No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

Smartmom Craves Another Baby but Teen Spirit Suffices

From this week’s Smartmom in the Brooklyn Paper:

Smartmom and Hepcat drove out to Ditmas Park last Saturday night to hear Bad Teeth, Teen Spirit’s band, at Vox Pop.

Teen Spirit doesn’t usually allow Smartmom and Hepcat to come to his shows. When he plays at edgy loft music spaces like Shea Stadium in Bushwick, they don’t get the “you are cordially invited” treatment from their boy.

But they were welcome to attend the Vox Pop show because Smartmom frequents the cafe/bookstore/performance space on Cortelyou Road and she even knows the manager, Debi Ryan. In a way, Teen Spirit knew he was stuck. He had to invite good old mom and dad.

Smartmom enjoyed Mother Courage, a band that has an appealing folk/punk vibe with literate and achingly melodic songs. Sitting behind her, Smartmom noticed a man in his late 30s. He was holding a baby, an unbelievably cute 17-month-old. Smartmom couldn’t help but wonder what he and the baby were doing out at a music club so late at night, but then she heard the baby’s dad explain to a friend that “she’s been sleeping all day.”

At one point, the man whispered to Smartmom, “You’re a mom, right?”

“Yeah,” she said. She guessed it was pretty obvious.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” he said. “Would you mind holding my baby? She’s getting sleepy and she really needs a woman.”

“Sure,” Smartmom said. She was glad to donate her womanlyness to this small child.

Smartmom took the baby, and she immediately melted into her arms. It had been years since Smartmom held a baby. None of her friends have babies anymore. They’re all too old, and their kids are old, too.

Ducky, her 5-year-old niece, was probably the last baby that Smartmom got to snuggle in her arms. Before that, it was the Oh So Feisty One, who got too big to hold about 10 years ago, and Teen Spirit, who hasn’t been a baby since 1994.

But holding a baby is like riding a bicycle: you never forget how to do it. Smartmom rocked Baby Vox the way she used to hold her own kids. Standing, she moved side to side, from one foot to another. This is Smartmom’s patented baby-holding stance, and one that babies seem to love.

Smartmom covered the baby’s ears with her hands because Large Lady played really loud noise/punk. It had been years since any of them had been babies, and now they were big and loud rock ’n’ rollers. In comparison, the baby in her arms was warm and quiet with jet black hair, pale skin and a doughy, attentive face. Smartmom breathed in and out the succulent smell of baby. Big kids don’t smell nearly as good.

Smartmom held the baby through three loud punk/noise songs. She wondered what was taking Baby Vox’s dad so long and at one point, she started to fantasize that he would never return and she’d get to keep the baby.

At 51, Smartmom could be a baby mama again. She could spend her days wheeling the baby up and down Seventh Avenue, but this time not in a cheap umbrella stroller, but in a fancy Bugaboo. Smartmom would take Baby Vox to Music for Aardvarks and get to sing the “Hello” song once again.

Smartmom could tell that Hepcat was smitten with Baby Vox, too. She imagined that the baby could sleep in their bed until Teen Spirit moves out to go to college. Then they could turn Teen Spirit’s room into the baby’s room.

Smartmom fantasized about forming another baby group like the one she had when OSFO was 1. She’d invite other moms over to her apartment every Thursday morning and they’d have a gabathon while the kids ran wild.

In the midst of her baby fantasy, Baby Vox’s dad finally returned from the bathroom. But he had another request to make of Smartmom. He put two fingers to his mouth pantomiming a cigarette asked if she’d mind holding the baby while he went out for a smoke.

“Sure,” she said. “Not a problem at all.”

The baby seemed incredibly comfortable with Smartmom. Unfortunately, Baby Vox’s dad was standing in front of the café so delicately removing the baby from the café was out of the question. Actually it was a terrible — no, a disgusting idea. Besides Baby Vox’s mother was probably just having dinner with friends, taking the night off, seeing “Avatar” or something. Then again, maybe her parents were divorced and this was dad’s weekend.

Smartmom didn’t have a clue.

When Baby Vox spotted her dad smoking through the front door glass she waved at him enthusiastically. Smartmom was jealous. She could tell that Baby Vox was incredibly attached to her nice daddy. It would be downright mean to take her away from him.

Baby Vox’s dad finally came back. Cigarette and bathroom break over, he wanted Baby Vox back in his arms again. But first, he thanked Smartmom profusely. He reached for Baby Vox and Smartmom surrendered the small child to her father. In an instant, he put on her pink down jacket and told Baby Vox to say goodbye to her “new friend.”

Smartmom’s arms felt barren, cold. She was sad without that luscious-smelling infant against her chest.

Before she could even grieve the absence of Baby Vox, Bad Teeth was on stage, launching into their haunting opening song, “Raised by Wolves” (a Smartmom reference? Let’s hope not!). The crowd went wild. Teen Spirit, on vocals and guitar, and the band delivered a high-energy set featuring their hard driving, raw, well written and unapologetically catchy songs.

Smartmom moved front and center to watch her son in his true element: on stage, delivering powerful music to a crowd of throbbing fans. She was in awe. Pride swelled through her.

Where does he get all that energy? Where does he get all that talent?

Hepcat ran around Vox Pop taking pictures of his boy and his band. Smartmom didn’t care that she was the oldest person in the room. She didn’t care that it was obvious that she was someone’s mom.

She sang along at the top of her lungs as her son led the crowd in a sing-along:

We are all worthless, but at least we’re not alone.

Who needs the smell of sweet baby’s breath when you have a talented son like Teen Spirit?

Brooklyn Pols Say: Keep the Little Room Open

The future of the Little Room, a nursery program for 3- and 4-year-olds with speech and language delays in Cobble Hill, hangs in the balance.

Hopefully, help is on the way.

State Sen. Daniel Squadron, Assemblywoman Joan Millman and Councilmembers Steve Levin and Brad Lander sent a letter to officials at the Brooklyn Heights Montessori School, asking them to rethink their decision to close the school.

Here from the New York Post:

The pols in their letter to Helene Banks, chairs of the BHMS’ trustee board, said this left potential sponsor YAI Network insufficient time to cut through legal hurdles with the state’s Department of Education to locate new space, negotiate a lease and begin a build-out for a September opening.

The letter suggests two options for saving the school.

One calls for BHMS to extend the deadline for closing Little Room to August 2011. This, the elected officials said, would give YAI Network “ample time to complete all of the necessary paperwork and to identify and properly prepare a new home” for Little Room beginning in September 2011.

The second option is for BHMS to allow YAI to operate Little Room in its current location at the Montessori school next academic year. YAI would rent the space and use the extra time to find a permanent site.

BHMS, however, is not budging.

Almondine: New Patisserie in the Slope

I saw this note from a reader on  Fucked in Parked Slope:

I was disappointed that I had to learn about the new Almondine Bakery in the Slope all by myself [ed. note: hangs head in shame]. They have homemade, cheese stuffed pretzels and what just may be the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.  I kinda want to keep the secret of it to myself, but I love FIPS enough that I think the secret should be shared.“

I’m so glad that FIPS shared the secret of Almondine on 9th Street where Minnow used to be (remember Minnow?). Yes there’s a new patisserie just west of 7th Avenue on 9th Street. I have yet to go inside but I will make a point of having a hot chocolate over there this week. And maybe a croissant… Anyone want to meet?

Hey FIPS, wanna meet?

Did You Pick Up A Jodi Piccoult Book Off the Street?

Sure, you had every right to take it. It was probably in a box or bag with a bunch of other books someone wanted to get rid of. But look at the anguish it is causing this woman, whose husband put this one out without her knowledge. Hell hath no fury like a woman who’s book has been thrown out. Here is her plea, which I found on Park Slope Parents:

I know this is a long shot… but I have to ask. My incredibly stupid husband put a box of books out in front of our apartment building for anyone to take. Of course it never occurred to him to ask me to look through the books before he thoughtlessly gave them away.  When I realized what he had done an hour later, I panicked and unfortunately learned he included a Jodi Piccoult book “Handle with Care” that was signed by the author. It was a very special gift from my cousin who waited hours on line to get the signed copy as Jodi Piccoult is one of my favorite authors. Of course you can see my anger in this posting because the book was taken; as I expected.

Since this was a very special and thoughtful gift from someone I”m very close with; I am sending out a plea in hopes that someone on this list picked up the book.  If I”m lucky enough to have found the person who picked up the book. I would be so incredibly grateful to you; as would my husband who isn’t exactly sure how to respond to my hurt and fury.

To insure the privacy of this individual, email me and I will get in touch with her.  louise_crawford(at)yahoo(dot)com.

No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

OTBKB Film by Pops Corn: Frederick Wiseman Retrospective at MOMA

Having been a fan of filmmaker Frederick Wiseman for years, it is gratifying and somewhat astonishing to witness the success of his latest documentary La Danse, a portrait of the Paris Ballet that recently played for weeks at the Film Forum.

It’s usually a chore to find Wiseman screenings. Even a one-week-long run is rare; PBS airs his films, but rarely repeats them. Wiseman has also resisted home video formats, his documentaries remain primarily not available commercially. All this makes the year-long Wiseman retrospective at MOMA truly a celebration of the artist’s 40+ years of work.

Since screenings are rare people tend to know the Wiseman methods better than the documentaries themselves. Known primarily as the cinema verite guy his films are considered to be life unfiltered. With minimal crew, he films, fly-on-the-wall style, selected moments related to his topic, generally institutions. Titles like High School, Hospital and Public Housing help you get the picture. He edits his raw footage into films that paint a picture and may even tell a story, but without common narrative threads. The films also eschew common contextual aides that help shape a point of view. There’s no voice over, no interviews, the viewer is left to interpret the footage on his own.

Read more

LICH To Merge with SUNY Downstate

Looks like Long Island College Hospital’s economic woes may be over. Remember last year when they considered shutting down the maternity department? They’re merging with SUNY Downstate Medical Center, which sounds like a good idea. Here’s an excerpt from the Brooklyn Paper’s coverage:

LICH’s current operator, Continuum Health Partners, approved an agreement on Wednesday that would merge the Cobble Hill hospital with SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Crown Heights — effectively easing LICH’s fiscal woes and its tumultuous relationship with Continuum.

For the merger to be completed, the hospitals need only the state’s approval, which shouldn’t be too difficult given LICH’s circumstances: in 2008, the 150-year-old medical center proposed closing its maternity, pediatrics and dentistry divisions in a last-ditch effort to ward off complete financial ruin and chip away at $170 million in debt. The hospital also fired or laid off at least 300 employees, and sold several buildings.

Taco Cookoff at the Bell House on Sunday

You haven’t heard about it? Sorry, it’s sold out. But it’s still worth mentioning here. The Bell House sure has interesting programming, eh?

Cookoff enthusiasts Theo Peck and Nick Suarez present New York’s premier culinary competition, the Brooklyn Taco Experiment. Inventive amateur chefs will create various tacos ranging from savory to sweet. Best of all, free tortillas will be supplied for chefs and a free after party will ensue for all attendees. The audience, along with an esteemed, culinary judging panel will select their favorites and huge prizes and cash will be awarded to those who strive to be the next cookoff king or queen. Do you have what it takes? All taco fanatics welcomed. A portion of ticket sales will help support Ovarian Cancer Research and tunes will be provided by DJ Kilahertz.

Study Find Airport Noise Increases Risk of Stroke

Robert Belzer, who runs New Jersey Coalition Against Aircraft Noise (NJCAAN), a citizens group focused on reducing noise from New York and New Jersey metro area airports, sent me this article about the health risks of airport noise.  This article is by Tristana Moore for Time in Partnership with CNN.

Living under a flight path can seriously damage your health. German researchers have discovered that people who are exposed to jet noise have a substantially increased risk of stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease. The findings are bound to provide further ammunition to anti-airport campaigners and make uncomfortable reading for world leaders at this week’s climate summit in Copenhagen .

According to the unpublished study, commissioned by Germany ’s Federal Environment Agency, men who are exposed to jet noise have a 69% higher risk of being hospitalized for cardiovascular disease. Women living under flight paths fare even worse, logging a 93% higher rate of hospitalization with cardiovascular problems, compared with their counterparts in quiet residential areas. The study found that women who are exposed to jet noise (of about 60 decibels) during the day are 172% more likely to suffer a stroke. (See the top 10 science stories of 2009.)

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1929071_1929070_1947782,00.html

The Weekend List: Crazy Heart, The Wizard of Iz, Skate to Michael Jackson

MUSIC: Saturday, January 30 at 8PM at Barbes: Park Slope’s Danny Kalb is the founder of the legendary 60’s band the Blues Project and has been credited has being one of the very first practitioner of Blues Rock and his sound has been widely immitated for over forty years.

FILM: Crazy Heart and Avatar 3-D at the Pavilion.

ART: Opening party on Friday, January 29, 6PM-9PM for the Black and White show at Metaphor Contemporary Art.

FOOD: Park Slope Farmer’s Market indoors at Makers Market on Sundays. Third Street near Third Avenue.

THEATER: Alice, Alice, Alice at Irondale January 29 through February 20th. The audience follows the ensemble down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, down the nooks, crannies, recesses, and lofts of the Irondale Center in its historic 19th Century building. Wear your most comfortable clothing and get ready to enter strange wonderful worlds that the general public seldom sees with the Irondale company as your guide.

–Caroline or Change at the Gallery Players in Park Slope January 29 – February 21.

ICE SKATE: On Sunday, January 31 from 2 PM – 6 PM, skate to Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five’s greatest hits at Kate Wollman Rink.

FOR THE KIDS: On Sunday, January 31 at 11AM  BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange presents The Wizard of IZ hosted by the lovable Jumpin’ Juniper (Playspace open until 1pm)

Simone Dinnerstein Presents: The Chiara Quartet on Feb 4th

The PS 321 Neighborhood Concert Series is the ambitious brainchild of  Simone Dinnerstein, a celebrated classical pianist in her own right, who just signed with Sony Classical.

First and foremost, Dinnerstein aims to bring interesting and innovative classical programming to Park Slope. What a gift that is to the neighborhood.

Next Thursday, February 4th at 7 PM, Dinnerstein presents Beethoven and Beyond, featuring the Chiara Quartet in the PS 321 Auditorium 180 7th Ave., Park Slope. Tickets are $15.00, available at www.ps321.org

The Seattle Post calls the Chiara Quartet “vastly talented, vastly resourceful, and vastly committed to the music of their time.”

The New York Times describes them as  “luminous” and “searing.” And Strings Magazine used these words: “soulful,” “biting,” and possessing a “potent collective force.”

Dinnerstein has more than a casual connection to Park Slope’s acclaimed public elementary school. Born and bred in Park Slope, Dinnerstein was a PS 321 student, her mother was a a teacher, her son is now a student and her husband is a teacher.  The PS 321 concerts, which feature musicians Ms. Dinnerstein has admired and collaborated with during her career, are open to the public and raise funds for the school’s PTA.

Talk about giving back!

No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford

Keystone Park Isn’t Keystone Park Anymore

It’s the stadium with name. For now anyway.

Today, the Brooklyn Cyclones announced that it has ended its agreement with National Grid, which merged with the utility company, Keyspan, in 2007. They will be announcing a new name for the stadium soon. From the Brooklyn Paper: here’s a quote from a senior official at National Grid.

“Keyspan and National Grid enjoyed a great partnership with the Cyclones,” said National Grid Vice President John Caroselli. “However, due to the fact that the Keyspan name no longer exists, it was an opportunity for both parties to discuss other options.”

The Weekend List: Farmers, Alice, Caroline or Change, Qawwali

MUSIC
–Sounds like Brooklyn Festival begins Friday, January 29: Le Savy Fav & Vivian Girls at BAM. Check website for full schedule of all events.

–Friday, January 29 at 10 PM at Barbes : Brooklyn Qawwali Party. Hear what happens when New York jazz musicians play and improvise around the melodies of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

–Saturday, January 30 at 8PM at Barbes: Park Slope’s Danny Kalb is the founder of the legendary 60’s band the Blues Project and has been credited has being one of the very first practitioner of Blues Rock and his sound has been widely immitated for over forty years.

FILM: Crazy Heart and Avatar 3-D at the Pavilion.

ART: Opening party on Friday, January 29, 6PM-9PM for the Black and White show at Metaphor Contemporary Art.

FOOD: Park Slope Farmer’s Market indoors at Makers Market on Sundays. Third Street near Third Avenue.

THEATER: Alice, Alice, Alice at Irondale January 29 through February 20th. The audience follows the ensemble down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, down the nooks, crannies, recesses, and lofts of the Irondale Center in its historic 19th Century building. Wear your most comfortable clothing and get ready to enter strange wonderful worlds that the general public seldom sees with the Irondale company as your guide.

–Caroline or Change at the Gallery Players in Park Slope January 29 – February 21.

ICE SKATE: On Sunday, January 31 from 2 PM – 6 PM, skate to Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five’s greatest hits at Kate Wollman Rink.

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