubon Center. Daily: Films, Nature and Crafts, and Storytelling.  More information here!

OPENS TODAY: Laurie Anderson performs her one woman with violin show,  "The Song of the Moon" at BAM 2/22 - 3/1. "Anderson weaves stories, music, songs, and words into epic portraits of American culture."  Get your tickets here. Now!!

 

GOOD EATIN': Try Thai Sky, Fifth Avenue's eat in and take out Thai restaurant that has a delicious Duck Pad Thai and Panang Curry. Great Thai iced coffee too. Fifth Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets.

SILVER SCREEN: "Nobody Knows," a  Japanese  film about kids left alone in a Tokyo apartment is playing at the Cobble Hill Cinema. Not for the easily depressed, well-worth seeing for its visual beauty and subtle observations of the behavior of children.   

THIS SOUNDS COOL: This week at BAMcinematek: "Fright Nights: International Horror," a selection of a dozen films, playing Mondays and Tuesdays from Feb. 21 to March 29 at the , including "Demons" (Italy, 1985; screens March 29) about a horror film audience who turn into monsters in their seats and "The Devil-Doll" (USA, 1936; March 21)  directed by Tod Browning. Also "Kwaidan" (Japan, 1964; March 8) and more.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS:  PS 321 presents "Power Struggles with your Kids." Psychotherapist Bernard Ott with advice and expertise to help parents and kids. March 1, Time: tbd. PS 321. Seventh Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets.

NEW SNEAKERS: Registration for the Brooklyn Half-marathon on March 19th is now open.

HEAR/SAY: "I hate vacations. If you can build buildings, why sit on the beach?" - Phillip Johnson

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

CONTENTS_21 Feb 05

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_My Vacation

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff To Do.

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Fitness Revolution by Elizabeth Pongo

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Vacation Brainstorm by OTBKB

SIDE PANELS_Links to Brooklyn essentials: schools, museums, recreation, arts, theater, music, fitness, services, stores we love, blogs, non-brooklyn blogs, and more. Scroll down and see.

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: Look out the window: there's snow.  More Brooklyn weather here.

TODAY: It’s President’s Day and government offices, the New York Stock Exchange, schools, libraries and most banks are closed today. Post offices are closed; no regular mail delivery. Alternate-side-of-the-street-parking is suspended.  No garbage collection or reclyling pick up.  City subways and buses, Metro-North and New Jersey Transit running on either weekend or holiday schedules.

CITY NEWS: In a recent study about the city’s transportation infrastructure, the Automobile Club of American reports that the city’s roads are outdated, poorly designed, and require excessive maintenace. One of the worst trouble spots is the Gowanus  Expressway which has no shoulders for breakdowns and can cause traffic nightmares all the way to Staten Island.  Another traffic hot spot is the BQE between Hamilton Avenue and Tillary Street.

BROOKLYN BEAT:  Five Brooklyn bike riders are suing the city over bumps on the Williamsburg Bridge. The cyclists claim they were hurt when their bikes hitmetal  plates that are part of the bike path on the bridge. Cyclists say these metal plates make the commute difficult. The five riders who filed the law suit say they suffered injuries from broken bones to fractured eye sockets.  One rider said he shattered his pelvis. They are suing for $2 million each.

_Brooklyn preservation activists are calling upon Ikea to save Brooklyn waterfront architecture that dates back to the Civil War.  The Municipal Art Society unveiled two alternative plans on February 14th  that would ensure that two dry docks and buildings would not be destroyed to make room for the new Ikea in Red Hook.

_Public School Mid-Winter vacation is February 22 –26. Make plans and playdates. Or just chill.

VACATION NEWS FLASH: There's a Children's Winter Festival daily in Prospect Park at the Audubon Center. Daily: Films, Nature and Crafts, and Storytelling.  More information here!

OPENS TODAY: Laurie Anderson performs her one woman with violin show,  "The Song of the Moon" at BAM 2/22 - 3/1. "Anderson weaves stories, music, songs, and words into epic portraits of American culture."  Get your tickets here. Now!!

GOOD EATIN': Try Thai Sky, Fifth Avenue's eat in and take out Thai restaurant that has a delicious Duck Pad Thai and Panang Curry. Great Thai iced coffee too. Fifth Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets.

SILVER SCREEN: "Nobody Knows," a  Japanese  film about kids left alone in a Tokyo apartment is playing at the Cobble Hill Cinema. Not for the easily depressed, well-worth seeing for its visual beauty and subtle observations of the behavior of children.   

THIS SOUNDS COOL: This week at BAMcinematek: "Fright Nights: International Horror," a selection of a dozen films, playing Mondays and Tuesdays from Feb. 21 to March 29 at the , including "Demons" (Italy, 1985; screens March 29) about a horror film audience who turn into monsters in their seats and "The Devil-Doll" (USA, 1936; March 21)  directed by Tod Browning. Also "Kwaidan" (Japan, 1964; March 8) and more.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS:  PS 321 presents "Power Struggles with your Kids." Psychotherapist Bernard Ott with advice and expertise to help parents and kids. March 1, Time: tbd. PS 321. Seventh Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets.

NEW SNEAKERS: Registration for the Brooklyn Half-marathon on March 19th is now open

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_My Vacation

It's so quiet this morning. Snow fell Sunday night and left a soft cover everywhere:  sidewalks, tree branches, rooftops, and cars. Rain and warmer temperatures are expected to wash it away so no one is shoveling, and there are no snow ploughs on the street (they're not really needed).

It's "snow day lite" and there are just a small number of foot prints on Third Street.

Snow or no snow, the Slope would be quiet anyway The public school kids have a week's vacation and the private school kids have Monday and Tueday off. People who can are on vacation -- off to Caribbean beaches, slopes in Vermont, long lines at Disney World in Orlando. Those with the extra moolah can use vacation time as an opportunity to escape this slushy season that just trudges on.

Even the kids upstairs who are usually up early playing extreme tag over our bedroom seem to be sleeping. Or maybe they're at the beach.

But who needs the beach? It's quiet in the slope and the children are sleeping.  I'm up early and alone in our dining room with my iBook, my coffee, and a bowl of Medley cereal. This is vacation enough for me.

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: Look out the window: there's snow.  More Brooklyn weather here.

TODAY: It’s President’s Day and government offices, the New York Stock Exchange, schools, libraries and most banks are closed today. Post offices are closed; no regular mail delivery.  Alternate-side-of-the-street-parking is suspended.  No garbage collection or reclyling pick up.  City subways and buses, Metro-North and New Jersey Transit running on either weekend or holiday schedules.

CITY NEWS: In a recent study about the city’s transportation infrastructure, the Automobile Club of American reports that the city’s roads are outdated, poorly designed, and require excessive maintenace. One of the worst trouble spots is the Gowanus  Expressway which has no shoulders for breakdowns and can cause traffic nightmares all the way to Staten Island.  Another traffic hot spot is the BQE between Hamilton Avenue and Tillary Street.

BROOKLYN BEAT: Brooklyn preservation activists are calling upon Ikea to save Brooklyn waterfront architecture that dates back to the Civil War.  The Municipal Art Society unveiled two alternative plans on February 14th  that would ensure that two dry docks and buildings would not be destroyed to make room for the new Ikea in Red Hook.

_Public School Mid-Winter vacation is February 22 –26. Make plans and playdates. Or just chill.

VACATION NEWS FLASH: There's a Children's Winter Festival daily in Prospect Park at the Audubon Center. Daily: Films, Nature and Crafts, and Storytelling.  More information here!

OPENS TUESDAY: Laurie Anderson performs her one woman with violin show,  "The Song of the Moon" at BAM 2/22 - 3/1. "Anderson weaves stories, music, songs, and words into epic portraits of American culture."  Get your tickets here. Now!!

GOOD EATIN': Belleville for President's Day Brunch. The authentic bistro decor and cuisine makes for a perfect Paris meets Fifth Avenue vibe. Between 5th and 6th Streets.

SILVER SCREEN: "Nobody Knows," a  Japanese  film about kids left alone in a Tokyo apartment is playing at the Cobble Hill Cinema. Not for the easily depressed, well-worth seeing for its visual beauty and subtle observations of the behavior of children.   

THIS SOUNDS COOL: This week at BAMcinematek: "Fright Nights: International Horror," a selection of a dozen films, playing Mondays and Tuesdays from Feb. 21 to March 29 at the , including "Demons" (Italy, 1985; screens March 29) about a horror film audience who turn into monsters in their seats and "The Devil-Doll" (USA, 1936; March 21)  directed by Tod Browning. Also "Kwaidan" (Japan, 1964; March 8) and more.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS:  PS 321 presents "Power Struggles with your Kids." Psychotherapist Bernard Ott with advice and expertise to help parents and kids. March 1, Time: tbd. PS 321. Seventh Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets.

NEW SNEAKERS: Registration for the Brooklyn Half-marathon on March 19th is now open

HEAR/SAY: " Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long." --Walker Evans

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

CONTENTS_20 FEB 05

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_The Race

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to do.

BROOKLYN THINKERS_Vacation Brainstorm by OTBKB

SIDE PANELS: Links to Brooklyn essentials, including public services, schools, parks, arts, fitness, stores we love, Manhattan arts, blogs, non-Brooklyn blogs and more

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_The Race

The 10th Annual Cherry Tree 10-Mile Race for the Hardcore went off without at hitch in Prospect Park yesterday. Except for the fact  that the wind chill factor made for one cold morning, it was a gorgeous day for a race.

In our pre-race pep talk, our fearless coach,  Jon Cane, urged us to "run your own race. Don't pay attention to people passing you." For the Jack Rabbit Half-Marathon Group, yesterday's run was a dress-rehearsal for the Brooklyn Half on March 19th.

The group joined over 300 runners at 12th Street and we were off and running - three laps around the park -- by 10 a.m. The cold was a non-issue almost immediately. Running down the hill toward the lake on the south-west side of the Park I was already feeling sweaty and overdressed in my two shirts, two jackets, face mask, hat and gloves.

My husband, son and daughter were there to cheer me on as I finished the second lap. Seeing them cheer was a HUGE motivational boost. As I ran past I screamed hello to them and Coach Cane screamed, "Don't stop to say hello to your family. Keep running!"

I was high from seeing them for much of the third lap. I saw them again less than a mile from the finish. At that point the kids were cold from standing around in the freezing temperatures. As I ran past I could see whining on their faces. I even heard my daughter cry, "Mommy, we're freezing, we want to go home."  I felt myself begin the transition from 10-mile runner to mom. But I caught myself and screamed, "I can't be anyone's mother right now!"

Nearing the finish line, a lovely French man that I'd been running with got ahead of me. An annoying guy on megaphone blurted out: "Take him, you can beat him to the finish line." I found some last minute energy and sprinted the French runner to the finish. As I passed him I said, "I'm sorry. It's been really nice running with you." We shook hands.

There were no cups left but lots of huge jugs of water at the water station. I grabbed a jug and  drank to my hearts content. It was almost anti-climatic to reach the end and hard to believe that I'd just run ten miles. But boy did it feel GREAT.

Yours from Brooklyn,
OTBKB

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: Warmer than yesterday. Mostly sunny. Snow starts late tonight.  More Brooklyn weather here.

CITY NEWS: In a recent report about the city's transportation infrastructure, the Automobile Club of America says the city's roads are outdated, poorly designed and require excessive maintenance. The worst trouble spot in the city is the ramp from the northbound Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx to the George Washington Bridge. Researchers say the ramp is dangerous and too narrow for traffic. The Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn has no shoulders for breakdowns and can cause traffic nightmares all the way to Staten Island. Another traffic hot spot is at the Brooklyn Queens Expressway between Hamilton Avenue and Tillary Street. And the 77-year-old Goethals Bridge is too narrow for modern day traffic. Cars on the bridge are forced to maneuver next to big rigs and dodge water drains. The federal transportation bill has been reintroduced to Congress after being stalled for two years. AAA says the problem must get fixed or drivers can expect more delays and vehicle repairs. Read all about it.

_NYC is seeking to trademark the phrase:"The World's Second Home." It wants exclusive rights to use it to promote business, tourism and economic development. Read all about it.

BROOKLYN BEAT: A church in Park Slope was the latest stop on the “tour of neighborhoods” planned by opponents of the Atlantic Yards development plan. At a meeting on February 8th at Old First Reformed Church on Seventh Avenue, the issues surrounding Forest City Ratner’s (FCR) redevelopment plan were aired and an alternate vision for the area was presented. Critics said the FCR plan, if realized, would “destroy the character of the neighborhood, put a strain on the existing infrastructure, cause traffic problems and, with the considerable subsidies at the state and city level for the developers, engender huge taxpayer losses,” according to Jezra Kaye of Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB), a group opposing FCR’s plan.

_PUBLIC SCHOOL MID-WINTER RECESS  is 2/20 - 2/25. Start making those playdates and plans!

SUNDAY IN THE SLOPE: Phyllis Stigliano Gallery presents: "Project Posters: Christo and Jeanne Claude's Surrounded Islands, Valley Curtain, Running Fence, The Pont Neuf Wrapped" and other large works. 11 am to 5 pm. 62 Eighth Ave. (718) 638-0659. Free.

GOOD EATIN': Belleville for Brunch. The authentic bistro decor and cuisine makes for a perfect Paris meets Fifth Avenue vibe. Between 5th and 6th Streets.

SILVER SCREEN: "Nobody Knows," a  Japanese  film about kids left alone in a Tokyo apartment is playing at the Cobble Hill Cinema. Not for the easily depressed, well-worth seeing for it's visual beauty and subtle observations of the behavior of children.   

THIS SOUNDS COOL: This week at BAMcinematek: "Fright Nights: International Horror," a selection of a dozen films, playing Mondays and Tuesdays from Feb. 21 to March 29 at the , including "Demons" (Italy, 1985; screens March 29) about a horror film audience who turn into monsters in their seats and "The Devil-Doll" (USA, 1936; March 21)  directed by Tod Browning. Also "Kwaidan" (Japan, 1964; March 8) and more. <>

_Laurie Anderson performs her one woman with violin show,  "The Song of the Moon" at BAM 2/22 - 3/1. "Anderson weaves stories, music, songs, and words into epic portraits of American culture."  Get your tickets here.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS:  PS 321's PTA, Guidance Department and administration is launching a series of talks for parents on a variety of parent topics. The first is scheduled for March 1, time: tbd, entitled Power Struggles with Your Kids. Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist Bernard Ott will share his expertise and answer questions about helping kids and parents through these intergenerational tugs of war. PS 321. Seventh Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets. 

NEW SNEAKERS: Registration for the Brooklyn Half-marathon on March 19th is now open.

HEAR/SAY: "If you want to make Brooklyn in words or film or paint, you must see the way the sun defines the silent streets on an early Sunday morning, sculpting trees, buildings, fire hydrants, stray dogs, and wandering people with an almost perfect clarity." -Pete Hamill

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

CONTENTS_19 Feb 05

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_The Borough Next Door

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Events.

VACATION BRAINSTORM_Hot Tips for the Mid-winter Break

SIDE PANELS: Links to Brooklyn Essentials, Arts, Blogs, Stores we Love, Manhattan Arts and non-Brooklyn blogs,

POSTCARD FROM THE SLOPE_The Borough Next Door

Everyone wants to be in Manhattan this week.   

Yesterday, my husband's Aunt came into the city for less than 5 hours before catching a flight home to California. Why? To see The Gates. This weekend, a cousin and her new husband from Baltimore are zipping into town for a bit of fun and The Gates. Later this week, my mother-in-law flies in to see, you got it, The Gates.

And we're pleased as punch to be their guides; it gives us a  chance to spend more time in Central Park than we have in years and to discover parts of the park we barely knew. Exploring The Gates with tourists makes us feel like tourists too. We even stopped at the Metropolitan Museum for lunch and a quick look/see at the Egyptian wing and the Temple of Dendur.

Thanks to Christo and Jeanne Claude, we're having such a festive time in the middle of winter.  They've given us one of the best reasons we've had in years to subway out of Brooklyn to check out the borough next door.

Yours from Brooklyn,
OTBKB

SCOOP DU JOUR_Weather. News. Stuff to Do.

BROOKLYN WEATHER: Great day for a 10-mile race: snow flurries and 32 degrees. More Brooklyn weather here.

CITY NEWS: In a recent report about the city's transportation infrastructure, the Automobile Club of America says the city's roads are outdated, poorly designed and require excessive maintenance. The worst trouble spot in the city is the ramp from the northbound Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx to the George Washington Bridge. Researchers say the ramp is dangerous and too narrow for traffic. The Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn has no shoulders for breakdowns and can cause traffic nightmares all the way to Staten Island. Another traffic hot spot is at the Brooklyn Queens Expressway between Hamilton Avenue and Tillary Street. And the 77-year-old Goethals Bridge is too narrow for modern day traffic. Cars on the bridge are forced to maneuver next to big rigs and dodge water drains. The federal transportation bill has been reintroduced to Congress after being stalled for two years. AAA says the problem must get fixed or drivers can expect more delays and vehicle repairs. Read all about it.

_NYC is seeking to trademark the phrase:"The World's Second Home." It wants exclusive rights to use it to promote business, tourism and economic development. Read all about it.

BROOKLYN BEAT: A church in Park Slope was the latest stop on the “tour of neighborhoods” planned by opponents of the Atlantic Yards development plan. At a meeting on February 8th at Old First Reformed Church on Seventh Avenue, the issues surrounding Forest City Ratner’s (FCR) redevelopment plan were aired and an alternate vision for the area was presented. Critics said the FCR plan, if realized, would “destroy the character of the neighborhood, put a strain on the existing infrastructure, cause traffic problems and, with the considerable subsidies at the state and city level for the developers, engender huge taxpayer losses,” according to Jezra Kaye of Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB), a group opposing FCR’s plan.

_PUBLIC SCHOOL MID-WINTER RECESS  is 2/20 - 2/25. Start making those playdates and plans!

SATURDAY IN PROSPECT PARK: The 10th Annual Cherry Tree 10-mile race is on Saturday February 19th at 10 a.m. The race begins on 15th Street in the park.

_Great Backyard Bird Count at the Prospect Park Audubon Center. 2/19 at noon. Enter park at Lincoln and Ocean Avenue. Free.

SATURDAY IN THE SLOPE: Phyllis Stigliano Gallery presents:  "Project Posters: Christo and Jeanne Claude's Surrounded Islands, Valley Curtain, Running Fence, The Pont Neuf Wrapped" and other large works. 11 am to 5 pm. 62 Eighth Ave. (718) 638-0659. Free.

SATURDAY NIGHT: The Wooster Group at  Art at St. Anns, "House/Lights" from Gertrude Steins, "Dr. Faustus."  38 Water Street. Fri and Sat. through 4/20. 38 Water Street. DUMBO.

_Bargemusic presents a program of Handel. 7:30 p.m. Fulton Ferry Landing. $35.

THIS SOUNDS COOL: This week at BAMcinematek: "Fright Nights: International Horror," a selection of a dozen films, playing Mondays and Tuesdays from Feb. 21 to March 29 at the , including "Demons" (Italy, 1985; screens March 29) about a horror film audience who turn into monsters in their seats and "The Devil-Doll" (USA, 1936; March 21)  directed by Tod Browning. Also "Kwaidan" (Japan, 1964; March 8) and more.

_Laurie Anderson performs her one woman with violin show,  "The Song of the Moon" at BAM 2/22 - 3/1. "Anderson weaves stories, music, songs, and words into epic portraits of American culture."  Get your tickets here.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS:  PS 321's PTA, Guidance Department and administration is launching a series of talks for parents on a variety of parent topics. The first is scheduled for March 1, time: tbd, entitled Power Struggles with Your Kids. Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist Bernard Ott will share his expertise and answer questions about helping kids and parents through these intergenerational tugs of war. PS 321. Seventh Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets. 

NEW SNEAKERS: Registration for the Brooklyn Half-marathon on March 19th is now open.

HEAR/SAY: "If you want to make Brooklyn in words or film or paint, you must see the way the sun defines the silent streets on an early Sunday morning, sculpting trees, buildings, fire hydrants, stray dogs, and wandering people with an almost perfect clarity." -Pete Hamill

BROOKLYN THINKERS: Vacation Brainstorm

Here are some ideas for the mid-winter break. For links to the museums mentioned, look for a list called, Manhattan Arts on the grey sidebar to your left.

Ice skate_Central Park, Prospect Park, Rockefeller Center, or Chelsea Piers.

Swim_Use the pool, whirlpool and sauna at the Brooklyn Mariott...

Look at Art_The Gates in Central Park, Tim Hawkinson at the Whitney Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Egyptian Wing at the Met, Museum of the City of New York, Retratos: 2000 Years of Latin American Portraits at the El Museo Del Barrio, photographs by Ralph Eugene Meatyard at the International Center of Photography, show the kids your favorite old TV shows at the Museum of Television and Broadcasting, show the kids what it was like back in the '80s: East Village USA at the New Museum, Noguchi and Martha Graham exhibit at the Noguchi Museum in Queens right near Socrates Sculpture Garden...

Theater_25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Avenue Q, Brooklyn Boy, Wicked, Little Women, Waiting for Godot...

Be a Tourist_Go grocery shopping in Chinatown or wander around Pearl River, browse art supplies at Pearl Paint on Canal Street, wander around Times Square, take pictures on the Coney Island Boardwalk or Brighton Beach, have lunch at Katz's Deli on the Lower East Side and explore the neighborhood, tour the Prospect Park, Central Park or Bronx Zoo...

Just Hang_Sleep late, read books, watch classic movies, catch up on homework (ha), if the weather permits, take a bike ride, read a book aloud, do an art project, clean the house together (ha), nap, clean the rabbit's cage...

Tip: Everyone spend some time alone.

More ideas needed. Send them in. Best idea wins a PRIZE. Details to come.

NO WORDS_Daily Pix by Hugh Crawford