New York Shitty Day Starter: Stars & Stripes

September 28, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11211, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

From Jackson Street.

LAST GASP: Live From The Community Board 1 Public Safety Committee; Toshi Presents!

September 28, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11211, Culture War, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

Toshi himself was present.

Floor plans were reviewed and residential apartments were noted.

Curbed was on this first when they wrote (on September 21st):

The Hotel Toshi outpost at 808 Driggs Avenue in Williamsburg has been a source of frustration for longer-term building tenants, some of whom broke their leases early because they were fed up with Toshi’s habits of allegedly leaving the building’s side door open, moving tenants’ mail, and renting out rooms for all-night parties. Some long-term renters remained—in fact, the Toshi outpost is apparently legal because the majority of the units are not Toshi-occupied—but they’re not all on board with Toshi’s latest plan: opening a cafe in the building. A tipster sends along the deets.

You can (and should) read the rest by clicking here. Here’s what I can tell you from last night’s proceedings:

1. Cafe Toshi will be offering “heat and eat” meals and touted support from residential tenants of said building.
2. Concerns about egress and overall compliance with Department of Buildings regulations were raised by the Committee.
3. Thus, the application was turned down until documentation about the legality of the “kitchen plus office” is confirmed by the Department of Buildings.
4. Inasmuch as I can recall, Mr. Toshi is the first and only attendee to bring his dog to a Community Board 1 meeting. He (she?) was in a rather nice carrier and kept quiet throughout the proceedings.

For more reading about the Toshi Empire (and its rather rapacious appetite for commandeering residential apartments for “hotel” use, among other things) click here, here, here, here, here and ESPECIALLY HERE.

New York Shitty Day Ender: Flight

September 27, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11211, Street Art, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

This— the latest bit of bona fide wildlife I have captured with my camera in Williamsburg— hails from Wythe Avenue. Those of you who have been wondering (as I have) who is responsible for these wonderfully whimsical bits of joy will be pleased to know that thanks to a chap named Stefano Giovannini, I have an answer! It is a collaboration between Swedish artists Erik Berglin and John Skoog!

New York Shitty Photo du Jour: Pontiff

September 27, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11211, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

From Metropolitan Avenue.

A New York Shitty Op Ed: Banned From FB

September 27, 2011 ·
Filed under: Asshole, Fuck This Shit 

(Or: How To Get a 24 Hour “Time Out” Courtesy of Facebook In Two Easy Steps)

It has not necessarily been an easy month for yours truly. This has been doubly the case the last few days; someone placed a particularly nasty piece of code into this web site thus directing it to a host of spam/phishing sites. It took the Mister two days to finally track it down and eradicate it. The result is what you are seeing now. I assure you, dear readers, this format merely temporary. But I digress.

We were not alone in this endeavor to rid New York Shitty of its “guest”. A very nice lady named Lisanne helped us and to this end she and I dialoged via Facebook as the Mister worked furiously until late into the night. Wishing to thank her, I tried to log onto Facebook yesterday morning (so as to shoot her a message). This was the missive which awaited me:

For those of you who are not in the know, this is not the first time I have been admonished for violating Facebook’s “Statement of Rights & Responsibilities”. This was my second strike. I’m not too certain what happens on “strike three” but I imagine I will find out soon enough.

What precipitated my first run-in with the Facebook Police, you ask? The answer will amuse you: Michele Bachmann. More specifically, this rather hideous photo of her eating a corn dog.

When I first spied this photo on Copyranter I cringed. Then I started laughing fiendishly with utter abandon. I was of the distinct impression that the more people who knew about/saw this image, the better. So I made it my avatar. It was a big hit— but alas, I got “caught”. I was given a warning by Facebook and forced to review their rules. Without further ado, here they are:

I’ll be perfectly frank: I stopped reading at “Bullying and Harassment”. The thought of (successfully) bullying Mrs. Bachmann— who has made more than a few people miserable herself— felt too damned good. Instead, I mulled the matter over and came to the conclusion that if this photo was flagged it was, perchance, because the “flagger” in question was a Rick Perry fan. So I decided to oblige him/her with a new avatar! I aim to please.

I know what you’re thinking:

This is what got Heather in trouble with Facebook!

No, it wasn’t. In fact, this was my avatar until last night. Mr. Perry administering “services” to Michelangelo’s “Adam” was somehow overlooked. Go figure. But before I give the reveal as to what happens when you cross Facebook twice (and tender an unobstructed image of the offending item) I would like to take a moment to review a few items I have posted which Facebook did not find objectionable:

This post (regarding the hysteria on non-Hurricane Irene) passed muster.

As did this. So employing a slang term for ejaculate is A-ok. Following me so far, folks? Excellent!

Memorializing a tree that looks like a “lady flower”? “No problem!” says Facebook!

Here’s the deal folks: we’re all adults. I suspect I speak on the behalf of the adult community when I write that being punished for a second infraction of Facebook’s (seemingly arbitrary) rules by being given a 24 hour “time out” (READ: being blocked from uploading any content or commenting on posts) is, well, childish. And this is exactly what happened yesterday:

I was then directed (once again) to their read “Community Standards”.

To recap:

1. No Threats
2. No Promoting Self Harm
3. Bullying & Harassment
4. Hate Speech
5. Graphic Violence
6. Sex & Nudity
7. Theft, Vandalism or Fraud
8. Identity & Privacy
9. Intellectual Property
10. Phishing & Spam

Are all covered in the 10 Commandments of Facebook. I want you, gentle readers, to keep these in mind when viewing what precipitated my 24 hour banishment from the their community. Drum roll please…

A photograph of one of my shoes into which one of our cats was kind enough to discharge a hairball. I’m not making this up.

New York Shitty analysis: I see lots of objectionable content online and on Facebook in particular. Instead of crying “moral outrage” and advocating censorship I simply vote with my point and clicks. In other words: I go elsewhere. Is a photo of a hairball-laden piece of footwear truly worthy of censure folks? Sure, it is disgusting— but still? After giving the matter some thought (which I am guessing was the purpose of this whole exercise: penance) I have concluded it wasn’t. In fact, I am going to conclude this post with a message to Facebook. Realizing it is “off-color” I have taken the liberty of punishing myself in advance in true Facebook “form”: a bar of Irish Spring right in the ol’ kisser!

Suck it.

Update, October 1, 2011: But apparently making light of rape and deriding rape victims is okay per Facebook. Go figure.

New York Shitty Photo du Jour: Pretty

September 27, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11211, Street Art, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

From North 8 Street.

Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Eyes On The Street

September 27, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

From Meserole Avenue.

From The North Brooklyn Community Group: Light On The Inlet

September 27, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

Much has been made of Bring To Light, which is slated to grace our waterfront this upcoming weekend. So much so, that I do not think it merits further attention here. However there is an event coinciding with it that I feel compelled to pass along: Light On The Inlet. Here’s a run-down per one of the organizers, Stephen Zacks:

A community event at the site of the future home of The Greenpoint Monitor Museum, produced in conjunction with Bring to Light 2011 – Nuit Blanche New York, will feature The Greenpoint Monitor Museum, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Oliver Tilden Camp No. 26, and The Depressionaires.

The public will have a rare opportunity to visit scenic Bushwick Inlet, a cove on the East River accessible at the end of Quay Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The Greenpoint Monitor Museum will dedicate a sign to the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War and the Museum’s 15th Anniversary while identifying the place as the site of its future home honoring Greenpoint’s history. Funds for the sign were obtained through Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, and a donation from the Greenpoint Lions Club covered a sign support system and installation on land donated by Motiva Enterprises.

The first of a series of USS Monitor and Civil War 150th anniversary events celebrating the “Laying of the Keel of the USS Monitor,” Light on the Inlet will feature Civil War tents, uniforms, artifacts, photos, video projection of archival materials, and live music by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Oliver Tilden Camp No. 26 and The Depressionaires.

Event commences at 2:00 PM

3:00 PM – Unveiling of the Museum’s Site Sign

At 4 PM and sunset (~ 6:39) – The Depressionaires perform polkas, waltzes, and popular songs from another time.

Check it out!

Light On The Inlet
October 1, 2011 starting at 2:00 p.m.
Monitor Museum Site (roughly Quay Street at West Street)
Brooklyn, New York 11222

Williamsburg Photos du Jour: North 12 Street Pastoral, Revisited

September 27, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11211, Advanced Life Forms, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

It would appear this squat-cum-art installation has received a few new additions.

From The New York Shitty Photo Pool: Lorimer Street

Taken by Miss Mousey Brown.

  • NYS Flickr Pool

    Candy CanesSanta PedicabLook outManhattan BridgePaper Craneyellow callbox - not in use! except as an ashtraycute water bottle, doneyou are being watched
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