At Grand Army Plaza, Chabad menorah lighting every night of Hanukah at 6 PM. Hot latkes, music and dancing.
There's a menorah outside the Brooklyn Supreme Court that will be lit on Saturday, December 12 at 2 p.m. The official inauguration celebration will be held
on Monday night at 5:30 p.m. The ceremony will be led by Rabbi Aaron
Raskin and Borough President Marty Markowitz, and will feature a live
band and holiday treats.
Other Chanukah events …
Every Friday during skating season, 8:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
(Does not include skate rental charge)
Thought
there was nothing better than skating on Brooklyn’s only outdoor rink?
How about only paying half the admission fee! With the discount,
admission is $2.50 for adults; $1.50 for seniors and children 14 and
under. Skate rental is $6.50, tax included.
When it's time to take a break from skating, visit the Kate’s Corner Snack Bar
and sample the freshly brewed coffee, hot cocoa, or a steaming bowl of
soup or chili. Best of all, the rink is right near the subway, and if
you drive, parking is free.
Full skating schedule and information.
Locate Wollman Rink on our interactive map.
And OTBKB reader just wrote in with this tip:
In an era overgrown with remakes, The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans is a treasure. Werner Herzog, now best known for Grizzly Man, directed the film, based on Abel Ferrara’s 1992 original, starring Harvey Kietel. The location has changed to the bayou and the lieutenant’s badge is now on Nicolas Cage, but the general story is the same—drugged out, gambling addict scumbag is put in charge of solving a pious murder case. Whereas Catholic guilt and redemption were themes of the original, Herzog is more concerned with personal redemption, often at the risk of others. It’s nonsensical, full of hallucinations and dead-end scenes. Even a couple of happy endings.. A b-movie to its marrow, right down to the Zalman King-like title,it’s seedy and psychotic, hilarious yet brutal, a scuzzy blast
The cast is a dream team of scene chompers and low budget character actor gods—Brad Dourif, Vondie Curtis Hall, Jennifer Coolidge, Irma P. Hall, Val Kilmer—none paid to underplay. Michael Shannon and Cage practically have a twitch-off in one scene and even Herzog himself—never one to turn down the volume–gets to ham it up on an voice mail message. Supporting cast honors may go to Shea Whigham (Fast and Furious, tons of TV credits) for his role as prostitute Eva Mendes’ client, a connected sleaze who speaks mostly in “oohs”. The last laugh of course belongs to Cage. Literally. He laughs maniacally and frequently, right down to the final shot. As the addictive bastard who routinely hangs outside of nightclub to bust kids whose drugs he can swipe, he takes the role wonderfully beyond the edge of sanity. Cage’s outrageousness recalls his work in Vampire’s Kiss. And just as Cage devoured a cockroach in that film to channel a deeper reality (?),seeing the credit “Alligator and iguana footage shot by Werner Herzog” is somehow supposed to certify the ballsy depths he is willing to go. Like the film, the gator close-ups are extreme.
–Pops Corn
The Greenlight Bookstore, a new bookstore in Ft. Greene, has a cute feature on their blog: short bios of all the employees. Here's an excerpt:
More often than not, you'll find DEBORAH making our children's section
shine — as a neighborhood mom and a former employee of the lovely
(late) Chinook Bookshop
in Colorado, she's gained lots of experience! She's a master at
recommending just the right book for just the right child (and she's a
cookbook expert too!) Read more at the blog.
HOLIDAY
ART & JEWELRY SALE
Saturday, December 12th, 12noon-5PM
190 Marlborough Road,
Brooklyn, NY (Q train to Beverly Road)
For more info, call: 718-826-1261
Give those you love ART they will love this holiday! It's
the original, unique gift. Paintings, prints, handmade jewelry
and notecards–perfect for anyone on your list!
You can join chair painter Karen Eve Friedland for a glass of wine & refreshments and celebrate the holidays with AMAZING
PRICES on all items.
Robin of Find. Eat. Drink. thought readers of OTBKB might be interested in their Red Hook Round-up, offering suggestions for places to eat and visit, plus a downloaded pdf guide.
She writes: "Might be something interesting for your readers. Red Hook local, Troy House, contributes articles to our site."
Thanks Robin!
Photo by Frank Jump, Fading Ad Blog
Before
you go to the reading, do some shopping on Fifth Avenue or take
advantage of specials at local restaurants all part of the Snowflake Celebration.
Brooklyn Reading Works Presents:
FEAST
savory syllables on sustenance
(writers on food)
The second annual reading and benefit for Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.
With:
Peter Catapano
Ame Gilbert
Nancy Garfinkel
Greg Fuchs Andrea Israel
Alexander Nazaryan
Sophia Romero
Michele Madigan Somerville
Thursday, December 10th, 8pm
The Old Stone House in JJ Byrne/Washington Park
Between 3rd and 4th Streets on 5th Avenue
Park Slope, Brooklyn 718-768-3195
$ 10.00 donation
Proceeds will be given to Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.
Helping Hands distributes emergency food supplies to people living in Prospect Heights, Park Slope, and Fort Greene.
Dear Park Slope Neighbor,
Local merchants once again throw open their doors to stay
open late and create a holiday atmosphere, enabling you, the people of
Park Slope, to do your holiday shopping . . . here! Each participating
business will 1). Stay open until 10pm, and 2). Offer some special
promotion – Could be a sale, could be a giveaway, raffle, carolers,
snow machine (it's been done!), mulled wine, special hors d'oeuvres,
etc.
Last year we had 150 participating businesses — who knows what will
happen this year!?! In the current and impending economic climate,
it's more important than ever to keep our local economy strong and
healthy, so let's get together and Keep it Local!
Visit www.buyinbrooklyn.com for
more information, a list of participating merchants, and details about
special exclusive offers.
The BIG BUZZ this holiday season
goes to a consortium of Brooklyn-based women entrepreneurs who get
together each year to promote their innovative & unique designs at
a sale which takes on critical social justice or environmental causes.
This year, the group wishes to call attention to "Colony Collapse
Disorder" (CCD) — the deadly, serious syndrome that causes
honey bees to leave their hives & never return. The disappearing
honey bees threaten our entire world food supply.
At the BEE AWARE HOLIDAY FAIR people
can shop in a relaxed & warm setting while enjoying live classical
guitar music as well as sweets & savories. Their will be a
"Bee Aware" action table with free handouts & wildflower
seed packets, a seasoned bee keeper to talk with, honey
& honey-related products.BEE AWARE HOLIDAY FAIR
THIS THURSDAY, December 10th: It's all part of Buy in Brooklyn's Snowflake Celebration. For
the third year in a row, local merchants once again throw open their
doors to stay open late and create a holiday atmosphere, enabling you,
the people of Park Slope, to do your holiday shopping . . . here!
Each participating business will
1). Stay open until 10pm
2).
Offer some special promotion – Could be a sale, could be a giveaway,
raffle, carolers, snow machine (it's been done!), mulled wine, special
hors d'oeuvres, etc.
Last year there were 150 participating
businesses — who knows what will happen this year!?! In the current
and impending economic climate, it's more important than ever to keep
the local economy strong and healthy, so let's get together and Keep it
Local!
Eliot Wagner, who writes OTBKB Music, passed by the Purity Dinner around noon on Wednesday and found their front awning sign
down and on the 7th Street side of the restaurant. He writes: "I spoke to an
employee who said that the sign came down last night but that no one
knew what happened."
Greetings Pub Quiz Altar of Curmudgeonly Perspectives Acolytes…
Happy Holidays!
Good. Now that that's out of the way, let's get to business.
It's Weasel Time. Sorta like Giuliani Time, except less — oh, never mind, it's just like Giuliani Time.
Droves and droves of weasels. Don't worry…there's plenty of time
this December to hang those stockings with care, light those menorah
candles with verve, celebrate The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa with joy and mark Al-Hijra with clean-slate determination.
Weasel Time, it is, then…
Kiki Weaselweghe
The new coach of Bruce Ratner's 2-19 New Jersey Nets took over for his hapless predecessor, Lawrence Frank,
when the team was 0-16 — one game shy of tying the NBA record for
most-consecutive losses to start a season. A really dubious record
that melds perfectly in Ratner's malfeasant professional acumen.
Except Weaselweghe didn't take over immediately. Claiming he wasn't ready — and that his Cyrano assistant coach Del Harris (who, unlike Weaselweghe, has NBA head-coaching experience) wasn't either — Weaselweghe let sad-sack assistant Tom Barrise
coach the Nets to their record-tying 17th loss and record-breaking 18th
loss. It's Barrise's name, not Weaselweghe's, on the record now.
Weaselweghe and Harris took over the following game.
Kiki Weaselweghe and Tom Barrise
Tiger Weasel
Well,
it's now up to eight women in Tiger's litter box of joy. "Tiger lilies"
is how the media is grouping them. The final tipping point for Woods
— his endorsements — has tipped. Pepsi-owned Gatorade is dropping its Tiger Focus energy drink, saying the move was pre-planned and has nothing to do with Tiger's marital problems.
Elin Nordegren discovers golf-clubs work better than foreheads
Weaselade
…for claiming the move to drop Tiger Focus was pre-planned and has nothing to do with Tiger's marital problems.
…talk about the need for an energy drink!
Weasel Dobbs
The former CNN host who made immigrants his personal punching-bag — scapegoating primarily Latinos for
most of the nation's ills — is trying to ingratiate himself to the
Latino community now that he's, perhaps, running for office.
In an interview with Telemundo, Dobbs flip-flopped on years of immigrant bashing, claiming he now supports a
plan to give status to millions of undocumented residents. "Whatever you have thought of me in the past, I can tell you
right now that I am one of your greatest friends and I mean for us to
work together."
…just like Bruce Ratner really cares about low-income tenants and Mike Bloomberg cares about the city's working class communities.
Basta Dobbs, the organization that has fought Weasel Dobbs over his anti-immigrant hysteria, isn't buying it.
One of many Next Great White Hopes
The 37 Weasels in the New York State Senate
Thirty-eight
state senators in Albany voted against same-sex marriage last week.
Thirty-seven of them uttered but a pithy, embarrassed "no" as they cast
their vote. The 38th no-vote was vociferously announced by Ruben Diaz, Sr.
A vitriolically homophobic minister, Diaz used the Bible as a
flak-jacket. For the others, if you're gonna deny civil rights, at
least tell us why. Does it ultimately matter? No…but it does
demonstrate that buried in these 37 psyches is a sense that they know
they're wrong.
Diaz Sr.: Yes, the Bible says love they neighbor. Thank God I don't want any homosexuals living next door to me…
Weasel Blatter
The
head of international soccer's governing body, Blatter not only gamed
the qualifying system to get undeserving big-shot teams like France and Portugal into next summer's World Cup. He not only ignored blatant cheating by the French team in spite of FIFA's never-ending promotion of Fair Play
values. He not only stayed silent as the French soccer federation
pithily dismissed international calls to replay the controversial
France-Ireland match. Blatter, in remarks to journalists in the
days before last week's World Cup draw, made fun of the Irish for
suggesting remedies for the stain left by the infamous Thierry Henry handball.
Making Blatter look even more weaselly were the actions of Italy's Ascoli soccer team this past weekend. Ascoli's opponent, Reggina,
tried to kick the ball out of bounds so that an injured player could
receive treatment. Ascoli mistakenly intercepted the goal and scored a
goal. Reggina players and fans were livid. Ascoli, realizing their
mistake, stood aside and let Reggina score a goal to catch up. Ascoli
lost the game 3-1, costing the club important points in the standings.
Blatter announces FIFA's new Fair Play Is For Simps campaign
WeaselESDC
Even though court cases remain, even though Bruce Ratner doesn't have the funding or the properties, even though the Atlantic Yards' flimsiness makes a house of cards look like Fort Knox,
even though there are no plans for affordable housing or real numbers
of jobs except for "hey, we'll get around to it, back off!," the
WeaselESDC is forging ahead with evictions of residents and property
owners in the Atlantic Yards footprint. Indications are that eviction
letters will be posted on Christmas Eve.
Weasel
Time is an endless parade of proclivical miscreants. While bottomless
cups of coffee and all-you-can-eat deals are generally grand, this is a
cornucopia we can do without. If you have nominations for Weasel Time
candidates, send 'em in.
In the meantime, there's a Season of Joy to be had…
Brooklyn Ethical Culture Society Meeting House
53 Prospect Park West (at 2nd Street)
Brooklyn, NY 11215-2693
(718) 768-2972
On November 16, 1989, six Jesuit priests, their co-worker and her
teenage daughter were massacred in El Salvador. A U.S. Congressional
Task Force reported that those responsible were trained at the U.S.
Army School of the Americas (SOA) at Ft. Benning, Georgia.
SOA Watch seeks to close the US Army School of the Americas,
under whatever name it is called, through vigils and fasts,
demonstrations and nonviolent protest, as well as media and legislative
work.
In 1990 SOA Watch began in a tiny apartment outside the main
gate of Ft. Benning. Starting with a small group, SOA Watch
quickly drew upon the knowledge and experience of many in the U.S. who
had worked with the people of Latin America in the 1970's and 80's.
The goal of SOA Watch
is to close the SOA and to change U.S. foreign policy in Latin America
by "educating the public, lobbying Congress and participating in
creative, nonviolent resistance."
THIS THURSDAY, December 10th: It's all part of Buy in Brooklyn's Snowflake Celebration. For the third year in a row, local merchants once again throw open their doors to stay open late and create a holiday atmosphere, enabling you, the people of Park Slope, to do your holiday shopping . . . here!
Each participating business will
1). Stay open until 10pm
2). Offer some special promotion – Could be a sale, could be a giveaway, raffle, carolers, snow machine (it's been done!), mulled wine, special hors d'oeuvres, etc.
Last year there were 150 participating businesses — who knows what will happen this year!?! In the current and impending economic climate, it's more important than ever to keep the local economy strong and healthy, so let's get together and Keep it Local!
At The Bell House tomorrow night: lots of local artists and a good
cause at a reasonable price. Brooklyn Sings for Health Care Reform,
organized by Red Hook's KaiserCartel, features the following:
April Smith
Tracy Bonham
Dayna Kurtz
KaiserCartel
Mascott
Lucinda Black Bear
Cat Martino
Milton
Kevin McGinnis
Greta
Gertler
plus the always popular special surprise guests. The money raised at the show goes to Campaign For A National Health Program.
Brooklyn Sings for Health Care Reform, The Bell House, 149 7th Street (at 2nd Avenue), 7:30pm, $15.
– Eliot Wagner
Before you go to the reading, do some shopping on Fifth Avenue or take advantage of specials at local restaurants all part of the Snowflake Celebration.
Brooklyn Reading Works Presents:
FEAST
savory syllables on sustenance
(writers on food)
The second annual reading and benefit for Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.
With:
Peter Catapano
Ame Gilbert
Nancy Garfinkel
Greg Fuchs Andrea Israel
Alexander Nazaryan
Sophia Romero
Michele Madigan Somerville
Thursday, December 10th, 8pm
The Old Stone House in JJ Byrne/Washington Park
Between 3rd and 4th Streets on 5th Avenue
Park Slope, Brooklyn 718-768-3195
$ 10.00 donation
Proceeds will be given to Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.
Helping Hands distributes emergency food supplies to people living in Prospect Heights, Park Slope, and Fort Greene.
Will Nixon is a friend, who lives in Ulster County in Upstate New York. He came down to Brooklyn Reading Works to read in the Poetry Punch last year and I enjoyed his poems very much.
And now he's co-written a new called Walking Woodstock
Journeys into the Wild Heart of America's Most Famous Small Town.
It might be just the thing for that someone on your gift list who loves Woodstock and Ulster County. Just a thought.
Michael Perkins and Will Nixon decided
to walk across Woodstock, not just the modern town of busy roads but
the older village of bluestone quarries, abandoned forest paths, and
mountain views they had all to themselves. Walking Woodstock collects their adventures, many first published in the Woodstock Times, that
ranged from the delights of finding spring flowers to the fears of a
mountain rescue. Full of humor, history, friendship, nature, hikers'
lore, and walkers' musings, these journeys reveal the wild heart that
beats in all of us when we set forth to explore our home terrain on
foot.
F TRAIN TOWN HALL MEETING
Thursday, December 10, 6:30 pm
PS 58 Auditorium, 330 Smith Street, Brooklyn NY
(Corner of Smith and Carroll streets, at Carroll Street stop on the F line)
This
past summer, Senator Squadron called on the MTA to conduct a full line
review of the F Train. In October, the MTA released the findings from
this review (which you can find on Senator Squadron's website at: www.squadron.nysenate.gov).
At
the Town Hall Meeting, MTA representatives will discuss the recent
report about F train performance and proposals for improving service. Senator Squadron and City Councilmember-elect Brad Lander will be there.
Brooklyn Reading Works Presents:
FEAST
savory syllables on sustenance
(writers on food)
The second annual reading and benefit for Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.
With:
Peter Catapano
Ame Gilbert
Nancy Garfinkel
Greg Fuchs Andrea Israel
Alexander Nazaryan
Sophia Romero
Michele Madigan Somerville
Thursday, December 10th, 8pm
The Old Stone House in JJ Byrne/Washington Park
Between 3rd and 4th Streets on 5th Avenue
Park Slope, Brooklyn 718-768-3195
$ 10.00 donation
Proceeds will be given to Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.
Helping Hands distributes emergency food supplies to people living in Prospect Heights, Park Slope, and Fort Greene.
ORPHANS OF THE WASH
You say these socks are schizophrenic,
That red and green're not as authenic
As a genuine, legitimate pair.
But wait! Such reasoning's unfair
Applied to struggling stretched-out orphans
Whose experience as recent morphens
Has left them totally bereft,
Both the right sock and the left.
Each lost his dearly beloved twin
While sloshing around, about
and in
A washing machine as it revolved
Soapily till both evolved
Into poor garments without sibs
And cried into some much-soiled bibs.
You know of course that socks have no
Mother or father or granny, so
When a left proceeds to lose its right
Both lives become an endless
night.
The least that you and yours can do
Is foster-parent these poor two;
Bestow a home that's warmly sweet–
Wear them together on your feet.
In the following press release City Councilmember-elect Brad Lander says that he has convinced Bill deBlasio's not to go through with legislation that would allow development and a change of zoning to site at First Place and Smith Street. Next year, he says, there will be a NYC Uniform Land Use Review Proceudre about that site. This is probably music to the ears of local residents who were angered by deBlasio's "secretive effort to allow a politically
connected private school to move ahead with a two-story extension atop
of the courtyards that give Carroll Gardens is very character," writes the Brooklyn Paper. Inc
The Brooklyn Bugle reports on Monday evening's meeting about Brookyn Bridge Park at LICH with Daniel Squadron and Parks Commissioner Adrian Benape. Here's an excerpt:
I periodically check in with Rabbi Andy Bachman's blog, Water Over Rocks. Today I found out that that his synagogue, Congregation Beth Elohim, is running a food drive for City Harvest. Canned and dry goods can be left in the Temple House at 274 Garfield Place.
I also took a quick look at his always interesting blog posts and found this poignant post called Plural, Amen, which expresses the many responsibilities faced by the rabbi of a large local congregation. Here's an excerpt.
And then, just like that, today pivoted, and I'm
helping to find housing for a family left nearly homeless in this
brutal economy and within moments, sitting with a bereaved woman whose
husband of 46 years died and she can't function without him. That's
16,790 days with one person. Try to imagine doing something with
someone for 16,790 days in a row and then all of a sudden lose that
presence, lose that voice, suffer from the absence of that soul. There
is survivor's guilt; anger; anxiety; depression. And an unspeakable
loneliness that few of us truly know.
A fire alarm went off
during this conversation today and my visitor kept checking her watch.
"You must be busy," she said. "I'm not a member of your shul. I should
go." "But you are here," I said. "And we're together. So stay."
I
thought, but didn't say, "The fundraising and the strategizing is for
moments like these, the quiet moments of service." Obligation without
fanfare. Just the response.
lunches followed by strategic meetings and planning
sessions.
C