The energy scam reports keep on coming and, in some ways, keep getting stranger. Here’s one from Sheepshead Bay, via the email list from our good friends at Park Slope Parents, who are always performing a community service in getting the work out:

Im in Sheepshead Bay was at the nail salon. Two well dressed young people a man and a woman walked in (we all thought they were Jehovah Witnesses). Told the person they assumed was the owner (Korean poor English skills) that he was from Con-ed. Had a copy of her bill in a folder and told her if she didn’t sign it she would have her bill raised and possibly fined. The owner said she was not the owner and couldn’t sign anything. He started getting nasty and said he would talk to anyone who speaks English. I told him to leave his card and she would make any changes after talking to the owner. I asked to see ID which he refused to show me. I said if you are with con-ed you should have ID. He grudgingly have me his name and when I asked for something with the company name he (and hold on to your hats for this one) He told me to S*** HIS D*** and left the store. Needless to say I ran out after him. Screaming like a wild woman. He then at my insistence and against the advice of his female co-worker who up to that point said nothing (or I was calling the police which frequent the deli next door) gave me some literature fotr the company ACCESS ENERGY (after being so nervous he spilt his entire cup of coffee all over himself). He then called me a white little something I wont even type words with asterisks for. He tried to go into the deli and I told him if he went into another store on the strip I would call 911. They left, I proceeded to call the company spoke to a supervisor and told her that I will call back on Tues for a follow up. All of the customers in the shop either gave me their phone numbers or I already had it (one was my sister one my neighbor) and are all prepared to stand by me 100%.

Has a nice feel to it, doesn’t it?

Day trippers and skinny dippers under the Manhattan Bridge, originally uploaded by gemini-j.

The photog calls this one “Day trippers and skinny dippers under the Manhattan Bridge.” Not only can’t we believe that someone would set foo in the East River, we can’t believe they’d, uh, skinny dip.

It sounds as if Precinct 68 is getting back into the swing of what their thing is – protecting and serving the residents of Bay Ridge. After many unfortunate crimes and a town hall evening of complaints, the cops are now getting it that just because it’s better than what it was this time last year, doesn’t mean they are working a crime-free beat.–Bay Ridge Over

There’s a new flea market coming to Brookyn next month. Per an email that hit our inbox:

I’m launching an indoor Flea Market on Bedford Avenue and Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn November 2008. The flea market is going to be in an old collision shop that is “L” shaped. The space is approximately 3000 sq feet and we will host 30 plus vendors. The vendors will be selling vintage furniture, designer jewelry, art, high-end new and used clothing to name a few. The market will be open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sunday.

The more, the merrier, we say.

[Map from cnn.com; click to enlarge]

GL readers know we generally stick to Brooklyn and tend to avoid politics. The latter part is due to having covered politics in Washington for longer than we care to remember. (We recoil in horror at the October we watched 1,000 political ads for an in-depth story determining the types of categories they fell into.) That was a long time ago. We have been lucky enough to be an eyewitness to uplifting history once in our lives: the day we stood atop the Berlin Wall in 1989 when the world changed forever. We were so glad on that day to be in this world and to be blessed by happenstance to live history. (Two years later, we were being shot at be Serbs on a battlefield in Croatia and nearly pissing ourselves as the shelling started and we quickly figured out how to tell incoming from outgoing and, later, having a soldier point an AK-47 at us while we argued with him, but we were young and even stupider than we are now and that’s another story.) Very soon, unless every poll is wrong, America will change forever and–from our perspective–in a very positive way. We are thrilled to be alive to see this day come. We have witnessed many awful things in our lives and history is full of horrors. On November 4, we truly believe that something magnificent will happen. We will finally begin to shake off the legacy of centuries of racism, but more importantly, we will embrace a man who has the capacity to be one of the great transformational leaders in history like FDR, JFK and Nelson Mandela. If we’re lucky, we see one or two of these events in our life times, and then can regal our kids and grandkids with stories about how “I remember the day that…” Until they tell us to shut the hell up because we’ve told the story, like, 499 times. Enough with our BS. From now through what may be one of the Greatest Day in American History, we’ll be running CNN’s Electoral Vote Map. Why? Because we’re fucking excited and because we can.

Our friends at Park Slope Parents may be censoring political emails, but a couple have made it through The Committee and it involves the little ones (excited by Obama) and the election. We’re not certain if it would have made it past The Committee if the little ones got giddy when seeing Sen. McCain and that Palin person (we’re thinking they would not have been), but that’s just us being snotty. Here’s the email:

My kids are 4 (almost 5) and 2, and they get very excited every time they hear Barack Obama or see his image. We let my son stay up to watch Obama’s acceptance speech at the convention (though he fell asleep) and have let both of them watch some of the debates (again, they pretty much fall asleep). Of course, we don’t expect them to understand very much, except that it is important to pay attention to elections; to read, listen and talk about the issues; and above all, to vote. We have been very outspoken with them about our support for Obama, (and why we are so disappointed in McCain) and have tried to offer some very simple explanations for our positions ­mainly, that we think Obama has better ideas, that he wants to end a harmful war, and he wants to help poor people (OK, maybe “middle class” would be more accurate, but explaining class is tough, and a lot of middle class people feel poor these days!). We’ve also brought the kids to the polls with us when we’ve voted in the past i.e. Mid-term elections, and will probably bring them again. I’m actually going to canvas in PA for Obama, and thought of bringing them, or at least one of them, but decided against it since I want to get as much done as possible, but I know other people who’ve managed to canvas with their kid(s). While they are very young, I hope they are at least getting glimmers of ideas from our discussions, (at least my older child), especially some of the basic principles of fairness and responsibility, which I think are concepts kids can relate to.

Another email about the little ones and the election ahead.

This week’s Sunday Missed Connection has that perfect combination of attraction and anti-social behavior that we find so compelling. (Also, we can’t resist MC’s that involve pee, poop, farting and/or puking, plus theft.) So, here’s our choice for this week:

Apparently you pee in public – w4m – 27 (East Williamsburg)
Good, Seed, and Edible Manhattan (you will know what this means if you are the right person). You were at the courthouse yesterday for urinating in public. Thought you were cute.

Dude, get back to her stat and seal the deal by taking a whiz on her door before she answers.

Puppets! The New York Puppet Library, once housed in ye old Grand Army Plaza but now at Brooklyn College in conjunction with Puppetry in Practice, seems to offer a lot of fun times and opportunities to crawl up into something bigger than us and play pretend amongst friends.–Brooklynometry

[Photo courtesy of woodendesigner/GL Flickr Pool]

This came in as a submission to our GL Flickr Pool, but it’s so much more than a pool photo. It’s a statement on these times we live in. The photog writes:

So I have been meaning to take a picture of this dollar since last week when I went to get a bagel from Korean Bagel (It’s a little typical “Bodega” run by a very nice Korean couple and they have some of the best bagels…. but that is a different story). Anyway I got this dollar as change but did not notice until a few days later. I laughed because it really just sums up everything that has been going on with the stock market and in a way everything that I have been ging through lately. I have been very hesitant to spend it and now after shooting it for you people to enjoy I have decided that I am going to save it….. Even though thay also dated it on the back ( 9-20-07) so it was actually written a year ago. Also I don’t know what the deal is with the “dollar dollar” or the lack of proper punctuation after “My” but it still makes me laugh because I did not notice it until I tried to spend it several days later.

Oh, it does make us laugh.

Brighton Beach has a lot of gourmet coffee places, none of which are open before 8am and if you work in midtown, you most likely need to be on the B Train before then. The places that do open early–Rocco’s, Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are very crowded with very long lines. Meanwhile there are several coffee places that refuse to open up before 8AM. When we asked the owner of one coffee places (which shall remain nameless for now) why they didn’t open earlier, we were told that they “tried to open earlier, but nobody came in.” Guess they don’t want the extra business.
—Lornagrl

This is the new Freak Bar and Gift Shop at Coney Island. Do make sure to check out the backgroiund music.

William Bolcom’s opera, “A View from the Bridge” debuted inn 1999 in Chicago was described as “Brooklyn verismo,” something that was emotive enough to bring to mind Puccini. (We are talking out of our asses here more than usual as opera is not something about which know much. Ask us about Arcade Fire.)( In any case, NPR knows and they write:

Bolcom’s distinctively American opera is set among immigrants in New York, and its story easily lives up to Puccini’s description of his own dramatic style, as one that puts “great sorrows in little souls.” The little souls of A View from the Bridge are struggling dock workers and their families, some of whom are in the country illegally. The opera is based on a 1955 play by Arthur Miller, which appeared first as a one-act drama in verse, and then as a full-length, two-act show on Broadway. Miller worked on the opera’s libretto alongside Bolcom’s longtime collaborator, Arnold Weinstein, and they relied on both versions of the play in creating the opera’s text.

The opera’s vibrant setting is the Italian-American neighborhood of Red Hook, in Brooklyn, back in the 1950s. But the issues underlying the story seem both ancient and cut from modern headlines — ranging from the travails of illegal immigrants to ethnic stereotypes to biases surrounding sexual orientation and even the hint of incest.

It’s being performed by the Washington Opera in, well, DC, but sounded like it was worth mentioning. Also there are audio clips, the story coming from NPR, of course.

[Photo courtesy of Max Casey]

GL Correspondent Max Casey came upon the open doors of Tom Otterness’s fascinating Gowanus studio and this photo is the result. Our Max has a habit of putting the old nose where it doesn’t belong and in this case, it paid off.

One suspects there will be multiple legal challenges to the City Council’s vote this week to change terms limits. Whether any have a chance or the real issue will be voter’s response next year is another matter. In the meantime, Mr. de Blasio’s office sent out out word that “In response to yesterday’s City Council vote to extend term limits, Councilmembers de Blasio and James have authorized their lawyers to prepare a lawsuit to challenge the legality of changing voter-ratified term limits by legislation. State law, local law and voting rights guaranteed under the US Constitution require a mandatory referendum on this issue.” They are also pursuing action within the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Justice Department. Formal filing of any suits will have await an actual Mayoral signature on the bill, but this is a formality.

Read the rest of the release, ahead.

And, now, the Saturday moment that keeps us happy, our Adoptable Cutie of the Week:

The story of Chatzee begins on a sad note. One day his owner up and moved to Florida and left this kitty behind. Now why anyone would want to move to Florida is a another story, but even more of a mystery is how anyone could leave this gorgeous loving cat.

Hillary, a neighbor who had a couple fosters already, open her doors to this lonely kitty. Chatzee turned out to be a perfect friend to all her pets, from the foster kitties she had to her two big lovable dogs. She tells us:blockquote>“He’s a mush and loves to be with the other cats, always wants to make friends and smushes his head against me so I’ll pet him. He thinks he’s the ambassador of the house and his job is to make each new foster feel welcome and let them know they’re in a good place. Sweet boy, I love when he cuddles with me. He’s huge and snuggles right up against me!”

Chatzee is about 1 1/2 years old, neutered and fully vetted. He’s full of energy, playfulness, and love. Chatzee is the purrfect pet for a home with other cats, dogs and children. Give this story a fairytale ending by bringing him into your life! Contact Hillary at bluehairedcatlady@gmail.com
–E.C. Stephens

Are we addicted to the forums at Brooklynian? “Addicted” is such a strong word…how about “attached”? Seriously, we can quit anytime we want to. We just don’t want to, that’s all.

For those of you who are still social lurkers, GL is offering a weekly peek at what’s weird, funny, and gentriconfrontational over at Kings County procrastination central. Think of it as that first gratis hit from the old dope-peddler.

Top honors this week to a thread that breaks new ground in neighbor-haranguing. In the relative political homogeny of Brooklyn, it can be hard to find a good, local fight about national politics. Trading furious messages with the Repugs and Libtards on national sites can lose its charm — how to know you’re not just screaming at some bot in Bangalore? Once, blue state Dems could count on Naderites for a good cardiac function test, but they’re not as thick on the ground as they once were. Fear not. In Park Slope, with a little help from the NYT, we’ve found our fight at last. The Fighting Slopers do not limit their scope to politics — where’s the staying power in that? But stray dogs are forever. DID YOU MISS NATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY??? WE DID NOT!!!1!!1! IT WAS AWSOME!!1! WE FELT POWERFULL!111!

In preparation for that other national day coming up — you know, the one with the voting — double-check your registration.

What, exactly, is the deal with Brian Elgert? We at Brooklynian seem to attract so many posts about this guy, while the rest of the internets go wanting. Please explain in comments. Seriously…And we got another update from our favorite international poster, Sebastiaan Vonk of The Netherlands. Sebastiaan takes care of the graves of WWII servicemen who died fighting in Europe, and brings us an update on his research into Richard Wertheim. Take a minute to read and give thanks.

—Jean Kahler

[Photo courtesy of Deborah Matlack]

Contributing photogrpaher Deborah Matlack has outdone herself with this shot of Nathan’s on Coney’s Surf Avenue in Fall. Bravo.

[Photo courtesy of vaduzuvunt/GL Flickr Pool]

50 Most Influential Brooklynians [Brownstoner]
Halloween Festivities for your Pets [Gothamist]
Curtain Falls on BAM’s Free Movies for Seniors [NY Daily News]
Tax Snag Arises in Brooklyn Nets Development [Reuters]
City Halts Lundy’s Restaurant Restoration in Sheepshead Bay [NY Daily News]
Robert Levine backs out of Historic Hotel Bossert Deal [Brooklyn Daily Eagle]
“It’s my Park Day” this Saturday in Bed-Stuy [Bed-Stuy Blog]
Smith and Ninth Rehab Will Cost More and Take Longer [The Brooklyn Paper]
Kings County BBQ Opens on Quincy Street [Bed-Stuy Blog]
Washington Avenue Condo Glut? [Brownstoner]
Pedestrians Get a Leg Up Downtown [The Brooklyn Paper]
–Compiled by Lauren Fairbanks

[Photo courtesy of five25tenthstreet/GL Flickr Pool]

It is one of the pretty waterfalls in Prospect Park captured by the photog in a most pretty way.

Our friends of What’s the Hook gave us the heads up that this weekend is the final screening forthe documentary “A Hole in the Fence”, and a final look at the What’s the Hook 07 photography exhibition. We’re inclined to think that this documentary and the community captured exhibition are also going to be one of the last chances anyone will get to see Red Hook for what it was before it gets any deeper into what it’s becoming. So, head on down to the BWAC at 499 Van Brunt St. Saturday (10/25) from 1 to 4pm, or Sunday (10/26) at 4pm, and experience one last glimpse of an amazing history of a changing neighborhood.
–Vaduz Uvunt

A bunch of Park Slope businesses are holding phone banks for the Obama-Biden campaign. A GL Correspondent hit us up with a photo of the sign for the cell phone bank Al Di La is hosting on Carroll Street. The Lyceum and Proteus Gowanus are also welcoming people to bring in their cells and ring up folks in crucial states like Pennsylvania.

While the fact that there are John McCain voters in Park Slope was so amusing to the Times that it made the paper, there may be more than we think. This, in fact, could be behind Park Slope Parents censorship of political discussion, because the Brookynian board is where some of the pro-McCain sentiment is showing up. A sample opinion:<blockquote> I’m voting for McCain and Palin too (well, mostly Palin). I live on 3rd St. between 4th and 5th, no need to hunt me down. I think there are more of us out there than you think, we just know to keep our opinions to ourselves around Park Slope and NYC in general. Y’all can be pretty intolerant of dissenting viewpoints.</blockquote>Check out the full thread.

Crown Heights North, Old & New. Saturday, October 25 – 2-4 pm – with Matt Postal. Unusually rich in architecture and history, Crown Heights is being rediscovered. Focusing on the long blocks between Eastern Parkway and Grant Square, our route includes free-standing mansions and rowhouses, as well as Dean Street, one of the borough’s finest residential thoroughfares. We will consider a remarkable group of religious structures, in addition to the former Union League Club and the new, yellow-tiled Brooklyn Children’s Museum, designed by Rafael Vinoly. Meet at Northeast corner Eastern Parkway & Kingston Avenue. Take the IRT 3 or 4 train to Kingston Avenue.

Wanna’ go to Flushing?

Today, we introduce a new feature and a new contributor, Eat It: The Brooklyn Food Blog. Eat It will be producing a weekly post that is a summary of a review/reviews appearing on Eat It. Today’s introductory effort is about Ghenet, the Ethiopian restaurant on Fourth Avenue in Park Slope:

I recently went with a group of friends to Ghenet Brooklyn (348 Douglass St. at 4th Ave., 718-230-4475), a relatively recent addition to Fourth Avenue. The interior is warm and inviting, although A LOT of incense was burning off and on throughout our meal which was a tad overwhelming, but did not in any way negatively affect our experience of the food. The waitstaff is also friendly and helpful should you need some guidance with ordering, or modifying the incense-burning.

Mmmmm, I love Ethiopian food and I love the event of going for Ethiopian, where the traditional way to eat is that you sit around a big plate laden down with a variety of dishes and eat with your fingers. We started out with three appetizers, the Kitfo Tiklil (Classic Ethiopian steak tartar rolled in Kategna), Asa Tiklil (Tuna tartar rolled in Kategna), and an order of the Kategna (Toasted Injera coated with Berbere served with mild cheese). Everyone seemed to prefer the Steak Tartar over the Tuna. It was more flavorful and had a bit more depth to it than the Tuna which was on the bland side. Each though was super spicy because of the Berbere spices used on the outside of the Kategna.

The Kategna appetizer was great and the mild cheese was wonderful – sort of tangy like a soft goat cheese and just as creamy. The Berbere is made from red chili peppers, onions, garlic and other spices, then sun-dried and mixed with more spices so it’s REALLY hot, so be warned. For the full details on the Ghenet adventure click here and go over to Eat It.

If you are a fan of demolition porn. This flickr album of Green Church in Bay Ridge coming down is as hard core as it gets. It’s raw. It’s brutal. It defines pornography which, as someone once famously said: “You know it when you see it.”–Flickr