Twas a rainy Monday morning and I was moving some things into my mother’s basement storage room. Wearing rubber rain boots, I walked on a wet rubber ramp, when — splat — I violently twisted my ankle and it was as if my foot folded beneath me. I found myself lying on my back screaming: “I think I broke something. I think I broke something.”

“Did she break something valuable?” my mother apparently said to my sister (they were in the storage room).

“No I think she means she broke herself,” my sister reports telling her.

The pain was excruciating but somehow I was able to go upstairs to my mother’s apartment. Within a half hour my foot had swollen to the size of a nerf football and my mother and I went cross town to have it x-rayed.

“It’s not fractured,” the radiologist told me. “You can go now.”

“But what do I do? ” I asked plaintively.

“We can’t help you. You’ll have to call your primary care doctor.”

I wanted to cry. Sure, I was relieved that it wasn’t broken or fractured but clearly there was something wrong with it and I needed some advice about what to do.

Standing on the corner of 84^th Street and Lexington Avenue in the cold rain with a throbbing foot, I called my primary care physician who told me to “go home and if you can’t walk tomorrow call an orthopedic doctor.”

That seemed exceedingly unhelpful at that moment. Finally the doctor gave me the number of a nearby orthopedic practice (“the only one who will take your insurance,” she grumbled). My mom and I  went into a restaurant, ordered some pizza and dialed the number she gave me.

“We can’t see you until later in the week,” the receptionist told me.

“What should I do in the meantime?” I asked tearfully, my foot still radiating pain.

“I can’t tell you anything until the doctor examines you,” the receptionist said coldly.

Tears filled my eyes. I tried not to sob into my pizza. But I felt helpless. My foot was becoming black and blue…

“Excuse me,” a beautiful Indian woman walked over to their table holding a small, white business card. “I’m sorry to eavesdrop but it was awful what you just went through on the phone,” she said.

The woman’s kindness made me WEEP with gratitude.

“Why don’t you go around the corner to see the doctor I work for. He’s a Physiatrist and he’s wonderful. Tell them Samantha sent you.”

I did just as good fairy Samantha told me to do. We walked around the corner and Dr. Loren Fishman, an elfish man in a red bow tie and round glasses, was able to see us almost immediately.

When I told Dr. Fishman what happened he measured the good ankle and the sprained ankle and concluded that, indeed, my ankle was very, very swollen.

Fishman, the author of Yoga for Osteoporosis, and many other books and papers, told me to keep my foot elevated. He said the best thing  I could do was lie on my back and put my leg up against the wall.

My mother and I were both enchanted by Dr. Fishman. We spent close to an hour with the good doctor (my mother told him about all of her foot problems…). He told me to come back in a few days for physical therapy “so as to preserve your range of motion” and gave me prescriptions for an anti-inflammatory and an air cast…

Thanks to caring practitioners like Samantha and Dr. Fishman.  I needed to be taken care of and they took care of me. Mucho gratitude.

As for me, I am taking things slowly, trying to stay off my foot and feeling better day by day.

Kate and Alex (Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt) are vultures, preying on the dead, purchasing their furniture and selling it for profit. Like the vultures in the animal kingdom food chain, they serve a purpose as part of a financial subsistence.

The film capturing this ecosystem, Please Give, doesn’t make judgments about them. Kate, rather, judges herself. Her guilt, part of this cycle, is becoming a guiding principle in her decisions and her relationships with others. Her handouts to the homeless are increasing, she takes stabs at volunteering, she won’t give in about her daughter’s (Sarah Steele, perfect) wish for designer jeans, she purchases no-value furniture out of pity. Kate is wonderfully drawn and not always likeable, as is the case with many of the alive and layered characters in Please Give. While the film has been read by a lot of critics of a story about affluent guilt, it is so much more due to these deep characters and a story that is bursting with themes – age, beauty, guilt, value, family – and how they add up to a world that keeps New York’s heart beating.

The film opens with a sequence close-ups of mammograms and distinguishes itself immdediately as a film that will deal with women differently than other contemporary films. The film ends with a final scene that is truly brilliant, all the more so for being incredibly simple. Between these bookends is director Nicole Holofcener achieving beyond her previous works. While Lovely & Amazing and Friends With Money hinted at her gifts, Please Give is miles beyond. Tender and brutal, full of honesty and thoroughly engaging, Please Give is an important new American work.

One is silver, the other gold: A Cake Bakes in Brooklyn

Artists plant corn fields in Boerum Hill: Brooklyn Paper

Jacques Torres chocolates for Mom: NY Times

Happy hour and Mother’s Day brunch: BAM

Run your home kitchen like a restaurant kitchen: Purple Kale Kitchen

Brought to you from the Feldman Family weather tower in Park Slope.

The Famous Accordion Orchestra returns for its Spring Tour of Parks and Gardens!  The Orchestra has been working hard on new tunes, but hasn’t forgotten the old favorites.  Come on down, and you’ll hear us play tunes from the 18th Century to the 21st, with our characteristic flair and squeeziness.  It’s free, too!  Treats and plants will be sold.

Saturday May 8, 2010 – 3:00 PM (Rain Date: Sunday May 9, same time, same bat-channel)
6-15 Green Garden Spring Festival
6th Avenue and 15th Street
Park Slope, Brooklyn
nearest trains: F to 7th Ave/9th Street; R to Prospect Ave/4th Ave
nearest buses: B67 (7th ave) B63 (5th Ave)

This event is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council, Inc. (BAC).

5/22: Moonlight Tour of Green-wood Cemetery
6/4: Red Hook Waterfront Arts Festival
6/6: Local Produce Festival
6/20:  Old Stone House
6/21: Make Music New York

Hit the Bayou Sauvage Wildlife Refuge yesterday, just fifteen minutes from the French Quarter.  Really beautiful.  The wind was apparently very mild out at sea so the oil hasn’t hit the shore.  So there was an eerie quiet hovering over the sanctuary.  Today I’m hoping to get to an animal rescue operation in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Here is the FULL Schedule of this year’s Celebrate Brooklyn concerts. All shows except for benefit shows are free with a $3 suggested contribution.

NORAH JONES

Wednesday, June 9, 8 pm

The pianist, singer and songwriter — and now, Brooklyn resident — performs her

first free outdoor show in the borough.

ALLEN TOUSSAINT/ DAVELL CRAWFORD

Saturday, June 12, 7:30 pm

An undisputed architect of New Orleans music and a national cultural

treasure.

EUGENE MIRMAN & PRETTY GOOD FRIENDS

Thursday, June 17, 7:30 pm

Brooklyn comic and impresario Eugene Mirman has been described by Esquire as

“equal parts Andy Kaufman and Andy Warhol.” Spin has said that “Mirman has a

skewed observational wit rather than a sweaty Friar’s Club shtick — and kills

with self-deprecating ease.” Here he hosts a scaled-up version of his

regular comedy spectacular, which has become something of a local

institution. John Hodgman, Michael Showalter and Hannibal Buress are

scheduled to appear, along with others TBA, plus music and other oddball

surprises.

JG THIRLWELL’S STEROID MAXIMUS / DR. LONNIE SMITH

Friday, June 18, 7:30 pm

The prolific Australian composer, producer, performer, visual artist and

longtime DUMBO resident JG Thirlwell is an elusive but profoundly

influential presence in New York City’s underground music world. Working

under many pseudonyms, including Foetus, Manorexia, Baby Zizanie, Clint

Ruin, and Wiseblood, his varied body of work — which stretches the gamut from

orchestrations, big band, cathartic noise-rock to abstract electronics and

sound sculpture, chamber music, serial music and imaginary soundtracks

(sometimes all in the same album) — is linked by a dramatic intensity and an

evocative, cinematic quality. He has collaborated with the likes of Nick

Cave, Lydia Lunch and Soft Cell, done remixes for NIN and Pantera, scored

Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim series The Venture Brothers, and been

commissioned by Kronos Quartet and Bang on a Can. Celebrate Brooklyn! is

proud to present the New York debut of Thirlwell’s rarely heard large

ensemble Steroid Maximus, a big band/exotica mini-orchestra. The evening

will begin with a set by Dr. Lonnie Smith, the turban-wearing Hammond B-3

wizard.

Celebrate Brooklyn! & CareFusion Jazz Festival Present

BITCHES BREW REVISTED, WITH GRAHAM HAYNES, JAMES BLOOD ULMER,

MARCO BENEVENTO, DJ LOGIC, LONNIE PLAXICO AND

CINDY BLACKMAN / MIKE STERN TRIO

Saturday, June 19, 7:30 pm

This concert brings together a dazzling, multi-generational array of artists

to explore the legacy of the Miles Davis landmark on the 40th anniversary of

its release. The night begins with a performance by the virtuosic Mike

Stern, one of the premier jazz-fusion guitarists of his generation and a

veteran of Davis’s band.

ORQUESTA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB FEATURING OMARA PORTUONDO / NELIDA TIRADO

Thursday, June 24, 7:30 pm

The great Omara Portuondo, the female voice of the original Buena Vista

Social Club, is a living legend of Cuban music. She now fronts the

extraordinary Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, which on recent tours has

taken “the atmosphere up to a breathless level” (The Independent) in

performances that “left audiences awe-struck” (Financial Times). Opening

will be flamenco dancer Nelida Tirado, who moves, The New York Times says,

“as if her body were a medium for some unearthly force.”

Continue reading Celebrate Brooklyn Full Schedule →

Readings on the Fouth Floor, a benefit reading series for PS 107, presents Alexandra Styron reading from her forthcoming memoir about her father, the author William Styron AND Bliss Broyard (pictured above) reading from her memoir, “One Drop,” about her father, the author Anatole Broyard.

A discussion afterward will be moderated by memoirist and former PS 107 PTA president Nica Lalli.

Readings On the 4th Floor
Wednesday, May 5th
7:30 P.M.
$10 per ticket, online or at the door
www.ps107.org
Childcare is available

Up next: Jazz great Ravi Coltrane once again brings his band to PS 107’s 4th Floor to raise money for the PTA in a very special concert on Wednesday, May 12th/
7:30 P.M.
$20 per ticket, online or at the door
www.ps107.org
Childcare is available

Romance on the Sheepshead waterfront: Sheepshead Bites

Hell, No! show at St. Cecilia’s Convent: NY Shitty

Hipster break up text: Free Williamsburg

Fresh Direct accident on Union Street: Effed in Park Slope

Summer events in Carroll Park: Pardon Me for Asking

Uhuru, a Brooklyn-based furniture design company dedicated to sustainability and local craftsmanship is launching a limited edition line furniture inspired by Coney Island made from reclaimed wood taken from the demolished iconic boardwalk.

This wood, called Ipe wood, wasfirst installed on the boardwalk in the late 1940’s, has weathered in the sun, salt, and snow for 70 years. The designers say: “The design is inspired by the duality of Coney Island- its whimsical, colorful summers and melancholy winters.”

Check out this chair inspired by the Cyclone rollercoaster. “It is resurrected here in the form of a lounge chair, with undulating dark and light Ipe and a crisp white laser-cut metal base.”

Look for this line of furniture at BKLYN Designs in Dumbo May 7-10.

Here is the press release from the FDA:

FDA provides consumer advice following recall of products for infants and children

Working in consultation with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), McNeil Consumer Healthcare is implementing a voluntary recall of infant and children’s liquid products due to manufacturing deficiencies which may affect quality, purity or potency. Following McNeil’s recall announcement on Friday evening, the FDA is providing additional advice to consumers.

“We want to be certain that consumers discontinue using these products and that they know what to do if they have concerns about a specific product,” said Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “While the potential for serious health problems is remote, Americans deserve medications that are safe, effective and of the highest quality. We are investigating the products and facilities associated with this recall and will provide updates as we learn more.”

What products are affected by this recall?
The products include certain liquid infant’s and children’s Tylenol®, Motrin®, Zyrtec®, and Benadryl® products. For a complete list of recalled products, please see the recall notice¹.

Why were these products recalled?
McNeil Consumer Healthcare is initiating this voluntary recall because some of these products may not meet required quality standards. As a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children. Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than specified; others contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles. While the potential for serious medical events is remote, FDA advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use.

What can I use instead of the recalled products?
There are a number of other products on the market, including generic versions of the recalled products, which are intended for use in infants and children and are not affected by the recall. FDA recommends that you check the labeling of these products. If you have any questions, you should discuss this with your pharmacist or other health care professional. FDA does not anticipate that there will be a shortage of alternative products.

Can I give my child adult strength Tylenol® or Motrin® products that are not being recalled?
No. Consumers should not give drug products to infants and children that are not intended for those age groups. This could result in serious harm.

What should I do if I have some of the medication at home?
FDA recommends that consumers stop using these products.
For further instructions, see McNeil’s website at: www.mcneilproductrecall.com²

I gave my child some of the medication. What do I do? Is my child at risk?
According to the information the FDA has received at this time, the potential for serious medical problems is remote. If your child exhibits any unexpected symptoms after use of any of the recalled products, contact your health care professional.

If I think my child may be having an adverse reaction to one of the products involved in this recall, who should I notify?
Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of these products may be reported to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail, or by fax, using the contact information at the bottom of this sheet. The agency asks health care professionals and consumers to report any adverse reactions to the FDA’s MedWatch Program by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch website at www.fda.gov/medwatch³.

Related information:

Facts about Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs)⁴

–

It slows her down a bit.

Sorry for the late start today. I sprained my ankle exactly a week ago and have been dealing with it ever since.

No break, no fracture. But still it’s an annoyance that must be dealt with. I was told to ice and elevate. My downstairs’s neighbor just suggested hot baths with Epsom salts. I’ve got a spiffy air cast and have to ask friends and family to do things for me.

Mostly, I am having a hard time not walking on it but that is, alas, what I must do.

Freddy’s last night, really: No Land Grab

Photos by Tracy Collins of Freddy’s last, last night: Atlantic Yards Report

Schumer says Atlantic Yards area is not blighted: Noticing New York

EPA invites community to select facilitator for advisory group: Pardon Me for Asking

Brighton Beach infrastructure: Brit in Brooklyn

Has anyone else encountered one of these? We found one inside our new hanging drum lamp. Hugh removed the bug and started taking pictures of it to put on his Facebook page. He thought it was a Katydid.

A friend who lives upstate wrote in to say that it was a Dreaded Stink Bug or a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug and to be very careful around them because if startled they can release an asolutely awful odor.

Taking pictures of it with a flash was probably not such a great idea. Apparently they can infest your home and make it a very stinky place to be. Thankfully we haven’t seen any others. Yet. Fingers crossed that we don’t.

YIKES.

update

We have been getting reports of other Brown Stink Bug sightings in Brooklyn but not as many as in some other locations where they can become quite numerous on account of having no predators and being immune to most insecticides.

We hear that it is a very bad idea to try to use a vacuum cleaner to catch them, as is squashing them on account of the smell.

Flushing them in the toilet seems to be the best way of dealing with them. Hold a piece of cardboard or paper up to them and they will hop right on to it, then carry it to the toilet and flush the the bug. This must be why they are not referred to as Smart Bugs.

from Wikipedia:

They are of the Family Pentatomidae, Greek pente meaning five and tomos meaning section,  a family of insects that includes some of the stink bugs and shield bugs.

Stink bugs hibernate in the winter.

The stink bug is known as bọ xít in Vietnamese, and is featured in Vietnamese cuisine.

I just got an email from Public Advocate Bill de Blasio’s office about the Times Square bomb of which I knew nothing about until this morning.

Last night a crude car bomb made of propane, gasoline and fireworks was discovered in a smoking Nissan Pathfinder in Times Square, which prompted the evacuation of thousands. There was no explosion though the bomb had started to detonate. A t-shirt vendor noticed smoke coming from the car and notified the police.

Midtown from 43rd Street to 48th Street, and from Sixth to Eighth Avenues — was closed for much of the evening after the Pathfinder was discovered just off Broadway on 45th Street. Several theaters, stores and the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel were evacuated.

Here is Bill de Blasio’s statement:

“Last night we were reminded of the unique danger our City still faces and the skill and courage of our police force that keeps us safe.  I applaud Commissioner Kelly and the NYPD for acting swiftly to evacuate and protect Time Square.  I have full confidence in the ability of the NYPD and the FBI to swiftly investigate and apprehend whomever is responsible for this attempted attack.”

Brooklyn Heights residents are mad as hell about the constant noise from sightseeing and other  helicopters flying over their picturesque neighborhood. Now the City is finally doing something about it.

The Stop the Chop campaing, a concerted effort by the community and State Senator Daniel Squadron’s office has brought results. A ban on sightseeing helicopers began on Friday, April 30th.

The new plan will:

–eliminate up to 30 percent of sightseeing flights.

–eliminate all birds-eye tours of the Brooklyn Bridge and other borough attractions.

–not allow helicopters to fly below 1,500 feet.

“This solution was a quick effort to deal with the problem,” said State Sen. Daniel Squadron told the Brooklyn Paper. “It is absolutely a good faith effort, but it’s now up to elected officials to keep a close watch on the progress and make sure the plan has the desired effect.”

Still, yesterday a reporter from the Brooklyn Heights Blog was disappointed to see (and hear) a low-flying chopper overhead. There’s even a video at their site:

As your correspondent prepared for his customary morning walk, a loud clattering sound came from the direction of the harbor. This, on the morning after the helicopter noise deal was announced? Reaching the Promenade, I saw a U.S. Marine Corps V-22 Osprey twin tilt-rotor aircraft lifting off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport. I looked up as a flight of northbound geese passed, and saw another Osprey circling Governors Island. The Osprey that had lifted off quickly returned to the Heliport and touched down again, its rotors drawing up a huge amount of spray. After about fifteen minutes of maneuvering, the Ospreys headed south and disappeared.

Learn how to blog in a hands-on workshop covering technical, creative and conceptual issues. In this class we will discuss blog design, how to write a great blog post, top-ten tips for new bloggers, search engine optimization, social networking platforms and more. You don’t need to know a thing about blogging. All you need is the desire to blog!

At BAX on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope on Wednesdays | May 5, 12, 19, 26 | 7:30 – 9:30 PM

$50 for workshop | No drop-ins

To register call 718-832-0018

Yesterday Tadashi Nakamura demonstrated martial arts technique at the Sakura Matsuri festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. He is the founder and chairman of the World Seido Karate Organization. A world-renowned karateka, Nakamura is a ninth dan (degree) black belt with over fifty years of experience in practicing and teaching in the martial arts. An expert in the use of oriental weapons, Nakamura has given numerous martial arts lectures and demonstrations in many countries around the world.

A new session of my How to Blog class starts this Wednesday at BAX and continues for four sessions. I have to say it’s a great class because it attracts great people (i.e. YOU). I teach according to what the participants want and need. If you wanna learn the blogging ABCs I’m your gal. If you wanna talk design we can talk design. If you wanna learn about writing we do writing. If you wanna learn some techy stuff we do that, too. It’s all about who’s in the class and what works for the group.

Last session I had two women from the new Moms in Babeland blog and a knitter who has a book coming out in October. For the last class I had guest designer, Peg Patterson, discuss design for the web. She will be returning for the 4th class of this series, too. I may have another guest speaker as well.

$50 for workshop | No drop-ins

May 5, 12, 19, 26

Learn how to blog in a hands-on workshop covering technical, creative and conceptual issues. In this class we will discuss blog design, how to write a great blog post, top-ten tips for new bloggers, search engine optimization, social networking platforms and more. You don’t need to know a thing about blogging. All you need is the desire to blog!

Louise Crawford runs Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn and is the Smartmom columnist for the Brooklyn Paper. She produces the annual Brooklyn Blogfest and Brooklyn Reading Works, a montly literary reading series at the Old Stone House in Park Slope. A freelance writer her work has appeared in Newsweek, the Associated Press and BKLYN Magazine. She has taught How to Blog workshops at BAX, Adelphi University, Baruch College and at Writers-at-the-Beach in Rehobeth, Delaware.

FILM

Exit Through the Gift Shop, Greenberg, Kick Ass and The Ghost Writer at BAM, as well as films by The Perverse Poet: João César Monteiro is, along with Manoel de Oliveira (whose films he occasionally acted in), one of the giants of Portuguese cinema. Born into a family that was fervently anti-fascist and anti-clerical, his work is deeply polemic in its criticism of repression within Portuguese society, yet also madly entertaining with its sexually explicit humor and intense disregard for conventional filmmaking. His body of work reveals a mind that was boundlessly intellectual, uncompromisingly nonconformist, refreshingly funny, and more than a little creepy.

THEATER

The Creditors at BAM. Directed by Alan Rickman, this fiercely modern battle of the sexes comes to BAM following a sold-out run at London’s Donmar Warehouse (RED, Jude Law’s Hamlet, Frost/Nixon). A darkly comic tale of vengeance, jealousy, and psychological warfare, Creditors unfolds as a young husband (Tom Burke, in his New York debut), anxiously awaiting the return of his new wife (Olivier Award-nominee Anna Chancellor), falls under the sway of a mysterious stranger (Tony Award-winner Owen Teale).

MUSIC:

Sunday starting at 1PM: The Bell House and Gowanus Music Club present an all-ages show on Sunday afternoon, May 2nd at 1 pm. This show represents the culmination of their 12 week program at the rock school, and also includes two adult rock bands! They will be showcasing nine bands from 1 – 5 pm, with each band doing a short set to showcase their talents. This will be a diverse and fun afternoon for kids and adults alike. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids under the age of 18.

Sunday at The Bell House at 6PM: Bad Teeth (myspace.com/badteethmusic) (mems: Mighty Handful, Crayons, Calamus), Red Dwarf (first show feat. members of Le Rug), Large Lady (myspace.com/largeladynyc) (mems. Radiates, Mother Courage), Slam Down Birthday Cake (myspace.com/slamdownbirthdaycake) (mems. Banzai, Fiasco, Phfat Raskals), Snuffy (myspace.com/snuffynewyork) (mems. of the best band ever)
$8

ART

Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum! Thousands of visitors enjoy free programs of art and entertainment each month from 5 to 11 p.m. All evening long, the Museum Café serves a wide selection of sandwiches, salads, and beverages, and a cash bar offers wine and beer. Parking is a flat rate of $4 starting at 5 p.m. All other Saturdays, the Museum closes at 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 1st and Sunday May 2nd, 2010 from 12–6 pm: Screwball Spaces, Gowanus Canal’s newest addition of artists’ studios in Red Hook, Brooklyn, opens its doors to the public for a rare glimpse into the work spaces of New York’s contemporary artists.

Saturday May 1st, 6-8PM: What happens when an artist goes into the studio without a plan? No Plans For Today. Fun Times Gallery. 257 3rd Avenue. Brooklyn, NY Opening Reception. Curated by Vicki Sher.

SHOPPING

May 1&2 from 11AM until 5PM: Spring Food and Craft Market at the Brooklyn Lyceum: Heighten your senses and usher in Spring with style.  Expanding into both 4,000 square foot levels of the Brooklyn Lyceum –  former NYC Public Bath #7 – we announce our heady new creation! The Lyceum Spring Food and Craft Market will include all manner of “Handmade” to mean both Crafts and Edibles, as well as fun workshops for all ages. Our Market will feature over 100 talented vendors, both local and from cities like Chicago, DC, Boston, and Portland.