Breakfast at Baruch for me is just like breakfast anywhere else. It doesn’t exist. I do enjoy a hot beverage in the morning, no matter the weather. This morning in particular, I popped into My Way Cup (102 East 23rd st), which is known for their coffee, to pick up some tea. The reason being that they carry mighty tea. I had a craving for the Citrus Chamomile. Mighty Tea makes a particularly satisfying balanced blend that doesn’t prompt me to remove the bag the second it sinks into the water. It can hang in there as long as I feel like dwelling over my beverage in enjoyment. A well chosen alternative for their staple.
An unsearchable (via internet) deli, next door to Masjid Bab-Salam which is located at 3604 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224, is reselling goods exposed to Sandy. After telling volunteers that everything must be left at the store for the insurance adjusters and FEMA, store owner Mike, has restocked his shelves with the very items once jointly floating in the waters risen by the super storm. (more…)
OSHA has told sanitation workers to take it easy on lifting silt as cleanup efforts continue in Sea Gate. It looks like mystic fog from a distance but in truth it is the kind of nightmares. The air is contaminated in the area according to retired sanitation workers sharing information that wouldn’t necessarily be told to residents and home owners in the area. Just the same as information about the death toll came to the area long before anyone had electronic connection to the “outside world”.
One Cablevision repair team employee said “that is why I wear this mask, my boss said they don’t want to hear it if you have this and that. When I drive here (Sea Gate) there is a cloud behind my truck.”
Residents are using a logical approach so far by wearing masks outside of their homes, if they even have one anymore. Rain will help wash some of the floating danger in the air but it will more than likely re-flood basements. Occupational safety committees exist to protect those placed in such situations but who is protecting those that don’t clock out?
-Not the obvious structural devastation but more along the lines of physical – and mental- health deterioration. We cannot forget that the toll has not purely been on the land but on people as well. Aside from flooding there has been significant sewage back up, cross contamination and exposure to mixed fecal matter. Due to the increased number of donors – medical lingo for multiple people’s contribution, so to speak- the array of parasites, viruses and bacteria, this is bound to causes increased number of illnesses.
There are multiple health risks like Carbon monoxide exposure,
Infections and injuries from floodwaters, mold, hypothermia, contaminated drinking water, spoiled food, and Exacerbation of previous chronic health conditions as discussed on CNN.To see some factors and precautionary measures to take, please visit the Tri-County Health Department of Greenwood Village, Colorado website.
Billions of dollars in structural damage to facilities that would address the sick have been put out of commission and/ or deemed inaccessible for emergency services or limited to outpatient services such as NYU Langone, Bellevue and Coney Island Hospital. Click here for a specific example.
The extent of injuries to the body and mind are yet to be determined and it doesn’t look bright.
Along with just about everyone having sort of a psychological breakdown due to super-storm Sandy there are residual problems, like voting accessibility, coming to light. Polling sites are being moved around and administrators are learning about the new changes imposed on procedure just the night before Election Day. As the sites are being maneuvered, despite extreme gas shortages, the new locations have incurred damage (especially damaged sockets) and are, nearly to completely, unusable. Delays in opening have exceeded several hours and supply shortages are causing more aggravation to fickle sanity in such a fragile time.
Many of the affected areas are poor neighborhoods with lack of resources to begin with. The election is tight and the inability to vote will widen the victory gap as it is likely that neighborhoods hold united position. The direction is unclear so far. Email voting has been extended to some resident and workers in the area. It doesn’t make much sense as there is no power in many areas let alone internet, phone and fax. It seems that it is a process which will require more trouble than an actual poll, if there even is a functioning one around. The waits are very long causing the suffering people to just quit and focus on the recovery.
As I have finally managed to escape Sea Gate, Brooklyn, (Zone A) I have come to realize that there has been little to no presence of city authorities there after landfall of super-storm Sandy. All of the police and medical presence was private Hatzolah and soon Sea Gate authorities followed by NYPD, Thursday morning. It is now Saturday and I have been dragged out by loving arms to thaw out in Bath Beach.
After the first high tide of the day came around the corner and over the breaker walls at 8 am on Monday October 29, 2012, the debate of whether to leave began to swirl in parallel with the storm. After making a logical argument about the situation and convincing my family and some neighbors to leave, I wound up staying in the area, just further from the coastline, as far from the coast as you could be, in fact.
There was a sudden fear that struck me about turning off the electricity at my home. I flew off of the chair I was peacefully planted in playing Rummikub for the few hours before Sandy swallowed our lives. As fast as my feet could carry me, wheezing, I ripped through my front door and slid down the basement stairs, catching myself on the banister. The sound of my screaming at my brother to leave was cut in half by the closing front door. It was over; there was no more time to escape. The solid thumping of my boots against the street became a silencing sloshing river of sewage, loose bricks, branches and the beginnings of torn awnings and porches within minutes.
The water level rose faster than I could run. Isabelle, the girl whose house I had come from, was being pulled by me and pushed the fear. Autopilot had set in. I dragged her with me, like runners shoulder to shoulder, momentum, crushing her fingers in the attempt to hold on to her. The water filled our boots and we struggled to turn off of the street into her home. I ran down to her basement to turn off her power main and the basement doors flew off the hinges from the pressure. Tripping over the elliptical, sitting dead center, I felt nothing due to the adrenaline. I climbed back to the first floor, threw off all my clothes and ran upstairs wearing a make shift outfit made out of a sweater.
People were making a last attempt to get out and the cars began to moan in their slow drowning. The older cars would moan until they were muffled by the water and you could see the head lights sinking like shiny coins until they were no more. The newer cars would pop the trunk and windows, going all the quicker. The cars began to float and the poles began to bow to Mother in obedience. Dogs and children appeared to float above the water but they were perched on the shoulders of adults, ceilings had collapsed and water was gurgling toward and through the first floors. The arms of the Atlantic were rearranging the Lego-like coast line but we wouldn’t know how badly until morning. There was Rum-mikub and the grand finally for the evening was Valerian root wrapped in crumbs of hope and each others arms.
Upon entering Emperor Japanese (96 Bowery St, NYC) I got the feeling of a very homey and even communal experience, in a good way. This place is not ragged or run down like most small mom-and-pop joints I have, for various reasons, landed in. There is a certain hustle and bustle, humming with indecipherable conversations all around.
One menu is handed to each group. Going green? Probably not. I was not bothered by this, however, those that intend on ordering less or not sharing the bill might be, as unconsumed orders are charged extra, per lb. You can always order more though, so take it easy.
Each diner is seated by an electric hot plate which will hold the broth of their choice (see menu) at their desired temperature. Patrons use a slotted ladle to submerge the various raw proteins and vegetables into the flavored broth, to be cooked. The menu is varied from what most people would consider “regular” to “exotic”, from Chicken to Pig Blood.
I had Shrimp (whole, shell on), sliced chicken, sliced beef, fish tofu, fried tofu, chicken dumplings, Bok Choy, Bean Sprouts and Green Tea. To accompany them I chose the spicy Szechuan broth, soy sauce with scallion, Hoisin sauce and sweet chili sauce. There is an empty bowl and white rice provided if you choose to drink the broth. Everything was very flavorful except the broth. It was spicy, which should be obvious by the name, but lacked depth, was under seasoned and especially deprived of salt.
The experience is interactive and personalized. I found the price to be reasonable but not cheap and assume they make bank in the winter time. If you are prepared to smell like multiple types of food to please your eyes and belly then I recommend you pay them a visit (easily accessible by MTA: B,D,N,Q,J,Z and M15,M22,M103).
I don’t believe in being forced to choose between great things. This is why I don’t have a favorite type of cuisine or even a favorite food. Maybe there is a different way to look at this, perhaps from a vehicular stand point.
In warmer weather I will still enjoy soup, although it will probably be a cold one and few and far between. The sunshine, availability of various fresh ripe produce, and access to grilling will make me crave just that- grilled food. Whether you are an Omnivore or have limitations to your dining habits the grill works for just about anyone and anything from salad to seafood to meat.
Another great vehicle is Bread/ Dough. This encompasses Pizza, Sandwiches (Various Bread), Panini, Wraps, Tacos, Burritos, Gyros, Crepes, Tarts and the like. The possibilities are virtually endless. Whether they are served hot, cold, open, closed, folded, rolled, sweet, savory, with various texture (such as crunchy and soft) or not, it is a canvas, a vehicle sure to please and open to any and all cultural interpretations. The fillings will be the varying factor, this vehicle is good year round.
You can lean one way more than another but I definitely encourage a limitless outlook. If you have access to various foods and styles of preparation then try to enjoy them all for their own particular value in your eyes. Today may be chinese take out and tomorrow, crepes with fresh blueberry filling. Why? Because you can enjoy both without having to choose.
They meet, they get along, they conquer the universe…or so I thought.
At first I thought I had signed myself up for a terribly predictable film about life as a teenager. There was a character for each role to fit a general spectrum of personalities. Perhaps it had labeled itself as an Indie movie and managed to land in many mainstream theaters as a marketing strategy, after all, being Indie is- ironically– cool.
Charlie (Logan Lerman), the main character enters high school as a quite yet far from shy young boy who is quickly taken up by Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller). They introduce him to a world he enters excitedly but treads very neutrally from the outside appearance.
The film is very intelligent as it is certainly less about when and where and more of why and how. The director weaves you through a range of emotions that leaves you feeling enlightened rather than “happy” or “sad”.
Though be it through Charlie’s eyes and through everyone’s personal triumphs and tragedies, the film succeeds in showing us how important support from other people is, mainly stating that it is possible to call things by their proper names without “labeling” them. A popular example of this would be the mistake of equating a house with a home. Evaluating things individually and in context is ideal.
Lines that express the style of the film:
Patrick: It’s too bad you’re not gay. Then again, if you were gay, I would never date you. You’re a mess.
Charlie: You know Patrick? If I were gay, I’d want to date you:
Patrick: Of course.
All that happens in this conversation is Charlie and Patrick are saying they love each other. There are many statements and events through the film which do just this.
Overall Perks is very “Juno” with less specificity to time and place. A very rich, deep film about how we grow as individuals and deal with what comes our way, whether by choice or circumstance. You’ll have to watch the film to see what I mean.
The Piano Tuner is a French Thriller Short by Olivier Treiner about a failed musical genius that ends up working as a tuner. His boss is not happy with the plan he devises to become at least successful at this, but his bookings have doubled within one month. The clients tip better, treat him especially well and are more open with their private lives. His boss reluctantly allows him to proceed, however, sometimes the solution can easily become the problem…He has to tune what happens with the piano he is tuning.
The story is very well written, concise and well cast. The premise of the story is simple but the execution is refined, detailed – Brilliant! It contains just the right amount of suspense and type of music not to be over the top, the pace is perfect. Within such a short amount of time the films is able to touch upon so many subjects within the bigger story.
This film fits as close as two sheets of paper laying against each other into my favorite genre: Cerebral Foreign Films. A French produced, French language, thought provoking, intellectually stimulating film with a deep lesson to top it off.
The first 45 seconds are not necessary. Watching the film several times was the only way to notice that this beginning snippet does not add anything nor subtract so it is useless. L’accordeur is worth watching, no doubt.
