Thursday, April 26, 2007

the letter K

I just noticed that my new shoes contain an emblem that quite resembles JK's new design as seen here.
Rad.

posted by gordian knot @ Thursday, April 26, 2007 0 comments

an excerpt


In The Autograph Man, Zadie Smith's character, Alex, is drawn from England to "Roebling" a part of Brooklyn on the edge of gentrification.

"He finds a seat and watches a mixture of Hipsters and Poles mark out a beat in a perfect circle. The Hipsters run in towelling sportswear, in seventies brand-names and sweat-bands. The Poles do too, though in a different spirit. These two groups do not meet on the race-track or chat by the fountain, they keep to themselves. It was the same deal, Alex noticed, in the shop where he bought this muffin. Herring, latkes, kilbasa and perogi on one side, lattes, falafels and cheescake on the other. And in the bookshop a shelf of the popular writer Charles Bukowski stood across from a table piled high with Polish-language bibles.

On the street the Poles seem to understand the snow and dress for it. The Hipsters think they can accessorize the cold away, or simply ignore it. The Polish girls are waxy skinned, cat-eyed. The dont know Alex is alive. The Hipsters girls are apple-cheeked wih erratic hair and may be interested, depending on how much interest you show in the art that they are making. Though he has only been in the area twenty minutes, Alex feels qualified to further probe this weird cohabitation of Hipster and Pole, to puzzle the relations between them the laws. . .

1. Poles need Hipsters because Hipsters bring new money to the area.
2. Hipsters need Poles because Poles are proof that Hipsters - despite their increasing financial stability - are still bohemian; living near Poles is a Hipster's sole remaining mark of authenticity.
3. Hipsters are Poles. Poles are Hipsters. Poles sell 1950s retro gas-station t-shirsts. Hipsters eat pickled herring."

posted by gordian knot @ Thursday, April 26, 2007 1 comments

Monday, April 23, 2007

Happy Earth Day



a day late, I know, but well wishes in any event.


Since it was a gorgeous weekend, and Earth Day, I was inspired to plant something.

Now I have passsed by little garden gloves and cute little equipment in various home good stores several times. However, I have never purchased such items. So when I went to weed the window boxes our landlord had left, I had to use a big meat fork. I must admit it did work quite well. In ~3 weeks, we should have some wildflowers and basil growing strong!

After washing off the green thumb, I pumped up and dusted off my bike, rang my little bell and was off. There is a path that goes along the water in Bay Ridge, down and past the Verrizano Bridge. I had been down it before, but never to the end. I was going to do it. Did it end at Dyker Heights Beach? did it go all the way to coney Island? Did it end as it started, at a large pier? After about an hour ride, at the end of the road ? . . . there was a mall! I love Brooklyn.

posted by gordian knot @ Monday, April 23, 2007 1 comments

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Select Dental


Someone. anyone*. PLEASE. Go to Select Dental so that they can run a commercial with someone besides those nitwits they have now.
*HM and JR, you're in Queens, please, make the sacrifice.

posted by gordian knot @ Tuesday, April 17, 2007 0 comments

Monday, April 16, 2007

aahh, pear-E



Well, TS and I had a fabulous time on the other side of the pond*. I dont want to get anyone more moody than they already are about the weather, but you may notice from the photo** that not only are the skys very clearly blue, but what's that in my hands? my coat!?! yes folks. April in Paris is a springtime delight.

*wait, do people only say that when they are talking about London?

**i know, i know, who's that dude next to me . . . next time I will crop pictures before posting.

posted by gordian knot @ Monday, April 16, 2007 1 comments

Friday, April 13, 2007

does the "young" retired guy have an alter ego?

I recently happened upon the blog craftydad, while searching for my dad's recipe for meatloaf, that I once posted on a blogger cite. I must admit, I think it was my mom that was more of the egg-dying-die hard, it has always been my dad who was in charge of making the infamous* pickled eggs.
The boiled (peeled ans sliced) beets and hardboiled (peeled) eggs would be placed in a 3 gallon jar** with some vinegar and, well, actually I dont really know the recipe, but maybe water or the water/juice from boiling the beets added. The aluminium (tin?) lid would be screwed tight, with an extra turn just in case, and halled with ceremony to our downstairs fridge, where it would wait in the cold dark box for several weeks, to emerge upstairs again on Easter. The eggs would be a deep purple, their golden yolks a startling contrast when you sliced one in half, something to be admired (or to scrunch your nose at, depending on the person) before being salted and eatten.

*or as it was in our younger years, now most of us like 'em.
**what was this jar's intial use I wonder now . . . was it one of Mimaw's mayonaise jars from her church functions, a pretzel jar from the first warehouse store . . .

posted by gordian knot @ Friday, April 13, 2007 2 comments

Saturday, April 07, 2007

the curious incident of the male manicurist in the evening

I have to make this post a little short, as I can no longer type with ease. In preparation of becoming tres chic for Paris, I stopped by the nail salon last night after work, and while clipping my nails, the dude took a little chunk of pinkie with him. As blood gysered up and over my finger, no bandaids could be found. Cotton wool on top and a drop of green anti-septic later, the owner of the store said she wouldnt charge for the rest. umm, lets say I was once bitten, and already shy, heading to the door instead of free mani pedi.

Arriving back to bayridge, the once white towel I managed to grab was no longer so pristine, but it has, for the most part stopped bleeding.

posted by gordian knot @ Saturday, April 07, 2007 0 comments

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Phasers tag

Tonight I got an email from AH about one dude's life of glasses and contact lenses and the possibility of his escape there from.
"I understand that many highly trained individuals are prepared to shoot lasers into my eyes . . . I keep thinking maybe I'll go ahead and get it, and I go to the optometrist, and he's wearing glasses. So laser surgery is like ordering the cut the butcher won't eat. " Read more of the article (from Wired) here

posted by gordian knot @ Wednesday, April 04, 2007 0 comments