Truth is, I got nervous when I read this New York Times story. Anything that indicates the Mets are doing something other than concentrating on playing baseball, especially if it smacks of premature triumphalism, puts me on edge. Sort of like Darryl Strawberry’s rap “Chocolate Strawberry.” recorded and released in 1987, just as the Mets were beginning their as yet interminable decline from their 1986 championship.

And the Babe? Thinking about players’ publicity appearances brought to mind a story I read some years ago. It was 1942, and everything had to be about the War Effort. The Babe was to be interviewed on Grantland Rice’s radio show, so one of the questions was how sports could contribute to that effort. Rice had scripted an answer; “Well, Granny, as the Duke of Wellington said, the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.” This was rehearsed several times until it seemed Ruth had it down pat, but when the show went live, he said, “Well, Granny, as Duke Ellington said, the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Elkton.” Asked afterward why the deviation from script, Ruth said he didn’t know Wellington but did know Ellington, and while he’d never been to Eton, he married his first wife in Elkton, and would never forget that place.

Update: already the intra-squad sniping has begun.

Babe Ruth photo: Culver Images via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/8F-9m9SgiiM/why-im-worrying-about-mets-already.html

Listen to Episode 10

Subscribe On iTunes

In this episode: Kate and Sally catch you up on their lives, from how charming and wonderful Norm Lewis is to friend breakups that suck. They discuss emails from a couple of listeners, including one who has figured out the perfect way to trick aggressive bros out of leaving you alone in a bar. (Hint: It involves using heteronormativity as a weapon…in a subversive way.) They then answer a listener’s question about healthy relationships and how to, like, have one? (Spoiler: We can only guess.)

Have a question? Tweet at Kate and Sally or The Podcast! Plus, find a “Struggle Buddy” on Twitter at #StrugglePodBuds or the NEW #StrugglePodBuds420 (we can explain).

Theme song by Marty Scanlon!

Source: The Struggle Bus
https://strugglebuspodcast.wordpress.com/2015/02/27/episode-10-on-weaponizing-heteronormativity-and-how-no-one-knows-how-to-do-relationships/

Lesley Gore, who died today at 68, is most remembered for her first hit, “It’s My Party (and I’ll Cry If I Want To),” which began a successful collaboration with Quincy Jones as her producer.

She was a Brooklyn native, but her family moved to New Jersey, where she attended the private Dwight School for Girls in Englewood. She was a sixteen year old junior at Dwight when Jones signed her to Mercury Records and she recorded “It’s My Party,” which went to the top of the Billboard pop chart in 1963. Her recording and performing career continued through high school and Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied drama and literature. She later did some acting; the photo above shows her as Catwoman’s sidekick Pussycat in the TV series Batman.

My favorite of her early hits (she continued to record, perform, and write music through much of her later life; her last album, Ever Since, reviewed favorably in The New York Times, was released in 2005) is “You Don’t Own Me,” described as an “empowering, ahead-of-its-time feminist anthem” by Daniel Kreps in Rolling Stone. The video clip above shows her performing it as part of the T.A.M.I. Show in 1964, when she was eighteen.

While “You Don’t Own Me” could be seen as an “answer song” to Joanie Sommers’ 1962 hit “Johnny Get Angry” (“I want a brave man; I want a caveman”), Gore didn’t see it that way, at least not when she recorded it. She thought of it as something a man could have as easily sung to a woman. Like all of Gore’s early songs, it wasn’t written by her. It was written by two men, John Madera and Dave White.

Gore was in college when she first realized that she was a lesbian. She didn’t announce this to the public until 2005, when she was hosting In The Life, a PBS show about LGBT issues. Her death was announced by Lois Sasson, her partner of 33 years.

Addendum: Friend Eliot Wagner has this observation:

While “You Don’t Own Me” was not an answer to any particular song, it responded to an entire era. The late 50s and early 60s were full of songs which instructed women on their role viz a viz men in society: not only “Johnny Get Angry”, which you mentioned, but also “Love and Marriage”, “Wives and Lovers”, and probably the most egregious of the lot, “Bobby’s Girl”. The fact that “You Don’t Own Me” was on the air was a grand signal that even if that era was not over, it would, in fact, soon be history.

It also occurred to me that 1963, the year “You Don’t Own Me” was released, was also the year that Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique was published.

Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/C7cedCNuIVI/lesley-gore-1946-2015.html

432 Park Avenue (center in the photo above) claims the title of tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere, and second tallest building (after the new One World Trade Center) in New York City, but if measured by roof height the tallest. It’s described by its architect, Rafael Viñoly, as designed around “the purest geometric form: the square.” Not only is the building’s horizontal cross section a square, but all the windows are squares.  It dominates the midtown skyline with the grace of a colossal headless Pez dispenser, or upraised middle finger (the photo above was taken from Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park). Aaron Betsky admires its “relentlessness”; I demur. Betsky also celebrates how 432 Park “represents the transformation of this and every other city into a place for the wealthy to live and play” as if driving out struggling artists and other relatively impecunious but creative people, and the inexpensive infrastructure that supports them, constitutes progress.

With bad luck, we may be subjected to more Viñoly designs, like 125 Greenwich Street, all of which will end up being pieds a terre for billionaires, with perhaps a few lower floor, smaller apartments going to mere multi-millionaires.

Viñoly discusses his design philosophy in this video. He plays piano well.

The developers of 432 Park are CIM Group and Macklowe Properties. Harry Macklowe is a developer whose company was once fined two million dollars for reckless endangerment resulting from the rapid night-time demolition of two buildings. Macklowe compares 432 Park to the Mona Lisa.

Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/3szUd7I9sU4/harry-macklowe-flips-off-new-york-city.html

Download From iTunes Here

In this Episode:

David Lawson joins Katharine to tell the story about, well, the worst thing to happen while leading a “Ghost Tour” in a graveyard in Boston. And Lauren Hennessy is back to talk about a scary thing that happened while in a lighting booth for a show. PLUS listener shout outs, and tickets are available for the next LIVE show for the New York Comedy Festival on November 8th! Like what you hear? Tip The Bartender! Or give it 5 stars!

About The Guests:

David Lawson is a writer, performer, and totally awesome person who also kills it on Twitter. He also hosts The Astoria Bookshop Storytelling Show (the second Tuesday of each month at 7PM) and the podcast Stipend. Here is the article about his story.

Lauren Hennessy is an actor, podcast host, and an overall awesome person. Get his show “Bottoms Up With Hennessy” here!

Here is David Lawson, being awesome:

Lauren Hennessey, in this amazing short doc:

Music Credits:

“Setting Sun” by Chris Powers

“The Killing Moon” by Echo & The Bunnymen

“Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” by Cake

“Under The Milky Way” by The Church

“Never Knows Your Name” by Tide

“Bottled in Cork” by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Source: Tell The Bartender
http://tellthebartender.com/2014/10/30/episode-46-halloween-spooktacular/

Watch the Circle, Square, Moose trailer

Greenlight Bookstore is located at 686 Fulton Street at South Portland Street.

Download From iTunes Here

In this Episode:

The Bartender is joined by Janeane Garofalo, Mara Wilson and Jeffrey Cranor for another wonderful live show. PLUS listener shout outs, and we play Craigslist Ad or Casting Notice with Jordan McDonough! Recorded at Union Hall in Brooklyn, NY as part of New York ComicCon‘s Super Week. Like the show? Tip The Bartender! Or give it 5 stars!

Watch a clip here:

Pics here by Tom Scola:

Music Credits:

“Setting Sun” by Chris Powers

“Bottled in Cork” by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Source: Tell The Bartender
http://tellthebartender.com/2014/10/08/episode-44-live-with-janeane-garofalo-mara-wilson-and-jeffrey-cranor/

Cobble Hill author Jessie Burton will discuss her debut novel “The Miniaturist” at Book Court on September 13.

Ohai, new shiny yellow sheriff badge! Next week: Oslo-Boston-NYC-Houston-Minneapolis-Kansas ???????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/EKPaJxWJnu

— Jessie Burton (@jesskatbee) September 5, 2014

Brooklyn Eagle: “The Miniaturist,” based on real people, was inspired by the author’s visit to an Amsterdam museum, where she was drawn to a famous 17th-century replica of a wealthy merchant’s mansion that had originally belonged to a woman named Petronella Oortman. The novel focuses on the domestic world of women in a repressive, religious society. “Petronella became my heroine, Nella,” Burton explains, “and from her miniature house, my story was born.”

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/9603

Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro were in Cobble Hill this week filming “The Intern“. The shoot happened around Cheever Place and Cobble Hill Park. The production will reportedly be back later this month.

DeNiro plays the title character who works for a tech company run by Hathaway. The film is scheduled for a September 2015 release.

During an earlier shoot this year in the neighborhood, DeNiro enjoyed an impromptu viewing of the World Cup at a local resident’s home.

The shoot was an opportunity for some residents to tweet pics of Hathaway and DeNiro on set.

@olv DeNiro in the hood. #the intern Cobble Hill bklyn. Will be there again tomorrow. Clinton & congress. pic.twitter.com/0iFPfpEgTg

— LoisAronow Porcelain (@misslo) June 27, 2014

#AnneHathaway on Cheever Pl in Cobble Hill, BK filming The Intern with DeNiro pic.twitter.com/NmhjAI9wBB

— Victoria J. B. Doyle (@victoriajbd) September 3, 2014

Sorry, Cobble Hill pooches, you'll have to wait until after THE INTERN wraps. pic.twitter.com/4VRHgRrHcR

— conrad doucette (@conrad) June 24, 2014

@WarnerBrosEnt movie filming in Cobble Hill Park tomorrow. http://t.co/omVNJUYQXG @BrooklynCB6 @cobblehill_blog @MadeinNY

— Cobble Hill Assoc (@CobbleHillAssoc) June 25, 2014

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/9543

World War I also helped to precipitate two revolutions: the Russian and the Irish. British recruitment of Irishmen to fight in the war (see poster image above) was a factor leading to the Easter Rising of 1916. As the rebel song “The Foggy Dew” declared:

Right proudly high in Dublin town
Hung they out a flag of war.
‘Twas better to die ‘neath an Irish sky
Than at Suvla or Sud el Bar.

“Suvla” and “Sud el Bar” were  disastrous amphibious landings on the Turkish coast in which British troops, including many Irish, took terrible casualties. Another verse, not included in the lyrics on the linked post, has the words

‘Twas England bade our wild geese rove
That small nations might be free.

The second line is ironic. One of Britain’s appeals to prospective recruits was to fight for “small nations,” in particular Belgium (again see poster above) that had been or might be invaded and occupied by German troops.  The irony is that Ireland was a “small nation” that wanted to be free, but Britain would not allow it to be. The term “wild geese” in the first line was originally applied to the Irish Jacobite army that was allowed to go to France following the Irish defeat by the army of King William in 1691. It was later used for Irish soldiers who served in the Royal Army in European wars.

“The Green Fields of France,” sung in the clip above by Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem, is one of the saddest songs I know. The name “Willie McBride” suggests Protestant Irish (William is not a popular name among Catholic Irish because of King William’s defeat of the Catholic rebellion in the late seventeenth century). The line “Did the pipes play ‘The Flowers of the Forest’?” at first indicated to me that he served in a Scottish regiment, as “Flowers” is a traditional Scottish lament, but the notes to this YouTube clip say it has become “[t]he traditional lament for the fallen in forces of the British Commonwealth.” So, the song was co-opted, after excising the lines

Sad day for the Order,
What’s happened to the border?
The English, by guile,
For once won the day.

We all live in the world the Great War (I still call it that; the Second World War was vastly more destructive, but the effects of the First include the Second and much more) created. I pray we do not have to see its like again.

Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/mC_6SRlfxI4/liam-clancy-and-tommy-makem-green.html

“Raggle Taggle Gypsy” is one of a myriad of variations on the same song found throughout England, Ireland, Scotland, and the former British colonies. I also have a version, with the title “Black Jack Davy”, by Scotland’s Incredible String Band. Another, “Black Jack David”, was recorded by Warren Smith, a rockabilly pioneer who was briefly more popular than Elvis. In his book Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock ‘n’ Roll, my erstwhile Bells of Hell and Lion’s Head companion and friend Nick Tosches tells of an interview with Smith in which Nick asked him where he got “Black Jack David.” Smith’s reply was, “I wrote it.” Nick’s next paragraph:

Cut to Athens, fourth century B.C. In his Symposium, Plato refers to an attempt made by Orpheus, mythical poet and son of Oegrus the harper and Muse Calliope, to rescue his wife from the land of the dead. This is the earliest known mention of Orpheus’s wife, Eurydice, and of his adventure in the lower world. It’s also the beginning of “Black Jack David.”

Nick then traces the Greek Orpheus legend* through various developments by the Roman writers Vergil, Ovid, and Boethius. Nick writes, “It was King Alfred’s ninth-century translation of Boethius that ushered the Orpheus myth into medieval Britain.” After this, Nick follows its development into poems and ballads in various parts of the British Isles. He notes a syncretic development in Ireland, where the story melds with pre-existing Celtic legends. Such are the roots of the many songs about the abduction and failed attempt to recover a nobleman’s wife, or sometimes daughter, that include “Back Jack David” and “The Raggle Taggle Gypsy.”

From “The Raggle Taggle Gypsy” Planxty segues into Tabhair dom do lámh, an instrumental featuring Liam O’Flynn (photo at left) on uilleann pipes. This enchanting tune is credited by Bunting in Ancient Music of Ireland to Ruairí Dall Ó Catháin, a chieftain from County Tyrone whose reputation for skill as a harper and composer may be second only to that of the great Turlough O’Carolan. The story behind Tabhair dom do lámh, as told in Ask About Ireland, is that Catháin was traveling in Scotland when a noblewoman, Lady Eglinton**, thinking him to be a simple itinerant musician, demanded that he play a tune. Angered by her effrontery, Catháin refused. When Lady Eglinton learned of his high status, she apologized, and he composed Tabhair dom do lámh for her.

My friend Larry Kirwan’s band Black 47 gives the translation of Tabhair dom do lámh as either “Give me your hand” or “Let’s be friends.” Another source, Donal O’Sullivan, in his Carolan: The Life, Times, and Music of an Irish Harper, quoted by “Sarah” in the comment thread under a post about the tune in The Session, in turn quotes Arthur O’Neill as claiming Catháin’s original title for it was the Latinized Da mihi manum, which also translates as “Give me your hand.” The tune was later used for an Irish rebel song, “White, Orange and Green” (the colors of the Irish flag) which you can hear by Spailpin here. Later, the Wolfe Tones performed it as “Give Me Your Hand,” with lyrics that seem both a simple love song and a plea for reconciliation between the sectarian factions in Northern Ireland; hear it here.

In the first comment in the thread below The Session post, “Zina Lee” includes this:

I’ve read the following regarding this tune: Note that the tune is pentatonic until the final phrase. The mixolydian seventh appears four measures from the end, while the fourth does not appear until the final measure.

Maybe this explains why, when I asked the uilleann piper who played at our wedding if he could play Tabhair dom do lámh, he politely declined, saying it was too difficult.

The musicians in the video above, other than Liam O’Flynn on the pipes, are: Christy Moore on guitar and vocal; Andy Irvine on tenor mandola (I was introduced to Andy by my date following his solo performance at the old Eagle Tavern on West 14th Street in 1989, and later learned that my future wife and her date were there the same evening); and Dónal Lunny on Irish bouzouki (as the linked Wiki tells, Lunny owned the first bouzouki specifically made for use in Irish music; he later became a member of The Bothy Band).
__________

*The Orpheus legend bears an interesting resemblance to the Biblical story of Lot and his wife. In the Orpheus tale, the hero is told that he may lead his wife back to the land of the living so long as, on the way, he does not turn to look at her. He does, and she disappears. In the Bible story, Lot and his wife are allowed to escape the destruction of Sodom on the condition that they not look back toward the doomed city. She does, and is turned to a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).

**The linked source spells her name “Eglington”; others spell it “Eglinton,” which I think is correct. There is an Eglinton Castle in North Ayrshire.

Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/yC68c8EX6x4/planxty-raggle-taggle-gypsy-tabhair-dom.html

Download Audio

In which I join talk radio host, former CIA agent, and public defender Jack Rice to share stories on 950 AM in Minneapolis about storytelling, reporting from Cairo, and digital journalism in conflict regions.

Learn more at AM 950 Progressive Radio and on Jack’s website.

Thanks for listening.

سلام‎

Learn More:

• The Sudan Project
• Small World News
• StoryMaker

Sudan Stories:

• The Story of M – A Choice
• The Story of N – A Witness
• Language, Guns, & Phones

Filed under: Post Archive

Source: Dan Patterson
http://danpatterson.com/2014/05/02/sudan-stories-with-jack-rice-and-dan-patterson-on-progressive-am-950/

A few weeks ago I noticed Brooklyn Brewery’s “Dry Irish Stout” on a shelf at my local supermarket. This piqued my curiosity. “Dry” isn’t a word I’ve associated with stout. I decided to get some and compare it to the stout I, and most people, know best: Guinness. I know there are some of you who, seeing the photo above, are saying, “Why do this at home?” Bottled stout isn’t stout as it should be, drawn slowly from a tap. I’ll grant you that. My excuse is that I didn’t have time to go bar-hopping until I found one that had both kinds on tap. Also, my wife needed some bottled stout to use as a marinade for the corned beef we had with cabbage, potatoes, and carrots for our pre-St. Patrick’s supper tonight (see below):

I did the tasting this afternoon. The bottles were kept a little below room temperature until I was ready to pour. Here are the results:

Guinness

Color: very dark brown.

Head: ample and long lasting.

Aroma: malty, with hint of floral.

Taste: black coffee with a hint of caramel; some hop bitterness in the finish.

Brooklyn Dry Irish

Color: dark brown, a slight shade lighter than Guinness.

Head: small, brownish white; collapsed quickly (see photo at top, taken shortly after the Brooklyn stout was poured; the Guinness had been poured earlier). According to the brewery’s website, this stout differs from Guinness and other widely marketed Irish stouts in that no nitrogen is added to enhance the head.

Aroma: floral, with a hint of berries.

Taste: initially tart and fruity; no strong coffee or chocolate taste (my wife, trying it without having had Guinness first, said she tasted chocolate; perhaps my palate was skewed by having just tasted Guinness). A pleasant but subdued hop bitterness at the finish.

The verdict: not a real contest, as these are very different beers. I like them both, and they went equally well with our corned beef repast. Brooklyn Brewery also makes a Black Chocolate Stout that might make for a better head to head (as it were) comparison to Guinness.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/GlgQNqwI-Ro/stout-standoff-guinness-vs-brooklyn-dry.html

A couple of weeks ago I tried Coney Island Brewing Company’s “Seas the Day” India Pale Lager. Now I’ve also had their Mermaid Pilsner. It’s good beer.

Pilsner (or Pilsener) is a style of lager–a lager being any beer made with bottom fermenting yeast–that originated in the city of Pilsen, or Plzeň, in what is now the Czech Republic. What distinguishes Pilsner from other lagers is that it is made with lighter colored malts, resulting in a golden, as opposed to a deep amber or brown, color. It usually also has a more pronounced hop flavor than other lagers. Most mass market American beers are made in the Pilsner style. Some, like Budweiser, have a forward hop flavor while others, like Coors, have a more subdued one.

For a food pairing I decided on something less spicy than the bánh mì I had with “Seas the Day.” I chose a “Smokin’ Henry” from our local deli, Lassen & Hennigs. It’s made with smoked turkey, Black Forest ham, cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and Russian dressing. For a bit of spice, I had some of Trader Joe’s cheddar and horseradish flavored chips on the side.

While I was waiting for my sandwich to be made, I took a look at Lassen & Hennigs’ beer selection, and saw Mermaid Pilsner among their offerings.

The beer has a rich golden color, a shade darker than most American Pilsners, but similar to that of Pilsner Urquell, the original Pilsner from Plzeň. The head was moderate, creamy, and fairly long-lasting. The aroma was hoppy, with slight malt undertones and jasmine-like overtones. The flavor was a well balanced blend of hop bitterness and malt warmth, with a suggestion of spice and a pleasant, melon like finish. The beer worked well with the flavorful food, but would also be enjoyable on its own.

Unlike Czech or German Pilsners, which adhere to a purity law that allows only the use of barley malt, Mermaid Pilsner, like “Seas the Day,”  is made with a combination of malts. There is regular two-row barley malt, the staple of most fine beers, along with Cargill’s “EuroPils,” also made from two-row barley, but with a distinctive “grassy” flavor. There are also two non-barley malts: rye and wheat. It’s the rye that imparts the hint of spiciness.

Mermaid Pilsner takes its name from Mermaid Avenue, one of Coney Island’s main thoroughfares, and from the Mermaid Parade, an annual Coney Island event.

This is a well made and thoroughly enjoyable beer, equal to most and better than many imports and American craft-brewed Pilsners.

Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/7Eiwx4qwnM0/coney-island-brewings-mermaid-pilsner.html

Listen to Episode 27: The Extra Files

Download From iTunes Here

In this Episode:

Corey talks about receiving communion in a church AND getting a Bar Mitzvah in a van, Libby introduces a new boyfriend to an eccentric family member, and the bartender herself tells the story about reuniting with her kindergarten sweetheart. PLUS, news about the Live Show/BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA on March 5th, a drink recipe, and listener shout outs!

Also, like what you hear? Tip me! Or give the show 5 stars! And you can get your tix to the live show here!

About the Guests:

Corey Eisenstein is a cinematographer, director, writer and photographer based in Brooklyn.

Libby is Katharine’s friend, and a very lucky gal.

Katharine Heller is the host of this podcast. She recorded the story you heard at The Dump, a weekly storytelling show at The Creek and the Cave and hosted by the amazing Jake Hart.

Music Credits:

“Setting Sun” by Chris Powers

“Safe from Harm” by Massive Attack

“Part of the Process” by Morcheeba

“A Rose is a Rose” by Poe

“Playground Love” by Air

“Bottled in Cork” by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Source: Tell The Bartender
http://tellthebartender.com/2014/02/17/episode-27-the-extra-files/

I damn near vandalized my briefs when I read the first sentence of Binky Philips’ Huff Po piece:

I first met Lou Reed at the Holiday Fundraiser Fair at Grace Church in Brooklyn Heights, the day after Thanksgiving, 1967.

Lou at the Grace Church Fair? My wife has been a stalwart Fair worker for maybe the last thirteen years or so. Of course, 1967 was well before our time here in the Heights. I was starting my first year of law school in Cambridge, Massachusetts and she was a sixth grader at a Catholic school in Lynn, a few miles away. Had we been introduced at the time, and told that we would someday be married, we would both have been very surprised, perhaps even (at least in her case) horrified. (I would probably have thought: “Well, she’s not the upper middle class WASP princess of my dreams, but she is pretty.” She might have thought: “What an pretentious, pseudo-intellectual twit.”)

Anyway, Lou was not present in person at the ’67 Fair. Mr. Philips, fourteen at the time, “met” him in the form of a stack of the first Velvet Underground LPs (you can always get some really good stuff at the Grace Church Fair; trust me), one of which he bought, took home, played, and didn’t like. He described Lou’s vocal delivery as “Bob Dylan with a Brooklyn hitter accent.” Two years later, stoned, and with a friend, he pulled the album out, played it, and SHA-ZAM! He was converted.

Later, Mr. Philips had several in person encounters with Lou, almost all of them in music stores. In one of these, he did manage a brief, inconsequential conversational exchange about a guitar. I was once (apart from the Detroit concert) in Lou’s presence. This was at a party, sometime around the ’70s-’80s cusp, in the then edgy (now touristy) Meat Packing District. My friend Charlie (not to be confused with Binky’s friend Charlie) pointed him out to me, standing maybe twenty feet away. I resisted the temptation to introduce myself, knowing I was not cool enough to merit his attention.

Mr. Philips writes that he was in the Grace Church Choir (by which he presumably means the Youth Choir) for three years. Among his choir mates at that time likely would have been Harry Chapin and Robert Lamm, later keyboardist, vocalist, and songwriter for Chicago.

Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/FYMWtoJnaRs/update-on-lou-reed-his-grace-church.html

Download From iTunes Here

In this Episode:

Citizen Radio’s Ninja Kevin opens up about a dark time in his life, and what he did to get better. And then there’s the story about the duck. You guys won’t want to miss this very special episode.

About The Guest:

Ninja Kevin is a badass filmmaker who works on one of Katharine’s favorite podcasts, Citizen Radio.

Music Credits:

“Setting Sun” by Chris Powers

“Tiny Glowing Screens” by Watsky

“Nice Guy” by The Animators

“Bottled in Cork” by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Source: Tell The Bartender
http://tellthebartender.com/2013/10/21/episode-20-on-depression-drugs-and-a-duck/

When I was an associate at LeBoeuf, Lamb, “fifty state survey” was a dreaded assignment. It meant going to the library (no Lexis or Westlaw in those days) to determine the law governing some abstruse matter–say, eligibility of liability insurance on exterminators for export to the unlicensed or “surplus lines” market–in each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia. The good people at Zagat (yes, I really do like them) had a much more enjoyable task: finding the “unique regional sandwich” that best characterizes each state, as well as D.C. For the New York sandwich, I expected them to choose pastrami on rye with mustard, served with a half-sour pickle, and would have considered that a worthy option. Instead, I was surprised and delighted that they looked to the western end of the state and chose beef on weck (photo above). As I’ve posted here before, I came to love this sandwich years ago, during my tenure at LeBoeuf, when I was working on client matters in the Buffalo area.

In our neighboring state of Connecticut, Zagat picks another favorite of mine, the Connecticut lobster roll (photo above). There’s more about it here. Not surprisingly, the Maine version gets the nod as the Pine Tree State’s characteristic sandwich.

My old home state, Florida, gets what it ought to: the Cuban sandwich. The one Zagat chose to feature, however, doesn’t look like any Cuban I’ve ever had. That’s probably because it comes from a cafeteria in Miami, not from my old home town, Tampa, the Ur of el Cubano. My first, and therefore iconic, Cuban came from the Silver Ring Bar in Ybor City, an establishment that failed to survive the transformation of Tampa’s Latin Quarter into a corporatized tourist mecca. There’s a lively discussion in the comments on the Zagat piece about what a proper Cuban should, or should not, include. The Zagat description fails to mention what I consider the sine qua non: that the sandwich be pressed in a plancha, a device resembling that used to press panini.

My wife wanted to know what Zagat considers the characteristic sandwich of her home state, Massachusetts. She was amused and pleased to know that it’s the fluffernutter, a variant of the PB&J with Marshmallow Fluff in place of the jelly. Evidently the  General Court (what they call the legislature in the Bay State) and Governor made it the Commonwealth’s official sandwich. Zagat tells us that Marshmallow Fluff was invented in Somerville (though it’s now made in my wife’s hometown, Lynn) by a man named Archibald Query, who sold it door-to-door. Somerville now has an annual Fluffernutter Festival, and it seems we just missed National Fluffernutter Day. Did Congress and the President actually agree to proclaim that? Ah, for the days when they could find common ground on important matters.

The Zagat folks threw a few curves. For my native state, Pennsylvania, one might well expect the Philly cheesesteak, no? No. The “cheesesteak” award goes to…drumroll…Idaho. I put cheesesteak in quotes because the version Zagat chose is made with chicken and bacon. Turning to Philly, Zagat anoints as the Keystone State’s sandwich a hoagie made with roast pork, melted provolone, and broccoli rabe. It looks and sounds delicious, so the next time I’m down there I’ll try to find time to visit Tommy DiNic’s at the Reading Terminal Market.

Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/fI0eq9kcaoU/zagats-fifty-state-sandwich-survey-beef.html

This just in from Jane Greengold – it’s the last year for Impaled Pumpkins at Kane and Strong. How can you be part of history? Read on:

For years, with the help of friends and family, I have impaled 100 pumpkins on the spikes of the iron fence on the corner of Kane and Strong in Cobble Hill for Halloween. Every pumpkin is unique. The impaled pumpkins are left for months, to age as nature commands, into gnarly remnants of themselves.

This will be my last version of Impalements at this location. Next year, it may appear at a new location.

Please join in for this final year, and help impale the most heads ever. Everyone can bring head. There are 274 spikes so there is room for a lot of participation.

To join in

choose the right size and kind of pumpkin – 4 ¾” – 5” inches in diameter, taller than it is

round, and soft enough to carve;

LEAVE THE TOP ON;

cut a 3/4” square hole in the middle of the bottom (for the spike);

carve a face;

remove the innards of the pumpkin through the facial features; and

Bring the carved pumpkin to the corner of Kane and Strong between 3 pm and 7 pm on October31, 2012. We will impale it!

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/9137

Twitter user @txl201 caught a man on a unicycle walking his dog down Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill this afternoon.
Sure we’ve seen dog walkers of all shapes and sizes — even one on a scooter. But a unicycle? Heck, the only cool person we know of who rides one is Adam Carolla. But that’s another story.

So, what do you think? Is it crazy or awesome? You decide.

Yup a guy on a unicycle walking his dog… #brooklynheights #notnormal #dogwasembarrassed http://t.co/9slKp1j9H3

— ?TR?V? (@TXL201) October 3, 2013

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/9124

Download From iTunes Here

In this Episode:

Marriage – it’s all the rage! But how exactly does one pop the question? We hear four touching, funny and surprising stories from people who wanted to make their engagements as special as possible. PLUS a special listener shout out,  the drink of the week, and a message to musician Ted Leo! Also, like what you hear? Tip me!

Many thanks to Dean Mayes for writing this wonderful piece about the show.

The Guests:

Karen Finerman is the CEO of a hedge fund in New York City, and a regular panelist on CNBC’s Fast Money. Check out her book, Finerman’s Rules: Secrets I’d Only Tell My Daughters About Business and Life. Fun fact: besides juggling a career, two jobs and four children, Karen can actually juggle objects.

Karen, looking radiant

Susie Loeffler is a singer, teacher and great friend. Her story is the first to be recorded LIVE at the prestigious Acme Comedy Company in Minneapolis, MN (at the bar on Katharine’s phone).

Katharine, Susie and Dan 

Dave T. Koenig is an actor/writer/director and overall great guy. His face has even been on a plane. Yes, a plane (for a commercial, but still).

The plane! The plane!

Zach Mattheus is a brilliant art director and Jess Mattheus is a wonderful caterer. Katharine wants to hang out at their house forever. Here they are in their kitchen during the recording, looking so adorable.

Zach and Jess

And as promised, a special song for Ted Leo from Katharine and the Puppy Bowl referee Dan Schachner.

Music Credits:

“Setting Sun” by Chris Powers

“Let’s Fall in Love” by Frank Sinatra

“Side of Me” by Petula 62

“Jackson” by Johnny Cash

“Perfect Day” by Lou Reed

“What Do I Get” by Buzzcocks

“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen

“Bottled in Cork” by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Source: Tell The Bartender
http://tellthebartender.com/2013/09/24/tell-the-bartender-episode-18-tales-of-engagement/

Download From iTunes Here

In this Episode:

Sometimes things in life don’t always go according to plan. Like, let’s say you spend two months planning a live version of your podcast with some celebrity guests, and it goes great, but there is a technical issue and it didn’t record. You know, like that. Well, sadly, the last live show will live on only in the memories of those who were there BUT we have pictures below of the event, and it inspired this episode.

Nature, Nurture: When she started a family with her husband, Micaela Walker wanted things to be as natural as possible. Nature had a different idea. Hear the incredible story about what she learned from her daughter, Lula.

Welcome To New York: Maria Carreon was brought to New York City by some unusual circumstances. Things didn’t go so well.

PLUS a special five minute recap of the LIVE SHOW told to us by audience member and comedian Myq Kaplan (it’s a re-Kap-lan!) ALSO listener shout outs,  a new drink recipe, and music from listener NazT N8!

Also, like what you hear? Tip me!

Micaela Walker is a Brooklyn based photographer and a world class storyteller. Her blog about Roan and Lula can be found here. Special thanks to The Coop School Moth Night in Brooklyn hosted by esteemed Moth alum Bliss Broyard. Here is a special video tribute to her daughter, Lula:

Maria Carreon is a total badass and you want to follow her on Twitter. Here she is with The Bartender after the live show:

Myq Kaplan is a comedian who you may have seen on Letterman, Conan, Comedy Central or rocking it on Twitter. Check him out on the Tonight Show here.

And now some pics from the LIVE SHOW! Thanks again to Tate Donovan, Leslie Meisel, Christopher McLinden and everyone else for being there! Photos by Tom Scola.

Leslie Meisel, as “Leila”, doing a reading for audience member Paige

Making Katharine laugh

Christopher McLinden, rocking it

Tate Donovan being awesome

Yes, that is him showing off some sweet moves

Thanks again for the laughs Tate Donovan!

“Setting Sun” by Chris Powers

“I Fought In A War” by Belle & Sebastian

“Lula” by New Raspberry Bandits

“Southern Fried” mix by NazT N8

“Bottled in Cork” by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Source: Tell The Bartender
http://tellthebartender.com/2013/09/09/tell-the-bartender-episode-17-according-to-plan/

ooh the Long Island Restaurant sign is back // aiming for Oct open @bkheightsblog pic.twitter.com/a96cs4VONn

— Jonah Green (@jonah_green) August 28, 2013

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/9084

Gothamist

It’s Cobble Hill’s equivalent of the Standard Hotel; a local couple have renovated their townhouse to include a glass shower, which is visible to neighbors who aren’t even being nosy. And today they’ve gained further notoriety by becoming Gothamist’s Talk of the Block. Congrats! And keep it clean.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/9036

Location:
In front of 10 Jay Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (at Jay Street and John Street)

(Photo by jasonwachob)
…

Source: Dumbo NYC
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DumboNyc/~3/3Hxw8-UxIt0/

Source: Dumbo NYC
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DumboNyc/~3/qqxM7rd_b5k/

So who is cooking at Veksler’s at 521 Hicks Street restaurant, which until last month was owner Robert Veksler’s hydroponic gardening store Brooklyn Farms? Looks like it’s Joe Bayley, who was a winner on the second season of Chopped in 2009 when he was at Cobblestone Foods.

Somehow, the folks there already knew that we had a soft spot for anyone calling that 140 character micro-blogging platform “the Twitter” Chef Joe announced his new gig:

Meet our head chef! “@ChefJoeBayley: Back on "the twitter" New restaurant with good buzz/ @VEKSLERS pic.twitter.com/vR31vjZa35” #Brooklyn #NYC

— VEKSLERS (@VEKSLERS) August 9, 2013

And from just that one photo the food looks super-fantastic. Have you stopped by yet?

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/9030