Open Thread Wednesday

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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  • Heightsman

    Give it time….never go the first week or two. Rookie move.

  • Andrew Porter

    I was at the BHA meeting and some others, and my photos have been in various places. And I post under my own name on sites, as Disqus can show you. And you?

  • Willow Street Watch

    In the last year I have been to like fifty public hearings and meetings. When it would provide some benefit I testify and make a statement. But only when it represents some help. I with a number of associates distribute literature. That is a really constant activity. Of course, this is addition to the articles I write. So yeah, I stay busy.

  • Willow Street Watch

    My family knew the three men who formed the counterattack organization. As far as I know the operation was funded by a person of the Jewish faith. They had nothing to do with any pro fascist orgs In fact, this was all much post war, like 1950 or so. Red channels was only one of their publications. And while you still have pro soviet types well, keveching on the subject, the reason WHY red channels was effective was that their information was dead accurate. Sure, there was loud protests, but who point by point factually refuted what they revealed? The vast majority just ran for cover. Sure, when you turn on a bright light in an infested basement all the vermin scatter. By the way, the JBS emerged in the pivitol year of 1955 (Buckley, the first beginnings of what would be the JBS and Liberty lobby- the three major sectors of the post-war American right all started remarkably in that one year) And as any real political historian knows, the JBS was staunchly pro Zionist.

    Communism killed at least 130 MILLION human beings in its horrible, bloody run. Anyone who supported, helped or defended the perpetrators of what wasTHE worst holocaust in history, deserves zero sympathy.

  • Willow Street Watch

    The demonstration at cadman was a semi bust. Only about 70 plus people showed up an then became in an internal argument among themselves what the exact form of the event would be! They at one point began to argue openly how long the speakers vs the “entertainment” would continue. Several people threatened to leave if the march, much delayed by this point, did not proceed. The participants were in the main, regulars at every far left event. There was a semi anarchist element who are not total robots like the general left activist.The group under the careful presence of the 84 officers moved off towards the Barclay with almost no incident.

  • Brixtony

    From Wikipedia: In May 1947, Alfred Kohlberg, an American textile importer and an ardent member of the anti-Communist China Lobby, funded an organization, led by three former FBI agents, called American Business Consultants Inc., which issued a newsletter, Counterattack.[1] Kohlberg was also an original national council member of the anti-Semitic and viciously racist John Birch Society. [2]
    Following is a list of the so-called communists that have infiltrated America. This speaks for itself.
    Larry Adler, actor and musician
    Luther Adler, actor and director
    Stella Adler, actress and teacher
    Edith Atwater, actress
    Howard Bay, scenic designer
    Ralph Bell, actor: 16
    Leonard Bernstein, composer, conductor: 16 | 17
    Walter Bernstein, screenwriter
    Michael Blankfort, screenwriter[c]
    Marc Blitzstein, composer
    True Boardman, screenwriter
    Millen Brand, writer
    Oscar Brand, folk singer
    Joseph Edward Bromberg, actor
    Himan Brown, producer and director
    John Brown, actor
    Abe Burrows, playwright and lyricist
    Morris Carnovsky, actor
    Vera Caspary, writer
    Edward Chodorov, screenwriter/producer
    Jerome Chodorov, writer
    Mady Christians, actress
    Lee J. Cobb, actor
    Marc Connelly, playwright
    Aaron Copland, composer: 39 | 40 | 41
    Norman Corwin, writer
    Howard Da Silva, actor: 43 | 44
    Roger De Koven, actor: 44
    Dean Dixon, conductor
    Olin Downes, music critic
    Alfred Drake, actor
    Paul Draper, actor and dancer
    Howard Duff, actor
    Clifford J. Durr, attorney
    Richard Dyer-Bennett, folk singer
    José Ferrer, actor
    Louise Fitch (Lewis), actress
    Martin Gabel, actor
    Arthur Gaeth, radio commentator
    William S. Gailmor, journalist, radio commentator
    John Garfield, actor
    Will Geer, actor: 60 | 61
    Jack Gilford, actor
    Tom Glazer, folk singer
    Ruth Gordon, actress and screenwriter: 63
    Lloyd Gough, actor
    Morton Gould, pianist and composer
    Shirley Graham, writer
    Ben Grauer, radio and TV personality
    Mitchell Grayson, radio producer and director
    Horace Grenell, conductor and music producer Uta Hagen, actress and teacher
    Dashiell Hammett, writer: 71
    E. Y. “Yip” Harburg, lyricist
    Robert P. Heller, television journalist
    Lillian Hellman, playwright and screenwriter
    Nat Hiken, writer and producer
    Rose Hobart, actress
    Judy Holliday, actress
    Roderick B. Holmgren, journalist
    Lena Horne, singer and actress: 79 | 80
    Langston Hughes, writer: 81 | 82 | 83 | 84
    Marsha Hunt, actress: 85
    Leo Hurwitz, director: 85 | 86
    Charles Irving, actor: 87
    Burl Ives, folk singer and actor: 87 | 88
    Sam Jaffe, actor
    Leon Janney, actor
    Joe Julian, actor
    Garson Kanin, writer and director
    George Keane, actor
    Donna Keath, radio actress
    Pert Kelton, actress
    Alexander Kendrick, journalist and author
    Adelaide Klein, actress
    Felix Knight, singer and actor
    Howard Koch, screenwriter
    Tony Kraber, actor
    Millard Lampell, screenwriter
    John La Touche, lyricist
    Arthur Laurents, writer: 98
    Gypsy Rose Lee, strip teaser: 98 | 99
    Madeline Lee, actress: 99
    Ray Lev, classical pianist
    Philip Loeb, actor
    Ella Logan, actress and singer
    Alan Lomax, folklorist and musicologist
    Avon Long, actor and singer
    Joseph Losey, director
    Peter Lyon, television writer
    Aline MacMahon, actress
    Paul Mann, director and teacher
    Margo, actress and dancer
    Myron McCormick, actor
    Paul McGrath, radio actor
    Burgess Meredith, actor: 109
    Arthur Miller, playwright: 110 | 111 | 112
    Henry Morgan, actor
    Zero Mostel, actor
    Jean Muir, actress
    Meg Mundy, actress
    Lyn Murray, composer and choral director Ben Myers, attorney: 109 | 110
    Dorothy Parker, writer: 115 | 116
    Arnold Perl, producer and writer
    Minerva Pious, actress
    Samson Raphaelson, screenwriter and playwright
    Bernard Reis, accountant
    Anne Revere, actress
    Kenneth Roberts, writer
    Earl Robinson, composer and lyricist
    Edward G. Robinson, actor: 122 | 123
    William N. Robson, radio and TV writer
    Harold Rome, composer and lyricist
    Norman Rosten, writer
    Selena Royle, actress
    Coby Ruskin, TV director
    Robert St. John, journalist
    Hazel Scott, jazz and classical musician
    Pete Seeger, folk singer: 130 | 131
    Lisa Sergio, radio personality
    Artie Shaw, jazz musician
    Irwin Shaw, writer: 134 | 135
    Robert Lewis Shayon, former president of radio and TV directors’ guild: 135
    Ann Shepherd, actress: 135
    William L. Shirer, journalist: 135 | 136
    Allan Sloane, radio and TV writer: 136
    Howard K. Smith, journalist: 136 | 137
    Gale Sondergaard, actress
    Hester Sondergaard, actress
    Lionel Stander, actor
    Johannes Steel, journalist
    Paul Stewart, actor
    Elliott Sullivan, actor
    William Sweets, radio personality
    Helen Tamiris, choreographer
    Betty Todd, director
    Louis Untermeyer, poet
    Hilda Vaughn, actress
    J. Raymond Walsh, radio commentator
    Sam Wanamaker, actor
    Theodore Ward, playwright
    Fredi Washington, actress
    Margaret Webster, actress, director and producer
    Orson Welles, actor/writer/dir: 155 | 156 | 157
    Josh White, blues musician: 157 | 158

    For further reading see the History Channel, Poitico and others.

  • Willow Street Watch

    That’s Wikipedia. A “encyclopedia” which is “crowd edited” NOT any kind of professional academic review process. I’m surprised that even you would not understand that basic reality of this “source” sometimes Wikipedia or its imitators has amazing amounts of misinformation that nobody in any way properly reviews before its posted for millions, including a very gullible person I could name.

    For you information, the ACTUIAL, TRUE facts are that the Birch society was ALWAYS strongly pro Israel and just as strongly barred anyone even seriously suspected to be anti semetic or racist. The JBS condemned racism to my direct knowledge at least as far back as 1964. Their line of logic was that deviding American helped out enemies including communism.

    I wish people would properly research and understand a subject before the enter a post. You may consult a source on the web, but I LIVED through the situation and saw what REALLY occurred. And the very last I or I feel its very fair to say, the millions of victims would want to hear is specious doubts raised on what is documented history. And, this blog Should be used for Heights related subjects as such I am NOT responding to any of your non Heights related posts any further Tony.

  • A Tree

    I really hope you all are reading this and realizing where this person’s true intentions lie. I care about Brooklyn Heights, and I care about the people who fight for our neighborhood. I cannot imagine a person who supports the JBS well represents our neighborhood.

  • Willow Street Watch

    What in the above actually indicates I was a JBS supporter. I has a number of ugly fights with them. But I actually LIVED through that (crazy) era and KNOW what REALLY happened. Because unlike 99% of the people here, all this happened in front of me. So I don’t need someone reading Wikipedia (the new boobs bible for the web head era) and trying to tell me the nature of the players I directly at the time witnessed. And again, tree, this blog is BH neighborhood dedicated so please try to confine your brilliant observations of infinite depth and complexity, to BH related subjects.

  • CHatter

    I don’t know for sure but would expect you can get it to go. I prefer to have it in the restaurant.

  • Jorale-man

    That is impressive. I’ve noticed that tree and shrub maintenance is lacking in many parts of the neighborhood. Even brownstones that are owner-occupied and appear very kept-up structurally will have tree branches that droop way onto the sidewalks or bushes that are overgrown. Of course, that building on Pierrepont & Hicks was in a league of its own.

  • cat

    Perhaps, but one would hope for better from an established restaurant – especially using the same menu as in Gramercy Park. I didn’t even mention the truly incompetent waitress. Rookie move on their part – experienced restauranteurs really should know better.

  • Jorale-man

    Brooklyn Bridge Park just opened the outer portion of Pier 6 today, a couple months behind schedule but before winter at least: http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/park/pier-6

  • Andrew Porter

    I call the situation, “Stinky Ginkgo!” Years ago, a resident told me, in preparation for repointing, they cut down all the shrubbery there—then never did anything. The place has been a weed-choked mess for years.

    Some year now I want to write “wash me!” on the side of the building in dishwasher fluid, and then when it rains…

  • Andrew Porter

    If this counts among the 50+ community events you go to every year, all I can say is, Get A Life.

  • Willow Street Watch

    I avoid answering snide comments, but even if you were only in the area to visit the library, all of what I mentioned could be clearly observed. Considering the disruptions of the past few months, many of my neighbors were (justly) concerned what may happen with this group. But street demonstrations aside, attending and making “gentle comments” at public hearings, civic gatherings and of far more importance, attending various NGO confabs is part of what many responsible citizens do. And contrary to oices which seek to deride or distract, like yours, I see more good people speaking up every day.

  • Reggie

    I was not but it sounds like an awesome jacket.

  • Hickster

    I tried getting take out 2 weeks ago and was told they don’t do that “yet”. Not sure what that meant but was disappointed. They also don’t have high chairs or we would’ve eaten there with our toddler.