Spike Lee = Showcase

I chose my topic to be the cultural importance of how Spike Lee portrays Brooklyn because his movies were my first introduction to New York City, specifically Brooklyn. When I first came to Brooklyn, I thought there would be nothing but Brownstones lining the block, with their renters sitting on the stoops, playing games, just like Lee’s movies. But to my surprise, at least in my neighborhood, there are almost no Brownstones, only apartments and houses. I’ve also learned that now, the people who live in neighborhoods with Brownstones (like Fort Greene) are now noted as “rich” while Lee’s movies depicted the characters as lower middle class.

I find the fantasy of what people outside of New York City think New York City and/or Brooklyn actually is to be really interesting. As a child hearing about New York City and watching these movies made New York seem like the best place to live (without mentioning the expensive cost of living there). From my experience so far, living in New York City can be a great thing – just like the movies, as long as you have pockets full of cash. This showcase is also of importance because I searched and really didn’t find any articles that touched on this topic at all. The only articles I found on Spike Lee were of his controversial comments such as how upset he was that “Driving Miss Daisy” won over “Do The Right Thing” for an Oscar.

So far, besides examining his movies that are based in Brooklyn such as “Crooklyn” and “Do The Right Thing”, I don’t know what else would be satisfactory for the project besides reaching out to people who were part of the movies and ask how they felt about it’s importance then and now. I could even try to reach out to Lee himself, he may be up for an interview.

Entertainment Tonight: The candidates in NYS gubernatorial race you can’t help but laugh at

In the past few years, New York has not had good luck when it comes to governors. For some reason, the people who take office are supposed to be of a higher kind, the kind that don’t have affairs with prostitutes (Spitzer), threaten a woman not to testify on the man who is abusing her because he is connected to someone of power (Paterson) and allow the state to almost freeze because there is no budget (again, Paterson). But after November 4, (hopefully) those days will be far behind us. This time around, we need a model citizen, someone who will do what it is they are supposed to do: their elected job of governing New York and not be a faulty person that dabbles in misfortune.

This year, we have few candidates that seem to fit that bill. Candidates need to show themselves in a serious, can-do manner rather than lower themselves to controversy or making a serious issue comical. Two candidates that do just that are Carl Paladino, who was never taught at times is stuck in third grade when making an argument and Jimmy McMillan, who is saying the rent is too high, will most likely never be taken seriously. This time around, will New York have a straight shooter for a governor?

The candidate who has been making the most noise (and not in a good way) is Carl Paladino. Paladino is a Republican who’s candidacy is supported by the Tea Party Movement. His platform emphasizes fiscal reform and improvement of the states education system. Two things New York needs desperately, but two things he is not known for speaking about. I did not know those were the things he stood for until I googled him and found his Wikipedia page. All I’ve seen and heard of him are remarks about gays and him whining about people attacking him and not Andrew Cuomo. Since I’ve only heard and seen him speak on unimportant issues and not what he plans to do if he is elected, I’d say his chances of winning are 40 percent.

If Paladino’s theatrics weren’t enough, the afternoon pick-me-up of Jimmy McMillan emerged just weeks ago. McMillan is part of the ‘Rent is 2 damn high party, and has actually run for office six times before. He has ran for mayor as an independent in 1993, then governor in 1994 and mayor again in 2005 and 2009. Besides being connected to money, politics or putting hard work into something else besides climbing the Brooklyn Bridge or walking from Brooklyn to Buffalo, he continually comes up short with collecting enough signatures to just be on the ballot. Besides the fact that many agree ‘rent is too damn high,’ McMillan’s tactics for getting the vote are comical at best and can’t be taken seriously just like the video below of him promoting his party. His chances of winning are lower than Palandino’s: 20 percent.

Testing…Testing…1..2..3

Crash Into Me: The Dangers of Cycling

Besides the fun and exercise each of the different types of cycling — transport, recreation and competition — can bring, there are many hazards a rider has must be aware of in order to protect their quality of cycling and life.

Whether going to work, school or shopping, transportation riders are economically sound by not paying at the pump or having to hand over the cash for any other expenses a driver of a car must pay. They are also environmentally sound since pollutants are reduced when riding rather than driving. Transportation biking is especially important when living in a big city for reducing economical and environmental factors, but more hazards may arise than usual when riding in a big city. Usually a rider may be in near the car traffic or on the sidewalk, mixed in with a crowd of people. A rider must watch out for cars that may speed by, cut them off or worse, hit them. Learn more about safety precautions a transportation rider must take from Hudson Valley riders Ken and Sharon Roberts here.

Competition cyclers must have the most stamina with rides lasting several hours or longer following a path that will eventually lead to victory and rest. This type of cycler must have the most bike handling skills to take on winding roads and dodge riders. There can be serious accidents when cyclers crash and sometimes when photographers over-reach their boundaries for their photos. Read what cycler Robbie McEwen ran into when he was in a cycling competition from the L.A. Times here.

The cycler with the least bit of worries for crashes or collisions is the recreational cycler. Recreation cyclers can explore their neighborhood, whether old or new at their own pace. Recreational cycling is also a non-threating, social experience where few ride together to reach their destination instead of many out to win a race. Recreational cyclers also have the advantage of being able to go off-road and not have to worry about the dangers of riding near cars or being in busy traffic. If recreational cycling is done at least two or three times a week there are also great health benefits with the exercise from riding and enjoyment that can be felt mentally or emotionally. It’s important to note that recreational riders must be aware of the dangers of riding at night also, especially on their way back home. To learn more about how to protect yourself at night visit commute by bike, here.

Also, if you ride your bicycle in traffic, read how to stay safe in traffic here.

Planting one million trees is the newest goal for NYC

With all the skyscrapers, super tall apartment buildings and asphalt roads built in between to reach them, one would think the concrete jungle of New York City would have no room for the ambitious goal of planting one million trees.

MillionTreesNYC is a citywide initiative program aimed at planting one million new trees across the City’s five boroughs over the next decade. According to MillionTreesNYC, they believe New York City can increase its urban forest – street trees, park trees and trees on public and private land by 20% not only for the scenery but for the benefits that come from an increased amount of trees such as cleaning up the air from pollutants and bring shade and cool air during the hot summer days.

The plan is to plant 60% of trees in parks and other public areas while the remaining 40% will come from private organizations, homeowners and community organizations. That breaks down to an estimated 220,000 park/street trees, 380,000 parks (reforestation), other agencies and zoning regulations and 400,000 private partners.

The Parks Department has established six neighborhoods that need trees the most dubbing them Trees for Public Health (TPH) because they have fewer than average trees and higher than average rates of asthma among young people. The six Trees for Public Health Neighborhoods include Hunts Point and Morrisania of the Bronx, East New York of Brooklyn, East Harlem of Manhattan, Rockaways of Queens and Stapleton of Staten Island.

Besides the neighborhoods in need, the Parks Department also plans on planting some of the trees through individual requests, block planting, automatic tree replacement and greenstreets — which are garden areas in median strips and traffic triangles filled with trees and flowers.

For the community based tree planting, New York Restoration Project (NYRP) and non-profit partners will plant trees on public yards such as schoolyards, public housing campuses, libraries, community health centers, and senior centers. The funding for these trees will come from private donations.

NYRP will also set specific tree planting goals with developers by meeting with commercial and residential developers, architects and landscape designers. New regulations have also been proposed that require the planting trees in new developments, major enlargements or conversions throughout all residential and commercial areas within the city.

Public education campaigns will be introduced by the Parks Department and NYRP to homeowners highlighting economic and health benefits associated with planting trees. There will be tree planting workshops, community-based stewardship networks, chances to participate in volunteer tree planting days and registering their newly planted trees online.

If you wish to get involved in MillionTreesNYC plan, there are many ways. To have a tree planted on a street, you can request a street tree or tree planting permit from the NYC Parks Department, plant a tree in your own yard or community, volunteer to participate in a neighborhood tree planting or stewardship day, become part of the Stewardship Corps and adopt a tree in your neighborhood, learn how to properly plant, water, mulch and prune trees or make a donation to support tree planting.

For tips on how to get your child involved, click here.
If you want to learn how to plant a tree yourself click here.

Information from http://www.milliontreesnyc.org

photos from gothamist.com, washingtonsquarepark.wordpress.com and gallery.hd.org.

Labor Day, Hooray!

Although this past Labor Day weekend was officially my second while living in New York City, it was my first time experiencing the Caribbean Day Parade. The parade was held at Eastern Parkway and Utica Avenue right off of the last 4-train stop. Lucky me, my sister was in town and she rented a car! Seeing the street from above the underground tunnels of the subway was a treat that I won’t be able to experience again until I have the big bucks for a car and insurance.

Since New York City is the place where they think everyone knows exactly where everything is and how to get there, I couldn’t find an address to put in my GPS to find the exact spot of the parade and a good place to park the day before. I asked a friend who is a native New Yorker, where the parade would be held (Eastern Parkway and Utica Avenue) and fortunately the GPS was familiar with cross streets! So off we were in search of the area near the parade and then a place to park.

A few days before, many people told me “You have to get there early to get a parking spot,” meaning 10 am or earlier and we hadn’t left until around 11 am. Because parades can be crowded and do disrupt traffic, I secretly feared it would be hard to find parking and we would end up doing so much time doing that. As we came close to where the parade was held, I forgot about the parking for a few minutes because I was in awe of all the parade goers with flags wrapped around their shoulders like Superman, paint all over their body, glitter all over the girl’s bodies and intricate masquerade outfits. Seeing how proud they were with their flags and outfits made me think of how hard it must be to leave your home country in search of better opportunities but how great it is to be able to proudly and freely display their heritage in their new home.

In the car, we followed the crowd and found a Rite-Aid with an empty parking lot and Dollar Vans that had their music blaring. To cover the real reason why we were parking in their lot, we went inside, looked around the store for about ten minutes and ended up buying some snacks for less than five dollars. As we walked out of Rite-Aid, we headed toward the sidewalk not knowing which direction to go. There were people who looked like they were going to the parade walking left and right, not giving us a good idea of who to follow or which way to go. We decided to walk right and after 3 blocks realized it was the wrong way. We turned around, passed Rite-Aid again and it started to feel like we were getting warmer. Vendors were up and down the sidewalks selling memorabilia, ethnic food and parade essentials like umbrellas and flags.

We finally approached the street with barricades and hundreds of people standing behind them and knew this was it. We were one row behind the barricade with a decent view. The parade didn’t start on time and began with about six campaigners and their posse of supporters holding posters and handing out pamphlets. That was pretty boring to see but hopefully they bought a spot in the parade and of course they’ve got to get the word out. The parade finally began with masqueraders and ginormous floats with music bumping so hard and loud I felt it in my chest. After an hour of standing in the sun, the parade suddenly felt ruining and not exciting by all the people who decided to jump the barricades and stand in the streets thus blocking the masqueraders and ruining the show. Around 1:30 pm we decided to leave and head out to our next Labor Day adventure.

Read about the parade here and here.

The famous Brooklynite Jay and his wife Bey on vacay

Maybe that was too much rhyming up there, but it worked!
Anyway, Jay-Z and Beyonce are on vacation in one of their favorite spots, Saint Tropez, soaking up the sun and getting some relaxation time logged in. Although Beyonce’s ensemble is busy, it works very well, especially next to Jay’s white shirt and colorful swim trunks. According to The Fashion Bomb, Beyonce is wearing a Dries Van Noten Top and Boxing Kitten shorts.

photo via Bauer Griffin

Patricia Field fights for SATC 2

Patricia Field is defending her high-gloss movie from critics who claim it was basically terrible.
Read the rest at US Weekly.

SATC 2 Friday Night

Ok, so last Friday, my friend Vanessa, her two sisters and their two friends went to see the girls of Sex and the City 2. I enjoyed myself while watching the movie (besides the lady constantly kicking the back of my seat). There was fashion, jokes and drama. The movie and girls for me seem to have the fantasy life of all the Christian Louboutin and the best apartments and events New York City (and now Abu Dabi) have to offer.

Overall, the movie was entertaining and a good sequel to the first edition of a great series.

Willy Verginer Wooden Sculpture

Isn’t this cool?

Via Trendland.