Another dreadful night!

Once again the ClockTowerSalon has proudly hosted the opening of yet another beautifully curated art show, this one featuring photography, sculpture, stencil art and multimedia projection, all questioning the meaning of “sacred” within our culture and our lives.

And as usual, it attracted a lively and articulate crowd, all in animated discussion fueled by a warmer than usual November evening and endless bottles of nice hootch.

The art, well lit by Gregory A. Roach using LanceLee Trim’s vintage collection, compelled repeat visits and rewarded long stays. Typical of previous shows, local celebrity showed up along with the usual creme de la SoBro creme.

The displays elicited admiring glances,

deep thoughts,

interesting interpretation and

productive disagreement.

Is nothing scared?

This art will challenge your expectations.

And this time there is sculptural PDA, too.

Redefining the Sacred, at the ClockTowerSalon, 112 Lincoln Ave. @ Bruckner Blvd. Bronx NY, 10454, Tuesday through Saturday 10am – 6pm through December 11th.

Fine art, quality curation, good drinks, real talent, exciting crowd, another great night.

Dreadful. This just HAS to stop.

lol Sarcasm/off 

One more reason

The walk across the Pulaski Bridge from Long Island City in Queens to Greenpoint in Brooklyn is nice enough, I suppose. It crosses the Newtown Creek and serves as the unofficial halfway point in the New York City Marathon. The name, if you even care, honors Kazimierz Pulaski, a Polish revolutionary war fighter. As you walk up the ramp, you cross over the MidTown Tunnel tolls. So far so good.

From midspan the western view is glorious. Where else in New York City can you see iconic skyscrapers and sailboats all at the same time?

But the view to the east is a bit odd. What IS that weird collection of giant stainless steel Hersey’s Kisses out there?

At first I thought... “above ground natural gas tanks?” Um, no. That’s the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment plant. Those 8 tanks are called “digester eggs”, 24 million gallons of that which we mercifully flush away. Whoa.

from Google Earth

From the New York Times:

What goes on inside the digesters is ... vital to processing millions of gallons of waste water every day. Sludge, which is removed from sewage, is broken down within the digesters into more stable materials: water, carbon dioxide, methane gas and digested sludge, which can be formed into dry cakes and then, after additional processing, used as fertilizer. The shape of the egg helps concentrate grit in the bottom of the tank and gas concentrations at the top. Each egg holds three million gallons of sludge.

Eight huge tanks of you-know-what placed in Brooklyn and viewable from Queens? Ha.

One more reason to love living in the Bronx!

Is nothing sacred?

Come and see what four local artists think about this when The ClockTower Salon presents Re-Defining the Sacred, a mixed-media exhibition featuring the work of Xavier Figueroa, Leenda Bonilla, Elizabeth Alejandro, and Diana Rivera.

Photography, stencil, and sculptural installation combine to explore the sacrosanct and re-position the secular.  Religious themes mingle with statements about relationships and place.

Opening Reception Friday November 12^th  from 7pm – 12am

ClockTower Salon

112 Lincoln Ave. @ Bruckner Blvd.

Mott Haven, Bronx NY, 10454

The show speaks to the motivations behind the everyday, leaving the viewer with a sense of nostalgia, and pushing them to re-evaluate what it means to hold something sacred.

Makin' tracks

Bicycling within NYC has increased substantially within a generation, a trend I was part of this past Summer. Between 1985 and 2005 bicyclists have increased by 168%. This increase is ten times larger than the 15% general population growth during that same period, suggesting that indeed, more New Yorkers are bicycling.

In 2005, the percentage of New Yorkers who bicycle to work grew to one half of one percent, (17,146 of 3,429,194, U.S. Census Bureau, 2005)

http://www.bikeleague.org/media/facts/

In fiscal 2007, the U.S. Bicycle industry sold 18.5 million bicycles, about $6.1 billion in bicycles and equipment.

This past Summer I got a new Tiburon by Gary Fisher, an inexpensive niche hybrid built in the TREK factory.

To the basic bicycle purchase I added a kickstand, a water bottle bracket, a more comfortable seat, a rear flat-rack, a slide-on rear basket, an excellent U-lock and security cable, a helmet and a tire pump. I love it. I hope to ride this thing all winter.

Do they make bicycle snow tires?

Photo courtesy, BBC

Happy Birthday, Big Bird

Forty one years ago, today.

From Wikipedia:

Sesame Street is an American children's television program known for its combination of Jim Henson's Muppets, animation, short films, humor, and cultural references. It premiered on public broadcasting television stations on November 10, 1969, to adulatory reviews, some controversy, and high ratings.

Somebody worked late last night

and ten after that

Ten minutes later

4:43pm

O'er the land of the free

“Dear America, 

When you tell gay Americans that they can’t serve their country openly or marry the person that they love, you’re telling that to kids too. 

So don’t be f**king SHOCKED and wonder where all these bullies are coming from that are torturing young kids and driving them to kill themselves because they’re different. 

They learned it from watching you.”

Sarah Silverman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Silverman

Online Bronx Estate Sale

Finnish/American architect Eero Saarinen, famous for his futuristic TWA terminal out at Kennedy…

... and also his iconic St. Louis Arch, 

...also designed a line of furniture in 1956 called “The Tulip Collection”, destined to be a classic. According to Wikipedia, the matching chair “became the basis of the seating used on the original Star Trek television series.”

This very similar table is 42” in diameter, readily seats five or six in a pinch and has a durable plastic surface easy to clean and maintain. $75.00

Also for sale, a garnet red EMERSON 900watt Microwave, 20wX14dX10h with original Manual. $40.00 firm.

Matching color MR.COFFEE FT Series coffeemaker, 8wX12dX14h with original Manual, “does everything but wash its own carafe”. $35.00

Three wall shelves needing love but with life left in them, one is 48” long, the other two are 24”, $25.00 the set of three.

SoleusAir AquaSub easy-load watercooler, barely used/like new with original Manual, two water bottles and free delivery (!), 42hX14wX16d, $300.

And finally, two grey drapery panels, clean, like new and lined, each panel 84long X 54w with integral hidden tabs, black curtain rods, all brackets and mounting hardware/set complete, $30.00

Contact our friend-of-the-ClockTower, Aziza Ingram on her mobile, (702) 301 2532 for details and purchase information.