Short List of Least Fave Words

by be.aaron, copywriter extraordinaire

pedagogy

sputum

mucilage (sounds sputum-like)

friggin’

(is this last word OK for internet use?)

FREE Ad

by be.aaron, copywriter extraordinaire

I visited Eisenberg’s today for the first time in a few years– I once was privileged to be a regular– and I just have to tell the world: it’s still the best sandwich joint on the entire island of Manhattan.

If it’s a Friday, get the shrimp salad, otherwise it’s got to be tuna, as every regular knows. Don’t be afraid to ask for extra pickles. Enjoy the free gas.

Werner Herzog is Truly Curious

by betsy aaron

Yesterday I saw “The Dark Knight” but perhaps since I am not a geek, er, avid fan of The Batman oeuvre, I found it a bit muddled: compelling when The Joker was on the scene, boring whenever there was what felt like extended action sequences, you know the car chases and stuff for boys.

The benefit of summertime under-employment is the afternoon movie w/ a.c., small popcorn and a diet coke so today, for the sake of contrast, I saw Werner Herzog’s new documentary about the Antarctic.

If you spend a few minutes on my blog you’ll notice that I ask a lot of questions –but Werner Herzog’s are way better. For example, he asks why chimps, with their superior intelligence, don’t use lesser animals, like the goat, for transportation.

The documentary is so filled with spectacular images and sounds and compassionate interviews that, despite his conclusion that our species is certain to cause its own extinction, you leave the theater with a feeling of joy and wonder. Unlike “The Dark Knight,” nights in Antarctica are filled with light and populated with characters who are intelligent, entertaining, and with the exception of the penguin expert, articulate and engaging storytellers.

If your summer movie money is limited, I say ditch Gotham and head for the South Pole.

Question of the Day

by betsy aaron

Do you meet more people who could be cuckoo — or do you just have more experience?

Nothin’ Doin’

by Carole Jardins, Guest Editor/cultural anthropologist,horticulturalist/photo journalist

I am fortunate to live in a neighborhood that has funeral homes which, according to those-in-the know, have never held a funeral. Around the corner from me, there is a shoe-shine shop that is sometimes open but never has customers and a few blocks away there’s an an ice-cream parlor which lists tantalizing flavors in its window but once inside, you’ll notice there’s no product to scoop. It sounds like a ghost town but it’s populated by delightful old people and happy young families. My occupation is to walk the streets each day and enjoy life here.

The copywriter extraordinaire is off, doin’ nothin’.

Miraculous

by Carole Jardins, Guest Editor/cultural anthropologist/horticulturalist/photo journalist

Bathing Beauty

Peeves

by be. aaron

-Men dressed entirely in black, with the exception of the tossed-on-without-calculation T-shirt and jeans, especially when worn by salesmen. Get with it: this uniform is reserved solely for use by women.

- Visual clutter: too many product labels in the bathroom.

- Unless you are a friend, or that cute guy who just rode past on his bike, greeting me with “Hey” instead of “Hi.” (See “Sign O’ The Times” Spiel for more on this topic.)

-Tip assault. Can the ubiquitous cup! You can’t all be on my payroll.

-Poor e-mail etiquette, again, unless you are a friend, in which case,all is forgiven.

-Overly iced drinks.

-Bottles or jars that are too hard to open.

-Seductive, expensive cosmetics that I have to throw out because they’ve made my face blow up like a tomato that’s ripened after a season of too much rain.

-People whose actions do not align with their words.

-The male mani/pedi. Find another place to chill. Call me sexist but, like the black uniform, this is a right reserved for women.

-Premature plate removal. Yes, I am going to eat that parsley garnish.

-Holidays. I don’t like federally mandated observances and I hate a day without mail, even if it’s junk.

Thank you. I feel better now.

The Definition of Generosity: Olafur Eliasson

by be.aaron

He gives you experience: put your eyes inside the color blue, participate in a parade of monochromatic people, watch rain drops sparkle and freeze, suspended mid-flight.

Also, if you are severely grumpy, returning home after a long day of air travel, and you are driving down the FDR to Brooklyn, his Waterfalls will make both you and your crabby cabbie smile.

Don’t miss the East River installations, the pacifist alternative to militaristic fireworks.