Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn

No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

Pure Essentials Open

Pure Essentials, the new pharmacy and drug store on Seventh Avenue and 2nd Street, where the 2nd Street Cafe used to be, is now open.

They opened on Thursday and OSFO and I went in around 5 p.m.

Frankly, I was surprised. It's basically a drug store with an emphasis on high end hair products, skin care products, children's hair and skin products, vitamins, herbals, and supplements. They do seem to have a good selection of products with an emphasis on the natural and organic.

Still, confusion. I thought it was going to be Kids Rx or something like a Back to the Land for kid's health products.

It's really a drug store with a lot of expensive health products, as well as kitchen items, stationery, cards, candles, etc.

No surprise, we managed to spend upwards of $30 on mouthwash, a new toothbrush for OSFO, Ricola cough drops, hair curlers for OSFO, hair scuncis, clips and more.

So it's a bit of a mix. Could be a good thing to have nearby. And it's not a national chain. Woo hoo.

Walking by this afternoon, I see there's a mention of Kid Rx on one of the windows and a separate entrance. I am wondering if this is a coming attraction. Anyone know?

Did Noo Na Close?

I got this in the old in box yesterday. It was like a little Halloween Haiku. But actually it was a question about a Prospect Heights restaurant. Do you know anything?

boo.

did noo na (korean on vanderbilt) close?

happy halloween

Voting on Election Day

According to the New York State Board of Elections (http://www.elections.state.ny.us/), for the General Election on November 4, 2008, polls open at 6 am and close at 9 pm.

Expect lines and if you're confused about where to vote or anything else go to the above mentioned site where you can look up your voter registration and your polling place.

On this site you can see the Rules and Regulations Part 6210 Routine Maintenance and Testing of Voting Systems,

I vote over at John  Jay High School. It should be plenty crowded over there. I'm hoping that around 11 am it won't be too bad.

NYC Marathon on Sunday: Check out Map

I am always moved by the NYC Marathon and generally make a point of watching it in Park Slope.

Here's a nice marathon map from the Brooklyn Paper.  Brooklynites can see the runners run on Fourth Avenue starting in Bay Ridge.

I always think Third Street and Fourth is a great spot to watch (the lead runners will get there around 9:40 and the rest around 10:10).

It's about 6 miles into the race and the runners still have a lot of energy and joie de vivre.

But the runners also run through Forth Greene, Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

Halloween Parade and More

There's lots to do today. Better get started early:

Don't forget to get your free Halloween trick or treat bats. The Park Slope Civic Council and Buy in Brooklyn have joined together to create limited edition reusable trick or treat bags. These bags will be available at the local 7th and 5th Avenue sponsors.

1st Annual Park Slope Civic Council Halloween Costume Contest
October 31st

    * 4:00 Free Photos by Roberto Falck Photograpy
    * 4:00-4:55 Contest Registration
    * 5:00-6:00 Costume Contest

This is a Costume Contest for big and little kids!  There are a load of categories to choose from, so get out your thinking caps and get started making your homemade costumes.  Winners will be presented with a winner's banner to carry at the beginning of the Parade.

    * Costume Categories and Sponsors
    * Here are the Contest Rules
    * OFFICIAL Entry Form

The Halloween Parade is Better than Ever!
October 31st
6:30 Start Time
7th Ave and 12th Street is the starting point (continuing to Union Street), but don't rush down to join at the beginning or you'll miss the best parts!

This year's parade will feature large-scale puppets built by the Park Slope Parents' Puppet Team with the help of Theresa Linnihan from the Puppeteer's Coooperative. Make way for these new additions and join the parade at the back so you can see it all before participating in the biggest childen's parade in the United States

Babeland Rewards Voters with a Silver Bullet or a Maverick

Pamela over at Babeland, the sex toys shop on Bergen Street, just sent info about all the election day promotions over at the store. She thought I'd want to know about it (( wonder why?).

I thought you’d want to know about our promotion to encourage people to vote. Free Sex Toys! Stop by between Nov 4-11.

Voting Feels Good
Babeland Rewards Voters with a Silver Bullet or a Maverick

If the Maverick rhetoric in the presidential campaigns is doing anything, we hope it’s motivating you to get out and vote. Which is why we’ll give you a real Maverick, absolutely FREE, if you vote. All men, not just Joe Six Pack, love the Maverick sleeve. He’s always there to lend a hand, he works for every man, and he bucks the status quo.

Wait, it gets better. We’ve got one more enticement for you to get out vote. A Free Silver Bullet, because that’s what our country needs right now, a magical solution to difficult problems. Babeland’s most popular compact mini-vibe feels fantastic and is a great stress-reliever during these troubled economic times!

Bring your voter registration card, ballot stub or your word of honor that you cast a ballot on November 4th and we’ll give you either a free Maverick sleeve or a Silver Bullet. This offer is good at any location in New York November 4-11.                               

The Where and When
November 4-11
Babeland Brooklyn, 462 Bergen Street

 

Clay Animation Classes with Barbara Ensor

Barbara Ensor, author of Cinderella (as if you didn't already know the story) and Thumbalina, Tiny Runaway Bride, is offering clay animation classes for three age groups (6-8, 9-12, and 13 and up) at the Old Stone House in Park Slope

Sign up now for a group of five classes (4 plus a screening). The group will pool their talents and vision to collaborate on a short movie from start to closing credits.

These classes will be offered November 10 - December 19 except the week of Thanksgiving. $265 tuition includes materials and DVD.

Contact Barbara through littleschoolofmovingpictures.com or call Tiasha Ferme at 917-449-8542

The Where and When

Classes November 10 - December 19
The Old Stone House
Fifth Avenue and 3rd Street
Register now. littleschoolofmovingpictures.com

Lots for Volunteers to Do in Park Slope

Some OTBKB readers wrote in with suggestions about volunteer opportunities in the Park Slope area. Benda Becker wrote in with this suggestion:

I'm sure tons of people will mention CHIPS (Christian Help in Park Slope) on 4th Ave. but I can vouch that they're a great org. that serves people of every faith. Their soup kitchen gets a lot of volunteers from church groups etc. around the holidays but undoubtedly needs much more help at other times; they also run a transitional housing piece upstairs called Frances House for moms of new babies (or about-to-be moms) who would otherwise be homeless. I've done overnight 'dorm mother' duty for Frances House and can vouch that they will not waste anyone's time or money and have no weird agendas. And they truly serve our immediate community.

Brooklyn Based sent a link to the post they did about good causes a few weeks ago.

No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

Getting Involved: Volunteer Activities in Park Slope

An OTBKB wrote in to say:

I’m interested in getting involved in a volunteer organization based in Park Slope or the nearby neighborhoods.  I particularly like groups dealing with:  women, kids, the arts, animals.  Do you have a good resource for Brooklyn-based volunteer opportunities?

If readers have ideas please let me know. I will compile them and post on OTBKB. Send as a comment or to louise_crawford(at)yahoo(dot)com.

 

In Case You Were Wondering: That Cool Poster is by Gerardo Blumenkranz

I love the Park Slope Civic Council's Halloween poster created by Gerardo Blumenkranz.

If pressed to label himself for marketing purposes he would say he's an art director. But he's also an illustrator and the man behind these fun/funny posters about trick or treating on Halloween, where the kids get tofu, Veggie Booy and Quinoa Puffs.

Check out his website, it's a really good one.

Park Slope Halloween Parade: 6:30 Start at 12th Street

This year the Park Slope Civic Council is sponsoring a Costume Contest for big and little kids!  There are a load of categories to choose from, so get out your thinking caps and get started making your homemade costumes.  Winners will be presented with a winner's banner to carry at the beginning of the Parade.

    * 4:00 Free Photos by Roberto Falck Photograpy
    * 4:00-4:55 Contest Registration
    * 5:00-6:00 Costume Contes

And then it's time for the Park Slope Halloween Parade, which starts at 6:30

7th Avenue and 12th Street is the starting point (continuing to Union Street). This year's parade will feature large-scale puppets built by the Park Slope Parents' Puppet Team with the help of Theresa Linnihan from the Puppeteer's Coooperative.

Make way for these new additions and join the parade at the back so you can see it all before participating in the biggest childen's parade in the United States!

Tour at Evergreens Cemetery

In honor of Veterans Day, the Evergreens Cemetery will be giving a free guided tour on November,  9 at 11 am.

I just wanted to let you know because it would be a great chance for you to meet Danny, the resident historian. He’s a great guy, can recall an insane amount of facts, and is truly passionate about keeping the cemetery’s history alive.

The Evergreens is an often-overlooked part of New York and Brooklyn history, but it boasts an impressive array of people and stories.  If you’d like to come on the tour, let me know.

The Evergreens Cemetery has the advantage of being one of the most picturesque and historic places in all of New York City. It is the final resting place of veterans of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the two World Wars. Several Medal of Honor recipients are interred at the Evergreens as well.

This free walking tour, led by the cemetery's resident historian, will provide an in-depth look at the cemetery's military history in honor of our veterans. The tour starts at 11 a.m. at the Bushwick Ave. gate, weather permitting. If the weather looks poor, please call the cemetery at 718-455-5300 to see if the tour has been canceled.  Sunday

The Where and When

November, 9 at 11 am.
1629 Bushwick Avenue.

   

                   

Warm and Interesting Wool Hats from Good Head

Good Head makes good hats. Good Head loves to knit, and especially to design interesting hats.

I bought one of her hats at Bar Reis where she works the bar (that's me at left). I've gotten a lot of feedback on my hat. Hepcat says I look like Princess Leia from Star Wars. Teen Spirit said I look like Eeyore. A random friend of OSFO's said I look like a Muppet.

It's a great hat and so so warm. I've been wearing it almost constantly. I also get a lot of compliments. Plus it has ears, which is an especially good idea for a New York winters.

Good Head is making these hats constantly and her stock at her Etsy site is growing and growing. So check out the hats and gloves she has there. If you like my hat she'll make you one. Or you can pick one of the hats she has in stock.

Good Head writes:

"I can't keep everything I make, so I thought I'd give you an opportunity to get some great winter-wear, and I'll use your money to invest in new yarn, to make more stuff! I support yarn companies that use environmentally sustainable practices, are careful with their animals, and as often as I can, I use fibers that are made by women at coops in under-developed parts of the world. I guarantee everything I make for life, but so far my products have turned out to be unbelievably durable. Just don't put 'em in the washing machine!"

Good  Head also makes fingerless gloves that are very sexy. Good Head writes: "These are fingerless gloves that stretch out long, or accordion to short wristlets. They have an interesting shape, and they are not itchy. They're good for people who play music outside." The hat on the below is called the Soda Pop Jones. She writes, "The Soda Pop Jones is super warm hat, it comes in a ton of colors, and I will post more pictures soon, but for now, this is the only pic I have. It is basically a skully with a cute little brim. It's a unisex hat named for my bestie, who drinks a LOT of sodi, and wears one of these."

Help for Squirrel Problems in Park Slope

Seems that a lot of people are finding squirrels in their homes. On Park Slope Parents there's been quite a bit of discussion about this. There are quite a few services that can help with the problem.

Tri State Exterminators: "Robert (the owner's name),
(718)377-4800. Reasonable rates and a great guy."

Trapper John's: "They come and place "one-way" trap doors so
the squirrels can get out but not back in.  They then return about 2
weeks later to seal the holes.  We've not had a problem in the 5 years
since they came." No phone number given. Does anyone know it?

MetroPest Control:  (718) 803-0000. They have a website as
well. "Angela was great and the guys came by every week day until
the job was completed.  Call them and they will explain the process to
you.  I can't recall the exact figure, but I paid about $650 or $675.
It was worth it."

Return to Learning at Long Island University

I just got an email from Long Island University about a new program called Return to Learning. There's an Open House on Sunday November 16th. Not sure what time.

I am reaching out to you all for help getting the word out about a new program we are offering at LIU called Return to Learning (R2L). We are offering a variety of educational opportunities for the broad Brooklyn community. R2L's emphasis on a diverse learning community and flexible class schedules targets Brooklyn residents from all walks of life.

Our University offers undergraduate and graduate programs in competitive fields including social work, psychology, media arts, business, and health sciences.

We are having an Open House event for R2L on Sunday, November 16 or where.

Jeff Scher's Remains to Be Seen Shot in Green-Wood Cemetery

Check out Jeff Scher's special Halloween animation, Remains To Be Seen, which was filmed in Green-Wood Cemetery. It is part of the NY Times series, The Animated LIfe. Here's Jeff on the cemetery of his inspiration:

"A great cemetery feels like a world unto itself: a kind of theme park of the departed, where everyday life is left behind at the gate. A certain mood overtakes you when you visit. You are simultaneously overwhelmed by the sense of being surrounded by the dead, and seduced by the beauty of the place. This creates a special flavor of melancholy, the inevitable feels present and one’s own life all the more fleeting — as in Memento mori, “Remember that you are mortal.”

"Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, where this was filmed, is home to approximately 600,000 former (or permanent) New Yorkers, and was a popular tourist attraction in the 19th century. Wherever you turn, you are confronted by bigger-than-life angels, huge pillars topped with stone carved urns or orbs representing departed souls, and countless carved headstones and elaborate mausoleums (many bigger than apartments I’ve lived in). Confronted by so many lives that have been lived, speaking to you in memorial marble and granite, you feel the presence of human history. It is a stunning oasis of timeless green and Victorian dreams of eternity in the heart of Brooklyn. Only the passing planes remind you what century you’re in.

"With this film, I tried to capture that special cemetery mood in the form and spirit of a Danse Macabre. Shay Lynch composed the appropriately haunting score. I wanted my cast to consist exclusively of the memorial statuary. The over-the-top quality of these realistic representations of grief and faith ultimately inspired me to make this Halloween Valentine to them."

Today: Boomer Retirement Fair at Borough Hall

Marty Markowitz's office sent this. I guess he figured out that I just turned 50.

    On Thursday, October 30, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will host a free Baby Boomer Retirement Fair at Borough Hall, with representatives on hand to answer questions on everything from Medicare, Social Security and reverse mortgages to money management, foreclosures and planning for the future in these uncertain financial times. Hard to believe, but the earliest baby boomers, defined as anyone born between 1946 and 1964, are beginning to retire.

    Exhibitors and workshops available to help boomers navigate this new phase of their lives will include New York City Department for the Aging; Social Security Administration; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; SCORE; Grimaldi & Yeung, LLP; Henry Street Settlement; Parodneck Foundation; Mass Mutual Financial Group; Brooklyn Public Library; MetLife Bank, N.A.; AARP Foundation Bill Payer Program; Citibank; Joint Public Affairs Committee for Older Adults (JPAC) and more

Andrew Sullivan: Why I Blog

Great piece in the Atlantic Monthly by Andrew Sullivan called Why I Blog. Here's an excerpt.
 

From the first few days of using the form, I was hooked. The simple experience of being able to directly broadcast my own words to readers was an exhilarating literary liberation. Unlike the current generation of writers, who have only ever blogged, I knew firsthand what the alternative meant. I’d edited a weekly print magazine, The New Republic, for five years, and written countless columns and essays for a variety of traditional outlets. And in all this, I’d often chafed, as most writers do, at the endless delays, revisions, office politics, editorial fights, and last-minute cuts for space that dead-tree publishing entails. Blogging—even to an audience of a few hundred in the early days—was intoxicatingly free in comparison. Like taking a narcotic.

It was obvious from the start that it was revolutionary. Every writer since the printing press has longed for a means to publish himself and reach—instantly—any reader on Earth. Every professional writer has paid some dues waiting for an editor’s nod, or enduring a publisher’s incompetence, or being ground to literary dust by a legion of fact-checkers and copy editors. If you added up the time a writer once had to spend finding an outlet, impressing editors, sucking up to proprietors, and proofreading edits, you’d find another lifetime buried in the interstices. But with one click of the Publish Now button, all these troubles evaporated.

Alas, as I soon discovered, this sudden freedom from above was immediately replaced by insurrection from below. Within minutes of my posting something, even in the earliest days, readers responded. E-mail seemed to unleash their inner beast. They were more brutal than any editor, more persnickety than any copy editor, and more emotionally unstable than any colleague.

Again, it’s hard to overrate how different this is. Writers can be sensitive, vain souls, requiring gentle nurturing from editors, and oddly susceptible to the blows delivered by reviewers. They survive, for the most part, but the thinness of their skins is legendary. Moreover, before the blogosphere, reporters and columnists were largely shielded from this kind of direct hazing. Yes, letters to the editor would arrive in due course and subscriptions would be canceled. But reporters and columnists tended to operate in a relative sanctuary, answerable mainly to their editors, not readers. For a long time, columns were essentially monologues published to applause, muffled murmurs, silence, or a distant heckle. I’d gotten blowback from pieces before—but in an amorphous, time-delayed, distant way. Now the feedback was instant, personal, and brutal.

 

No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

Tom Martinez, Witness: Deluge

A Kensington shopkeeper stands knee-deep in floodwater to
clear a blocked drainage grate.                        Photo: Tom Martinez

Halloween at Rocky Sullivans's

I must say: the fun of getting emails from Rocky Sullivan's bar in Red Hook about their quiz nights nights is reading Scott Turner's funny writing. I enjoyed this one. BTW: Rocky's is having an election night beer with Obama Hops.

I bet crying in your beer doesn't radically change the taste. Then again, depending on how the vote tallies, that bitter aftertaste might not be the beer.

There's more to be said about Halloween.  I saw a news report tonight filled with warnings for trick-or-treaters' parents.  It was pretty sad, an entire laundry list of "don'ts."  I don't think there was a single "do."  Growing up, I straddled the great divide between the Ages of Halloween Innocence and LSD in Chunky Bars.  In the late '60s us six- and seven-year-olds up in Yonkers went door to door, apartment building to apartment building, well after dark (who the hell did Halloween in the daylight?), snacked on all the homemade cookies, candy apples and brownies.  The biggest worry?  How much we could fill our little pumpkin-shaped buckets.  By my last trick-or-treating, when I was 11 in 1971, we were under strict orders to watch out for scary adults, had to toss all the homemade stuff, and were frightened by the neighborhood scuttle about razors in apples, never mind everything that, according to the grapevine, was finding its way into the aforementioned Chunky Bars.

Surely kids today don't know what they're missing.  They walk the streets with parents, uncles and aunts all young enough to not have had free-flowing Halloweens either.

 

Yes, this is an old man's "hey, you kids, get off my lawn" rant.

 

Oh, and this thing about redistribution of wealth that McCain is tossing at Obama?  Here's a severely truncated list of Americans that redistribute wealth on a daily basis:

 

George W. Bush to his friends in big business and the oil industry

Bernanke and Paulson to the financial industry

Congress to every pork project they can

the Amish every time they build a barn

every non-profit organization in the country

the I.R.S. to and fro with breakneck frequency

the United States' foreign policy

Social Security to everyone over a certain age

Mayor Bloomberg to Bruce Ratner for the virtually dead Atlantic Yards project

Every one of else every time we buy something

Every one of else every time we volunteer our time and services

neighbors who bring food over when someone's sick

employers

employees

every dyed-in-the-wool free-market capitalists (of whom none are in Congress or the White House)

 

Barack Obama at a rally in Columbus, Ohio -- image courtesy Republican National Committee

 

In fact, the percentage of the country's wealth that's actually redistributed by honest-to-Che soclialists and communists is, well, the few hundred of us left will have a long unproductive meeting and get back to you with a figure.

 

But it's infinitesimally microscopic.

 

At any rate, have fun trick-or-treating on Thursday, voting on Tuesday, have fun with the national holiday, and lets get this nation back on track.

 

The Where and When

Pub Quiz this Thursday evening October 29th
Rocky Sullivan's of Red Hook
34 Van Dyke at Dwight Street in Red Hook

 

Jazz at the Old Stone House: Aaron Irwin on Sax

November 7th marks the start of the First Friday Jazz series at the Old Stone House.

Composer and lyrical alto sax player Aaron Irwin will perform at the Old Stone House on Friday evening, November 7, 2008 at 8 PM to kick off OSH ’s First Friday Jazz Series for the season.  Joined by Matthew McDonald on trombone and Sebastian Noelle on guitar, among others, Irwin’s band will bring its own style and grace to Wainwright’s eccentric, elaborate structures.  Tickets are $10/drinks and snacks available.

The Where and When

November 7, at 8 p.m.
The Old Stone House is in JJ Byrne Park, between 3rd and 4th streets, just off Fifth Avenue , in Park Slope, Brooklyn . 
For more information, please call 718-768-3195, or visit the Old Stone House website at www.theoldstonehouse.org

 

Halloween at Babeland: Not for Kids

Trick-or-treat at Babeland on Friday, October 31, 6-8pm, Free

Babeland Brooklyn, 462 Bergen Street
Tricks and Treats at Babeland are not for kids! Be one of the first 50 people to show off your costume and get a very sexy surprise.

And starting today: Sexy Jack-O-Lantern Contest, October 29 – 31

Have some naughty fun with a Halloween tradition and carve a sexy scene into your pumpkin! Bring your erotic pumpkin to Babeland SoHo to enter it in our 1st annual Sexy Jack-O-lantern contest. First place winner receives a $100 Babeland gift bag.  Second and third place winners receive Babeland gift bags worth $50 and $25, respectively. Jack-O-Lanterns are judged on creativity and craftsmanship. Drop off your entry at the SoHo store during business hours Wednesday, October 29th – Friday, October 31st

Fab New Feature on Feldman Weather Site

Looks like the Feldman's have a a Fab New Feature on their weather blog. A live video taken from their rooftop.

How cool. Check out Current Weather in Park Slope and see the video.

They also have a 36-hour time lapse video of weather. It's gorgeous. Watch it.
36 Hour Time-Lapse Park Slope Weather Movie

Is There a McCain Voter in Park Slope?

Some students in front of PS 321 were doing a survey. "Obama or McCain?" they asked as I walked by. When I said Obama one of the little girls jumped up and down, "We're not getting any McCain's."

Question: Does anyone know anyone voting for the John McCain/Sarah Palin ticket in Park Slope? Just wondering.

Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) Requested Near PS 321

A note from Catherine at the Community Bookstore contained quite a plethora of information about the nabe, including the text of a letter requesting LPIs near PS 321. I believe the letter is an outgrowth of a recent meeting of the Park Slope Civic Council's Liveable Streets Committee. The next meeting is on Wednesday, 19 November, 8.15 a.m. Ozzie's on Fifth Avenue where you can discuss sending a request to DOT for a traffic impact assessment being done.

Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Joseph Palmieri
Joseph Palmieri
16 Court Street
Brooklyn NY 11241

Dear Commissioner Palmieri,

I live in Park Slope on 6th Ave. between 1st and 2nd Streets behind PS321. My two children that attend the school and I am concerned about pedestrian safety in the vicinity of the school's block. I have repeatedly observed cars cutting through the cross walks in order to get through the light while children and families are in them. Twice I've had to pull my children out of the path of cars that want to quickly muscle through the turn before the pedestrians reach the middle of the crosswalk. Other parents have shared that this has happened to them as well.

Fourth and fifth graders are allowed to leave the school for lunch and as a parent, I embrace this opportunity for my children to experience a small measure of independence. However, the crossing guards who are stationed there to help the children tell me that even while they are standing in the crosswalk, cars will try to barge through before the children so that they don't have to wait - or risk not making the turn before the light changes.

I recently attended a traffic-calming meeting organized by The Community Bookstore and District Manager Craig Hammerman. A DOT employee who was in attendance recommended that I write to you directly and request that a 'leading pedestrian interval' be put on the traffic lights at the two intersections on 7th Avenue at 1st and 2nd Streets. I request at least 7 seconds for the children to get out there and be visible to the cars. While I understand that the timing of lights is an issue, I hope that this could be possible at a minimum during the following times: 8:30-8:45am, 11am-1pm and 2:55 – 4:30pm. Though school ends at 3pm, there are students who attend after-school classes and cross alone when they are done.

I hope that you'll consider granting this safety measure to our neighborhood' s children as soon as possible and look forward to your response.

Respectfully yours,

Katie Mosher-Smith

cc: Catherine Bohne, 7th Avenue Community Bookstore
Craig R. Hammerman, Community Board 6 District Manager
Michael Cairl, Park Slope Civic Council's Livable Streets Committee Chair
Liz Phillips, Principal, PS321
Nera Cruz, PS321 PTA Co-President

Volunteers Needed: Obama Phone Banks

Volunteers needed to give out info on Friday night when the Phone Bank People will be in front of PS 321 during the Halloween Parade.  I guess you can just show up. In your Sarah Palin costume even better.

The phone bank at the Brooklyn Lyceum is open every day from noon until 3 p.m, the Lyceum is located at 227 Fourth Avenue. On November 3rd and 4th, they will open at 10:30 am and be open all day.

On Tuesday night, the group will be watching the election returns on the big screen at the Lyceum. Join them.

Another site, The Grand Prospect Hall at 263 Prospect Avenue above Fifth Avenue. has phone  banks going from 11 am until 6 pm every day, including election day.

A Halloween Murder Mystery Party at The Montauk Club

The Where and When

Friday October 31 at 9 p.m.
The Montauk Club
25 Eighth Avenue in Park Slope
$13 to get in

Zuzu's Petals: Yesterday Was Yucky

Here is yesterday's email from Fonda at Zuzu's Petals. As she says, yesterday was such a yucky day. But a great day to order spring bulbs. If you have a garden.

EXPLETIVE!!!!!!
"what a yucky day" I thought when i got up.
I reluctantly went out with Bear to keep him company ...he gets nervous when there is lightening and thunder.
while he was taking care of business i ran a quick check of the garden.
well!

All my Roses have buds with color,
my wild self seeding cherry tomatoes have fruit AND flowers,
there is new growth on my beloved Nandinas
besides which, best of all, one of my intrepid Foxglove seedlings has a flowerspike 18" tall!

Of course this is why we garden!
To cheer us up on yucky days!
Back inside, i went online and ordered a small but satisfying collection of Spring Bulbs to sell at The Big.
Why not get a headstart on Spring?
Sorry about the tiny pictures...go get your glasses,
i'll wait.

this is a collection of all white Daffodils,Jonquils and Narcissus that will naturalize.
Next i ordered some of these lovely Giant  Pickwick Crocus.
And finished off the collection with Hyacinth "Woodstock" ...for us Boomers.

Not too much...just a little something to invest in gardenjoy for next Spring...you have anything else you think might be a better investment right now?
i didn't think so...
I will alert you all when they arrive.

This Sunday the 2nd of November, our Todd will put the Garden at the Big to sleep, bury the remaining pots of Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials for the Winter.
If there's anything you had an eye on, give us a call and stop by  Saturday.
Remember Sunday is the Marathon and I think we have to turn the clocks back...(don't you just hate that?) if i am wrong, please let me know.
We unpacked the fleece scarves last week...Summer is definitely over.
love to you all...

i look forward to seeing everyone at the polls next week!
fonda

Bill and Tish: Term Limits Law Suit To Be Announced Today

I got this press release from Bill de Blasio and Tish James about their press conference today:

Councilmembers Bill de Blasio and Letitia James, joined by Comptroller Bill Thompson, attorney Randy Mastro, and other elected officials, will hold a press conference on last week's term limits vote. Last Thursday, the Council voted 29-22 to extend term limits to three consecutive terms for City elected officials. State law, local law, and voting rights guaranteed under the US Constitution, however, require that a mandatory referendum be held on this issue.

Councilmembers de Blasio and James have authorized their lawyers to prepare a lawsuit to challenge the legality of changing voter-ratified term limits by legislation. The two Councilmembers have also authorized their lawyers to review the legal infirmities and adverse impacts on minority participation that will result from this major change by legislation to the local electoral system, and to continue to pursue claims that the vote blatantly violated local conflict of interest laws.

The Where and When

Councilmembers Bill de Blasio and Letitia James; Comptroller Bill Thompson; Randy Mastro; Other elected officials
12:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 29^th
City Hall Steps

No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

Today is Diwali: Alternate Side of the Street Parking Suspended

Today is Diwali, a major Indian holiday; it also means you don't have to move your car. Here from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Diwali (or Deepavali) is a major Indian holiday, and a significant festival in Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ^[3] Many legends are associated with Diwali. Today it is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the globe as the "Festival of Lights," where the lights or lamps signify victory of good over the evil within every human being. Diwali is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the month Kartika.^[4]

In many parts of India, it is the homecoming of Lord Rama of Ayodhya after a 14-year exile in the forest, after he defeated the evil Ravana.^[5] The people of Ayodhya (the capital of his kingdom) welcomed Rama by lighting rows (avali) of lamps (deeva), thus its name: Deepavali. This word, in due course, became Diwali in Hindi. But, in South Indian languages, the word did not undergo any change, and hence the festival is called Deepavali in southern India. There are many different observances of the holiday across India.

Jainism marks Diwali as the nirvana of Lord Mahavira, which occurred on 15 October, 527 BCE.

Among the Sikhs, Diwali came to have special significance from the day the town of Amritsar was illuminated on the return to it of Guru Hargobind (1595-1644) who had been held captive in the Fort at Gwalior under the orders of the Mughal emperor, Jahangir (1570-1627). As the sixth Guru (teacher) of Sikhism, Guru Hargobind Ji, was freed from imprisonment - along with 53 Hindu Kings (who were held as political prisoners) whom the Guru had arranged to be released as well. After his release he went to the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) in the holy city of Amritsar, where he was welcomed in happiness by the people who lit candles and diyas to greet the Guru. Because of this, Sikhs often refer to Diwali also as Bandi Chhorh Divas - "the day of release of detainees."

The festival is also celebrated by Buddhists of Nepal, particularly the Newar Buddhists.

In India, Diwali is now considered to be a national festival, and the aesthetic aspect of the festival is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith.

RIP: Alejandra Vasquez

Here from the NY Times:

Alejandra Vasquez, the 11-year-old beaten to death, allegedly by her mother with a mop handle, came to Brooklyn from Mexico about a month ago but was hidden — never enrolled in school, and unseen by child-welfare officials who visited her family’s apartment, even as she suffered repeated abuse, medical records and interviews showed.

Alejandra was unknown to the authorities until her body was discovered on Sunday morning, but her story in some ways echoes that of her older sister, Imelda, 14, who has been in foster care since January.

Imelda also came from Mexico after years away from her mother and did not regularly attend school here, records show; she told child-welfare officials that her mother frequently beat her with toys and a belt, and, in May, asked never to see her again.

The medical examiner ruled Alejandra’s death a homicide by blunt force trauma, and found evidence in an autopsy of ongoing beatings. “There were recent blunt-impact injuries to the head, torso and extremities” that were “in various stages of healing,” said a spokeswoman, Ellen Borakove.

A BAM Before Time: Exploring Prehistory on Halloween

I just got this email from Helen, who works in the marketing department at BAM. 

I was doing a little bit of research online, and I came across your blog.  I couldn’t help but think that maybe your community might be interested in some information about BAMboo!, BAM’s annual free Halloween festival.  The festivities take place in front of BAM, on Lafayette between Ashland Place and Fulton Street , from 4—7pm on Oct 31st.  There are games, candy giveaways, costume contests, wandering performers, and a very popular moon bounce.  This year’s theme is A BAM Before Time, exploring prehistory; there will be fossil digs, cave art, and dinosaur treasures for everyone, young and old. I also encourage you to visit our website for more information: http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=400

New Bio of Betty Smith, Author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Biographer Valerie Yow will read and discuss Betty Smith: Life of the Author of a Tree Grows in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Public Library Central branch.

The Where and When

October 29, 2008
7 p.m.
at the Central Library at Grand Army Plaza

Girl Guides Starting up in Park Slope

Yesterday I heard from Caitlin Dean, who is starting a non-profit outdoors program, Girl Guides, for sixth through tenth grade girls.  She is launching a pilot group in Northwest Brooklyn, focused on Park Slope, and trying to spread the word through as many community networks as possible. She is hoping that OTBKB's readers might be interested in the program for their daughters or other girls they know of! There is a listing of information sessions below.

A bit of background: I graduated from Yale University in 2005 and was most recently working for Sen. Dick Durbin on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., but I left my job to start Girl Guides.  For years, my sister and I spent part of our summers in Belgium, where we have family friends.  There, we participated in summer wilderness camps with Girl Guides, which is the Belgian equivalent of Girl Scouts (and actually the name of most countries' Scouting programs for girls). 

In practice, it's very different from Girl Scouts here in America.  For one thing, Girl Guides is a youth movement, which means that the groups are run by young adults (usually college-age girls or recent graduates), not parents, and that over time, the participants learn leadership skills and take on increased responsibility within the group.  Girl Guides also puts a strong emphasis on outdoor activities and environmentalism, and it encourages teamwork, cooperation and communal living over individual recognition (there is no focus on merit badges, for example).  Activities are held throughout the school year, usually on weekends (afternoons, day trips and overnights), building up to a two-week camp in the summer.  Our "camp" is actually just a field that we transform into a community.  We pitch tents, build our campsites (literally - the constructions are incredible!), cook over open fires, hike, play games, sing around the campfire, and learn to live in nature as a group.  For more information, check out our website at www.girlguidesusa.org.

I have long wanted to make it possible for American girls to participate in such a wonderful program, and so I have decided to take on the challenge of starting an American version of Girl Guides.  The necessary infrastructure for the program is in place, and I am now looking for interested girls to participate and schools and community groups to partner with.  There will be information sessions about the program at local libraries in mid-November.

Girl Guides was without a doubt one of the best experiences of my life, and I know it can be a life-changing experience for other girls as well.  I appreciate your help in getting the word out about this new and exciting opportunity.

The Where and When

Sat. Nov. 15 10:30-11:30am, Brooklyn Heights Library (280 Cadman Plaza West)
Sat. Nov. 15 2:00-3:00pm, Williamsburgh Library (240 Division Ave.) and
Wed. Nov. 19 6:30-7:30pm, Park Slope Library (431 6th Ave. at 9th St.)

Please RSVP to caitlindean(at)girlguidesusa(dot)org by November 12.

Greensboro: Closer to the Truth at Brooklyn College on November 3

There will be a special screening of Greensboro: Closer to the Truth at Brooklyn College on November 3rd, the 29th anniversary of the tragic event.

In this documentary, filmmaker Adam Zucker explores the events of Nov. 3, 1979, when Ku Klux Klan members and American Nazis fired into a Communist Workers Party rally in Greensboro, N.C., killing five.

Zucker interviews survivors and families of those killed, as well as with the people who attacked the protesters, tracing how their lives have evolved since the incident. Their stories play out against the backdrop of the first Truth and Reconciliation Commission ever held in the United States, convened to investigate the massacre, as well as Greensboro itself, a city that is both regionally progressive and racially conflicted.

The Where and When

Monday November 3 at 6:30
Brooklyn College Tanger Auditorium in the Campus Library

Photo IDS required to enter building and inform the guards that you're going to the screening. For travel info, http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/pub/visitbc_directions.htm

Brooklyn Cohousing Group Chooses Site

I see on Brownstoner that the Brooklyn cohousing group has chosen a location for their utopian vision of a communal living space. It sounds like a great site: Fort Greene's former St. Michael's Church property. Here from Brownstoner:

The 10 member households and 17 associate households of the Brooklyn Cohousing group have found a site for their social and housing experiment: Fort Greene's former St. Michael's church property. "When our project is complete, our community will share three buildings surrounding a 7,500-square-foot inner courtyard of gardens, green space and children's play areas," they wrote in an email to interested parties. "In addition, we will share extensive interior common space and share a process of decision making that empowers everyone in the community." This will be a more co-operative co-operative, based on the Danish model of co-housing where folks own individual property as well as some communal spaces.

Obama Cell Phone Banks at Brooklyn Lyceum and The Grand Prospect Hall

The phone bank at the Brooklyn Lyceum is open every day from noon until 3 p.m, the Lyceum is located at 227 Fourth Avenue. On November 3rd and 4th, they will open at 10:30 am and be open all day.

On Tuesday night, the group will be watching the election returns on the big screen at the Lyceum. Join them.

Another site, The Grand Prospect Hall at 263 Prospect Avenue above Fifth Avenue. has phone  banks going from 11 am until 6 pm every day, including election day.

Adult Education at Union Hall

Once again, Brooklyn Based, the cultural Daily Candy of brownstone Brooklyn, has some good goods on fun events at bars. Read here about a monthly mock lecture series at Union Hall. Find more at Brooklynbased.

Series: Adult Education
Where: Union Hall, 702 Union St., Park Slope
What: Brooklyn lawyer-by-day/comedian-by-night Charles Star hosts this ongoing lecture series where speakers expound on tongue-in-cheek topics loosely related to a changing theme, chosen by Star, his wife Carrie McLaren (who used to publish Stay Free! magazine), and writer Jim Hanas. The night we attended, “School for Scandal” inspired lectures on “The Lurid World of Student Gossip Sites” and “The Firing of My High School Physics Teacher.” As a host, Star is at once self-deprecating and earnest; he understands people want to have fun while learning something new.
When: Tuesdays on a semi-monthly basis, 8pm, $5 cover. Nov. 11 theme: “Lies and Liars.”

Support Group for Young Moms in Red Hook

Just got this email about a support group for young moms in Red Hook:

The Red Hook Initiative is a not-for-profit organization run by community residents to improve issues surrounding poverty in our neighborhood. Our Young Mother's Support Group is a weekly program for teenage mothers that focuses on overcoming obstacles and meeting individual life goals while being a young mother.

Many of these young women need baby items that they are unable to acquire on their own:RHI serves over 30 young mothers who could use donations of new or gently used baby clothing, blankets, baby formula/ food/ powder, diapers (all sizes!), and car seats, cribs or other baby gear as long as all the parts and pieces are there and it's in good condition. All donations are tax deductible.

To donate, drop off at the Red Hook Initiative:

595 Clinton Street (between Centre and Mill), Brooklyn, NY 11231

www.rhicenter.org

For more information, please contact Samora Coles

Reproductive Health Coordinator

718-858-6782

samora@rhicenter.org

Fundraiser for Immigrant College Student Looking for Space

Just got this email from a loyal OTBKB reader who thought I might be able to help. Email her at jessica.broome(at)gmail(dot)com

I run a small scholarship fund which raises money for a young lady I know who is an extremely promising student but can't get financial aid for college because of her immigration status.  She attends BMCC, which is out of reach financially for her family, so my friends and I have been sponsoring her tuition for the last 2 years. This semester, I'm planning an auction (all products/ service will be donated by my friends who are artists, photographers, massage therapists, etc) to raise money for the fund. I am flexible on the date but am tentatively aiming for some time in the weekend of November 21.

 

I need a space for about 50-75 people for the auction and a low-key party.  Since it's to raise money, I don't want to have to pay much (or at all) for it, so I'm looking for a generous soul who might be able to help out.  Do you or your readers happen to know any such souls, or spaces that might be available? I've been making the rounds of churches, etc. around town but have been striking out.

Imagine Coney: Launched on Monday

Back when my dad was in the hospital in late August, he was visited by a friend, who is a board member at the Municipal Arts Society (MAS).

It was just a few days before he died but he and this friend were trying to come up with a good slogan for what I think is the Imagine Coney campaign.

My father, a great copywriter and wordsmith, used to work with this friend back in the 1960's. He often called on my dad to come up with headlines, copy, and/or names for races horses.

That day in the hospital my dad came up with All Money, No Coney. So I don't think that was going to work. I'm sure he came up with some others ideas as well. 

Well, today MAS launched this initiative. It sounds very interesting.

On Monday, October 27, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon at Brooklyn Borough Hall, MAS will launch Imagine Coney, an initiative bringing together a world-class team of designers, engineers, producers and economists to develop new ideas for Coney Island – for amusement rides, structures, events and interim activities.

Coney Island was once one of the most astonishing places on earth – from the minarets and lights of Luna Park to the water chute rides and freakish sideshows of Dreamland. However, over the last several decades, it has declined and the area needs revitalization.

The City has taken several critical steps towards that goal. Last November, it announced a rezoning initiative, which you can view here, but it will take more than the efforts of the City alone to restore Coney Island to its greatness. It will require the focus, creativity and entrepreneurship of New Yorkers and Coney Island fans like you.

The team MAS has brought together will assemble at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Monday, October 27, 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 noon to listen to presentations from key stakeholders, and then will return on November 13 & 14 to participate in a “charrette” – an intense design workshop – to develop new ideas. The team will present their work publicly on November 17. The aim is to restore Coney Island to be one of the world’s most exciting and original entertainment and amusement destinations once again.

But first the team will need your input. In mid-November, the MAS will be hosting two public workshops with our local partners, as well as an online “Call for Ideas”. The details of these meetings and the website will be announced next week.

So stay tuned, and start “Imagining Coney”!

To read more about MAS advocacy on Coney Island, visit www.mas.org/coneyisland

No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

A Field Guide to Monsters: Googly-Eyed Wart Floppers, Shadow-Casters, Toe-Eaters, and Other Creatures

At the Community Bookstore on Thursday, October 30, at 5:30 there will be a lecture on the subject of Monstrology by world-famous Senior Monstrologist, Johan Olander, the author and illustrator of A Field Guide to Monsters: Googly-Eyed Wart Floppers, Shadow-Casters, Toe-Eaters, and Other Creatures.

The Where and When

October 30 at 5:30 p.m.
The Community Bookstore
Seventh Avene between Garfield and Carroll

The Oh So Prolific One: Leon Freilich, Verse Responder

SOMEONE'S VACATION

No more poems, just poemegranates,
For a two-week spell
Starting October 28th--
Visiting Israel.

Silence there is always treasured,
Both by male and female;
Here what's most appreciated?
Stopping endless ema

Do You Have More Stuff Than Space?

Hey there busy parents, professionals, artists and entrepreneurs, let my friend Eleanor Traubman, a professional organizer, unclutter and organize.

I can tell you from experience: Eleanor is VERY organized and VERY easy to work with. So consider the following:

· Do you have more stuff than space?
· Are you overwhelmed by piles of papers, clothes, or books?
· Would you like more serenity and less chaos in your home or work space

She can help you: Clear your desk. Unclutter your closets
Get your papers in order. Create rooms you and your family love to live and work in.

A professional organizer since 1999, Eleanor assists busy New York women de-clutter and make better use of desks, closets, filing cabinets, and more. She has been featured in Time Out New York, The Brooklyn Paper, Family Circle, The Sun Times Chronicle, and Fitness.

Eleanor is also a writer, educator, culture maven, and community-builder whose passion is connecting people to each other, and connecting people to tools and resources for living an inspired and effective life. Her mission is to bring people together through the arts, creativity, and humor. She is Editor of Creative Times, a blog for artists and entrepreneurs, and also helps convene the Brooklyn Blogade, a monthly gathering of Brooklyn Bloggericle, and Fitness.

Eleanor is also a writer, educator, culture maven, and community-builder whose passion is connecting people to each other, and connecting people to tools and resources for living an inspired and effective life. Her mission is to bring people together through the arts, creativity, and humor. She is Editor of Creative Times, a blog for artists and entrepreneurs, and also helps convene the Brooklyn Blogade, a monthly gathering of Brooklyn Blogger.

917-499-7395
creativetimes.blogspot.com

This Man is Looking for Friends

Why would a young man set up a folding table near the entrance to Prospect Park in Grand Army Plaza with a sign that read: Friends?

Is it a performance piece? Desperation? A joke? A magazine project? A sociological experiment? 

A note on the desk asked, "Will you be my friend." The note explained that this 36-year-old writer, who currently works as a proof reader and copy editor, is looking for friends. There was also a sign-up sheet for potential girlfriends.

He listed his interests, which included books and writing. I can't remember the rest. 

This man, who asked me not to use his name, said that he came to New York City five years ago from Philadelphia to work in finance. But now he works freelance in book publishing. He is looking for a full time job in the publishing business.

He does have friends, he explained. But most of them are in Philadelphia.

"Is this a writing project?" I asked. I was sure that there had to be another reason why he'd set up  this table with the sign-up sheets.

"No," he said. "But I do write."

"What happens if I sign up to be your friend," I said warily.

"I'll probably call you. We can talk on the phone, have a cup of coffee," he said.

Well, readers. I signed up to be his friend. I guess I signed up for MY writing project: this blog. I told the friend-seeker that I would put his picture on my blog.

"Don't use my name," he said.

Walking away I wondered if he'd really call. I hoped he wasn't a serial killer or some kind of nut. Maybe he just wants to make some friends.

Sitting at a table at the entrance to Prospect Park: It's certainly a novel way to do it.