Open Thread Weekend 2/28/09

BHB Photo Club pic by fkuffel

BHB Photo Club pic by fkuffel

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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  • Andrew Porter

    I was at Heights Books, 109 Montague yesterday, and they were giving everything away. Quite amazing. I took a photo of the dumpster outside the store, with its large layer of books — something, frankly, that’s about as close to bibliophile porn as I ever want to get. I believe they are giving more books away today. I picked up a couple dozen paperbacks that grabbed my interest, and I noted the presence of a lot of late 1940s and early 1950s mysteries and other stuff, with great cover artwork.

    As if I needed more books, argh…

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com Claude Scales

    I don’t usually make unsolicited recommendations in this space, but for those interested in learning the language of a country that is a major trading partner of the U.S. as well as financer of our government debt, or for adoptive parents of Chinese children who want to allow them to keep their native language, Xiaoping Walters provides excellent tutoring in Mandarin. If interested, please contact her at 646-203-9601.

  • John Wentling

    Homer, is it necessary to have advertisements on BHB that are certainly scams, to wit, the $26,283 Stimulus Check ad?

  • Neighborhood Observer

    I agree with JW above…that ad is really offensive. It is also an affront to the President’s efforts to straighten out the economy. I hope that most readers of the BHB are too savvy to fall for it. If it is a legitimate offer, let us know so we can sign up. If I got a check for $26,383 out of the blue, I’d be happy to agree to spend every penny as quickly as possible.

  • Homer Fink

    We’ll look into it.

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com Claude Scales

    The FBI has issued a press release warning of “phishing” scams concerning stimulus payments. Apparently these are implemented through direct e-mails purporting to be from the IRS, which ask the recipients to supply SSNs, bank account numbers, etc.

    I’ve seen “stimulus check” ads like the one that shows up in our “sponsored links” on sites like AOL News and Slate Magazine (owned by the Washington Post). This isn’t to say the ads are necessarily legit. I tried following the link from the ad on BHB and got to where it offered to sell me, for $2.99, a CD with instructions on how to apply for a “government grant”. That, in turn, may be legit insofar as the government does in some circumstances make grants to individuals, though these are, to my knowledge, limited to supporting scholarly research on topics related to national defense, public health or the like. A grant application that had as its stated purpose “pay off my mortgage” would get tossed in the round file. If the ad is a scam (as I think it likely is) its worst effect may be to make you part with three hard-earned bucks for a CD that will prove useless.

    I’ve also looked at Snopes.com, but didn’t find anything relevant.

  • BHer

    Anyone have any B & B recommendations in the Heights?

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com Claude Scales

    Ben Bankson has a B&B at 14 Willow Place. He can be reached at BBank12960@aol.com, or 718-237-0339.

  • Andrew Porter

    I have to admit to not going to Fortune House, the Chinese eatery on Henry between Pineapple and Orange, except once, since the downturn started in earnest last Fall. My take-out budget nowadays mostly consists of going to Trader Joe’s and taking out a big bag, or two, of groceries.

    Anyone else here doing less eating out?