Bed-Stuy Banana

The Powers of Santa Claus

2009-07-13T21:27:00.009-04:00

I thought I'd have time to catch up on my blogging this weekend but after laundry, our monthly house cleaning day, cutting my son's hair and my own, the weekend was gone. It was also time for Little Joe and I to recover from our first full week away from each other. Me at my 9-5 job and him at a local preschool/daycare from 8-6. It was exhausting for us both. And we missed each other a lot. So much so that our homeopath thinks that the reason Little Joe has not been able to fall asleep until 10:30pm instead of his usual 8:30pm these past couple of weeks, is to spend extra time with me.

I love my new job but it's intense, and I have to concentrate extra hard because I'm learning a sh*tload of new computer stuff and my brain is on the rusty side. Plus, my employer is swamped with work - thus his underlings are also up to our necks in the murky bog. My co-workers are there from 8 in the morning to 11 at night and have worked the last 8 weekends in a row. So once I leave and drag myself home, instead of savouring that extra time with my son, I've been snapping at him - in between cooking dinner, washing dishes, getting him ready for bed and making our lunches for the next day. Big Joe will be more assistance in that department once he stops working 7 days a week at his two jobs, hopefully in the fall. Which makes me wonder how single parents, or parents of more than one child do this without keeling over in dead faint.

So this weekend I was determined to have some good bonding time with Little Joe before the next killer week began. This didn't manifest until Sunday night when he and I had dinner by candlelight (which he loves) listening to his favourite music (Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf). Lately we've been saying grace, which he says at his new school. But as I'm agnostic and Big Joe is agnostic/atheist, our version of 'grace' changes depending on our mood and state of mind. Sunday night's grace went something like this:

Me: I want to thank the universe, the powers that be, Mother Earth, for this delicious food and my wonderful family and my new job.

Lil Joe: I have an idea! Instead of saying thank you for grace, why don't we wish for things we want?!

Me: Okay. I wish that Daddy and I won't fight ever again and...

Lil Joe: Hey, it's my turn! I wish that the Powers of Santa Claus gives everybody in the world REALLY BIG TOYS! And that bad guys aren't real. Just good guys. Like Spider-man and Batman and Superman...and Scooby Doo...

When our son first brought up wishing instead of thanking, I was resistant to the idea - I mean it's the exact opposite of gratitude. But sometimes you just have to go with it. I wish that the Powers of Santa Claus would give me more hours in the day, to sleep, to blog, to play with my kid, to enjoy time with Big Joe, to write/call/see friends, to meditate, to do yoga, to sleep...and sleep...

A Lil Recession Can’t Kill Our Community Pride

2009-07-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

Bed-Stuy’s Project Re-Generation (PR-G), a community program that helps employ at risk teens and beautify local homes, is sponsoring a free and fun event on Saturday, July 18th:

A Lil Recession Can’t Kill Our Community Pride

THOUSANDS OF BED-STUY AND CROWN HEIGHTS RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE IN ANNUAL COMMUNITY PRIDE DAY

This year’s CPD will take place on July 18, 2009 in Von King Park, 670 Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn, from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Community Pride Day (CPD) is an annual day of fun, games and entertainment for attendees. With a threefold mission of inspiring community pride through fun activities, connecting youth to local youth programs and giving local businesses a venue to market and showcase their products and services, CPD is always an impactful day. In The Past, activities included a community clean-up scavenger hunt, a large children’s play pen, free school supply give-aways, a live DJ, and tons of free food. This year’s theme is “Our Community in 5D” (Smell, Touch, Taste, See, and Hear).
To Register Click Here to register through FaceBook to Register Click Here
To view pictures from 2008 visit: www.prgscpd2008.shutterfly.com
To become a 2009 sponsor, please contact Laurel Brown at (718) 684-1014 or LaurelB@PR-G.org

Family friendly and free. We're there. Love their headline.

Brooklyn Steppers at the Guggenheim

2009-07-11T22:16:00.003-04:00

The Brooklyn Steppers at a rally for car-free Prospect Park.
Photo: Streetsblog

Bed-Stuy's Brooklyn Steppers were the only New York band chosen to march in Obama's inauguration parade and have performed everywhere from Madison Square Garden to appearances on The Tonight Show. Even though their director stepped down after a recent scandal, they're still going strong. Which is a good thing considering our neighbourhood needs programs like this one to help the kids with too much time on their hands and little to no resources or funds to do anything about it.

Videos can be seen on their myspace page. Their website has a call out to local kids to join their amazing band:

JOIN THE BROOKLYN STEPPERS MARCHING BAND
• Heavy Academic Focus with most members going onto College!
• FREE Musical Training and Academic Tutoring!
• Travel around NYC and USA to perform!
• NO Musical Experience Necessary!
• Kids 8-18 Welcome!

Contact:
For more information call:
718-467-1700 (x 171) OR (x 173)

thebrooklynsteppers@yahoo.com

On August 14th from 8pm-12am, the Brooklyn Steppers will be performing at the Guggenheim Museum's new concert series: It Came From Brooklyn:

With comedian Leo Allen serving as MC, the August 14 concert kicks off with a special performance by the Brooklyn Steppers Marching Band, followed by opening band High Places, whose warm optimism and intricately layered songs have been described as “short studies in escaping urban claustrophobia” (Mike Powell, Pitchfork). Later, the Walkmen will fill the rotunda with the hypnotic ebb and flow of ramshackle guitar and upright piano, with bursts of beautifully anguished songcraft. Novelist Colson Whitehead reads selections from Walt Whitman between performances.

Tickets go on sale July 14 at guggenheim.org/brooklyn: $45 for non–members, $40 for members.

Ticket prices are unfortunately rather steep. Or perhaps I'm still in poverty mode - as I don't get paid until the end of the month. Although perhaps the fee is reasonable for 'escaping urban claustrophobia' or for the 'anguished songcraft.' Note: the Brooklyn Steppers need no wordy embellishment to sell their wares. Anyway if you have the funds it sounds like a special night out.

Hope Looks Like This

2009-07-08T22:24:00.002-04:00

Not long after we moved to this neighbourhood, someone deliberately knocked down the young saplings in front of our local playground with their car. While the plots for trees on the inside of the playground were never filled. The cement animals were beheaded and maimed, tarred and mutilated. After several run-ins with groups of angry pre-teens while playing there with my son, we gave it a wide berth. And we called it "The Trash Playground," for good reason. Nearly four years later, the trees are back. The trash cans are empty, and while the animals are still without heads and limbs, the tar has been cleaned off. Things are looking up.

Imposter/Predator

2009-07-06T19:58:00.006-04:00

Big Joe suggested I hide this person's identity as we have no idea who posted this flyer and whether these claims against this person are true or simply slander. One thing we do know, the posterer doesn't know how to spell 'immigrant,' and is very, very angry.

Benefit for SafeWalk and RightRides

2009-07-05T22:37:00.005-04:00

A free safe walk/ride home, what more could you ask for? From their website:

RightRides offers women, LGBTQ and gender queer individuals a free, safe, late night ride home on Friday and Saturday nights from 11:59 PM - 3 AM, (early Saturday or Sunday morning) in up to 45 NYC neighborhoods across four NYC boroughs. To call for a ride, the dispatch number is (718) 964-7781 OR (888) 215-SAFE (7233)

I've blogged about their great service before, support the people that make it happen while listening to fun music and eating vegan sweets:

Benefit for SafeWalk and RightRides
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
8 pm - midnight

Featuring Lady Bright, the Rude Mechanical Orchestra, Old Hat, and the
Eskalators! There will be music, baked goods (vegan and non), beverages,
informational tables, fun!

All funds will go towards RightRides' operational costs. SafeWalk is a
program of RightRides for Women's Safety that offers anyone a free, safe
walk to any destination in northern Brooklyn on Friday nights.

$6-10 sliding scale
Silent Barn
915 Wyckoff Ave
Bushwick/Ridgewood, NY
L to Halsey or M to Myrtle-Wyckoff

www.rightrides.org/templates/programs.php?page=bike_patrols
www.twitter.com/safewalk

Found Dog!

2009-07-05T13:06:00.004-04:00

With all the 'lost dog' notices lately, it's heartening when someone actually finds one of them. Here's an email I got today:

Attached is a picture of a beautiful, well-behaved dog that was found early this morning by the A train stop near the park.

If you happen to know the owner, or are looking for a very cute and well-behaved addition to your family, stop by Peaches on Lewis Avenue between Decatur and MacDonough.

This is also a reminder to check out Peaches, a local restaurant I've heard great things about. Now that I'm employed, we intend to do exactly that in the near future...brunch perhaps?

Sho Shin Immortalized

2009-07-03T23:53:00.003-04:00

Marcus Garvey + Vernon Ave.

I don't know if the person depicted in this street art actually exists, but it's a wonderful portrait either way. This could be a homeless person, although it reminds me of the ancient Chinese women who pick through the city's recycling. I've always been fascinated by these women and wanted to photograph them but felt it would be invasive. This portrait feels celebratory. I wonder who the artist is. Anyone know?

*reader 'Marquis de' informs me that another street painting by this artist was profiled in the NY Times blog 'The Local.' And that the artist is "Gabriel Reese, known better in street-art circles by the name Specter."

Gender Equality Festival

2009-07-02T19:54:00.005-04:00

I received an email today from Girls for Gender Equity which operates out of Bed-Stuy's Restoration Plaza. GFGE is "a community based organization, woman of color founded and led, with its offices in Restoration Plaza. We have several programs (Urban Leaders Academy, an after school program serving boys and girls at MS61 in Crown Heights; Health & Fitness which serves elementary and middle school girls in all 5 boroughs; and Youth Organizing comprised mainly our Sisters in Strength internship for young women of color who have done a lot of anti-sexual harassment work.)" Come celebrate with them at their 4th Annual Gender Equality Festival:

Brooklyn Celebrates Equality, Health, and Women’s Empowerment
Saturday July 11, 2009 10am – 4pm
Free Event! Live Music, Food, Prizes, Games!

At Cuyler Gore Park, Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Corner of Greene Ave + Fulton St
Accessible by the C to Lafayette; 2,3,4,5,B,D,M,N,R,Q to Atlantic/Pacific; B52, B69, B25, and B26.

The 4th Annual Gender Equality Festival is here! New this year, the festival is moving to Cuyler Gore Park in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. Join us for an exciting day of education, resource sharing, arts and recreation as we celebrate women’s advocacy, resilience and leadership!

The festival will feature live music, dance, spoken word, and theater by established and emerging artists. We will also feature a Youth Forum to highlight young activists working for equality and health across the city!

Visit our resource fair, with 30 community and youth organizations providing health services, testing, and education – proving the fight for women’s rights is alive and fierce!

Participating Organizations:
Afrikumba Utibe' Drummers, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Bailey's Café, Bed Stuy's Project Re-Generation, Inc., Brooklyn Public Library, CAMBA, Child Development Support Corporation, Children of Promise, NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment, Disabilities Network of New York City, The Door, Gay Mens Health Crisis, Harlem United, SESA Program, Community AIDS Center, Health and Education Alternatives for Teens (HEAT Program), International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC), NARAL Pro-Choice New York, New York Civil Liberties Union, NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault, RightRides for Women's Safety, Stay Right in association with Collaborative Movements, The Hip-Hop Association

Bed-Stuy in the News - 6/19 - 6/30

2009-07-01T20:56:00.007-04:00

June 30, 2009 - Spike Lee's film 'Do the Right Thing,' celebrates 20th anniversary...NY Post

June 26, 2009 - Residents fight proposed opening of homeless men's intake center...NY Times

June 25, 2009 - Volunteers collecting signatures for candidate for the 41st district, threatened at gunpoint by members of rival campaign... NY Post and NY Times

June 22, 2009 - Bed-Stuy student graduates from elite prep school...NY Daily News

June 19, 2009 - City pulls funding for free dental care for kids... NY Daily News

This happened a before I started doing these lists but I have to put in because it's appalling:

June 8, 2009 - Man dies after being ignored for seven hours at Interfaith Hospital's ER... NY Post

So Long Jeffrey Marsh

2009-06-30T23:12:00.008-04:00

photo: cabaretjeffrey on flickr

Walking my son to summer camp in the neighbourhood early this morning, we passed by an open box of cds with several strewn on the sidewalk - all the same album and hot off the press. I wanted to stop and take a photo, but I was running late as it was. As I rushed home in the downpour on the way home from work, I saw that the box was still there, still full, and now sopping wet. Lucky for me, Big Joe had actually picked up one of the cds to listen to.

It was called 'Wood + Water' and the musician's name was 'Jeffrey Marsh.' Big Joe and I both wondered why someone would abandon an entire box of their own cds. It reminded Big Joe of a story he read in the zine 'Cometbus,' in which some guy created a zine, photocopied a box full, then after having little success selling them he moved out and left them behind. The roommate who took his place, found the box, and being a natural salesperson, sold the lot, making a nice chunk of change. Big Joe thought that maybe Magnifico could sell the cds as he's always trying to sell us one thing or another. He's been trying to sell me a bootleg copy of 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' for a while now. Only his bootleg copies are the absolute worst, made by someone with a cheap video camera at a movie theater. You can barely hear anything and there's always someone walking in front of the camera on their way to the bathroom. Last week he tried to sell Big Joe some clear plastic recycling bags. When Big Joe wasn't interested, Magnifico got mad, "You're cheap!" he grumbled. He's always calling Big Joe cheap. Mostly because Big Joe won't give him money when he asks for it.

As for the cd, it was melodic and crooning and neither Big Joe nor I were inclined to give it a second listen. But that's just us. According to his website, Jeffrey Marsh performs at Joe's Pub, so he must have a following. Jeffrey's twitter reveals that as of today, he's no longer a Bed-Stuyer, he's now a Manhattanite.

Michael Jackson: A True Legend, Now a T-shirt

2009-06-28T22:53:00.002-04:00

Available at Broadway's sidewalk merchants.

I remember standing on the sidelines in my high school gymnasium, waiting in vain for a boy to ask me to dance, as the video for Thriller played on the overhead screen. My uncle, a gay airline steward in the seventies, had given me a doorsize poster of the Jackson Five which overshadowed everything else in my bedroom. Michael Jackson was genius. And clearly hurting. All that plastic surgery and scandal. Poor man. And if reports from his nanny are true, what a tragic ending. Rest in Peace.

Today's Local News: Buskers Come to Myrtle Subway Station

2009-06-27T23:02:00.003-04:00

In the five years I've lived in Bed-Stuy, there's always been musicians on the J,M,Z trains. Not as frequently as some other trains, like the Q, but often enough that to see a trio of Mexicans singing with guitars on one's commute home, is not a wondrous occurrence. However in the last week, in the Myrtle Station I nearly tripped over a skinny white boy happily strumming a stringed instrument, possibly a banjo, with his open case at his feet. This busker was standing, of all places, at the foot of the stairs by the doors in between the token booth and the passageway to the trains. At evening rush hour, no less. It seems he could not have picked a more awkward place and time to play his music and annoy the crowds of exhausted rush hour commuters trying to get home as quickly as possible. I haven't seen him since, possibly he was trampled underfoot. I wouldn't have been surprised. Not only was he noticeable for his bad positioning but he was also the first busker I'd ever seen at our station.

And then today, the old Chinese man pictured above was playing his stringed instrument, not all that well, but this time in the open air, obstructing no one, on a calm weekend. For some reason this filled me with great joy. Or perhaps I was already filled with great joy. So I got out a dollar and had Little Joe deposit it in his instrument case.

Then this evening, we were struck by the vibrant, enormous rainbow in the sky. Also the first I'd seen, it seems, in my 15 years in New York. This has to be a sign. Of great changes, all for the better.

Brooklyn weather: Balmy and Colourful.

Is Bed-Stuy's Bad Rep Still Valid?

2009-06-25T22:37:00.009-04:00

Female soldier of the National Revolutionary Army.

I received this email today:

I came across your blog a few weeks back. I am considering moving to Bed Stuy, specifically, the block where C-town supermarket is located. I am a Chinese girl in my late 20's and I will be living by myself. Would it be safe for me? Which part/streets in Bed Stuy should I avoid? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

In the past, questions about the safety of our neighbourhood annoyed me to no end. I generally felt that if you had to ask, then no, Bed-Stuy wasn't safe for you. But like any neighbourhood there are parts where it is quite safe to walk, and parts where you don't go after dark. But I hesitate to name the latter because I don't really like giving our hood any more bad press. And areas change, have changed, a lot in the last couple of years, even while I've been writing this blog. And besides, I've got to get up early for my new job tomorrow (I love saying that!) and need to get some sleep.

So I'm opening this up to my readers, newbies and longtimers. Where in Bed-Stuy do you live and how 'safe' would you say it was? Also how do you feel about people who ask you how safe the neighbourhood is? And for my own personal interest, has the safety level of your part of the hood gotten better or worse with gentrification?

A Working Life

2009-06-24T21:33:00.003-04:00

Readers have raised a few questions since my last post:

Will you keep blogging?

As long as I can although, admittedly, timewise, it's already a strain. Maybe as one reader suggested, it will shift from 6 days a week to only weekends. Time will tell.

Give us some details about your new job.

Contrary to some people's perception about my blog, I try to keep my private life exactly that. The details I chose to share on this blog are chosen extremely carefully. And one thing that I feel is important, is not to write about my current job. However, changing careers means that I can now write freely about my previous job as a life model for a fashion drawing class. And I have much to tell.

But now, I'm exhausted. The deal is signed sealed and delivered, so to speak. If I didn't have it on paper in front me with a set of the keys to the office I'd think I was dreaming. So off to bed.

And good luck to all of you who are still unemployed. Be persistent. Keep your mind open as opportunities can come via the least expected direction. If anything, I hope my story encourages others to follow their dreams. They can come true.

Breaking News: Struggling Family Gets Off Food Stamps

2009-06-23T21:01:00.004-04:00

This seems nothing short of miraculous. I was interning once a week for a couple of months to change careers to do something I really wanted to do that would bring in a good income. Of course I had issues over being a 40 year old intern, but I got over that fast - and enjoyed my internship. And then miracle of miracles, a job came up that the person I was interning for forwarded to me, and even though I didn't have as much experience as the other person they were considering, they offered me the job. Full-time! Although I haven't signed anything yet, I feel a little like when you're pregnant in the first trimester and you're not supposed to tell anyone, just in case... But I can't help myself. Good-bye food stamps. Good-bye Medicaid. Good-bye waitressing career. No longer any need to hang my head in unemployed shame. (Not that there's any need for any unemployed person to hang their head in shame - but I did all the same.) Hello work in an artistic field, that's creative and pays decently. Hurray, hurray, hurray!

Big Joe and Little Joe bought me some gorgeous yellow flowers to celebrate and made me a wonderful card - the cover is above. It couldn't be more appropriate. I feel just like that cowgirl on the horse. Yee haw!

Homeowners Resource Expo

2009-06-22T22:26:00.004-04:00

This just in...

CIBS Asset Building Network

FREE Homeowners Resource Expo

Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn

Saturday, June, 27, 2009 – 10:00 AM

Disseminating Facts about President Obama’s

‘Make Your Home Affordable Program’ … and More

EVENT: Brooklyn, NY—On Saturday, June 27 beginning at 10:00 AM, the Coalition for the Improvement of Bedford-Stuyvesant (CIBS) will hold a FREE Homeowners Resource Expo at Medgar Evers College located at 1650 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. The Expo will highlight the collaborative efforts of Bedford-Stuyvesant organizations assisting local residents to gain the financial tools and services needed to deal with heavy debt burdens including mortgage foreclosure. The symposium will place a special emphasis on the Obama Administration’s ‘Make Your Home Affordable Program’.

Ann Tripp, WBLS on Air Journalist, will moderate the Resource Expo. Elected officials who will be in attendance are Assemblywoman Annette Robinson, Councilman Albert Vann and additional representatives from state and city government.

WHERE: Medgar Evers College located at 1650 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn

WHEN: Saturday, June 27th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

WHY: In this economic climate, many homeowners are now facing foreclosures or have fallen deeply behind on their mortgage. Unfortunately, these same owners also fallen prey to predatory lenders, who offer loans with interest rates so high that they are almost impossible to pay. In addition, some unscrupulous individuals offer to “help” homeowners with financial problems by offering to buy the deed to their home. Owners should immediately BEWARE OF SUCH OFFERS!

There are better and more affordable means of assistance for homeowners. Non-profit member organizations of the CIBS Asset Building Network provide services for free or low-cost. The Homeowner Resource Expo will have on hand mortgage lenders, foreclosure intervention counselors, and legal representatives to discuss with homeowners, in private, one-on-one work out sessions, available options including loan incentives provided by the Obama Administration’s ‘Make Your Home Affordable Program’.

WHO: Councilmember Al Vann and CIBS Asset Building Network Members in Alphabetical order: Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, Brooklyn Federal Credit Union, Bridge Street Development, Pratt Area Community Council, Neighborhood Housing Services of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Long Life Info and Referral, and Bedford-Stuyvesant Legal Services. Other partners include: Medgar Evers College, Chase Bank and HSBC Bank.

For further information, call Barfield Public Relations, Inc. 917-620-1311 / 212-736-0404 and or (718) 732-8027 or email Monserrate_Nunez@nhsnyc.org At Neighborhood Housing Services of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Inc. – **

A Little Bit Racist

2009-06-21T19:50:00.021-04:00

One chink and six honkys.
(a photo of my seventh birthday party in North Vancouver, originally posted on my other blog, Sinkek)

We got back from Connecticut late last night, after Little Joe and I went up there after school on Friday, to see the completed mural that Big Joe did with an organization that helps people "recovering from prolonged mental illness." I've always thought of Connecticut as being really white, and as 99% of the people taking Metro North up with us on Friday evening were exactly that - I figured I was right. But Big Joe corrected me as soon as arrived. Plus, in town I did see several black people and a couple of Asian women with white men.

So today as I had missed two days of blogging, just I was wondering what to rant about, I discovered this review of my blog by someone named Trisha Lynn, who writes, "I find her reality to be a little different than mine. I can't help but feel that she's being just a little bit racist sometimes, though." Trisha Lynn, who is clearly not a racist, describes herself as "a cute Filipina who is moving away from Harlem." What the 'moving away from Harlem' part signifies I have no idea. But as she isn't black I have to say it sounds a little bit racist.

But before I go any further, let's go over the definition of 'racism.' From the Merriam Webster Dictionary:

rac·ism
Pronunciation:
\ˈrā-ˌsi-zəm also -ˌshi-\
Function:
noun
Date:
1933
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

Going by this definition, would I define myself as racist? No. I do not believe that any race is 'superior' to another, nor that race determines anything except the skin colour and physical characteristics of one's child. But I do write about race, or actually more about the colour of people's skin that I see, constantly. Growing up yellow in an all white suburb, from a young age I was acutely aware of my colour, and everyone else's. And then I moved with my white partner to Bed-Stuy - a neighbourhood that identifies itself as mostly black, to a street that, five years ago, didn't have any white people living on it. The black kids who used to live in the house on the corner sometimes jokingly pretended to speak 'Chinese' to me as I walked past. Are they racist? Magnifico, a black man who lives a few doors down, became really angry, well, angrier than usual, when Big Joe's dad came to visit and was walking down the street admiring the brownstones, because he assumed that Big Joe's dad was a real estate developer. Is he racist? When my white friend attends AA meetings in our hood and is the only white person there - the others won't talk to him beyond the initial greetings even though he's been to their meetings several times, and he's tried to start conversations with them. Are they racist? The Chinese side of our street never interacts with what used to be the black side of the street and vice versa, while the newer white residents on our block largely seem to interact no one but their white friends. Is everyone a racist?

We moved to New York, and decided to stay and bring up a family here for a number of reasons. One main reason was the diversity of the city. We'd both grown up in largely white suburbs and didn't want our kid growing up surrounded by people of one colour, one background. We both love the fact that people on the street, on the train, and in our son's school, come from all corners of the world, speak a multitude of languages, have different colour skins, have varying customs and religions and accents. We revel in it. And I write about it. I just write about what I see and hear as objectively as possible. But I'm not a journalist. I prefer juicy memoirs to dry biographies. Am I irreverent and occasionally snarky? Yes. I enjoy a good story, whether I'm reading it or telling it. And I filter what I see through my own experience. Whether I'm writing about the paranoid white pothead or the angry spitting black woman on the train - I try to be as clear about what I heard and saw as possible and let the reader form their own conclusions. The only other option, as I see it, would be not to mention anyone's colour including my own. But that seems deceptive. Besides if readers thought I was black, with my subject matter, I'd get a different kind of hate mail.

In addition to my talking about the colour of people's skin, I discuss their clothes, their hair, their mannerisms, their style, their tattoos and piercings, the perfume they wear, their accents, their apparent age, their apparent economic backgrounds, their moods, what they talk about and how they say it. It all interests me. I'm fascinated by people in general, with all their flaws and brilliant points of light. I will admit that I do have some preconceptions of people, largely upon the way they dress. I'm working on that. So here it is, the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful, the black, white, brown, yellow of my experience in my corner of New York. Oh, and for more about the R word, here's oreo author, Malcolm Gladwell's, definition of a racist and the extended dialogue that results.

Hoop Dreams

2009-06-18T21:01:00.010-04:00

On the M train home from picking up my son from school, a black boy around nine or ten years old came on our car and made an announcement on how he was asking for donations to help his basketball team get new supplies. I never know whether people on the subway, whether they be kids or adults, are really asking for money for the causes they claim. But it's not just the subway panhandlers I'm not so sure about - I also wonder if the money donated to charities just goes into the pockets of the people in charge. So I don't give anything, except to musicians if I think they're good. Besides, never having had much money I've always chosen to give of my time. Since I was fifteen, I've volunteered at food banks, soup kitchens, prepared food for homebound people with AIDS, read to the blind, mentored kids from homeless shelters, tutored low income kids in East Harlem, taught photography at low income schools, and delivered meals to homebound senior citizens.

Big Joe gives money to just about anyone who asks. He figures that if they're asking, they need it, he doesn't care what their reasons are.

Once, a skinny black man stopped me on the way home late one rainy night in Park Slope, giving me a long hard luck story about needing money to get his AIDS medication. He was even crying. He promised to pay me back and gave me his name and address. I offered to get the medication for him, but he told me the drugstore that carried his prescription was in another neighbourhood. So I gave him a hug and ten bucks. Needless to say, the name and address were fake. And years ago I used to give money to homeless people on the street, but a number of times the homeless men used that opportunity to make lewd comments to me. So that was the end of that. But today I got to thinking about the popularity of basketball in our hood and the sad state of the basketball hoops on Bed-Stuy's streets. And it makes me wonder if I should have given this kid some money after all. Or even better, to start a fundraiser to replace the milk crates in our hood with actual hoops. Because the need is clearly there, subway scammers or no.

Bed-Stuy in the News - 6/10 - 6/17

2009-06-17T21:58:00.008-04:00

Daoud Abeid and Rasu Jilani use social networking sites to promote their Brooklyn fashion company, Coup D’etat, and compete with much larger designers.
Photo: Showalter for NY Daily News

Often I feel like I have no idea what's going on in my own backyard. In case you don't either, here's a round up of the local news this past week (for the latest on local events check out Bed-Stuy Blog):

June 17, 2009 - Bed-Stuy residents Daoud Abeid and Rasu Jilani of the Brooklyn fashion company, Coup D’etat, discuss their social networking business strategy...NY Daily News

June 16, 2009 - Food and wine tasting benefit at St. John’s Bread and Life soup kitchen on June 24th...NY Times

June 14, 2009 - Condo turned into homeless shelter on Park Ave....NY Daily News

June 13, 2009 - Cash strapped Catholic school scheduled to close may become charter school...NY Daily News

June 13, 2009 - Student shot and killed in gang crossfire at Elk's Plaza Club...NY Daily News

June 12, 2009 - Housing counselor at the Pratt Area Community Council helps local residents with their mortgage problems...NY Times

June 10, 2009 - Couple argue over who stabbed who...NY Post

Pothole Hell

2009-06-16T21:44:00.007-04:00

Anyone who drives or bikes or even walks down Broadway leading to the Williamsburg Bridge is aware of the horrendous condition of this street. Potholes and fissures abound - and as we don't have a car - our experience with Broadway has been mostly by bike and by foot. As if biking down this street wasn't already a deathwish - with the deafening noise from the trains overhead and speeding cars who don't believe in sharing this extremely narrow stretch of asphalt with anything so lowly as a non-toxic two wheeler. I've only biked on Broadway a handful of times but there were many moments during those rides that I had to swerve to avoid a pothole and nearly got swiped by an SUV. And just try navigating across this street by foot or with a stroller - I'm surprised more people don't trip in a pothole and get struck down by an impatient vehicle. While it never ceases to amaze me that the intersection next to Woodhull hospital, in addition to being one of the most cracked and pothole ridden parts of Broadway, doesn't even have a wheelchair ramp at the crosswalk. A few years ago, one of our previous roommates actually had a bike accident in front of the hospital. Which, of course, if you're going to have an accident is not a bad place to be.

According to the NY Post, in January of this year, Bloomberg acknowledged that Brooklyn has the "largest number of reported potholes of any borough," and had a photo op in Sheepshead Bay to start off their "their annual pothole filling campaign." I guess he forgot about Broadway though. He claims that in 2002 potholes were filled within a month of being reported but a NYC Comptroller's report from the same year says it took an average of 73 days for them to fill a pothole in Brooklyn. In 2009, Bloomberg says that if you see a pothole, you're supposed to call 311, and that they'll fill them within three days. Really? Yeah right. And Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are real too. We've called 311 about the trash in our playgrounds and about getting trash cans put on the corners of our trash strew neighbourhood - but so far, nothing.

The NY Daily News reported in May this year, that "potholes on two Belt Parkway bridges are so bad they slow traffic to a standstill and cause frequent flat tires." Potholes are so prevalent in New York that there's even attorneys who specialize in 'pothole accidents.' In the meantime, we'll continue biking the long way around. What's an extra 15 minutes travel time compared to instant death by pothole?

Incidentally, in non pothole related news, in 2005, an article in the NY Daily News said that the intersection of Broadway and Myrtle where we take the train everyday, a woman was "mowed down" by a dump truck and killed. This was the first death at this intersection even though Transportation Alternatives reported that "45 pedestrians have been struck by vehicles at the intersection since 1996."

Fight or Flight?

2009-06-15T22:55:00.005-04:00

Recently some white newcomers to our block, were gay bashed in front of their brownstone at 9:30 at night. Not surprisingly, they're moving out. I find this even more disturbing than the increase in local muggings that have occurred over the last year or so. Sure, these guys dressed flamboyantly - Big Joe noticed one of them strolling down the street in a pair of hot pink short shorts the other day. But just like a woman who dresses provocatively is not asking to be raped, neither is a lesbian, gay or transgender person asking to get beat up for dressing up. Interestingly, if you look at Bed-Stuy apartment shares on Craigslist, you'll discover that at least half the people who've recently moved to the neighbourhood are gay. Bed-Stuy is the new Chelsea. The new Hell's Kitchen. So what's the answer? Self defense classes? Dressing like a homeboy?

One small solution for one night of the week is the Right Rides program, which is currently offering 'Safe Walk':

Safe Walk is a free service made possible by bike patrol volunteers. Patrols are teams of two or more volunteers who ride their own bikes, wear designated RightRides/Safe Walk Patrol vests, and safely escort callers by walking them to their destination.

Safe Walk is offered to anyone in Bed-Stuy on Friday nights from 11pm-2am. Their dispatch number is: (866) 977- WALK (9255). They're also looking for more volunteers who own bikes.

Lost Pooch - "TANK"

2009-06-14T22:07:00.002-04:00

Another lost dog with a killer name - only the naming of this dog doesn't seem in the least ironic considering he's a boxer/rottweiler mix. And considering the breed, the name, the lack of any cutesy collar or sentimental add-ons to this notice, the fact that the owner lives in Canarsie, I'm willing to bet that "Tank" did not belong to a hipster. This is not to say that he is any less loved or missed.

Books on the J,M,Z - 7

2009-06-13T20:49:00.003-04:00

10 Shades of Green: Architecture and the Natural World - Peter Buchanan - read by skinny white guy with pomaded hair, pointy boots and gold-rimmed sunglasses. This book is about an exhibit from 2000 that documents 13 sustainably designed projects. From Young Architects Forum:

As designers of the built environment and specifiers of materials, we have an impact—good or bad—on the health of the planet. Yet Buchanan writes that architects still don’t seem to be aware that “the construction and operation of buildings is responsible for nearly half the energy consumed by developed countries.” He thinks that we have some difficult changes to make as a profession and as a culture to live within our means ecologically, which is as true now as it was when he wrote the essay in 2000.

Interesting. We've often thought about turning our brownstone into an eco hut of sorts with solar power, a sustainable roof garden, a bicycle powered washing machine, and sawdust toilets. But thinking about it is as far as we've gotten.

Trust Me - Jeff Abbott - read by gum-chomping Latina with blonde hair in cornrows. Amazon.com's product description reads, "On the new digital battlefront in the war on terror, one man will learn to negotiate the extremely thin line between unconditional trust and unspeakable betrayal." Hmm. Exciting and over the top. Good beach or toilet reading.

Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment - Deepak Chopra - read by white guy with red hair. From Chopra's website: "Deepak Chopra, the preeminent voice of Eastern philosophy in the West, now offers his remarkable insights on the inspiring life of one of the world's most important figures - the Buddha." There was a time in my twenties when I was a huge Deepak Chopra fan and purchased and read every one of his books. Although now I can't recall a single word.

God's Solutions For Your Life - pamphlet read by older Latina with puffy white sneakers. Sounds good, where do I pick this up? Or is this something those skinny white guys with the buzzed hair and pressed suits hand out on subway trains?

In A Cold Sweat - Roy Glenn - read by Latina with double pierced ears wearing four big gold hoop earrings. From Google Books: "In this latest installment in the Mike Black Saga, underworld kingpin Mike Black, still grieving over the brutal murder of his wife, must choose between destroying the people responsible for her death and being a father to his infant daughter." Dramatic, although possibly too upsetting for the beach.

The Cosmic Serpent DNA and the Origins of Knowledge - Jeremy Narby - read by white girl with glasses and two bags of groceries from Whole Foods. From a Q&A with Jeremy Narby by Todd Stewart:

Could you sum up your book "The Cosmic Serpent, DNA and the Origins of Knowledge"?

Research indicates that shamans access an intelligence, which they say is nature's, and which gives them information that has stunning correspondences with molecular biology.

Say what? Definitely not beach or toilet reading. The kind of thing I might have once read to expand my mind. Although these days my mind is so exhausted that expansion is limited.

Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets - David Simon - read by white boy in dirty khakis who dropped a dime bag of weed at his feet, and started visibly sweating as he quickly tried to surreptitiously retrieve it. From an interview with the author on Reason OnLine: "The product of 12 months immersed in the Baltimore homicide unit, it was quickly acclaimed as a classic of contemporary journalism and soon inspired a TV series, NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-1999)." Very interesting. I just might pick this one up (hey, if it's good enough for a dirty white pothead, it's good enough for me.)

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand - read by white boy with button down shirt, tie and sweater vest, black and white striped socks and shiny black patent leather shoes. From the Ayn Rand Bookstore: "An intransigently independent architect refuses to compromise his standards in work and in life. The Fountainhead is an uncompromising examination of the virtue of individualism." Another one of those books I read in my twenties, attempting to improve my mind, and expand my horizons.

Watchmen - Alan Moore (Author), Dave Gibbons (Illustrator) and John Higgins (colorist) - read by Latino hipster with 60's beatnik goatee and plaid vans. This is a classic 12 issue graphic novel, from Wikipedia:

Watchmen takes place in an alternate history United States where superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s, helping the United States to win the Vietnam War. The country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union, freelance costumed vigilantes have been outlawed and most costumed superheroes are in retirement or working for the government. The story focuses on the personal development and struggles of the protagonists as an investigation into the murder of a government sponsored superhero pulls them out of retirement.

It was made into a recent film, a fact that the author, Alan Moore, is not too pleased about. From an interview with the L.A. Times:

"I find film in its modern form to be quite bullying," Moore told me during an hour-long phone call from his home in England. "It spoon-feeds us, which has the effect of watering down our collective cultural imagination. It is as if we are freshly hatched birds looking up with our mouths open waiting for Hollywood to feed us more regurgitated worms. The 'Watchmen' film sounds like more regurgitated worms. I for one am sick of worms. Can't we get something else? Perhaps some takeout? Even Chinese worms would be a nice change."

I find his vitriolic opinion to be far more interesting than the description on Wikipedia and makes me want to check this comic book out.

Black Cat - V.C. Andrews - read by a black woman with hair tied back in a chic bun and mid calf pointy boots. From the Complete V.C. Andrews Library:

Living a life of lies under the thumb of her widowed, spiritually-obsessed mother, Celeste has been forced to take on the identity of her dead twin brother, Noble. She's almost forgotten what it's like to be Celeste -- except for the one thing that keeps her sane: caring for her darling daughter, Baby Celeste. But when Celeste's mother marries a kindly neighbor, a new breed of poisonous secrets and vicious enemies will force Celeste to do what she must -- to survive the darkness....

Whoa. Even more bathroom/beach reading. The list is endless! I grew into puberty with V.C. Andrews and her Flowers in the Attic series, which every girl in my Catholic elementary school read. What I remember most from those books were the erotic scenes of incest between the brother and sister. In fact I think that was what I liked best about the series. See what religious oppression can do to a person?

Faces in the Neighbourhood

2009-06-11T22:08:00.002-04:00