Last night, OTBKB friend and fave, Jezra Kaye, an executive coach and corporate speech writer, watched a panel discussion on PBS about Governor Spitzer’s recent travails. While the panelists—four men and one women—were lively and knowledgable, something troubled her: the panel’s one woman, who was more than holding her own in the dialogue, seemed to physically fade from view whenever she wasn’t actually speaking.

"Her small physical size, the colors she was wearing (soft neutrals that flattered up close but faded in a group shot) and her resting body language (hands placed demurely in her lap) all conspired to give a small impression, at odds with this woman’s actual power," she writes in an email I got this morning.

According to Kaye, even if you’re a small person, you can take up your fair share of visual space by following these simple tips:

1. Wear "power" colors.  There’s a reason why Hillary Clinton favors red.  Strong, solid colors catch the eye and proclaim your confidence—and importance.

2. Put your hands on the table.  If you’re sitting at a conference table (as last night’s panelists were), forget your mother’s etiquette advice!  Putting your hands in your lap makes your shoulders slump.  Resting them on the table squares your upper body and makes you look alert and ready to respond.

3. Think big.  It’s amazing how much we control what other people see in us.  If you feel or think that you’re taking up space, you’re much more likely to appear substantial.  (The same is true in reverse for large people who project a sense of lightness and agility.)

The trick is to apply these insights in a way that’s right for you.

Jezra can help you improve your presentation skills. She is offering a workshop on Fun Presentation Skills for Women on April 3rd, 2008.

Enjoy getting in touch with the strength of your feminine side, while learning how to prepare and deliver a powerful speech for any occasion.  From a new business pitch to a panel presentation to a “chat” with your kids about their curfew, you’ll learn how to:

    * Focus and organize your ideas
    * Be your best onstage
    * Persuade an audience
    * Have fun!

You’ll also learn the 5-Point Presentation Plan—a simple way to instantly create a professional-sounding presentation or statement on any subject.

WHEN: Thursday, April 3rd/ 6:30-8:30PM

WHERE: In Good Company Workplaces, 16 W. 23rd Street, 4th floor, NYC

REGISTER: by emailing Jezra@JezraKaye.com

General Public:  $39 in advance/ $49 at the door

IGC Members: $29 in advance / $39 at the door

This workshop is limited to 20 participants, so sign up now!

Said to be weighing resignation, Governor Spitzer has engaged Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, a Manhattan law firm for his legal representation.

His name is David A. Paterson and he was elected New York’s lieutenant governor on November 7, 2006. In other words: you probably voted for him. The son of Basil Patterson, he would be New York’s first black governor and possibly the first blind governor if Eliot Spitzer’s career really does blow up.

Here’s his bio from the ny.gov website:

Elected to represent Harlem in the New York State Senate in 1985, David Paterson has demanded and achieved change at every level, not simply by what he stands for but by who he is.

In 2002, David Paterson was elected minority leader of the New York State Senate, the first non-white legislative leader in New York’s history. In 2004 in Boston, he became the first visually impaired person to address a Democratic National Convention. And 2006 saw Mr. Paterson make history again by being elected New York’s first African-American lieutenant governor.

As New York State Senate minority leader, David Paterson led the charge on several crucial issues for New York’s future, proposing legislation for a $1 billion voter-approved stem cell research initiative, demanding a statewide alternative energy strategy, insisting on strong action to fight against domestic violence, and serving as the primary champion for minority- and women-owned businesses in New York. As a result, Governor Spitzer asked Mr. Paterson to continue to lead New York State on these issues as lieutenant governor.

Lt. Governor Paterson, who is legally blind, is also nationally recognized as a leading advocate for the visually and physically impaired. A graduate of Columbia University and Hofstra Law School, Mr. Paterson also currently serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia’s School for International and Public Affairs. David Paterson lives in Harlem with his wife, Michelle, and their two children, Ashley and Alex, and he is the son of Basil Paterson, the first non-white secretary of state of New York and the first African-American vice-chair of the national Democratic Party.

The blogger from  A Year in the Park, was also at the Blogade brunch. In her blog, she documents her daily explorations of Prospect Park. Today, AYITP pastes an image of a proposed apartment building, "a glass sheathed atrocity", into a photo of the park.

What disturbed me about the nascent debate over this flagship of skyscrapery in PLG was the opinion expressed by some that Brooklyn would have "arrived" once Prospect Park was virtually ringed with towers, in the manner of (its vastly inferior rough draft) Central Park.

The vision of Vaux and Olmsted was explicitly that harried urbanites could refresh their souls in a place from which the city was mysteriously cloaked and hidden. Every turn of path and rise of land was placed with an artist’s hand to support this exquisite illusion; the periphery of the park is not mere real estate, but more akin to the priceless frame around a Monet.

It matters deeply how it appears to those within, as a legacy of our greatest civic treasure, and the intention of its creators should be pondered before we assent to hemming it in (visually and psychologically) with a forest of glaring eyesores.

At the Brooklyn Blogade brunch at the Old Brick Cafe in Kensington, I met a new blogger, Midnight Cowgirl, Recently, she and her husband and two kids gave up the nice suburban life in Denver for a two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn.

In a piece called, A New York State of Mind, the cowgirl tells a story of a man who got naked in a big box store in Brooklyn and rolled around in his own poop (gross). It’s a story she loves. Apparently, she loves to tell it again and again. Here’s why:

This is the thing: I haven’t ever, not once, I mean never, gotten naked, screamed, and rolled around in my own poo in public. Most of the time, I go around feeling socially awkward, fairly weird, kind of unacceptable and freakish. I have some self-esteem issues. I feel like there could be a psychotic break bubbling just under the surface of my MILF-ish exterior. But no matter how insane I might be feeling, I think about this man and feel good about the fact that I am not that far gone yet. It could happen, but not yet. When I’m feeling like a freak, I check myself – have I screamed and smeared my naked body in poo? No? All right then, I’m doing okay.

I want to live in New York City because I think that my people are there. It would comfort me if the person standing next to me on the subway might be about to take his clothes off and smear shit all over himself. I don’t want to be surrounded by mild-mannered soccer moms, or even just run-of-the-mill bums and weirdos, all of the time. I need to be where the freakiest freaks are. I can’t wait

Eliot Spitzer, our governor, who made his name prosecuting Wall Street cheaters, has been caught on a federal wiretap making plans to meet an expensive prostitute at a Washington hotel on February 11th.

Known as Client 9, Spitzer made a telephone call confirming plans to have this prostitute travel from New York to Washington, where he had reserved a hotel room.

February 11th. I hope that wasn’t the night he was at Marty’s State of the Borough address. He did seem to leave quickly. No, the State of the Borough was on the 7th.

Well, the news was public for less than ten minutes and our scribe, Leon Freilich, the very prolific verse responder, had this speedy response in sharp prose.

Is there a 10-year-old wannabe Mafioso who doesn’t know you don’t do business–especially dirty business–over the phone? Unbelievably the Feds caught Spitzer on the line with a hooker enterprise ordering up a hot body to be sent to his hotel room in Washington. Arrogant enough to suppose everything goes? Self-destructive?

My guess is he’ll now lash himself to a shrink’s couch long enough–he hopes–for this mis-schtup to blow over.

After 12 years of a Bush-caliber chief state executive, we were lucky enough to get a people’s fighter into the Governor’s Mansion. It’s our loss that he proved, Clinton-like, unable to control himself. A steamroller, as he called himself, without a sense of direction

I walked by one of the two storefronts pictured on Brownstoner today and wondered, yes I wondered, what’s going in there. Alas, there was no one to ask.

And wouldn’t you know it, Brownstoner Knows.

The owners of the 7th Avenue’s Sotto Voce are bringing versions of their popular Italian formula to two new locations on 5th Avenue. Within the next month they’re going to open a bistro called Aperitivo
on the corner of 1st street (shown above left). One of Sotto’s managers
says Aperitivo is going to be open from early morning to late at night
and have classic bistro trappings like a marble bar…

Read more at Brownstoner.

Mamainwaiting isn’t a mama in waiting anymore. She’s the proud mama of Ducky, a happy, healthy three and a half year old redhead.

Last week Mamainwaiting (AKA Diaper Diva) decided to start blogging again. Finally.

She’s been wanting to write down all the details of her adoption of Ducky starting with her trips to Russia. It’s an incredible story and I am so glad that she’s doing it.

Not only will this be the personal story of one woman’s adoption journey, but a great resource for those thinking about international adoption. Here is an excerpt from a new post about the orphanage, which was a two hour drive from Perm.

The orphanage was not in the city of Perm. It was two and a half hours from the city in a small town called Bereznicki. Our driver, Artur, would drive us there and it was arduous trip on a bumpy two way highway. The Russians drive very fast and jut their cars out when they want to pass a car in front of them to make sure there are no cars coming the other way. It is terrifying.

Our drive was broken up by a stop at a petrol station about halfway there. We would go inside where there was a rumpled but cozy little restaurant/bar, where we were served hot tea and pastries. After a few days, the proprietors let us use their special bathroom, which I think was a privilege.

Our translator on our first trip was named Olga. She was a very large and friendly white Russian who was a trained linquist. Since there are very few jobs, she was happy to pick up cash being a translator. She was a warm and funny woman who definitely towed the Soviet party-line. She was disparaging of the Russians who had immigrated to the United States, and seemed to think that struggling in life made you strong.

Olga reminded me of a character in a Checkhov play. She seemed to be in a marriage of convenience with a kindly man who provided well for her. They had a house and her evenings were taken up fixing up her garden which seemed to be her pride and joy. Each day when we met her, she would tell us about her plants and vegetables and how well they were doing. Since the sun set late, there was a lot of time to work in the garden in the spring and summer.

Yogo Monster really looks like a franchise. Or maybe a franchise wannabe. Fancy counters, machines, wall paper on the wall. Cool plastic chairs. Very design-y.

“So is this a franchise?”

“No, it’s the first store. We hope it becomes a franchise.”

“It’s the first store?”

I have to admit, I was surprised to hear that. Somehow I thought it was a store in Manhattan or something.

“Who owns it?” I asked.

“A Korean man,” he told me. “When I first came here I thought it was a yoga place. Yogo. You know, Park Slope; I figured it was a yoga place.”

I thought that was funny. He asked me if I’d like to try the yogurt. “Blueberry or original?” he asked. “We also have a swirl of both flavors.”

“I’ll try the swirl,” I said. He handed me a tiny cup with blue and white frozen yogurt. Very tasty.

“A lot of people like it better than the other place,” he pointed in the direction of Tastee Delite. “They don’t like the yogurt over there.

I didn’t think they had yogurt there.

“Oh, is this diet?”

“Well, it’s low-fat, healthy. It tastes like yogurt,” he said.

Indeed it does. And the calorie count isn’t bad. And they’ll put all kinds of high and low calorie toppings on it like M&M’s, fruit, Cheerio’s, gummy bears, you get the idea. A woman was peeking into the store as I left.

“They’re giving out tastes,” I said. She smiled and sauntered in.

Park Slope 16-year-old, Derek Garcia, won 1st place in BCAT’s BK4Reel competition for best short film by a high school student.

BK4Reel is the only show on television that features and promotes the work of Brooklyn teenage videographers (9th-12th graders).
Well, we couldn’t be more proud.

Derek is a really good guy. And he’s clearly got a great eye. Take a look at beautiful cinematography of Coney Island. Nice, nice compositions, DG.

The film is called "Brooklyn is Everything" and it’s about a boy’s solitary journey from his apartment in Park Slope to Coney Island. What a long, strange trip that is.

You can find the video here on You Tube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ViyNUgtJF58

Spitzer linked to sex ring (New York Times)

Spitzer’s Fall and fallout for Atlantic Yards (Atlantic Yards Report)

Wonderful news from Gowanus Lounge: Parks Department grants 6 year permit to Red Hook vendors (Gowanus Lounge)

$100 Million donation to NY Public Library (NY Times)

Fish tank find (Brooklynometry)

Crack vials as art (Found in Brooklyn)

Mama looks like Groucho (Midnight Cowgirls)

Hall of Fame induction for Leonard Cohen, Madonna, Iggy Pop, John Mellencamp (NY Times)

I heard Hepcat chortling at his desk. “What are you laughing about?” I asked. But he could hardly get a word out. Then he said, “Come over here,” but I was doing something on my computer. Finally he said, “It’s the top story on Boing, Boing.” He was still laughing.

And there I went. It’s a video of the latest prank by Improv Everywhere, a troupe that causes scenes in public places. You’ll love it if you’ve ever been to a Food Court. Especially one with Hot Dog on a Stick.

For our latest mission, 16 agents staged a spontaneous musical in the food court of a Los Angeles shopping mall. We used wireless microphones to amplify the vocal performances and mix them together with the music through the mall’s PA system. We filmed the mission with hidden cameras, mostly behind two-way mirrors. Apart from our performers, no one in the food court was aware of what was happening. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our report below.

and don’t forget the apostrophe.

The spelling of ‘sNice is kind of weird. I think this is right. Excuse the mispellings in prior posts. Note: It’s the new vegan sandwich shop on Fifth Avenue an Third Street.

The Tempeh Rubeun was quite good.

An OTBKB reader and friend sent me this article, which talks about Heather Johnston, a  Park Sloper and food blogger, who was cited on the Park Slope 100. The article is by Erik Engquist And Miriam Kreinin Souccar in Crain’s NY.

Conflicts are especially pronounced when someone breaks from a demographic that is aligned with a candidate—for example, blacks for Mr. Obama or middle-aged women for Mrs. Clinton.

“As an African-American woman, it’s been a torturing race in a lot of ways,” says Clinton backer Heather Johnston, 43, a chef in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Her husband, who is white, and their two daughters are with her in the Clinton camp, but not her black relatives. “As I’m arguing with my family, a lot of emotions come up. They say, `He’s talking with the inspiration of Martin [Luther King Jr.].’ “

She allows, “I like Obama. But I like Hillary better.”

The polar opposite might be Brooklyn Heights resident Judi Francis, a white woman of Mrs. Clinton’s generation. But she’s an Obama enthusiast and considers Mrs. Clinton a flip-flopping sellout.

Her friends, glass-ceiling fighters from the 1960s and ’70s, won’t hear it. “Every woman I’ve spoken with who supports Hillary in New York City is doing it out of loyalty to the sisterhood,” she says. “They are surprised that I wouldn’t.”