Recently in Politics Category

 As I blogged about Monday, there was this little party at the Bell House in Brooklyn to watch the election returns. Please forgive the utter amateurness of the video, which coupled with some drinking and jumping up and down for joy, does not make it my best work on a four-year-old digital camera. Still, I think it captures the joy. I also have a few photos on Flickr. The whole evening was amazing. There are very few times in my life that I've been so overwhelmed by a sense of unity (and cheesy as it may sound) hope.

YES!

So, in case you missed it, there's this little thing called a presidential election tomorrow. Do make sure you check your status before you vote so you know you're registered and where to vote.

THEN, figure out where to party. My two suggestions: The Red and the Blue party at the Bellhouse, featuring Brooklyn's own Blue Album Group cover band (the blue) and Red Hook vendors (the red, duh). Oh, and it's free. Also, for something that's totally in stumbling distance to my front door, Abilene has a brand spankin'-new flatscreen that will be tuned to election coverage, alonside a brand spankin'-new menu that debuts tomorrow. Check the website for menu goodies like pulled pork sandwiches, fried chicken, smoked ribs ... yum.

DOUBLE CHECK!!!!

I don't think I need to go into the specifics of why checking now is much better than encountering a problem at your polling place. The link also will tell you where your polling place is.

A rather ingenious way to get people to your stoop sale and get rid of your stuff: The Shop for Barack stoop sale.

So, we usually like to keep politics off this blog, but I just can't help it with this video. Jon Stewart nails this one pretty hard.

Old, Grizzled Third-Party Candidate May Steal Support From McCain

All I want to know is, where can I get my Cressbeckler t-shirt and bumper sticker.

I spent Sunday afternoon marching with United for Peace & Justice. While I try to keep this blog apolitical, it's disheartening to think we are celebrating the fourth anniversary of a war that almost no one wants. In one of my rare Brooklyn black-eye moments, I overheard some  Cobble Hill folk discussing how pointless peaceful marching was and how it's just a democratic sham. Ah ... I do love the privileged.

Anyway, my three favorite march moments were the marching band we shadowed the whole way because they were so fun (does anyone know the green-outfitted band is?),  the ladies with the artfully placed silver batons, and the policeman who was using his megaphone to encourage us to keep marching for peace until the end.

We'd never assume anything about the personal political views of ABL readers--that'd be pretty arrogant. So we mention this MoveOn.org Victory Party at Skizum in DUMBO tonight for anyone who might be over-the-moon, ecstatic or filled with momentary hope about our political climate based on this week's election result. Anyone else: I'm sure there's some Republican equivalent of MoveOn throwing its own strategy meeting somewhere in town, but we didn't get that email.

I've often wondered why Brooklyn doesn't have its own magazine. When would the off-hand mentions of Brooklyn restaurants and issues in New York Magazine and Time Out get under the skin of some editorially minded entrepreneur and spawn a magazine? Like most questions I dream up, the answer already exists, this one in the form of The Brooklynite. The fledgeling mag's editor was kind enough to send me the first two issues of his magazine, which he helpfully pointed out is "the ONLY Brooklyn magazine to feature articles by a Pulitzer Prize winner and a Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee winner." The Brooklynite is free and distributed to Brooklyn businesses, but it is also arguably hard to find. It is, however, worth finding. Many of the articles are meaty, dealing with social or political issues facing the borough, and some deal with infinitely more pressing issues like what drink unites old Japanese people and Williamsburg hipsters? Subscriptions are $10 for two issues.