Random Video of the Week: How to Fold a Shirt

Wow.

Update

It seems Channel 9 news was covering the story this evening. The newslady --complete with newslady hair-- was interviewing the tenant while I was walking home. A fellow Newswalker mentioned that Channel 7 had covered it earlier today.

Tenant Ousting and The Ratner Effect

The landlord of a rent stabilized building on Dean has added cinder blocks to tenant's windows in an effort to evict a hold out occupant who has been in the building since 1967. Said landlord probably hopes to sell the building before the AY construction begins.

The cement blocks and turning off all hot water is meant to make the building so inhospitable that tenant will be forced to leave. One of my Newswalk Neighbors has put the resident in touch with South Brooklyn Legal Services Corp, a group who represents some of the tenants in the footprint of the Ratner AY proposal.

Some legal Stuff:
According to "A Tenant's Guide to New York City's Housing Court"
In most situations, a landlord may not attempt to evict a tenant without first bringing the tenant to court and obtaining a judgment of possession and a warrant of eviction. If your landlord has changed your locks or turned off heat and/or electricity in an attempt to evict you, you may bring an Illegal Lockout Proceeding against your landlord in Housing Court. Under New York State law, a tenant who has been put out or kept out of his or her apartment in an unlawful manner may be entitled to recover triple damages.


I am not sure if the occupants have started court preceedings. Nevertheless they have resorted to grassroots efforts posting this sign in their window:
"We still live here don't lock us in."

Links (sans B) Art stars Edition

Banksy show in LA [Super Touch Blog]

Taxicat [The Cobra Snake]

Misfortune [Indexed]

The Dinosaur Cartoon [Gaping Void]

I've been a bad blogger

I GOT THE JOB! I have therefore been in the process of resigning and brewing fresh panic about major life changes. At least its almost fall and mornings smell and feel like static electricity.

Lite Posts

Lite posts this week because I itch.

I itch because I am waiting to hear from a potential employer

and my anxiety is manifesting in hives.

Photo by Jeannot7

New Establishments

On a walk yesterday we discovered two new hangouts that shared a trend- tiny venues on the ground floor of a brownstone.




The unnamed shop above on Union in the Slope offers free wifi, and a really sweet little garden. It's got a Euro vibe with stone floors and brick interior. I would do away with that funky brown spherical mass of twiggy things in the front-- otherwise it looks like a great place to blog and surf the web away from the crowds at the Tea Lounge.


Similarly, a brownstone on Hoyt in Boerum hill boasts a new Epicurie and Wine Bar in to open in October. Any one know anything about this one?

robot dance

Rainy Day Entertainment

The Oracle is Back

The Pintchik time and temperature sign is lit once again after weeks of brownout power saving. I feel like an old friend has returned. I don't wear a watch, so I run on Pintchik time. Not that it helps once I am at the train station, but a quick calculation tells me exactly how late I will be.

In addition to providing time and temperature, there apparently used to be a writer/oracle in residence that answered questions mundane and exotic. There are rumors that back in 2003 Mr. Jonathan Safran Foer was said oracle. See this New Yorker article for more: ORACLE ON FLATBUSH

Today the Oracle was advertising a "meet your mate at Melt" $3 drink special.

One can once again be timely, dressed appropriately, and dating thanks to the return Flatbush Oracle.

Scrabbled

Tal kicked my arse at the Scrabble today. How is it that a self proclaimed grammar nazi such as myself, daily correcting such Tal phrases as-"we shoulda went", can lose by more than 50 points to the man? Impossible. I lose every time. EVERY TIME.

Photo on Flickr by Kenton Library

Wine Exchange

Leaving Beast Thursday after a delectable meal of scallops and garlic squash puree (I know so sophisticated at a joint called Beast), we happened upon The Wine Exchange at 595 Vanderbilt. I know its 595 Vanderbilt because it says so on the neon sign on which they also provide their phone number. You never know when you will need 5 bottles of Veuve Clicquot in a pinch, and now they are burned into my brain like the sun to the cornea on a bright day.

Generation Gentrification marches on...

Trash Gnomes-Dean Street

Atlantic Yards Hearings BLINKS

Pol parade — windbags and wonks [nolandgrab]

Supporters out in force, opponents go the distance [Atlantic Yards Report]

First Public Hearing Held On Atlantic Yards Development Project [NY1]

Raucous Meeting on Atlantic Yards Plan Hints at Hardening Stances [NY Times]

Atlantic Yards Public Hearing: Race Card Played [Curbed]

Interview Corporate Speak moment of Zen

I have had a week of interviews and I must say that I am no good at stress management. I thought I would take a moment to purge all of those icky words that give me the shakes and cause me to drink.

Proof of Concept
Super User
Business Requirements
ROI
Functional
Teaming
Optimize
Metadata
Stakeholder
Cross-Functional
Consensus

Phew. That's enough for now. I feel better.

Silver Spoon closed

The Silver Spoon on Flatbush between Bergen and Dean is closed. I find this particularly disturbing even though the tables smelled of wet dog and were perpetually sticky. No one else makes my scrambled eggs so dangerously close to salmonella yet so delicious with a side of buttery grits for under $5. The whole wheat toast came with the usual grape jelly cubelets and was really white bread with a bit of flavor. The note (above) indicates that the diner will reopen after renovation. My guess is it will go the way of the rest of Prospect Heights, all of the character will be renovated away leaving us with the memory of what once was.

Anyone know of another greasy spoon that makes runny scrambled eggs and grits?