Ring in the New Year with a quirky display of new works-in-progress and stop motion puppet animations from The Lab at St. Ann’s Warehouse.

Here are the latest greetings from Scott Turner of Rocky Sullivan’s in Red Hook!!

Greetings Pub Quiz Midnight Revelers…

One of the wonderful and maddening things in this world are the parallel happenings that re-define irony.  Sometimes, we giggle.  Others, we turn away in horror.  Occasionally, it’s both.

Diane, the dogs and I were returning from Pittsburgh on Sunday evening.  One signpost that we’re closing in on New York City is when 1010 WINS
starts coming in on the radio.  There’s not a lot of radio between
Pittsburgh and New York — well, there is, but there’s, you know, not.  This includes driving through Pennsylvania’s capital region, Harrisburg.

Between Brooklyn and the Steel City sits my favorite radio station that I’ve never actually listend to: WMLK, the short-wave station transmitting from the Assemblies of Yahweh. Right off Interstate 78 in Bethel, PA.  No AM or FM for WMLK.  You can only get it on short-wave frequency — 9265
                kHz.  According to WMLK’s website, the station targets Europe and the Middle East.

Testing one…two…three.  WMLK founder Elder Meyer in the early days…or the early End of Days, perhaps.

I
have no idea whether I’d like what WMLK bounces off the clouds.  Prolly
not, but since I don’t have a short-wave transmitter, who knows?
According to WMLK’s website, "The steel posts that were used for the antenna construction
  fulfilled a prophecy found in Jeremiah 31:21. "Set yourself up
  waymarks, make yourself guideposts [sign‑posts]; set your heart toward
  the highway, even the way by which you went: turn again, O virgin of Israel,
  turn again to these your cities."  This would give some indication of the Assembly of Yahweh’s stance on things.

Transmitting
the word of some version of some god not enough for you?  WMLK sells
its spare parts, too!  If you need various components from a RCA BTA 50G and a RCA BTA 50F ("priced to sell. You can make your needs known via e-mail") or the empty cabinets from the BTA 50F ("we were intending on using these cabinets for a 100KW Short-wave
                  unit.
                We
                  have since purchased a BBC 250 KW unit and installed this instead"), your prayers have been answered — undoubtedly by folks who like answering prayers.

Look at the bright side — you can’t get O’Reilly, Hannity or Limbaugh on WMLK.

We were hoping to find news on the Israeli decimation of Gaza.  News, analysis, discussion.  Nothing.  We did find religious proselytizing, Ravens and Eagles and Jets games, mainstream country stations and oldies which, imposingly, now include songs from when I was in high-school.

1010 WINS finally broke through the I-78 corridor static with an advertisement urging us to donate our car to the L’Chaim Society.  "L’Chaim means life!" the narrator cheerfully intoned.

That was followed by the latest from Gaza — a second day of Israeli military bombardment, hundreds of Palestinians dead, two confirmed Israeli deaths from Hamas missles.

"L’chaim means life!"

History tells us many things.  One is that bullies have a hard time maintaining the moral high ground.

This has been a
year to remember.  Sadly, it’s so memorable because of all the terrible
things we’d like to forget — the economy, the continued foreign-policy
wastelands of Iraq and Afghanistan, people close to us we’ve lost (hope
you’ve escaped your demons, John Costelloe), the human inability to
solve disagreements without weaponry, the seduction of easy solutions
for tough problems, the vacuum of leadership, the dearth of people
getting involved, and cutting-edge technology cutting us off from one
another with increasing frequency.

That so many of you come out to the Rocky Sullivan’s Pub Quiz
week after week pushes that last item to the curb.  A little bit, at
least.  It’s a chance to rub shoulders with other folks, be part
something fun, thoughtful, challenging and inebriating.  For one night
a week, we can lock arms with the world and at the same time reject the
notion of a culture where everyone’s no closer than arms-length.  The
arms being our computers, PDAs, cell-phones, TMs, IMs, WWWs, PlayStations, Wiis, movies-on-demand, Netflixes and anything else that replaces hand-shakes and hugs with ones and zeroes.

There
are still a lot of options for being with each other in the flesh.
It’s an honorific that you choose Rocky’s and the Quiz come Thursday
night.  Thanks also to everyone who’s spread the word about Rocky
Sullivan’s Pub Quiz — the grapevine, the bloggers, the word-of-mouth,
the forwarding of these e-mails.

…and yes, this is another irony — thanking you for being human by sending a group e-mail.

Life ain’t perfect.  But it sure is lively.

I just got this note from Fonda at Zuzu’s Petals:

We are going to need all our best everything in the coming year.

For The Zuzus that means the freshest, most long lasting well priced flowers, plants, gifts and the best energy we can generate.

To all zuzushoppers and their families we wish good health, and all the usual joy, love and peace the average person might desire.

I know what Park Slope jazz musician Joshua Shneider is doing tonight:

Come spend New Year’s Eve with me and my Quartet featuring Monte Croft, keyboards and vocals; Gregory Ryan, bass and Eric Halvorson on drums, at Bussaco in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
 

Bussaco is a fabulous new restaurant with incredible food and
drink which was just opened by my old friend Scott Carney and his wife
Melanie Kozol. It is a beautiful, spacious room with a full bar and a
warm comfortable vibe. Scott is a sommelier who has been in the
business for many years and has now created a first class restaurant in
the Slope. Check them out at www.bussacobklyn.com.
 

As for my fine band, we will be playing some of the greatest hits from
the last 100 years, as well as whatever we feel when the spirit visits
us.
 

Please join us for the night or, if you’re already booked, just stop by and have a drink first. We’d love to see you.
New Year’s Eve at:

Bussaco

833 Union St

Brooklyn, NY 11215

Reservations Recommended 718.857.8828

www.bussacobklyn.com

I just got this email from the folks over at (www.fuckedinparkslope.com), who want to spread the word about their latest project. And as you’ll see, you can help. Send in your reasons for loving Brooklyn…

Inspired by NY mag’s recent "Why we love NY feature" we here at FIPS (www.fuckedinparkslope.com)
have decided to quickly pull together a "why we love Brooklyn"
feature.  As 2008 comes to a close, we hope to feature 209 reasons we
think Brooklyn is so badass in a feature to be pub’d on January 1, 2009.

So,
why do you love Brooklyn?  It could be something very specific (i.e.
because of Frannie’s on Flatbush) or something more general (i.e. more
hipsters per square capita than any other place on earth).  Feel free
to include links, where appropriate, and even a line or two of
explaining your choice (only if you’d like to).  If its specific to
2008, all the better. And of course, we will attribute your item (and
include a link back to your blog or website!), so please do let me know
if you’d prefer to be anon.

Feel free to send in as many or
as few reasons as you’d like (and also feel free to forward this on to
any friends, other bloggers, or anyone else you think might like to
contribute).  We’d love to feature as many other Brooklyn bloggers,
twitterers and Brooklynites as possible, so please repost on your blogs
and get back to us with any submissions.

We’re getting a late start after the holiday weekend, so apologies for the rush request!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Happy Holidays!

I just got this email with good news about the Park Slope couple evicted from their St. John’s Place apartment.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah,

I have some wonderful news to
report today. Our collective efforts have apparently made a big
difference. The Slope couple Frances and Frank are finally getting the
help they need, and much thanks goes to all the neighbors who made it
possible.

As soon as Frances and Frank are set up in their new
home, I will post again with more information. In the meantime, they
are most grateful to all who expressed concern and offered help.

Thank you,
Jennifer Epelbaum

From friend and neighbor Marlene, of Marlene’s Lost and Found. She creates handcrafted jewelry, objects, and art created from lost images and found objects: She writes: "Hanukkah is almost over. And the display kinda looks "grander" in
person (or at least in the close-ups). But I thought I’d send ’em to
you anyway. Happy Holidays!!! Happy New Year!!"

Here are some photographs of the city of Breukelen, Netherlands photographed by Roy Fidler, `who kindly sent them my way. He grew up in Brooklyn and now lives in Northern California.

He wrote: "In the original Dutch…City hall…The Breukelen Bridge…Brooklyn boy by the Breukelen Bridge…"

According to Wikipedia: Breukelen is a municipality and town in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. It is situated to the north west of Utrecht, along the river Vecht and close to the Loosdrechtse Plassen, an area of lakes and great natural beauty. It is in an area called the "Vechtstreek". During the 17th century a number of Amsterdam merchant families built opulent mansions along the river near Breukelen.

There is a large Van der Valk (Hotel Breukelen) hotel, the façade of which is in the Chinese style. Universiteit Nyenrode is located in Breukelen.

The borough of Brooklyn in New York City is named after Breukelen (see History of Brooklyn).

I received an email this morning from Jenifer Epelbaum, who has been advocating on behalf of a Park Slope couple recently evicted from their apartment.

Dear Neighbors,

I am writing because you are one of the kind
neighbors who has written to me in the past when I posted concerns
about an old couple on my block who were being evicted.

I have tried very hard to help these neighbors, with much help provided by quite a few of you (thank you).

Today
I sent a detailed letter to an organization which earlier this year was
appointed "guardian for property" for my former neighbor Frances. The
organization is a wonderful one, but I have seen the casework on this
one case, and I am quite certain JASA would not be happy with what I
have seen. I prefer not to share all the sordid details in an email, in
part out of respect for all the other, truly wonderful work done for
others by this same agency.

I made numerous efforts to bring
better treatment for my neighbor Frances Mulligan (who is slightly
mentally impaired). I wrote quite a few emails directly to the
caseworkers on her case, and I even sent a letter to the judge. Those
efforts seem not to have helped at all. The situation is very, very bad
for Frances and I have now shifted my attention to higher officers at
JASA (the organization providing the guardianship for property). In my
letter today (sent to the President, the CEO and the Director of
Services) I told in detail some of the most appalling treatment I have
witnessed towards Frances and her partner.

At
this time, I believe it would be extremely helpful if JASA heard from a
few more concerned neighbors of Frances. You do not (and should not)
accuse them of anything. I witnessed events I could write about (and
did), and I think that is enough of that.

What would be
wonderful would be just a quick email expressing concern for Frances
Mulligan. Tell them you are her neighbor in Brooklyn and you care about
what happens to her, or any other polite comment you care to make on
the subject. I think if even a quarter of those who wrote to me
privately at different times, now sent an email (even a one line
email), it could make a BIG difference for Frances. If you do send an
email, please put FRANCES MULLIGAN in your subject line.

The person you should email is the CEO, Aileen Gitelson, AGitelson(at)jasa(dot)org

Feel free to call me if you would like an update on what is going on with Frances and her partner Frank Monaco.

Thank you very much for your concern for these Park Slope neighbors.
Jennifer Epelbaum
jen_epel(at)yahoo(dot)com

It’s Tuesday night and we’re packing up to go to California to visit Hepcat’s relatives. We will take an early flight on Wednesday morning. I will be packing up this computer in a few minutes.

Hepcat says that No Words Daily Pix will be up on Wednesday. And I’ll post the weather. But that’s it. Right now, I need to get ready to go. You will hear from me on Christmas. From California.

Merry Christmas to all. And Happy Hannukah, too.

Today’s press release from Councilmember Bill de Blasio tells how New Yorkers can help street homeless during this winter’s
coldest days. Temperatures are in the
teens and twenties – with wind chills that will make the temperature feel to be
in the single digits at times. According to the Department for Homeless Services (DHS), street homeless
individuals are at a higher risk for death due to the cold during the harsh
winter months.

"While street homelessness is a
problem many New Yorkers face all year long, it becomes especially dangerous
during the coldest winter months. The combination of well below-freezing temperatures, icy winds, and wet,
wintry weather spells disaster for those homeless individuals not utilizing the
traditional shelter system. If you
see or know of a street homeless person who is in need of shelter, there are a
few steps you can take to help. First, call 311; their operators will contact DHS and send an outreach
team to bring help to the client in need. DHS’s outreach teams will get the client any needed medical care, and
then take them to a shelter, drop-in center, safe haven, or a warming center or
bus. If it appears that the person is in need of medical assistance of any
kind, you should immediately call 911. Finally, if you’re still uncertain of what to do, please call my
district office for assistance, at 718-854-9791," said Councilmember Bill de
Blasio, Chair of the General Welfare Committee.

Photograph by Rodolph Vernaz-Colas

Here’s this week’s Smartmom from the Brooklyn Paper.

Last week, Smartmom called Best and Oldest to see if she wanted to
meet at Dashing Diva for a pedicure. Decadent and fun, the best and
oldest friends like to do this sort of thing from time to time for the
chance gossip and gab. Plus, they get their toenails cleaned and
polished — a win-win for all involved.

Best and Oldest liked the idea, especially because her daughter Bee
was set to hear whether she got into Brown University (early decision)
that very afternoon. At exactly 5 pm, Brown was going to send out the
acceptance letters by e-mail.

Best and Oldest wanted to be home when Bee checked the computer. But as Tom Petty wrote, “The waiting is the hardest part.”

Best and Oldest was such a jittery wreck that she figured it would be diverting to have her toes done.

So there were B&O and Smartmom, sitting on the high banquettes
at Dashing Diva with their toes in steaming hot water and trying to
talk about anything but Brown. Every time B&O’s cellphone rang (she
still had the “Obama, Obama” ring tone on it), Smartmom jumped.

“No, it’s too early,” B&O explained. Bee and her best friends,
three other high achieving girls, who had also applied to hard-to-get
into colleges on early decision, were going from house to house
checking their mailboxes. Schools like Amherst, Wesleyan and Carlton
still send their letters the old fashioned way: by snail mail.

Finally, B&O did hear from Bee. None of the other girls had
gotten their letters, so they were back at her house waiting for the
verdict. Bee thanked her mom for the homemade brownies that were out on
the kitchen table. (Nice touch, thought Smartmom. Brownies for Brown.)

B&O did a good job of pretending to pay attention to whatever
Smartmom was talking about (she is her best and oldest friend, after
all), but Smartmom could tell that she was extremely distracted.

Who wouldn’t be?

Brown is considered one of the best universities in the world. The
odds of getting in are like, well, astronomical — roughly equivalent to
the odds that Dumb Editor, himself a Brown graduate, will actually put
his Russian Literature and Language degree towards any
useful purpose someday. (Dumb Editor’s note: Since when is Brown one of
the best universities in the world?)

Brown is where Bee wanted to spend the next four years of her life.
Her heart is set on it. And Bee deserves to go to Brown as much as any
other smart, highly motivated, hard-working high school senior. But
it’s a longshot.

The pressure was on, and B&O was stressing — but she did seem to
enjoy her pedicure even if her in-grown toenails hurt when the
pedicurist cut her cuticles. For her part, Smartmom loved having her
feet rubbed and the smell of the orange aromatherapy cream.

The situation brought up a host of issues for Smartmom. Secretly,
she considered choosing bright green nail polish to symbolize the
jealousy she was feeling toward B&O.

Smartmom’s son Teen Spirit has had, shall we say, a completely
different relationship to academia than Bee. While there’s no denying
that he’s a very smart guy, he’s never been quite as gaga about classes
and studying. Music is his thing — it’s his passion and he’s applying
to music schools now and planning to take a gap year before going to
college.

Smartmom tried to imagine what it would be like to have a son or
daughter waiting to hear from Brown. That would be a real mitzvah.
Isn’t it every parent’s dream to have a high-achieving child who
qualifies for the best colleges in the country?

Getting your kid into a top school is certainly one iteration of the
American dream — and it means, on some level, that the parent has done
his or her job, prepared your child for the dog-eat dog world out there
and given him or her a great start in life.

Smartmom nearly choked on the metallic odor of the nail polish. She
decided on a deep red to signify her mix of free-floating anxiety and
excitement.

Sadly, Smartmom felt like her usual B-list self. She has multiple
family members who went to Brown. In fact, her uncle was a football
hero at Brown in the 1930s, and most of her first cousins and their
kids went to the uber-university.

Talk about having a Brown complex. Smartmom was more of a state
university kind of gal. She went to SUNY-Binghamton, which one of her
friend’s calls the Schmatta League. These days, Smartmom satisfies
herself with the fact that the school is really hard to get into
nowadays (but it ain’t Ivy, the other part of her brain reminds her).

The Ivies. Now that’s cool. But it just wasn’t meant to be for Smartmom’s boho, intellectual, Tom Dylan Bob Waits wannabe son.

Talk about pushing Smartmom’s buttons. Or toenails. Yeah, sure, she
wanted Bee to get into Brown. But she wasn’t without some residual
jealousy that her kid just wasn’t going down that privileged road.

OK, OK. Smartmom wouldn’t be Smartmom if she didn’t have mixed
feelings about the whole thing. What would there be to write about?

At 4:45, B&O ran off. “I’ll call you as soon as I know,” she said as she scurried down Seventh Avenue on the rainy night.

Smartmom felt her heart race. Even if she did feel slightly envious
of B&O, she hoped with all her heart that Bee did indeed get in.

And guess what dear reader? She did.

Shoulda gone with the green nail polish!