Technical difficulties
Sorry to be away so long everyone. My harddrive crashed and I am trying to resolve it. I only have limited options for the internet, so bear with me. Don't worry, I have been writing by hand and building my video catalogue. Some good news in the mean time. I will be contribuiting to dumbonyc.com on a weekly basis. Look for my stuff there as well. Keep checking with me.
Thrill of the Grill
There are a million reasons to throw a party, no matter how bad times get. That's one of the things I like about New York City. I've been to a lot of clubs in this metropolis and seen a wide range of party themes. I enjoyed maybe 90% of em and left the others behind. But to be honest, my favorite type of party is the backyard bbq.Anybody who knows me, they know that I don't give a lot of respect to New Yorks idea of barbequing. No offence meant because after all, I am not trying to say not that there is no good bbq in this city. I've had a few. But to be honest, the
pallet is not the same as other places. New Yorkers brag about a few franchises. When I tried the places, I couldn't believe the hype at all.What changed my view was grill party I stumbled upon. It has been a while since I've enjoyed one, so when my friend sent me an invite to their get together, I couldn't wait. I had a few worries about the cusiene. After all, New Yorkers are always give the opportunity to practice the art of grilling.
Yesterday, through all the ups and downs in the last week, I found myself at Brooklyn's Biggest Barbeque Not In Prospect Park (they said it, not me). At my buddy's brownstone right in the heart of Bed-Stuy, it lived up to the
name they gave it. The grill didn't slow down one bit, the women were smiling and the drinks kept flowing. Once the sun went down, we were treated to a neighborhood legand on the wheels (spinning records, if you didn't know). It was definitely an evening that keeps me anchored right in the heart of Brooklyn.
Virtual Brooklyn
With the ups and downs going on, I didn't want to say much. The up side is that I got some notice from the New York Times City Room. I was taken by surprise that this even went this far. I mean yes, I do have a passion for the borough that I reside in and I like to share it. But I really never expected this.The down side of the last few days is I lost a friend,
Detroit lost a voice and the world lost a brother.
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2009/08/baatin_of_slum.html
some dope strings Titus would have loved
brooklynrider.com
I love that wikipedia says that Bugs was born in Brooklyn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugs_Bunny
That's all, folks!
The water cooler versions
I have to start off by saying I can be a bit of a nerd. I like to share little facts I come across with people as well. I tend to do this quite a bit. I am realizing that I am not enticing my audience with this. Maybe I am, but then again I could be reaching a lot more 
people.
It was a talk with one of good friends that brought this on. You see, he is a partner in a blog that is making some noise. He does his homework and goes farther with it. He told me last night that the average attention span is about 2 minutes for a video. Until I make a name for myself, he suggested I don't go too far past this time.
I thought about it for a bit. I do want to tout these tid bits that I pick up along the way. But if nobody is watching, it doesn't really get shared. And the more I thought about it, it's not just the average attention span that holds people back from watching the whole episode.
I worked in the c
orporate environment at a large firm. I've worked for small firms as well. They don't mind, in fact they encouraged us to take about a 10 minute break every hour. They said it help make us more productive to take our mind off of the work. I usually got a cup of coffee and surfed the net a bit. Odds are people in these places will not be willing to spend their entire short break watching my vlog. A lot of people want a cigarette, too.
Where every you maybe checking out my videos, I will trying my best to now broadcast the water cooler versions on youtube. If you enjoy them so much, then first let me say thank you. I appreciate the views. If you wish to see the long versions, find me on facebook. There, you can really dive in to my madness.
people.It was a talk with one of good friends that brought this on. You see, he is a partner in a blog that is making some noise. He does his homework and goes farther with it. He told me last night that the average attention span is about 2 minutes for a video. Until I make a name for myself, he suggested I don't go too far past this time.
I thought about it for a bit. I do want to tout these tid bits that I pick up along the way. But if nobody is watching, it doesn't really get shared. And the more I thought about it, it's not just the average attention span that holds people back from watching the whole episode.
I worked in the c
orporate environment at a large firm. I've worked for small firms as well. They don't mind, in fact they encouraged us to take about a 10 minute break every hour. They said it help make us more productive to take our mind off of the work. I usually got a cup of coffee and surfed the net a bit. Odds are people in these places will not be willing to spend their entire short break watching my vlog. A lot of people want a cigarette, too.Where every you maybe checking out my videos, I will trying my best to now broadcast the water cooler versions on youtube. If you enjoy them so much, then first let me say thank you. I appreciate the views. If you wish to see the long versions, find me on facebook. There, you can really dive in to my madness.
Whoops
So I went out and recorded a new video today at the Brooklyn Bridge. I was a little cocky and didn't refresh on my facts. In doing so, I made a few mistakes. But I have no problem admitting that I was wrong. I'm human. Here's a few websites that will show you the errors I made. It's up to you to figure out where the mistakes are.
wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Bridge
nycroads.com/crossings/brooklyn
endex.com/gf/buildings/bbridge/bbridgefacts.htm
greatbuildings.com/buildings/Brooklyn_Bridge.html
if you're kinda nerdy like me, you'll have fun
(The following was updated on 8/5/09)
I removed the original video from the youtube site. Therefore, I am posting the long version.
Why Do I Love Brooklyn? That is a question I get asked a lot. Even more so after starting this. People will say to me all the time "I always have a good time, but why do you say you love Brooklyn?" I would have to say it boils down to the people.
I am a people person. I love to meet different people and learn about different ways of life. I have heard the responses already. "Manhattan/Queens/Bronx has all type of people." Yes, they do have a diversity all their own. But not the type of people I relate to, to be honest.
You see, I'm from a simple city in the Mid West. Nothing too fancy or frilly about it. My hometown is a leader in manufacturing. It used to employ a lot of people in the area known as the rust belt. Now, all that really remains are a few factories and the headquarters dishing out more pink slips. That's right, Detroit, MI.
I am a true, native born Detroiter. I have a place in my heart for that city, a place that is hard to hide. People here in the big apple call me obsessed with the place. Behind all the excitement of a new (and enormous) city to explore, it hurt me to move. I left behind a lot of good people and great memories, but took with me the grit and strong character that the city can produce. I pride myself on working hard and giving 110% when I get behind something. I speak to people with the respect that they deserve and give them the chance to be heard. (In NYC, you need to choose wisely whom you give time to. I learned that quick.)
It was in Brooklyn that I found that working class grit. With a history of manufacturing, the people of Brooklyn have a similar attitude. There is a
certain camaraderie that people share when working side by side in grueling conditions. Not always, but most appreciate the simpler things in life when enduring harsh conditions for 8 hours or more a day. I know the blue sky never looked better than when I worked in a factory. I get the feeling a lot of Brooklynites know just what I mean.
I am a people person. I love to meet different people and learn about different ways of life. I have heard the responses already. "Manhattan/Queens/Bronx has all type of people." Yes, they do have a diversity all their own. But not the type of people I relate to, to be honest.
You see, I'm from a simple city in the Mid West. Nothing too fancy or frilly about it. My hometown is a leader in manufacturing. It used to employ a lot of people in the area known as the rust belt. Now, all that really remains are a few factories and the headquarters dishing out more pink slips. That's right, Detroit, MI.
I am a true, native born Detroiter. I have a place in my heart for that city, a place that is hard to hide. People here in the big apple call me obsessed with the place. Behind all the excitement of a new (and enormous) city to explore, it hurt me to move. I left behind a lot of good people and great memories, but took with me the grit and strong character that the city can produce. I pride myself on working hard and giving 110% when I get behind something. I speak to people with the respect that they deserve and give them the chance to be heard. (In NYC, you need to choose wisely whom you give time to. I learned that quick.)
It was in Brooklyn that I found that working class grit. With a history of manufacturing, the people of Brooklyn have a similar attitude. There is a
certain camaraderie that people share when working side by side in grueling conditions. Not always, but most appreciate the simpler things in life when enduring harsh conditions for 8 hours or more a day. I know the blue sky never looked better than when I worked in a factory. I get the feeling a lot of Brooklynites know just what I mean.
Why am I doing this
Well, a few people have been asking me why is it I am doing this. And too many times, I have used the video blog to explain why. But I don't want to do that. The video I think should be for your enjoyment of seeing what Brooklyn offers.
So I took it upon myself to start writing more as well. Here, I will share my thoughts and reactions to my audience. I think this will allow me to keep a more focused video production. It also gives me the opportunity to add more structure to my endeavor.
With that said, let me try and answer what it is that motivates me to do this. Yes, I am a native Detroiter, transplanted here almost three years ago. But I grew up hearing about Brooklyn. You see, my paternal grandmother was raised in this borough. When she would visit, I remember her stories about go to Dodger
games or Coney Island. My own mother grew up in Levitown, so she would tell her memories about trips to the city. Her stories of Coney Island made me want to ride the rides and pig out on junk food. It was only natural that I would be drawn to this city within a city.
I stayed in all boroughs except Staten Island. It was 1996 when I stayed up in the Bronx. I had a great time, but I was always on the train for an hour. I didn't mind it when I was an unfocused teenager happy to be living outside of Detroit, but I couldn't take riding the train for 2 hours a day. After all, one of two big reasons I left Detroit again was I was tired of driving one hour each way for work. I was not about to trade in a car for a train. This time around, I found myself moving to Sugar Hill. Harlem was a blast but a short stay. When I moved to Astoria, Queens, I was always in the city or hanging out in Brooklyn.
After spending time in Bk, I started to create some good memories of my own. My parents drove thru and stayed a couple of nights here. One great memory is having dinner with them at Juniors. It was really nice because my mother loves cheesecake. I liked relaxing in Central Park, but too often, the building towering over the treeline reminds that it is not much of an escape. My first trip to Prospect Park made me feel like I traveled to the countryside.
Aside from all that, I think the biggest reason is the people. I do have a good amount of friends living in Brooklyn, but I am also speaking about the folks I don't know. People I see on the streets or in the stores or where ever, they tend to have good character. Not to say that the other boroughs don't have good people, but I felt most at home around the people in Brooklyn.
So I took it upon myself to start writing more as well. Here, I will share my thoughts and reactions to my audience. I think this will allow me to keep a more focused video production. It also gives me the opportunity to add more structure to my endeavor.
With that said, let me try and answer what it is that motivates me to do this. Yes, I am a native Detroiter, transplanted here almost three years ago. But I grew up hearing about Brooklyn. You see, my paternal grandmother was raised in this borough. When she would visit, I remember her stories about go to Dodger
games or Coney Island. My own mother grew up in Levitown, so she would tell her memories about trips to the city. Her stories of Coney Island made me want to ride the rides and pig out on junk food. It was only natural that I would be drawn to this city within a city.I stayed in all boroughs except Staten Island. It was 1996 when I stayed up in the Bronx. I had a great time, but I was always on the train for an hour. I didn't mind it when I was an unfocused teenager happy to be living outside of Detroit, but I couldn't take riding the train for 2 hours a day. After all, one of two big reasons I left Detroit again was I was tired of driving one hour each way for work. I was not about to trade in a car for a train. This time around, I found myself moving to Sugar Hill. Harlem was a blast but a short stay. When I moved to Astoria, Queens, I was always in the city or hanging out in Brooklyn.
After spending time in Bk, I started to create some good memories of my own. My parents drove thru and stayed a couple of nights here. One great memory is having dinner with them at Juniors. It was really nice because my mother loves cheesecake. I liked relaxing in Central Park, but too often, the building towering over the treeline reminds that it is not much of an escape. My first trip to Prospect Park made me feel like I traveled to the countryside.
Aside from all that, I think the biggest reason is the people. I do have a good amount of friends living in Brooklyn, but I am also speaking about the folks I don't know. People I see on the streets or in the stores or where ever, they tend to have good character. Not to say that the other boroughs don't have good people, but I felt most at home around the people in Brooklyn.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)