Michael Twitty (@koshersoul) is a fascinating man I would love to share a Pesach (Passover) seder with. We could trade stories – Michael, of what being a Black Jew celebrity chef is all about … while I would tell about running my mother’s Chinese takeaway restaurant and Asian grocery store in downtown Tel Aviv. From her hospital bed, Mom said if I kept alive the business she loved so much, she felt she could win the battle to regain her health. Whatever I did or didn’t do, those who loved that vivacious wonder enjoyed Mom’s company for almost another decade after that. Mom was Israeli and my Dad is Chinese.
2 Dutch ladies in their 70s take their first flight – delightful!
I put off watching this video … because … 10 minutes! But I’m glad I made time for it, this is such a treasure. An & Ria’s 1st flight – at age 70! How they prepare for the big event is delightful and how much they enjoy the voyage from the Netherlands to Barcelona in a private jet … Well, it has to be seen to be enjoyed.
Spoken word artist stops show with ‘The Average Black Girl’
Ernestine Johnson is glorious in her spoken word performance of ‘The Average Black Girl’ on the Arsenio Hall Show.
Ernestine recounts when boyfriend’s mother told her she was acceptable because she’s not ‘The Average Black Girl’ … and she’s told she’s not ‘The Average Black Girl’ because “When I speak, I pronounce every syllable.” But Ms. Johnson interprets this label in a very different way.
Giving up our fantasy addiction is how we will make life good
This 8 minute film shows us the value of being alive at a time when communication is possible on a scale never before experienced. Yet, while the world is being destroyed and monetized we pay more attention to our screens than everything else around us.
But, we are not in a movie where everything is decided in advance. In real life, WE write the script. Let’s give up our addiction to fantasies that are being fed us and script our own … beautiful future … together. All power to the people!
Black History Month in Film @ Nyack Village Theatre
Nyack Village Theatre celebrates Black History Month in Film. The theatre is located upstairs at 94 Main Street in the historic Woolworth Way, built in 1905 and today presenting film, music, theatre, dance and poetry in an intimate 49 seat space in the heart of Nyack.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6th – 8:00pm
“Hidden Colors” – The Untold History of People of Aboriginal, Moor and African Descent
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7th 7:30pm
“Cabin in The Sky” – starring Ethel Waters, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Lena Horne, Louie Armstrong, Rex Ingram, Duke Ellington & The Hall Johnson Choir
NJ’s Amistad Act calls for accurate history lessons in schools. Time to fund it.
The Amistad Act became law in New Jersey half a generation ago, which I learned today is long enough ago for young equal education activists to have never heard of it. “What’s that?” a young friend asked on Facebook when I suggested that we pressure state government to fund the Amistad Commission’s mandate to bring historically accurate curricula and books that teach the true roles African Americans and other ethnic minorities have played in the evolution of society both at home and abroad, to all K-12 classrooms. This knowledge is not currently being taught to our children but in New Jersey it ought to be, because state law calls for it.
On the Matter of Black Lives Panel @ ECC 2/2
A Movement or a Moment panel discussion on police brutality, racial profiling and the matter of black lives will be presented on Monday as part of the Fireside Chat Series at Essex County College.
Monday, February 2 2015 6-8pm
ECC Fireside Chat Series Panel:
A Movement or a Moment,
on the Matter of Black Lives
Siegler Hall, Essex County College
303 University Avenue, Newark, NJ
Cost: free
This free program is being offered in response to the high-profile deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, and the subsequent court rulings and responses. It will center on whether the matter of black lives is an event of the moment, or an ongoing and growing movement.
Navigating Developmental Disabilities Systems Conference @ JCC Tenafly
On Sunday, February 15 2015, the community is invited to the JCC on the Palisades to attend a conference on navigating the changing systems of Developmental Disabilities. This timely conference will address the critical needs that so many families of individuals with disabilities face – including housing, medicaid / entitlements, advocacy, employment and planning for adulthood.
Sunday, Feb 15
Registration 8:30, Program 9am-1pm
Kaplan JCC on the Palisades
411 E. Clinton Avenue
Tenafly NJ 07670
OK John Oliver, I made my comment to the FCC on net neutrality. Happy now?
I’ve made comments to the FCC about net neutrality in previous comment periods but not this one. Enter John Oliver, who made such a convincing argument about the need to take advantage of our bloody rights as US citizen to make a positive difference in this matter, that I felt shamed enough to submit another comment today.
If you too wish to be motivated to get off YouTube, Facebook or whatever you’re on for a while and use your computer for the God-given purpose it was clearly designed for (that is: the protection and furtherance of global democracy) then you too NEED to watch John Oliver’s segment on Last Week Tonight about Net Neutrality. Go on, I dare you to watch and come away uninspired.
Penn & Teller knock down myth that vaccines are bad
In an info-video Penn Jillete tells us, “You may have heard vaccination causes autism in 1 out of 110 children. Fuck that. Total bullshit.”
Like Salon tells it, “It’s still way more dangerous not to be vaccinated, they convincingly argue.”
Random winter survival hacks
To get your car unstuck
Get an old carpet remnant – 6 foot long is best but 4 foot is OK too – by 18″ to 24″ wide. Roll it up and place inside a big garbage bag in your car. If your car gets stuck, forget about shoveling! Put the carpet upside down wedged under your tires. The tufts instantly freeze into the ice and stay there till the ice thaws or you rip the carpet off. Store the wet carpet piece in the garbage bag until you can take it out and dry it well. If it gets too dirty or smelly, get a new one.
What does ‘State of Emergency’ mean in New Jersey?
What does ‘State of Emergency’ mean in New Jersey?
Gov. Chris Christie declared a State of Emergency in New Jersey Monday ahead of the snowstorm. According to the state Office of Emergency Management, the governor’s declaration “empowers the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) to act on behalf of the Governor to employ the resources and assets of State, local and private agencies to provide immediate assistance to localities.”
A common misconception about a state of emergency is that civilians are not allowed to travel on the roads during the declaration. According to the NJOEM, “the Governor’s declaration does not normally restrict citizen movements or activities. The State may limit access to affected areas due to concerns for public safety but will notify the public of these restrictions.”
How to survive the Jan 2015 blizzard
Preparing for a storm doesn’t mean anything bad will happen, just that you’ll be comfortable if your lights or water go out, and you’ll know how to stay safe indoors. I hope you all stay safe and warm throughout … remember to check on elderly or infirm neighbors and if you have a safety tip or information resource, please share it with us. BTW they’re calling this storm Juno.
Here’s how you can prepare for and track the storm:
- Wunderground provides completely reliable weather updates.
- Here are some storm preparedness tips:
- Gas up your cars, keep your cellphones and computers charged and have some cash on hand (credit cards don’t work when the power’s down).
- Be prepared in case your lights or water get knocked out. A storm with this much snow (and ice too, probably) can down or damage power lines. A nice food protection tip is: put freezer baggies of water in your freezer and let them turn into ice. If power goes out, the ice will keep food cold and you will also have water to drink as it thaws. This and other good tips – plus an in-depth overview of what to expect during the storm – in the report by expert meteorologist Dennis Mersereau aka The Weather Dude.
- Red Cross storm preparedness tips
- FEMA preparedness tips
- The last New Jersey Transit pre-blizzard bus and rail trips will depart 8pm Monday night and will arrive by/at 10pm due to worsening weather conditions. Visit NJTransit’s updates and alerts page to sign up for alerts and get general information.
- Rail: Service will remain shut down until Thursday morning January 29, depending on track/equipment and infrastructure conditions. The last train will make all local stops.
- Bus and Light Rail: Service may resume Wednesday, January 28 depending on road and track conditions as well as snow-removal operation.
- How to handle power outages
- Massachusetts routinely gets worse weather than we do in New Jersey, so they have a really extensive checklist of how to handle power outages
- Report power outages
- PSE&G in New Jersey 800-436-PSEG. Outage Map. Twitter.
- JCP&L in New Jersey 888-544-4877. Outage Map. Twitter.
- Orange & Rockland in New York State Outage Map.
- How to clear snow from fire hydrants (shared by the Bergenfield and Hillside NJ Fire Departments)
- A state of emergency was declared for New Jersey on Monday afternoon. There are misconceptions floating around about what this is, exactly, with some statements making it sound more like martial law than what it actually is. Follow the link to learn about it from the horse’s mouth.
- Contact info for county OEM offices throughout New Jersey
- New Jersey Department of Transportation issues alerts and advisories through 511nj.org.
- Warming shelters
- Bergen County NJ
- Bergen Community College, 400 Paramus Road, Paramus
- Law and Public Safety Institute, 281 Campgaw Road, Mahwah
- Bergen County NJ
Thanks to friend and Red Cross volunteer Han Broekman for sharing some of these tips.
Updated 03 Feb 15
This cat should win the patience-with-puppies prize
I’m not sure I would be as patient as this cat with 8 or 9 little puppies jumping all over me! Sure is cute to watch.
French woman thinks Richard Gere is homeless & gives him leftover pizza
The Guardian reports on this truly funny story:
When a bunch of people emerged from subway tunnels and told this lady’s husband to stop filming his wife and surroundings with his little camera, the couple understood that something strange was going on. Two days later the French tourist learned what, when she spotted her photo in a newspaper! The homeless man to whom she had given her left-over pizza was actually actor Richard Gere, who was preparing for an upcoming movie role by walking around the streets of Manhattan in character as a homeless man, rummaging through garbage cans for scraps of food.