Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn

No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

Is My Money Safe? And Other Questions

During these volatile times, all of us have questions, questions, questions about what is really going on and what it means. There's a helpful Q&A in the Times today by Ron Lieber. It's not exactly comforting but it is informative. Here's an excerpt.

For all of you on Main Street who have been watching the turmoil on Wall Street for the last few weeks, Monday’s shockwaves rattled even the most steadfast.

The day began with the announcement that another big bank — Wachovia — had been taken over, just days after Washington Mutual collapsed and was sold. In early afternoon, the House rejected the bailout package for the financial industry. Stocks plunged, with the Dow ending the day down nearly 778 points in the worst single-day drop in two decades.

What is a regular investor to make of it all? What about people who have money in bank accounts? Below are some answers to questions that are probably on your mind.

Best Sushi in Brooklyn

According to Yelp, three of the best sushi places in Brooklyn are right here in Park Slope and Windsor Terrace The choice was made by members of Yelp, a social networking site, where people comment on their local restaurants and stores. Recently they've added a Brooklyn Yelp. This is by no means a scientific survey. It's just a bunch of Yelpers yelping about places they like.

Floundering in a sea of options? Many Brooklynites swear by Park Slope's Blue Ribbon Sushi, including Jeff M who touts their "beautifully prepared, exquisitely fresh" sushi that "compares favorably to Next Door Nobu." High praise, indeed! The Slope is also home to Taro Sushi, another top-notch destination to get your sashimi fix. Juston P 's calculations demonstrate its superb value: "sushi + delicious + fresh + small restaurant + well-known Chef is meant to equal $$$. Yet, it's only $."

Simona G is all about Sushi Yama and declares it "the best in Windsor Terrace." She is a fan of their tasty morsels, friendly waitstaff, and the fact that "the price is right."

The Disappearing Face of Brooklyn's Storefronts

That's the name of a new show at the Brooklyn Historical Society on Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights. It's a lovely place, which has beautifully designed exhibits and this one sounds interesting.

Brooklyn’s neighborhood storefronts have the city’s history etched in their facades. Each store is as unique as the customers they serve and are run by owners who share a commitment to provide a special service. Many shops are lifelines for their communities, vital to the residents who depend on them for a multitude of needs. Yet such shops are disappearing on a daily basis as their neighborhoods rapidly change. Photographer-curators James and Karla Murray have scoured Brooklyn to observe “mom and pop” businesses from humble neighborhood stores tucked away on narrow side streets to well-known institutions on historic avenues.

Through panoramic photographs, portraits of individual storefronts, and illuminating interviews with shop owners, this exhibition reveals how neighborhood stores help set the pulse, life, and texture of their communities.

The Where and When
Brooklyn Historical Society
128 Pierrepont Street at Clinton Street
September 10-December 28, 2008
The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Weekdays open 12-5, weekends 10-5

Owner of Park Slope's Song is a "Kick-Ass Rocker"

An OTBKB reader sent word of a new album from the owner of Song, a fave Park Slope Thai restaurant. Sure, Song is named Song, but who knew the owner was also a "kick-ass rocker."

I wanted to introduce you to a kick-ass rocker out of Brooklyn, Ariel Aparicio, who I thought you might be interested in blogging about. Ariel is a Brooklynite at heart (though Cuban-born and Miami-raised); not only making his home in BK, but also home for the 2 successful Thai restaurants he owns: Joya in Cobble Hill, and its sister establishment Song, in Park Slope. Ariel’s vocal stylings run the gamut from the ultra-cool Iggy Pop & The Stooges-style mumblings, to Bowie-esque pop-punk precision, to the modern-rocker style of Julian Casablancas of The Strokes. Ariel’s new album, All These Brilliant Things, is set for hard release at the end of October

.

MS 88: 6 Teacher Marriages

Cute story in the Daily News about MS 88, a middle school on 18th Street and 7h Avenue:

One Brooklyn middle school specializes in reading, writing - and romance.

More than a dozen teachers have met their matches at Middle School 88 in Park Slope, which has spawned six marriages, one engagement and numerous long-term relationships.

Two married couples are on staff, and four other current teachers met their spouses or significant others there. And several other couples who have since left were introduced at the school.

"Nobody comes to work thinking, ‘I'm going to meet somebody,'" said Deanna Kaufman, who began dating her husband while teaching English at the school. "It sounds so cheesy, but you can't help it."

Principal Aileen Altman Mitchell attributes the couplings to the school's young and driven staff, who work long hours and devote so much of their personal time to the job.

"You hire people with similar beliefs and values," she said. "They have a mutual interest, so it's a natural outgrowth. They passionately believe in what they are doing.

"

Bid on this Ruth Orkin Photograph at Art Obama

At Art Obama you can bid on this photograph by photo legend Ruth Orkin printed from the original negative.

Art Obama is the brainchild of a committee of smart, creative Park Slopers, who are mad as hell and can't take what's happening to this country anymore. So they got organized out of frustration and passion and put together this home-grown effort to raise money. Lucky thing they know a lot of New York artists, who were willing donate some terrific art, including this painting by Ann Agee.

On October 3, there will be a silent auction of over 100 small works by American artists to support the election of Barack Obama and down-ticket Democrats.

Proceeds benefit the Obama Victory Fund. Donations also accepted for ActBlue , a clearinghouse supporting progressive House and Senate candidates nationwide. Space is limited, and pre-registration for this event is strongly recommended.

The Where and When:
Friday, October 3, 2008
Silent Auction 7 to 10 pm (bidding 7-9). $25 at the door
62 Eighteenth Street, Brooklyn NY, 5th Floor

Root Stock & Quade: Fire at Seventh Avenue Location

A sign on the door of Root Stock and Quade, says that there was a fire in that shop recently. Because of fire and water damage, the owners are closing that location; they have a location in Clinton Hill, where they will continue to run their urban gardening and floral arrangements business.

RIP: Pioneering Urban Preservationist Dies

Margot Gayle, who fought for the preservation of New York City's 19th-century architecture—even before there was a historic preservation movement or a Landmarks Commision, died today at the age of 100. This quote is from the New York Times:

‘’Margot Gayle is the only reason we have a SoHo,'’ Brendan Sexton said in a 1998 interview, when he was president of the Municipal Art Society. ‘’The only person who comes close or who shares with Margot that honor is Jane Jacobs, who stopped Robert Moses from putting an expressway through what is today SoHo and TriBeCa. Margot turned her eye on the cast-iron district and it appeared like magic."

No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

Whole Foods on 3rd Street Will Never Happen?

From Brownstoner:

The Whole Foods superstore that's been planned for the corner of 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue in Gowanus will never happen, according to a source with close connections to the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the government agency that needs to sign off on the clean-up of the polluted site before any building can begin. Environmental concerns aside, evidently the trend in the supermarket biz has swung away from superstores, our source notes; in addition, in the wake of poor earnings this summer, Whole Foods announced that it would be cutting back on the number of new stores next year. The likely upshot? Even if Whole Foods decided to open a smaller store in Brooklyn, says our source, it's unlikely it would want to use this site. You buying it?

Trader Joe's: Welcome to Brooklyn

Photographer Max Flatow grabbed a bunch of great shots of the new Trader Joe's located in that glorious bank building on Court Street and Atlantic. Check out more at his blog.

Vote on $700 Billion Bailout Bill Today

As reported everywhere, The House votes today on the $700 billion bailout of the financial industry after a weekend of marathon negotiations produced a 110-page bill, intended to relieve the historic credit crisis with an emphasis on oversight and limits on golden parachutes.

Squad 1 Widow Runs in Tunnel to Towers Race

Nice story in the Daily News about Susan Siller, who ran in this year's Tunnel to Towers Run.

The widow of hero Firefighter Stephen Siller, who sprinted through the Battery Tunnel on 9/11 to get to the burning towers, ran in his footsteps for the first time Sunday.

Sarah Siller took part in the seventh annual Tunnel to Towers Run, which honors her husband, whose selflessness on that tragic day will live on forever, she said.

"It was time," the Staten Island mother of five said.

"It was a very emotional experience, and to go through the tunnel and hear everybody cheering was amazing," said Siller, 41, of Staten Island.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Stephen Siller, 34, a firefighter with Squad 1 in Park Slope, Brooklyn, raced on foot through the smoke-filled tunnel carrying 80 pounds of gear when he wasnot allowed to drive to Manhattan.

He was last seen alive at West and Liberty Sts.; the rest of his fire company was already there, and they all perished.

Siller's story is memorialized in the annual 5K run that began in 2002. For the past six years, Sarah Siller stood at the finish line and cheered on runners.

Buy Some Cool Art: Support Obama at Art Obama This Friday

Art Obama is the brainchild of a committee of smart, creative Park Slopers, who are mad as hell and can't take what's happening to this country anymore. So they got organized out of frustration and passion and put together this home-grown effort to raise money. Lucky thing they know a lot of New York artists, who were willing donate some terrific art, including this painting by Ann Agee.

On October 3, there will be a silent auction of over 100 small works by American artists to support the election of Barack Obama and down-ticket Democrats.

Proceeds benefit the Obama Victory Fund. Donations also accepted for ActBlue , a clearinghouse supporting progressive House and Senate candidates nationwide. Space is limited, and pre-registration for this event is strongly recommended.

The Where and When:
Friday, October 3, 2008
Silent Auction 7 to 10 pm (bidding 7-9). $25 at the door
62 Eighteenth Street, Brooklyn NY, 5th Floor

Kids Rx: It's Beginning to Look Like a Pharmacy

This is Kids Rx, the children's pharmacy and healthcare shop going into the old Second Street Cafe storefront on Seventh Avenue and 2nd Street.

Sycamore is Such a Pretty Flower Shop; It's Also a Bar

It's called Sycamore. By day it's a flower shop; at night it turns into a cool bar. From the folks who brought you the Farm at Adderly, Sycamore is located on 1118 Corteylou Road. Simply loverly.

Major Setback for Ratner's Atlantic Yards Plan

This is the press release from Develop Don't Destroy.

BROOKLYN, NY— A State Appellate Court* panel has rejected the Empire State Development Corporation's (ESDC) motion to dismiss Goldstein et al. v. Empire State Development Corporation—the Atlantic Yards eminent domain lawsuit filed by nine property owners and tenants with properties in the footprint of Forest City Ratner's foundering megaproject proposal. The case was filed on August 1st of this year.

The ESDC unsuccessfully tried to dismiss the petitioners' case, which charges that New York State's use of eminent domain to seize private homes and businesses for developer Forest City Ratner's (FCR) Atlantic Yards project violates the New York State Constitution's public use, due process and equal protection clauses, as well as low-income resident requirements.

The petitioners' victory is a major setback for FCR and the ESDC. FCR President/CEO Bruce Ratner recently told The New York Times that he plans to "break ground" in December. Ratner does not own the land he needs to build his proposed arena and skyscraper project, and is attempting to have New York State seize the land for him by eminent domain.

"Though Ratner claims that he'll ‘break ground' for his Atlantic Yards proposal in December, he cannot do so unless New York State uses eminent domain to seize the owners' and tenants' properties and give them to him as planned. But the plan is now in doubt," said Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn Legal Director Candace Carponter.

The Court has given the ESDC until October 15th to file its answer to the petitioners' complaint. According to the normal briefing schedule, petitioners will then file their brief on January 15th, 2009. The ESDC would reply in mid-February and petitioners would file their answering brief at the end of February. Oral argument would then most likely be scheduled for sometime in March or April and a decision would presumably come somewhere between late spring and fall of 2009.

"The seizure of my clients' homes and businesses is unconstitutional. We are pleased that the Court has recognized the merit of our case and will now hear the arguments in full," said lead attorney Matthew Brinckerhoff of Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP. "We are confident that when we finally have our day in court, we will show that New York State's condemnation and seizure of my clients' homes and businesses for Forest City Ratner's enrichment violates New York's Constitution."

The initial complaint to the Court and the briefs on the motion to dismiss for Goldstein et al. v. Empire State Development Corporation can be downloaded at: www.dddb.net/eminentdomain

The Court's order denying the motion to dismiss can be found at:
www.nycourts.gov/reporter/motions/2008/2008_84057.htm

Bill T Jones & Jane Bowles at BAM

This sounds interesting:

In the company's 25th anniversary season, social commentary takes an intimate turn with A Quarreling Pair, based on the Jane Bowles puppet play about two elderly sisters, one of whom wants to leave the nest. It's her strange journey, as re-imagined by Jones, that unleashes pure and gorgeous dancing punctuated by a scheming vaudevillian, a nasty cross-dresser, a bawdy emcee, and many others. Beautifully designed (by Bjorn Amelan) and magical, A Quarreling Pair plays with notions of family, self-realization, and courage, taking us on a time-bending voyage.

The Where and When
BAM
Sept 30-Oct 2 at 7:30 PM

Are You Making Brisket?

Tonight is the start of Rosh Hashanah and I'm making this Brisket with Portobello Mushrooms and Dried Cranberries recipe I found in Epicurious:

1 cup dry red wine
1 cup canned beef or chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 large onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 4-pound trimmed flat-cut brisket
12 ounces medium portobello mushrooms, dark gills scraped away, caps thinly sliced
1 cup dried cranberries (about 4 ounces)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°F. Whisk wine, broth, cranberry concentrate and flour to blend in medium bowl; pour into 15 x 10 x 2-inch roasting pan. Mix in onion, garlic and rosemary. Sprinkle brisket on all sides with salt and pepper. Place brisket, fat side up, in roasting pan. Spoon some of wine mixture over. Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty foil.
Bake brisket until very tender, basting with pan juices every hour, about 3 1/2 hours. Transfer brisket to plate; cool 1 hour at room temperature. Thinly slice brisket across grain. Arrange slices in pan with sauce, overlapping slices slightly. (Brisket can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place mushrooms and cranberries in sauce around brisket. Cover pan with foil. Bake until mushrooms are tender and brisket is heated through, about 30 minutes (40 minutes if brisket has been refrigerated).

Transfer sliced brisket and sauce to platter and serve.

Eric NYC: The New Shoe Store on Seventh Avenue

No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

Smartmom in the Morning

Here's this week's Smartmom from the Brooklyn Paper:

The alarm rings at 6 am for Teen Spirit. But that doesn’t mean he actually gets out of bed. No, it’s Hepcat who pops out of bed and goes to Teen Spirit’s room right next door.

“Up, up, up, up, up,” he says loud enough to wake the neighbors. “The bed weasels are coming. The bed weasels are coming.”

Hepcat has been saying that for 10 years at least. It was cute when Teen Spirit was 7. Now, well, it’s a tad pathetic. But it seems to rouse the 17-year-old sleeping giant.

Teen Spirit slowly rises clinging to every last second of his dreams, which he is sometimes still muttering about as he rises. Finally, he makes his way to the shower but first to the kitchen where he routinely takes a long swig out of Tropicana container.

While Teen Spirit is in the shower, Smartmom takes over. Hepcat usually goes back to bed because no doubt he’s been working (or so he says) until 4 in the morning.

Smartmom waits in the dining room for Teen Spirit to emerge from the shower wearing the black terry-cloth robe with polka dots she gave to Hepcat for their first anniversary. Hepcat never wore it and now that Teen Spirit has claimed it, it’s lost to him forever.

The half hour or so before Teen Spirit leaves the house can be a special time of parent/teenager bonding and connection. Or not.

As Teen Spirit carefully selects his jeans (“These aren’t tight enough; where are the really tight ones?”), his shirt (“This isn’t tight enough”), his tie (yes, he wears a tie. How else to rebel at the uber-alternative high school?), and his suit jacket (again, how else to rebel?), he checks his Facebook, charges his iPod, listens to someone’s MySpace page and even WNYC on the kitchen radio, while he takes a few bites of toast or cereal.

“Is it cold out today?” Teen Spirit always asks his mom.

“What am I, Soterios Johnson?” she often says, but that doesn’t stop her from checking weather.com.

Then comes the hunt for the shoes, a pair of black Bostonian wing tips.

“Have you seen my shoes?” Teen Spirit asks predictably.

“I assume they’re where you took them off last night,” Smartmom says (also predictably).

When Teen Spirit was 7, the Oh So Feisty One, who was only 1 at the time, always knew where his shoes were. While Teen Spirit, Smartmom and Hepcat searched high and low for his footware, toddler-sized OSFO would come down the hallway holding his Velcro sneakers. It was the cutest thing. After awhile, they’d just ask her first.

Now Teen Spirit finds them for himself. Eventually. And when he does, he packs his backpack, puts on his ear bugs and is ready for his walk to the Q train.

Phew.

It is always a great sense of accomplishment when Teen Spirit finally leaves the house in the morning. But it also means it’s time to wake up OSFO.

The OSFO Morning Show couldn’t be more different. When Smartmom comes into her room at 7 am, OSFO pops up like bread from an over-wound toaster. It takes her exactly one hour to do everything that she needs to do, including showering, selecting with great care her outfit (jeans and T-shirt), dressing in said outfit, carefully brushing her hair, eating breakfast, brushing her teeth, doing any homework she missed the previous night, packing her backpack, grabbing her lunch and running for her Seventh Avenue bus.

It is such an accomplished act of female independence and grace that it takes Smartmom’s breath away.

It wasn’t always thus. When OSFO was younger she was hard to rouse in the morning; she’d drag her feet getting dressed and was often late to school even though PS 321 was just around the corner.

But that was then and this is now. At New Voices, her new middle school on 18th Street near Sixth Avenue, the principal, Frank Giordano, urges the kids to get to school on time — and OSFO is taking that very seriously. She rides the Seventh Avenue bus by herself now and is determined to catch the 8 am. There’s nothing like a bus schedule to get you moving in the morning.

OSFO may only be 11 but she looks far older when she’s leaving the apartment. House keys. Check. Student MetroCard. Check. Cellphone. Check. Lunch.

“See you losers,” she says as she goes out into the world.

Spike Lee, Priced Out Of Ft. Greene, Moving Production Office to DUMBO

And the Brooklyn Paper has the story. Here's an excerpt:

Acclaimed local filmmaker Spike Lee will set up an annex of his famed “40 Acres and a Mule” film company in DUMBO, The Brooklyn Paper has learned.

“Spike Lee is coming to 55 Washington Street in DUMBO,” said a spokeswoman for Two Trees Management, the David Walentas-owned company that owns half the neighborhood.

High rents had forced the “Malcolm X” director out of space at 124 DeKalb Ave., where he had been for 22 years, and into another space it already owned around the corner on South Elliot Place.

“Got priced out, the rent raise was insane,” Lee told The Brooklyn Paper in April.

Cool Obama and Family T-Shirts

An OTBKB reader wrote in to talk about these cool t-shirts. All profits go to the Obama campaign.

Me and a friend started a little t-shirt design group/gang (yet to be named) and made this Obama shirt as our first go-around.

Super limited edition - only 48 made ! (more in the works)

Men's is grey, women's is pink, various sizes. American Apparel brand
$25 each, with all profits going towards an Obama 08' campaign contribution.

We'll be selling them at galleries and boutiques as well. They may go quick .....

Change is coming

Fire at Root Stock & Quaid

An OTBKB reader sent this email. I also noticed that Root Stock & Quaid looked closed (paper on the window closed). What happened? Anyone know

There's a sign on Rootstock & Quaid that they are closed because of the fire. I hadn't heard anything about a fire there or read anything about it. What's the story there?

October 4: Angels and Accordians: Meditation on New York's Past & Present

It only happens once a year so this year I am going to try NOT to miss this event which is part of openhousenewyork. The organizers describe this event as both a historical walking tour and an exciting live performance. You get to follow a cast of thirty angels through the beautiful Green-Wood Cemetery in a guided meditation on New York's overlapping past and present.

Angels and Accordions 2008 Directed/Choreographed by Martha Bowers Narrated by Jeff Richman Featured Accordion/Composer: Guy Klucevsek (with Featured Saxophonist Steve Elson) 9 Other Accordions Directed by Bob Goldberg Tons of Dancing Angels

Saturday, October 4th- openhousenewyork performances,12 noon and
3:30pm. FREE admission: please call (718) 768-7300 for reservations
(donations accepted).

Friday, Octoer 3rd- Benefit performance for Green-Wood Historic Fund,
6pm. Handicap access available in Green-Wood's trolley.

Meet at Green-Wood Cemetery's main gate, 25th Street and Fifth Avenue,
Brooklyn.

Please arrive 15 minutes early. Wear comfortable walking shoes & bring
a bottle of water.

Directions: BMT "R" Train to 25th Street Station, Walk East 1 block to
Green-Wood at 5th Avenue & 25 Street.
For driving directions and more information about Green-Wood Cemetery,
visit www.green-wood.com

For more information about the show, call (718) 643-6790 ext. 113 or
email jon@dtetc.org

Angels and Accordions
Returns to Green-Wood Cemetery
Saturday, October 4th
Performances at 12 noon and 3:30pm, free to the public.
_________________________

No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

My Father's Library Book

My father, always a constant reader, was reading Middlemarch by George Eliot, in the weeks before he died. He took it with him to his recent chemo therapy sessions and even to the emergency room on August 25th.

A huge book collector, my father always had a good selection of books out from the public library in Brooklyn or Glen Falls (depending on where he was spending his time). Middlemarch was a library book, which he took out from the Cadman Plaza branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.

On Thursday I saw Middlemarch on the wine rack near the front door in his apartment and immediately knew that I wanted to take it back to the library. I even thought about reading it before returning it as a sort of homage to my dad.

I thought about that Raymond Carver story about the baker who is livid because a woman doesn't pick up the birthday cake for her son, who is killed in a car accident. Unknowingly, the baker keeps calling the mother to come get it...

On Friday, I decided to drop the book off at the Park Slope branch of the Brooklyn Library. I told the woman at the desk that I was returning it for my father. She said that there was a $4 fine on the book and another $3 outstanding fine (maybe another book still out?). She didn't ask me to pay—I guess because I said I was returning it for my dad.

I wanted to tell her that my father died on September 7th. But I didn't. Initially, I thought I would tell them to stop his library card just the way I stopped his AARP supplemental insurance and other things, too. On the phone, people offer their condolences and then take care of business. But to do it in person, it seemed too hard.

Besides, it felt too final to stop his card; he's had a library card his entire life and I want that library card to go on forever.

There will always be an open library card for my dad. Why not?

We are encouraging donations in my father's name, Monte Ghertler, to his favorite library in Glen Falls, NY:

Crandall Public Library,
251 Glen Street, Glens Falls
New York 12801

October 3: Support Art Obama

Put it on your calendar. Support Obama at this Park Slope benefit for change. Buy some art in the process; have a great time.

Art Obama is the brainchild of a committee of smart, creative Park Slopers, who are mad as hell and can't take what's happening to this country anymore. So they got organized out of frustration and passion and put together this home-grown effort to raise money. Lucky thing they know a lot of New York artists, who were willing donate some terrific art.

On October 3, there will be a silent auction of over 100 small works by American artists to support the election of Barack Obama and down-ticket Democrats.

Proceeds benefit the Obama Victory Fund. Donations also accepted for ActBlue , a clearinghouse supporting progressive House and Senate candidates nationwide. Space is limited, and pre-registration for this event is strongly recommended.

The Where and When:

Friday, October 3, 2008
Silent Auction 7 to 10 pm (bidding 7-9). $25 at the door
62 Eighteenth Street, Brooklyn NY, 5th Floor

The Library Puts Obama and McCain on the Couch

The Dweck Center presents: The American Presidency: Profiling the Candidates with Stanley Renshon, a political scientist and a certified psychoanalyst, considers the character of the candidates in the 2008 presidential election. Renshon is the author of In His Father's Shadow: The Transformations of George W. Bush.

Sounds interesting, eh?

The Where and When
The Dweck Center at the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza
Sunday, September 28th at 1:30 p.m.
Free

We Watched the Debate...

...and were thrilled that Obama strongly held his own. The pundits lamented that neither candidates said or did anything memorable. But at a time like this, who cares about the entertainment value of these things.

I was just pleased that Obama came across as experienced, incredibly knowledgeable, and eminently serious about the urgent issues that face this country.

The Times' editorial said that Obama needs a better counter punch and that may be true. He is an even-handed guy with a tough intelligence. Maybe he needs to show some more of himself and his personal outrage at the state this country is in at the next debate.

On the economy it was hands-down Obama's show. He was clear and direct in his analysis of the current Wall Street crisis and very straight forward about what he plans to do. His emphasis on the needs of the middle class and the failure of our health care system was strong.

During the foreign policy section, McCain was able to muster the sense that he is experienced and knowledgeable.

But it was downright disgusting to hear him defend the war in Iraq (and even Ronald Reagan's missle defence shield, which McCain said is what won the Cold War. Huh?)

He never acknowledged what a huge mistake it was to invade Iraq in the first place and still seems to believe that the key to defeating Al Queda is tied to our victory in Iraq. Winning the war in Iraq? It's like some weird time warp.

Obama, on the other hand, stated clearly that we should NEVER have invaded and can never win and any success in Afghanistan is impossible as long as we're bogged down in Iraq.

The debate was for the most part cordial and serious. It really exposed the vast differences between the two men. For those who are undecided, I'm curious how the debate will influence their decision.

I fear that McCain's bogus "I'm old and experienced stance" might be convincing to some who aren't that familiar with the issues. On the other hand, Obama grasp of the issues was, as always, impressive, and could be convincing to those who worry that he is too inexperienced.

I Went To Trader Joe's...

A nice guy in a Hawaiian shirt welcomed me at the door. Once inside I took in the grandeur of the landmark bank building that is now a grocery store, albeit a super fun grocery store.

Ceilings that touch the sky, huge gorgeous windows. Space, space, and more space. It's a surreal environment to buy groceries in.

And what fun it is to shop there. The hand-picked employees are a lively, friendly group. Okay, so the guy at the front door makes silly jokes, he means well. The people wandering around with tastings in the aisles were well informed and friendly, too.

And the product: Well, it's Trader Jones. Organic produce and meat. Kooky snack products. Great frozen foods. Fascinating condiments. Excellent desserts. Vitamins and interesting body care products.

It's sort of like the Food Coop with a sense of humor and way more junk food.

If you haven't spent time at a Trader Joe's before you could spend hours at this one just exploring the unusual merchandise. Just about everything from ketchup, mayo and pickles to frozen Mandarin chicken or Salmon roulette is Trader Joe brand.

I got there around 1 p.m. and the store was still bustling with people who'd walked over from downtown Brookyn during lunch hour. At around 2 p.m. the check out line was much shorter. I got through in less than five minutes which was impressive considering how crowded the store was.

And here's what I got. Mind you we already have favorite Trader Joe's items because of all the time we spend in Northern California where Trader Joe's is everywhere (with WINE, mind you). That's the only thing I miss at the Brooklyn store: that Two Buck Chuck.

--Ginger, Almond and Cashew Granola (Hepcat's fave)

--Trader Ming's Mandarin Orange Chicken (frozen)

--Cilantro & Chive Yogurt Dip

--Trimmed and cooked (and pre-washed) Green Beans

--Olive Tapenade

--Corn Tortilla Multi-Seed Flat Breads

--Low Fat Chocolatey Cats Cookies For People (OSOF's fave)

--Organic Maple Syrup Grade A Dark Amber ($5.99 for 12 oz)

--Strawberry Preserves

Rainy Weekend: Much To Do

Saturday at 1 p.m: the Dweck Center at the Brooklyn Public Library: Russian American Kids Circus, called a circus of delight. Trained and produced by Moscow Circus veterans, these artists dazzle audiences with their synchronized acrobatics, unicycling, juggling, and daring aerial feats

Saturday at 4:30: Warren Adler, author of The War of the Roses and Random Hearts, will be reading from a new book called Funny Men there at the Dweck at 4:30 (see above link for details).

All Weekend: The Dumbo Arts Center presents Art Under the Bridge Festival, which features over 65 new public art projects, over 100 open artist’s studios, and video installations. A good time to check out the new Galapagos Art Space. The festival runs through Sunday, September 28. FREE.

Saturday Night Only: Party All Night at BAM: To to Takeover, the all-night fun at BAM. Bands. Movies, DJ's. Games. Cheap beer. All at BAM from 9 p.m. until 4 in the morning.

All Weekend at BAMcinematek: Hawks: Howard Hawks Film Festival at BAMcinematek.

All Weekend at the Park SLope Pavilion: Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Coen Brothers: Burn After Reading, and Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna and a filmed version of the Broadway production of Rent are all at the Pavilion.

No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

Anyone Been to Trader Joe's Yet?

Just wondering. I think I missed the big opening ceremony. May try to pop over there this morning. See ya.

Red Hook Mall?

The Brooklyn Paper has the story. Here's an excerpt from the BP article about plans to build a mall next door to IKEA. And you thought it was just going to be a BJ's.

The BJ’s Wholesale Club destined for the Red Hook waterfront might be part of a six-level shopping plaza with several other stores and even some residential units, The Brooklyn Paper has learned.

Documents obtained by The Paper reveal that developer Joe Sitt wants to renovate a historic warehouse on the former Revere sugar refinery; erect several new buildings for shopping, parking and housing; and create a 40-feet-wide public esplanade by 2011 along the water’s edge of the Beard Street property next door to the recently opened Ikea.

Sitt’s company Thor Equities would not comment about the “request for proposals” that Sitt issued in July, but if the plans are still current and the city approves a zoning change to allow commercial and residential development, the project would catapult Red Hook into the borough’s major big box retail destination.

The documents, which were part of a package to solicit bids from architects to build the shopping plaza, sought proposals “to maximize commercial retail square-footage” of at least 400,000 square feet — larger than Red Hook’s Ikea.

Tuesday at 7:30: D. Nurkse Reads at the Community Bookstore

In a collection of urgent and intimate poems, D. Nurkse explores the biblical past and the terrifying politics of the present with which it resonates, the legacy of fathers and the flawed kingdoms they leave their sons.

A poet of unique force and sensitivity, Nurkse refuses to pass over the marginal characters and corners of the world, attuned to the scraps of beauty or insight they might offer up in the midst of moral darkness. In The Border Kingdom he has given us an exceptionally powerful collection of poems—unfailingly rich in imagery, undaunted in subject and spirit.

D. Nurkse is the author of eight previous books of poetry. He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Whiting Writers' Award, two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, two grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, a Tanne Foundation award, and two awards from Poetry magazine. He has also written widely on human rights. He teaches at Sarah Lawrence College and lives in Brooklyn.

The Where and When
Community Bookstore
Seventh Avenue between Carroll and Garfield
Tuesday September 30th at 7:30 p.m.

Howard Hawks Film Festival at BAM

Only Angels Have Wings. The Big Sleep. Monkey Business. The Big Sky. Sargeant York. Need I say more?

Okay: Cary Grant. Lauren Bacall. Humphrey Bogart. Rita Hayworth. Jean Arthur. Ginger Rogers. Marilyn Monroe.

Go to BAMcinematek for the 'tails.

What Are You Doing on October 3rd: Art Obama

Put it on your calendar. Support Obama at this Park Slope benefit for change. Buy some art in the process, have a great time.

Art Obama is the brainchild of a committee of smart, creative Park Slopers, who are mad as hell and can't take what's happening to this country anymore. So they got organized out of frustration and passion and put together this home-grown effort to raise money. Lucky thing they know a lot of New York artists, who were willing to get on board.

On October 3, there will be a silent auction of over 100 small works by American artists to support the election of Barack Obama and down-ticket Democrats.

Proceeds benefit the Obama Victory Fund. Donations also accepted for ActBlue , a clearinghouse supporting progressive House and Senate candidates nationwide. Space is limited, and pre-registration for this event is strongly recommended.

Friday, October 3, 2008
Silent Auction 7 to 10 pm (bidding 7-9). $25 at the door
62 Eighteenth Street, Brooklyn NY, 5th Floor

Party All Night at BAM: Bands, Movies, DJs, Games and Cheap Beer

This Saturday September, 27th.

It's the Takeover (not The Takeaway, the new WNYC morning news show) and it's at BAM on Saturday night. What a cool, cool event. So Brooklyn. So fun sounding. Maybe too fun sounding.

It's the second annual Takeover, an all-night open house at BAM. Here's what to expect: music curated by Sufjan Stevens at the Opera House, from the likes of St. Vincent, Budos Band and the gospel diva Naomi Shelton; DJs; screenings of “She’s Gotta Have It”; “The Warriors”; “Perfect,” with John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis); a rec room with a Wii and Guitar Hero; video art installations; and loads of socializing.

That's right: an all nighter at BAM. You Gotta Have It.

Largest Bank Failure in US History: Washington Mutual Taken Over by JP Morgan/Chase

Yikes.

New Schools in Sunset Park

My Sidewalk Chalk is excited about the new schools in Sunset Park. Go to her Great blog for more information about all things school-related.

The parents in Sunset Park are awesome. I attended a town hall meeting last night in celebration of their 40 year effort (supported by hundreds of parent activists and community organizers, yes!) The auditorium was packed to capacity with standing room spilling out into the halls.

Sunset Park has schools! A brand spanking new state of the art, 1650 seat HS building is going up on 34th St. and 4th Ave. to open Sept. 09. The construction authority was there to give progress reports (not grades.) It is on schedule.

This school that has already chosen it’s Principal, Corrine Vinal (a longtime educator and experienced administrator). It will have three learning communities within the school: Performing and Visual Arts, Health and Human Services, Business and Entrepreneurship. The themes were chosen by the community, as was the currently unprecedented model of having one principal to oversee the school. It is not a screened program. They are focused on college prep and there is priority for Brooklyn students.

th graders, if you want to place this school on your list of 12, this is how you do it. It sounds weird, but it IS the procedure straight from the DOE. This school will not be listed in the directory. Don’t panic. Fill out your application. Don’t list Sunset Park HS yet. Hand in your registration on or before the appointed day in the fall. File a NEW FORM during the February 2009 application period for new schools. This form overrides the previous form. Rank Sunset Park High School along with your other schools in the order you want them. If you have questions about admission call OSEPO (212) 374-2363. If you have questions about the high school call the Sunset Park Task Force (718) 788-3500.

Debate Tonight?

Barack Obama isn't the only one wondering whether John McCain is going to debate tonight. Plenty of Park Slopers have debate parties planned. So what's the story, John? Are you really too busy "helping out" in Washington to take out 90 minutes for a debate?

Come on, dude. Here's the blurb from barackobama.com

Where are you watching the debate?

Barack is moving ahead with plans for Friday's debate.

The election is less than 40 days away, and the American people deserve to hear directly from the candidates about how they intend to lead our country.

You're invited to join a Debate Watch Party in your community and discuss the issues that are most important to you and your family, friends, and neighbors.

Find a Debate Watch Party in your area and RSVP today.

These parties will allow you to to get to know folks in your community, and continue building this campaign from the bottom up by reaching out to even more supporters using our Neighbor to Neighbor tool.

If you can't attend a party, you can still use our Neighbor to Neighbor tool to reach out to swing voters in a crucial battleground state who need to hear from you

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New: Neighborhood & Architectural History Guide to Park Slope

Thursday, October 2, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, join the Brooklyn Historical Society for the launch of the Park Slope Neighborhood & Architectural History Guide, written by OTBKB fave and Park Sloper, Francis Morrone, which looks at the people, events, and architecture of Park Slope, past and present.

The guide covers Park Slope's days as a horsecar suburb and the emergence of the "Gold Coast" of Brooklyn's elite; the working-class history of the South Slope and the mid-20th-century demographic changes that brought new groups, including Italians and African-Americans, into the neighborhood. The guide pays special attention to Park Slope's magnificent architecture.

Become a member at the launch and receive a first edition copy of this fascinating publication! Guides will also be available for purchase at the BHS gift shop and online at www.brooklynhistory.org for $10 for non-members and $8 for BHS members.

The Oh So Prolific One: Leon Freilich, Verse Responder

FAILOUT

Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke
--Renowned as Hank and Bank--
Now want exclusive right to run
The economy they sank.

And who would quarrel with their creds,
This mighty Wall Street duo--
If success breeds even more success,
What'll failure do, oh?

Tom Martinez: Wedding Bubble

This photograph by Tom Martinez shows a Coney Island Street Performer making huge bubbles astonishing a newlywed bride (bottom right).

Cosmopolis: Immigrant Writers in New York

Just heard about this interesting series at the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza. They've got quite a line-up of writers. And it's in the new Stevan Dweck Center, which is a nice venue.

The series is “Cosmopolis: Immigrant Writers in New York,” which features WNYC host Leonard Lopate in conversation with three authors, including last year’s Pulitzer Prize winner in fiction, Junot Diaz.

The first event is October 4, with Dalia Sofer, author of The Septembers of Shiraz, which was hailed as a “powerfully affecting depiction of a prosperous Jewish family in Tehran shortly after the [Iranian] revolution” that “stands a chance of becoming a classic” by bestselling novelist Claire Messud writing in the New York Times Book Review.

Dalia Sofer, author of the debut novel The Septembers of Shiraz will appear on October 4, 2008 (Saturday) at 4pm • Hailed as a “powerfully affecting depiction of a prosperous Jewish family in Tehran shortly after the [Iranian] revolution” that “stands a chance of becoming a classic” (New York Times Book Review), The Septembers of Shiraz was released in paperback by HarperPerennial earlier this year.

Junot Diaz, author of The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao will appear on November 1, 2008 (Saturday) at 4pm
• Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, Diaz’s multigenerational Dominican-American family chronicle flashes “his geek credentials, his street wisdom and his literary learning with equal panache” (New York Times). Just released in paperback by Riverhead Books.

Lara Vapnyar, author of the Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love will appear on December 6, 2008 (Saturday) at 4pm:
• Having learned to speak English after emigrating to the U.S. from Moscow in 1994, Vapnyar has been called "a talented writer, possessed of an ample humor and insight and a humane sensibility” (New York Times Book Review). Her story collection was released in hardcover earlier this year by Pantheon Books.

Each event will take place at the Dr. S. Stevan Dweck Center for Contemporary Culture, located at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library, at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn (#2 or #3 train to Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum).

David Yassky on Financial Crisis

City Council Member, David Yassky, who is running for the job of NYC Comptroller, sent out this email about the current financial crisis:

Dear Friend-

The full impact of the Wall Street earthquake will not be known for some time, but it is already clear that New York’s leaders must begin planning now for a significantly weaker City economy.

The pain will be real. Mayor Bloomberg has already ordered City agencies—including police and schools— to implement $1.5 billion in cutbacks, and has signaled that he is likely to propose an increase in the property tax rate. These are prudent steps to address the short term crisis. The real challenge will be responding to the wholesale restructuring of the City’s core industry.

First, we must work to strengthen policies aimed at diversifying our economy. For example, I recently proposed an expansion of the City’s tax credit for film and TV production. The original credit, which I sponsored three years ago, has spurred a doubling of film production, creating some 6,000 new jobs. We must take advantage of similar growth opportunities in biotechnology and green manufacturing.

Second, we must intensify efforts to create a more efficient and entrepreneurial City government. Earlier this month, I called on the Department of Sanitation to sell advertising space on the City’s 25,000 trash cans. Today, the City adorns its trash cans with the names of local politicians (including me). Let’s use this space to generate revenue rather than political support. Now, we need a hundred more ideas to generate revenue and eliminate wasteful spending.

Finally, we must recognize that New York’s position at the center of the financial world is at risk. Merrill Lynch will soon be a North Carolina bank; the surviving parts of Lehman Brothers will be absorbed by a British firm; Bear Stearns has disappeared; and AIG has been taken over by Washington. To be sure, a new order will emerge, and the next generation of financial giants is likely to be found among the many smaller, nimble firms already operating here in New York. But our government must do its part by making sure the City remains a preeminent place to do business.

I have great confidence in the leadership of Mayor Bloomberg as we enter these uncharted waters, but I have no illusions about the difficulty of the choices we face. I spoke last night at a residents’ meeting in a large new apartment building in Downtown Brooklyn. When I explained the City’s financial situation, a young father said, “So we’ll be paying more taxes for less service?” I agreed, and he did not look happy. But as I was leaving, he stopped me to thank me for my work and asked, “What can we do to help?”

That’s the spirit.

Watch Tonight's Debate at Bar Reis

Watch tonight's debate at Bar Reis at 375 Fifth Avenue at 6th Street. The interesting, smart bartenders are so excited about the debate they renamed the beers on tap (see fuzzy picture). There should be a real interesting crowd over there.