Category: Manhattan

First Weekend of October

So, wait – ex-journalists are becoming lawyers? What are ex-lawyers doing? … Hmm, well, no one says that the current economy is making it easy for anyone.

Atlantic Antic on Atlantic Avenue, on Sunday, in Brooklyn. Not sure if I’ll make it, if I’m too lazy to get out of my end of Brooklyn.

Otherwise, NY Times does a profile of Boerum Hill, home of the Atlantic Antic.

As Chicago did not get the 2016 Olympics, NYC gets to remember how we did not get 2012 and empathize (or be relieved; or both).

Getting into watching “Community” – it still a show that needs work – the need to balance humor and heart is still hard to achieve – but I think I like it. It kind of feels like a non-musical “Glee,” only the women characters don’t feel stupid. In fact, none of the characters (except maybe Chevy Chase – but even that’s not clear) don’t feel stupid; they’re just trying to deal with community college and finding a future. I also like the diversity – everyone’s a little stupid, but not stupid, and get some joy out of something, even Abed, the eccentric Pakistani-American kid, and maybe not so much the Asian American instructor who teaches Spanish (actor Ken Jeong). Still wish the series didn’t conflict with “Fringe” though.

TGIF

“Fringe” – one of those odd, yet fascinating episodes because it’s all about the characters (and less of EvilCharlie):

Walter realizes it’s time to live in a real apartment;

military veterans who become ticking time bombs and not even know it;

crazy colonel thinks he’s right that there’s a Big Threat Out There (and even if he is, he can’t even be specific enough to convince Broyles of anything);

Broyle’s is a tough but kind man, telling Peter and Olivia to look out for each other as they head to Iraq to speak with informants;

Olivia’s still trying to recover from the car crash and the horrifying trip to the Alternate Universe (aka “over there” or “other side”) – at a bowling alley;

Peter can speak Arabic because he was apparently involved in some kind of unspecified shenanigans in Iraq;

and Astrid… doesn’t want Walter to use fruit in the experiments. Umm, wasn’t Astrid supposed to be an FBI agent herself? Huh?

Been watching chunks of Ken Burns’ National Parks documentary. Especially enjoyed the parts about Teddy Roosevelt’s style of big government power – the style of a NY progressive Republican – to preserve nature and history. Ken Burns was using film-making to make some kind of political statement indeed.

Am I glad that I don’t live in NJ – I’d hate to watch that gubernatorial debate and actually have to decide to vote in that election. Ironically, the commercial for the third party candidate, Christopher Daggett, was funny for making fun (in a funny way, not necessarily the mudslinging way that is traditional for NJ) of both Jon Corzine (for being a former financier) and Chris Christie (umm, for being a large loud man). Being in the NYC tv market, we get way more NJ political ads than I’d want to stomach, but I doubt it’s easy for the NJ Voter to deal with.

This video below that Eyewitness News had has to be one of the stranger Only In New York type stories – someone’s cuddly furry dog is on the ledge. Fortunately, the dog finally went back inside, but very odd scene.

Sesame Street’s parody of “Mad Men” – to teach kids to understand emotions:

Vermeer at the Met:

Oh, and Justice Sotomayor throwing the first pitch at last Saturday’s Yankee game.

Otherwise, get ready for First Monday!

Post-Runoff Day

As a follow up to Primary Day, I voted on Runoff Day. As reported, Bill DeBlasio is the Democratic candidate for public advocate and John Liu is the Democratic candidate for comptroller. More importantly, for NYC history, Liu is on the path to becoming the first Asian American in citywide political position.

Time writer Ling Woo Liu on China’s acceptance of the work of her great-grandfather as a doctor fighting an epidemic in 1910.

Good stuff on the official re-opening (and exhibit(s)) at the Museum of Chinese in America.