Saturday, October 30, 2010

Batman chose the winner

But it was really close.



Full Halloween carving coverage tomorrow on ClockTowerTenants.com

Thursday, October 28, 2010

strippers and twirling fire



Anytime you’ve got drinks and presents, music and strippers and twirling fire, you can be pretty sure it’s gonna be a good party.




Half out of her mind, half out of her dress!















Happy Birthday Heather!


Wednesday, October 27, 2010

two below Chile and two above France




Transparency International released its yearly Corruption Perceptions Index yesterday. (TI) defines corruption as “the abuse of entrusted power for private gain.” The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranks countries according to the perception of corruption in the public sector.

The 2010 CPI measures the degree to which public sector corruption is perceived to exist in 178 countries around the world, with Africa topping the rankings. Countries are ranked on a scale from 10 (yellow/very clean) to 0 (red/highly corrupt). Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore tied for #1, the least corrupt nations.

The United States is #22 two below Chile and two above France.

Afghanistan and Myanmar are second to the bottom and Somalia is last, the most corrupt, at #178.

The following countries showed deterioration from 2009 to 2010: the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Madagascar, Niger and the United States.
(emphasis mine)
Africa, home to the worlds most corrupt nations, is huge.

Africa: 11,636,846 sq. miles 20.4% of Earth’s land area
USA:  3,537,441 sq. miles
Africa: Longest river Nile 4,187 miles
USA:  Missouri 2,565
Africa: Largest Island Madagascar 226,660 sq. Miles.
USA:  Hawaii 4,021
Africa: Population 1,000,010,000 (over a billion in 2005)
USA:  (2005) 300,474,000
Africa: Per capita income (2008) $1,082
USA:  (2008) $40,166

You can read about the Corruption Perceptions Index here:

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Through the window gates





raised her right

From our “too much is not enough” department, check out these awesome seasonal cupcakes my daughter baked, then posted on her Facebook page.






Monday, October 25, 2010

Artistry, and the passing of time








I’ve looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It’s life’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know life at all.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

a StereoCrowd crowd


I saw a really great four-band bill last night at BAR Nine in the west 50’s organized by my pals in StereoCrowd and featuring bands from other parts of the world.
9:10pm, exit the subway, head over to 9th avenue.

10:05, the Australian band leads off, like 1960’s British invasion stuff. Original songs with a familiar feel. Solid quality retro.

11:00pm, the Israeli’s take the stage with their high energy skiffle, plinka plinka plink like Kosher rockabilly. Everybody loved them….they had fun and we did, too.

By now the place was really filling up.


Midnight 
Next up was ShinobiNinja, multi-ethnic, pounding-in-your-face Brooklyn street rap. Shirts came off, sweat was everywhere, ranting screaming insane and insanely cool. I was enthralled and the crowd just ate this up.




Rapper Kalae (all day) was there.

12:40am, Between sets the house DJ never gave the crowd a chance to come down.


1:15am, finally, the headliners, StereoCrowd took the stage.

And when they hit it…...they HIT IT. The place went crazy!


Sciryl’s the real deal, a sweetheart offstage but a real menace on.


He knows rap.
Then Kalae joined Sciryl onstage and they tore it up together.

NikiDarling in the lavender skirt was next, as talented as she is beautiful. Man, she can rap, too. And StereoCrowd's underlying funk is like a fever.


SO good!

2:05am, Thunderous applause, an encore and more thunderous applause, this night was a StereoCrowd crowd.
But it was getting late, one last picture on the basement stairs and then....

2:20 ...the trucks show up and the earlier bands start loading out. Time to say goodnight and head home to the Bronx.

Cold Guinness. Great music. Perfect venue. Excellent line-up. Fantastic night. Time for bed.

BAR Nine.
I heart New York.