brooklyn bar crawl III

ladies, gentlemen, & fellow bibulous individuals!!!

the summer weather is finally upon us! next saturday, july 18th will be my annual brooklyn/birthday bar crawl... spending time enjoying a leisurely stroll through park slope, brooklyn with friends, acquaintances, & fellow bibulous individuals. strolling on hot summer evenings leads to insatiable thirst. lucky for us, there will be plenty of watering holes along the way.

the date is saturday, july 18, 2009 & the details are just about finalized for the brooklyn (birthday) bar crawl. "the committee" has determined the final list will shall be comprised of ten of the eleven venues listed below... AND for those STILL standing, we'll be venturing into the city to sweat out some alcohol by one of my favorite mediums... DANCE!!!! (either sway or no malice palace... tbd)

for the third straight year, we will more gather at commonwealth (located at the more western end 5th avenue. see map & note nearest trains) to kick off the crawl and move approximately every 25 - 30 minutes.

details:
what - brooklyn (birthday) bar crawl III
when - saturday, july 18th (at the stroke of midnight is my birthday)
start time - 7:05pm
why - bibulous individuals needs exercise & ought to spend time outdoors... expect lots of laughs & libations!!
where - park slope brooklyn, 5th avenue
who - anyone who received this email, and anyone whom you forward it to... the more the merrier!!!

bars from last two years (see google map):

• commonwealth - 12th street
• dram shop - 9th street (b/n 5th & 6th aves)
• smith's tavern - 9th street
• bar reis - 6th street
• ginger's bar - b/n 6th & 5th streets
• the gate - 3rd street
  
• loki - 2nd street
• great lakes - 1st street
• lighthouse tavern - carroll st
• 200 fifth - between union & berkeley streets
• voodoo - b4 douglass street

the itinerary is fluid & we may not make it to each establishment, but we will have a helluva time tryin'!! a number of us successfully hit each bar the last two years... so it CAN be done.

cheers!

that's right... MY DEGREES

the first time i listened to the the school spirit skits on kanye west's album, the college dropout, i immediately dismissed both. i, like most of my friends, just chalked the skits up to west being bitter. yeah yeah yeah, he didn't go the "traditional" route to gain his fame & fortune, but he seemed intent to poke fun that those who sought education as a means for personal progress.

NO I'VE NEVER HAS SEX, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?! MY DEGREE KEEPS ME SATISFIED.

THEN YOU GET YOUR MASTERS MASTERS... WHEN I DIE, YOU KNOW WHAT'S GONNA KEEP ME WARM? THAT'S RIGHT... THOSE DEGREES...

needless to say, i recently commenced and was bestowed the rights, privileges, responsibilities that accompany my masters. and for some reason, i was reminded of the skits on the album. unlike my bachelor's degree, this degree was NOT accompanied by the same level of euphoria or excitement... let alone a greater sense of satisfaction. part of it stems from the composition of of the class; part stems from my lackadaisical demeanor from the onset of the program. needless to say, two years later, my classmates and i were conferred degrees. i think some feel a greater sense of satisfaction... but i'm not one of them.

a number of my friends have received graduate degrees; and yes, i admit a significant portion of them are nerds or have nerd qualities/tendencies. the conversation between us still remains the same. perhaps, the advanced degree, while a notable accomplishment, isn't necessary to measure one's intellect (or lack thereof). the degree, for me, doesn't mean i'm necessarily any smarter. i definitely don't feel any smarter. i feel like i applied my intelligence to a specific discipline and learned a few things. perhaps my thirst for knowledge was insufficiently satiated during the program... who knows?!

in the interim, i keep listening & laughing at the school spirit skits. kanye may have accidentally stumbled upon something, but not for the reason he arrived there... (sidebar: there is no correlation between dressing preppy and being a nerd.) the latest degree definitely doesn't keep me any warmer... and while i may have tempered my friday night activities (to insure making it to class on saturday morning), they definitely were not cut off totally... ask my classmates. LOL

HOWEVER, should my masters lead to a new exciting opportunity, i may just be a BIT more satisfied... and in that case... you know what keeps me satisfied (indirectly)? THAT'S RIGHT, MY DEGREES!!!

CONGRATS FELLOW 2009 GRADUATES, especially those at rutgers-newark!!

12 months & 9 days...

after reviewing my last post, it's abundantly clear that i did not keep my new year's resolution. it appears i averaged a meager one post during the calendar year. there's no denying the piss poor effort put forth towards my blog and my blatant neglect. i think i will resurrect the banner of averaging a post a month for 2009... roughly one & a third post per month... definitely feasible.

before touching on the big three, i want to first welcome my sister to the blogosphere. her musings, which are exponentially more entertaining than mine can be found at deep but not too deep thought. she has a bit of free time on her hands when she's at work, and constantly talks about food. the ironic thing is she's slender like me, but talks about food like she was twice as big. AND she's quite opinionated... TRUST, this i can definitely attest to... i've known the varying opinions had over the course of her 20+ years... so, stop over for a chuckle... or to see if there's any semblance (aside from aesthetic) between us.

THE BIG THREE...

the most recent development of the big three is my living situation. i've crossed another river, this time the east, for the city. yes, after years in bk & jersey city, i have become a resident of the upper west side. it still seems a little weird to say. i wouldn't have necessarily considered myself a manhattanite, let alone an uws-er. after departing brooklyn (less than idealistic roommate situation), i temporarily set up shop on the uws. needless to say, it grew on me... similar to the taste of beer. commuting to work has been easier, easier commute to weekend activities, closer proximity to fam/friends, AND friends with bartenders at a few local watering holes. although not brooklyn, the neighborhood has its own unique charm & characteristics.

like my first apt in brooklyn, i'm living alone again... gonna take a break from quirky roommates & pets that don't bark. though far from a penthouse and not as large as my first apt... it exponentially larger than most i viewed. housewarming to come... still got a few boxes to unpack, & gotta figure out the logistics.

employment is relatively the same... i'm still in administration, though the individual that brought me in has since departed, as have a number of others. it is still one of the most "interesting" experiences i've had. i was chatting with someone the other day, and she marvelously articulated my same sentiment... "i loved my beat at one point, but then got very worn down and jaded at the end. i think that's sad b/c we're both young and idealistic. but then you see the shit that happens up close and it makes you cynical." some days are better than others, but that's everywhere...

love/relationship... musings & fodder for another post and another day... suffice to say... the more things change, the more they stay the same.

the most noteworthy event to transpire in the past 12 months & 9 days, has been the historic election of this country's first black president; Barack Hussein Obama II, former junior senator from illinois, assumed office january 20, 2009.

there are a multitude of things to blog about, musings, conversations, details, etc... some have transpired and others have yet to occur. let's see if i can do better and average AT LEAST a post a month.

here's to further relinquishing of thoughts!

cheers!

23 months...

it has been 23 months since i last posted on this blog. it, like many others had been relegated to a state of lifelessness because no one (namely me) hasn't put forth the time, energy, or effort to take it off life support. alas, one of my new year's resolutions was to breathe life back into my blog and to post AT LEAST once a month. the fact that my first post is in latter part of march shows how well, i'm doing... but i figure an average of 12 posts will be just as good.

much has transpired in the last 23 months. so much in fact that it is difficult to know where to begin with my musings. i guess the BIG three is as good a place to begin as any. the BIG three as defined by a new yorker and three of her girlfriends in a popular, expired series are job, apartment, & love/relationship.

the living situation has changed a bit in the last 23 months... moving back across the hudson river into brooklyn. these days, i lay my head in prospect heights. i am a subway stop away from my first apartment in brooklyn, three blocks from my mother's apartment in brooklyn (25+ years ago), and walking distance to my uncle. it is a wonderful neighborhood with a wonderful assortment of restaurant, bars, etc. definitely enjoy wakin' up & having leisurely days in brooklyn. the actual apartment situation... well, that's a little bit more "interesting". 23 months ago, i roomed with my best friend. [sidebar: he has sense moved to atlanta and will be finishing up his masters degree in architecture this spring] now, i live with a friend of a friend. our mutual friend deserted her room for atlanta... it was around the same time i was looking for a place in brooklyn... so it worked out. the biggest adjustment hasn't been living with a female, but individual quirks. definitely came to the realization that i'm not rooming with best friend any more. needless to say, after a few incidents... there's a bit of tension in the apt., though. kinda like a college roommate who you live with but wouldn't necessarily select them to be a roommate if you had a choice.

love/relationship... that's a subject for another blog. suffice to say... things have changed over the last 23 months. i have recently been brought over to the dark side one whom i dubbed "the thief of innocence."

employment has changed in the last 23 months as well. i left the council about 19 months ago to join a recently elected mayor in his newly formed administration. i was brought on by the person whom he selected to be his number two. it has been one of the most interesting experiences i have had, and probably ever will have. it will more than likely provide ample fodder for my musings. i accepted the offer to serve in the administration for a number of reasons... namely, the opportunity to assist in the transformation of an urban city from within government. though i've been in government for the past 19 months, things have changed significantly...

aside from the BIG three, there are a multitude of other things that have occurred over the last 23 months and are still occurring. essentially, there is much to blog about, including details glanced over...

i welcome the return to the university... let the musings begin.

Let the ‘Starchitects’ Work All the Angles - critique

a decent article analyzing the role of star architects in the shaping of today's built environment. however, the writer needs to get a bit more informed. he seems to implicitly say that this new luxury skyscraper built by jean nouvel has more meaning and value than calatrava's transportation center at wtc. absurd!

a) he claims the station will only serve the PATH and one subway line. that is false. when fully complete it will be the centerpiece in an underground network that will connect the PATH and all fulton street station lines as well as pedestrian access to the ferry and world financial center.

b) although expensive as hell, the architecture has meaning as this sculptural piece of architecture represents the mystical pheonix rising from the ashses (how fitting for the wtc site) not to mention he takes many efforts to get light all the way to the train platforms. take 2 minutes and list how many platforms you have waited for a train on and been able to see natural light. not to mention people of all socioecomonic backgrounds will be able to experience this great architecture.

who is experiencing this luxurious tower on 54th st by jean nouvel?? i wonder.......

ok i am done with my diatribe. its your [natty nerd] fault for sending the article.

- charette

The Day History was Squandered

5/24/06

I always knew that the media, particularly the news and newspapers, was basically a vehicle for delivering depressing news and nonsense constantly overshadowing the good that actually occurs in this world. However today that feeling resonated tenfold. The media missed the mark by a long shot today. I realized this as I sat with my coworker in the conference room while we were eating lunch. He was going through his typical lunchtime routine of perusing and skimming articles throughout the paper and bitching and moaning to his live audience. And today he noted that the opening of 7 World Trade Center was on the second page of the Star Ledger as opposed to the front. And of course ¾ of the front page, mostly a photo, was dedicated to the tragedy and grief of the mourning of two young children who were mowed over by a hit and run vehicle in Roselle. The vehicle knocked the children right out of their mother’s arms. She lived. They died. And that was ¾ of our front-page news in New Jersey.

Of course Victor bitched about this, but this time his bitching struck a chord, and immediately I had two thoughts. One. I needed to get to 7 WTC and document this history with some photos. Two. I needed to see just how many papers squandered this opportunity at history…good history. As I ventured out of my apartment building to head over to Lower Manhattan I stopped at the deli in our building and looked at the front page of all the papers. I also looked at the front page of every paper at the Hudson Newsstand in the World Trade Center PATH station. A grand total of ONE newspaper had the opening of 7 WTC on the front page. ONE! And to add insult to injury the text in that article barely talked about the significance of the 7 WTC opening. It harped on about the Deutsche Bank building to the south of the WTC site, and how its toxic contents and human remains that have been found throughout the building’s deconstruction have cast a shadow over the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. I wanted to throw up. Even the New York Times didn’t document this history on its front page!

So what was the missed opportunity and what does the opening of 7 WTC mean?

This building is the first building to be built at the World Trade Center since the 9/11 attacks almost 5 years ago. 9/11/2001 was the worst terrorist attack on American soil and it obliterated every building that was a part of the World Trade Center. The attacks left a void literally and figuratively in Lower Manhattan and in America as well. But instead of bowing down in the darkest moment of our history, we rose, looked the enemy in the eye and vowed that no attack would eliminate the resolve of our country. We promised we would bounce back and build again. And guess what? We are doing it!! The construction and opening of 7 WTC sends a clear message. You cut me down and not only did I grow back… I grew back stronger! The original 7 WTC was 47 stories tall and not the most handsome building. The new 7 WTC is a sleek composition of glass and steel that soars 57 stories. The building has set trends with regards to security design standards for high-rise buildings, and it is going for a coveted LEED certification, which designates its status as an environmentally considerate building. And even if folks think the new building is a piece of garbage, that still should not diminish the significance of this building rising from the ashes and rubble of the 9/11 attacks and showing the power and resolve of New York City and America. Somebody please tell me how in the hell this did not make the front page of our local papers. Today was truly a missed opportunity by the media in the history of our country.

--The Most Noble

confidence: shaken, not stirred

i'd like to say i was stricken by a desire to write from something profound, such as a book or a lecture; however, this was not the case this evening. it was a television show that i had heard about, but not yet watched. for some reason, i found the premise of a particular episode, eerily relevant... first the show, then the eerily relevant subtext that caused me to finally sit down and write...

the show, love monkey, has essentially the same premise as the movie brown sugar. record label ex leaves the corporate structure for an indie label... "for the music"... sounds alturistic and all, right? well, mix in an entourage-like group of friends. each fairly established in his respective career... all taking place in the greatest city on earth... sounds a little cheesy, but it's actually intelligently written (in my humble opinion)... i caught a few episodes, and think it may be added to my dvr list.

the particular episode, that caused me to blog dealt with a character's confidence, his swagger... when you have it, you know... and what's more, other's know. it could be something small... such as the way you wear your hat, or your style of clothes... it may even be more subtle, such as one's mere presence; you notice them in a room.

typically, i would consider myself confident... and from what i am told, it comes out in my activities... even when i don't realize it... for instance, i have been told that it comes out when i play softball & run the bases... or when i'm playing football in my league. there are some days when i feel that confidence... i walk a little more upright, and feel a little taller. all that being said... recently, the confidence was shaken... didn't get a response i wanted from an institution of higher learning...

it's like birth...

although this child was no consummated in a woman's womb for 9 months before it's delivery... as a matter of fact, no woman, or test tube, was necessary for this birth... the only tools required were my fountain pen, a yellow legal pad, and a ton of ink... it's been weeks since the first drop of ink stained the yellow pad, and even before that, lots of ruminating about the process before birth was even a viable option. at that time, it was difficult to fathom the process being as long and drawn out as it was. i was talking to my father during the process, and he felt that it should be a cinch... however, being armed with too much knowledge could be more dangerous than not being armed with enough... although i much prefer the aforementioned to the latter... that by no means made my task simple, particularly since there were specific guidelines as to what the statement should be...

my first crack at it has been drastically altered... and i feel as if i've delivered a premie, for it is not completely out of the woods yet. although it is at a state where it is functioning. as this very moment, some of the best minds that i could conjure are giving their diagnoses of what it's gonna take to get past the premie stage. in a weird way, i actually feel kinda vulnerable by allowing others to preview the premie, but that's what's it's gonna take to get it to where it needs to be. as my "committee" makes their assessment, i figured i'd steal a few moments to jot down a couple of thoughts...

now, as with any newborn, it is calling me... i feel as if i must tend to it further...

early 2006 ruminations

five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes...

that is the number of minutes that concluded at the stroke of midnight of december 31, and simultaneously the number of minutes until the next stroke of midnight... where we move from one year to the next. i honestly didn't know how many minutes were in a year, for i never calculated it... however, i just came from rent... so think of that intro in the sing-songy manner that is the famous chorus of that movie...

[sidebar: rent is the movie that one of my friend's from college wanted to see upon her visit to new york. my roommate had seen it with his gf a few weeks previously, so he was in the clear. needless to say, yesterday proved unsuccessful, for the tkts booth was closed. this afternoon, went to tkts... but they had none. went to the actual theatre, but they were out as well. our last hope was the lottery. essentially, there are 34 tickets that are auctioned off in the front two rows of each show. each individual is able to put his name in ONLY once, and can request one or two tickets. after half an hour in the rain, three of us put our names in the drawing (fred put his name to increase our odds). there were probably about 150 - 200 people in the rain for the drawing. long story short... i am one of the winners of the lottery, and i get to purchase 2 $20 in the second row of RENT... and there is MORE... CMH, who lived in my first year dorm was in the production!!!]

as i enter the new year, i like to take inventory of what has transpired over the course of the past year, and try to make tentative plans for what i'd like to accomplish, improve, change in the forthcoming year.

at the risk of sounding like some made-for-television program that recaps the "year in review"... i'm gonna put a few a few things out there, that for some reason or another, are significant to me (please be cognizant of the fact that they are in no particular order):

1. my younger sister got engaged to a young man from the historic town of gettysburg, pa
2. my boss, whom i took for granted, departed from the company to move south with her husband. she also encouraged me to spread my wings, and let me in on the fact that she had been taking law classes & recently graduated from brooklyn law school and passed the ny/nj bar on her first try...
3. motivated by the fact that i am not enthralled with work and that while i enjoy publishing, it isn't the career path that i plan on staying on... i prepare and take the lsat
4. i go to multiple DRY weddings
5. my mother graduates with her master's in library information sciences
   

i honestly know not why these are the events jump out moreso than others... however, the list was only gonna contain five events & those are the first five. i'm sure that these five have had some sort of impact on who i am, and how i'll operate going forward. for instance... attending multiply dry weddings helped me come to the realization that i will NOT have one of my own. and if i have any say in my sister's wedding, she'll not have a dry wedding either.

as for the forthcoming year... it'll be one of change, which is exhilarating, but lends itself to uncertainty as well. come this fall, there's a very good chance that i may be relocating. i will also, if everything goes according to "plan", be leaving the workforce to return to the realm of academia... both of these contain an element of excitement, as well as nervousness. while i don't anticipate having much time to explore a new city, it'll be koowelle, nonetheless, to learn the lay of a new landscape... at the same time, i may realize that i abhor my new landscape and REALLY yearn the city. i've talked to a mentor/friend who has left the city... and she does miss it from time to time. as for school... what isn't enthralling about learning new exciting ways of thinking... and at the same time, what is?

as for tangible things, of course everyone wants to be more fit... whether that be eating a bit healthier, or visiting the gym an extra time or two. for me, it'll probably be a combo of both... i'd like to read more (of course this is before school begins). then, there is something that i've been workin' on for over the past twenty years... being nicer to my sister (luv you spunk!). trying to blog a few more times.

all in all, a new year is an opportunity to begin again more intelligently... to take the sum of what has been learned over the past years, and move forward... guess if i keep summing up all the years, i'll become wise one day... but in the interim, i'll have to take the little wisdom i have and combine it with the intelligence of others (especially those with a FEW more years of experience).

i wonder what i'll be saying after the next five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes...

step two

they always say that the first step is the most difficult one to take, which very well may be true... however, the second one shouldn't be taken for granted either. after my recent end of indolence, i was sure that all the subsequent steps would be a piece of cake...clearly, i was wrong... else i wouldn't be bloggin' on this topic. while the months of studying and the test did not leave me spent, i guess i kinda expected the culmination of the actual october 1st exam to be both liberating and a springboard towards completion of the process. in that regard, i was at least half correct. definitely was liberated... and tried to make up for all of the opportunities to imbibe that i passed up the past couple of months. now that i have adequately libated... i realize that i need to make some progressive steps towards my end goal... class of 2009!! during my temporary return to indolence, there were a couple of nudges toward progress, but none served to help me gain the necessary momentum. there was one of my best friends constantly asking about my progress (sidebar: theoretically, one can only have ONE best friend, however, in my realm of reasoning... which happens to govern this blog entry that i am writing... the term "best" will apply to the highest echelon of friends). she too had been through the process, and has actually served as my conscious... constantly reminding me what i ought to be doing... what a great friend, helping to keep me on track... there have also been a plethora of conversations that have transpired since the beginning of the process. while they may not deal directly with the process (except in the instance where specific schools were HIGHLY suggested), many were offers of assistance for helpin' me reach the end goal.

upon my most recent trip to tha D, i had the catalyst conversation that has propelled me to take the step two. i was talkin' with one of my mentors (who consequently will be writing a rec for me) about something totally unrelated to this process. essentially, he told me i was allowing myself to get f*#ked by not following up, and completing some paperwork for a legal matter that he also consulted me on... not for nothing, but that seemed to strike a cord...

regardless of what it took... i'm definitely glad that it transpired. for i'm now entrenched in the second step... and to that end, i've got applications to tend to...