Month: November 2015

Matt Harding, the guy who made such charming, hope-inducing videos of himself dancing around the world, like this one is back! (Here is me dancing with him in 2007.)

He’s set up a Kickstarter campaign here, and we can all contribute to his next trip. His video describing the project is very convincing. “We don’t have to be afraid of each other.” It’s like, two minutes, so watch it please. He has three places he definitely plans to go to—Iran, Ethiopia, Cuba—and the rest of the places will be selected by contributers.

Water bowls set up for dogs outside a bakery on Hudson Street. Cute.

I’m relaxing on the couch with Finney, working on my book (it makes me happy, even though it’s not a happy book). But here is Bleecker, in attack mode. Any second now he will jump up and any sense of peace will be shot. For the millionth time I will say to Finney, “I am so sorry for bringing the monster into the house.”

I can’t tell you how much I love John Oliver’s show Last Week Tonight. Some of the best journalism on television is happening on that show. Instead of 24 hour speculation about the election and terrorism he is researching important stories, stories that affect people who are being ignored otherwise, like the pieces about Payday loans, civil forfeiture, the prison system, the bail bond system, and tax-exempt religious organizations. Thank you John Oliver and everyone who works on this show.

A quote from his recent piece about this movement to bar Syrian refugees: “There was only one time in American history when the fear of refugees wiping everyone out did actually come true, and we’ll all be sitting around a table celebrating it on Thursday.”

The woman who makes stuffed pigeons. She always gets a nice crowd. So many people don’t like real pigeons, but they are attracted to the felt ones. She recently added a pizza rat.

It’s possible this place has been around for years, but I only just noticed it yesterday. It’s on Bleecker Street, about four or five blocks from my apartment. Were those real cupcakes, just sitting out on the street, where anyone could have grabbed one? Even if they weren’t real, a pretty faux cupcake would be worth taking as well. Just saying.

From time to time I hear people complain that Muslims do not denounce terrorists enough. Personally, I see and hear them denouncing all over the place practically all the time. It must depend on where you hang out, and what you read I guess.

I just saw this article about British Muslims who took out a full page ad denouncing the Paris attack. I love the picture of the boy at the beginning of the piece. If you tweet, search on #NotInMyName.

Thanksgiving is my day of rest but I often end up working because I love what I do, and for some reason, I love doing it even more on holidays!

Here are people lined up to get their turkeys at a butcher on Bleecker Street. Although that place has been a butcher shop going back to 1900, it’s been O. Ottomanelli & Sons since the 1940’s. It’s very popular, but I cry for the turkeys of course. They are such a friendly, social animal.