Conquest Goes to Rehab

Conquest goes to REHAB this Saturday. No, no, it's not that kind of rehab. We're talking about about the coffeehouse located at 806 Jennings Street in the Bronx. Conquest's show gets going at 8 PM.

[image]

You can also check Conquest out here:

8/2: Higher Calling 2009 (Herbert Von King Park, corner of Tompkins & Lafayette), Brooklyn

'This is Fly'

We never thought we'd hear 'hip' and 'fly fishing' mentioned in the same sentence, but there's always a first for everything. If you're a small fish in a big pond and are looking for the latest fishing gear for your next outdoor getaway, check out the Urban Angler located here , on 5th Avenue near Madison Square Park. Aside from the usual rods, lines, and lures you may be interested in the store also offers services that plans itineraries for trips. Some locations include Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and the travel center of the world: Montana.

The store has its own online magazine called "This is Fly", which caught our eye, offering articles, interviews, product reviews and recommending music to fish to, hence the hip factor. (Who would think a fisher would listen to a mixtape containting music from the Yeah Yeah Yeah's or the Decemberists?) Only in New York. Tuna in for more.

Dark ‘Toons and Strongman

Rooftop Films will be showing Dark ‘Toons and Strongman this weekend:

Rooftop Films 2009 Summer Series, our 13th year of "Underground Movies
Outdoors," will run every weekend from May 15-September 20. We are thrilled to
announce the lineup for May and June below. More details will be available next
week, including information about live music, ticket sales, after-parties and
more. Programming for the 2009 Summer Series includes feature-length films and
programs of shorts, all new, all independent. Most of the feature films are
either New York, US or World Premieres. Most screenings will include a filmmaker
Q & A. Films represent a diverse range of documentaries, fiction, drama,
comedy animation and more. We couple films with venues, and connect artists with
audiences so that each event is unique and memorable. Rooftop Films 2009 Summer
Series is presented in partnership with Cinereach and New York magazine. After
parties with complimentary drinks are provided by Radeberger Pilsner and Carlo
Rossi.

Tickets: $9 at the door or online at http://www.rooftopfilms.com/

Rooftop Films is a non-profit organization which relies on the support of our audience. Please consider making an additional donation with the purchase of your General Admission ticket. Unless otherwise noted, all screenings follow this schedule: 8:00PM: Doors open

8:30PM: Live music presented by Sound Fix Records

9:00PM: Film(s)

Saturday, May 23 Dangerous Docs

Train surfers, beard competitions, and rare chicken rescues. You can’t make this stuff up. Venue: On the Roof of Brooklyn Technical High School Address: 29 Fort Greene Place (Fort Greene, Brooklyn)

Friday, May 29 Dark ‘Toons: Optical Illusions Animated short films that bring the still to life.Venue: On the Open Road Rooftop above New Design High School Address: 350 Grand St. @ Essex (Lower East Side, Manhattan) Open bar after-party following the screening

Saturday, May 30 Strongman (Zachary Levy New York, NY 113 min.) A humorous but heart-wrenching verité documentary about Stanless Steel, the only man in the world who can bend a penny with his fingers, a working class strongman struggling to succeed and survive.Venue: On the Roof of Brooklyn Technical High School Address: 29 Fort Greene Place (Fort Greene, Brooklyn) http://www.strongmanfilm.com/ Stanless will be in attendance to perform a stunning feat of strength. Open bar after-party following the screening

Doesn't one of the films remind you of this?

Silently Raving

Here are the details you've been waiting for for tomorrow's Silent Rave:

It's time to dance in the streets and sing out our hearts in the grand unifying event known as the Silent Rave! I know you have all been losing control waiting for a chance to break free: this is it! Grab your Mp3 players, headphones, glow sticks and dance-hungry friends as the time is upon us.

Invite your friends and make this the greatest Silent Rave ever!!!

The event starts at 6:29pm. Sync your clock to official time, start countdowns with your friends and get going! Just enjoy yourselves, nothing here is illegal. You are listening to your music and taking to the public dance floor. Wanna dress up? We welcome the unafraid to our greatest of dance parties.

Gather under the Washington statue at Union Square Park (The guy on the horse)

A silent rave involves everyone listening to their own music so the music will NOT be synced for everyone, but if your friends want to be rocking to the same beats, go ahead and coordinate privately.

Who's in?

Reminder: B'klyn Against Human Sex Trafficking This Sunday

Human trafficking is the number-one growing criminal industry in the world. Every year about 14,000 people are trafficked into the US alone, cites Wikipedia. North Brooklyn Vineyard is trying to put an end to it by raising awareness through B'klyn Against Human Sex Trafficking:

B'KLYN AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING. Ok everyone, all our bands confirmed for May 31 @ the Trash Bar starting at 6pm. The bands are: THE HI-HATS, JOHN FURSTE & STEVVI ALEXANDER, BUGS IN THE DARK, DIESEL’N’DIXIE & DJ KENNY MITCHELL (on the way out for his European summer tour). Not to mention anti-trafficking advocate JOHN ODEAN sharing at 8pm, free BBQ & OPEN BAR (PBR & Well Drinks)! Come on out & invite everyone you know (over 21) to help spread the word & stop slavery.

There’s a $5 cover charge that will go towards our church’s support of the Ukrainian orphans. Tell your friends about this special night. Bring them along.

Trash Bar is located 256 Grand Street in Williamsburg and is where North Brooklyn Vineyard usually meets for their evening church services.

Find out more about B'klyn Against Human Sex Trafficking here.

Will you consider attending this event and helping to raise awareness?

Doggie Pedal Parade

In the city, there's not much opportunity for dogs to stick their heads out of car windows. You can let the wind whip their cute little faces by bike, though:

...[T]his Saturday is the SECOND ANNUAL DOGGIE PEDAL PARADE!
Pooches & People for Pedal & Planet
Sunday, May 31st at 2 p.m.
Meet at the Tompkins Square Park Dog Run (near Avenue A and 9th Street)

Bring your dog and bicycle to the Second Annual Doggie Pedal Parade. We will use baskets and trailers, listen to doggie tunes playing on the soundbike, and end the parade at Washington Square Park for a doggie celebration complete with donated tofu hot dogs, dog shaped vegan cookies, other snacks, drinks, and playtime for all.

This ride will highlight bicycles adapted to transport pets as well as the benefits of adopting homeless animals. Cyclists without dogs are encouraged to ride dressed as their favorite animal or join the Safety Pooch Patrol to help escort the ride.

For more information on the ride and the 5/28 Pup Your Ride Workshop to get your bike ready for the parade go to:
http://times-up.org/index.php?page=doggie-pedal-parade
http://times-up.org/index.php?page=doggie-pedal-parade-faq

Click here for PICTURES from last year's Doggie Pedal Parade http://www.flickr.com/photos/txup/sets/72157604542482202/
See the VIDEO from last year's Doggie Pedal Parade! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t8zmTRGkoQ

Who's taking their dog out for the parade?

[image via Flickr]

The Proverbial Wise Servant

A king delights in a wise servant,
but a shameful servant incurs his wrath.
~ Proverbs 14:35

Your New York Sports Weekend 5/29-5/31

Whether it's watching live sports, being an armchair quarterback, or listening to the radio while barbecuing there's always something going on. Here's a brief recap of this weekend's Sports Selections.

While Cleveland may claim to rock, the Bronx Bombers surely have come around as of late, keeping the die-hard Bleacher Creatures at bay. Watch the games on TV, or listen to the soothing voice of Suzyn Waldman and John Sterling on 880AM as this is a road series.

• Friday 7:05 PM-Long-time Yankee Andy Pettite (4-1) faces last year's Cy Young Winner Cliff Lee (2-5) , who has had trouble getting wins this year, but has looked pretty good his last 3 starts.
• Saturday 7:05 PM-C.C. Sabathia (4-3) returns to Cleveland against Fausto Carmona (3-4). Have fun saying both their names over and over again. Look for A-Rod and friends to come alive. You heard it here first.
• Sunday 12:40 PM- Phil Hughes (3-2) has the privilege of pitching in the same ballpark as Carl Pavano (5-4). Yankee fans, enter Carl Pavano joke here: _____________________.

The Marlins are in town this weekend at Citi Field. Take the Express 7, head to Queens and see the wonderful Jackie Robinson Rotunda while rooting for your Amazins'

• Friday 7:10 p.m. start- Mike Pelfrey (4-1) and the Mets face Florida's Sean West (0-0, 2nd career start) for the first time. Not necessarily a good thing given the Mets' recent history of losing big (i mean huge) to fresh faces.
• Saturday 1:10- Tim Redding (0-1) vs. Josh Johnson (3-1). This sounds like clash of the country stars, but Johnson is more Garth Brooks to Redding's Chris Gaines.
• Sunday 1:10 - John Maine (4-3) vs. Chris Volstad (4-3). Volstad spelled backwards is "Dat's Lov". Hard to root for and/or against the guy as he is on my Fantasy Team. Conflict of interest, but isn't Dat what Lov's all about?

Oh, and there's this other sport friends have told me about called.... Soccer? Yes, The New York Red Bulls are playing Saturday against the Colorado Rapids at Giants Stadium. Check for Tickets Here. If you are having a hard time getting tickets, it just means you are living in Bizzarro World.

7 Minutes in Heaven with Elaine Romanelli

2006 was a big year for Elaine Romanelli. The same year she starred on "What Not to Wear," Romanelli moved from San Francisco to New York City. Not only that, her debut EP, Better By Far, debuted and became one of CD Baby's top sellers. "Elaine Romanelli's music melds lyrical melodies, intimate storytelling, catchy pop choruses, wry humor, and Celtic keening," according to her website. These days, Romanelli performs every week from 7:30 to 10:30 pm, alternating Wednesdays and Thursdays, at Lime Leaf Restaurant (72nd and Broadway).

Romanelli stopped by Asphalt Eden to talk about the Weepies, being a "harmony addict," and rooftop parties in this edition of "7 Minutes in Heaven."

[Photograph by Yun Gen Yang]

Asphalt Eden: Who would you want to be stranded on a desert island with?

Elaine Romanelli: Ooh, tricky first question!

Hmm.... either cellist Yo-Yo Ma, because his playing is so consistently moving to me, and he seems quite lovely in person -- smart and grounded, and incidentally at least trilingual, so maybe I could work on my French with him -- or perhaps Bono, because he is thoughtfully and deeply engaged in the bigger picture without losing sight of quotidian glories and concerns. Plus he has that self-awareness that keeps his sense of humor sharp and his ego in check (for a rock star). I think he'd be fun to talk with, and heck, maybe we could write songs together.

Asphalt Eden: Who do you wish you could sing a duet with?

Elaine Romanelli: Dolly Parton or Alison Krauss. Or both! I'm a huge fan of three part harmony. Ooh, or also Jonatha Brooke. Or Gillian Welch and David Rawlings -- they're terrific. Or the Indigo Girls. Or Dawn Upshaw. Or Pink. Or Sting! Ben Folds also has a lovely voice. Oh, the Weepies. I adore them! My friends Keith and Renee from Canada....

Hard to narrow it down (clearly). I don't have a pre-set wish list, and I'm not picky when it comes to singing harmony, because I love love loooooove it. 'Fan' is not a strong enough word. 'Harmony addict' would be much more accurate. :)

What I would really most love is to connect up with another singer and songerwriter, a la the Weepies, or GW or DR, and become a duo, and sing lots and lots of harmony all the time on our songs.

Asphalt Eden: What is your favorite time of day?

Elaine Romanelli: The night time, without question. I come alive after sundown. I hit a wall around 11pm some nights, and sometimes can coax myself to bed then, but if I'm still awake after that I'll get a second wind, and then I'm especially clear and productive from midnight 'til about 2:30am. I love a good sunrise or sunset, and I'm grateful for the full noon sun -- but night is when I shine.

Asphalt Eden: Where in New York is the closest place to your own personal Garden of Eden?

Elaine Romanelli: It was the roof of my building, before they eliminated access to it this past fall. I loved the view of all the water towers, and the tiny sliver of the Hudson River, and the spaciousness of being, often, the sole person around, for a whole city block.

Sometimes I did run into people up there -- strangers who became friends, neighbors whose company I enjoyed -- and that was lovely as well. Very occasionally there were parties on the roof, and what a time that was! We'd string lights along the fence, and put candles on the tables we'd hauled up there, and thread an extension cord up from an apartment for music, and then we'd dance and eat and talk and laugh, and feel alive under the night sky.

Asphalt Eden: What's on repeat on your iPod?

Elaine Romanelli: I don't own an iPod! Yes, I realize that's freakish. Especially for a musician! I have no adequate defense, except that I have Luddite tendencies with respect to gadgetry, and also I value my hearing, so listening to music over earphones amid the ridiculous city and subway noise isn't that appealing.

At home I listen to Pandora, FM radio, public radio, various podcasts, my friends' recordings, people's MySpace pages, YouTube, and the songs on my iTunes. And I still listen to CDs. I find I play *many* things over and over. In fact, if I put a CD on, I tend to listen to it 3, 4, 5 times in a row.

I also spend a lot of time not listening to music out loud -- just listening to the songs in my head. There's always something playing in there. Sometimes it's a message for me -- my subconscious processing a feeling, I suppose, trying to get me to pay attention to it -- and sometimes it's a song idea I need to capture, or a song I'm working on that needs massaging.

New songs (of mine) will stick obsessively, both when there's something to fix and when they're just completed. If a new song fragment doesn't stick in my head to the point that I'm irritated, it usually doesn't get turned into a song.

So I guess I don't want to immerse myself in external sounds so much that I miss out on all that.

Asphalt Eden: If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

Elaine Romanelli: Why do you not intervene to prevent the suffering of innocents?

How, if you are God, can you possibly turn a blind eye to genocide, the systematic rape of entire countries of women, child prostitution, and decades of inhumane oppression of millions of people? This is a question I return to, again and again.

Asphalt Eden: What message do you want people to take away from your art?

Elaine Romanelli: "Hang in there." : ) And also, "you're not alone".

Often someone will come up after a show and tell me that a song of mine seems to be exactly about their life, as if I had been listening to the voices in their head. They seem relieved; less alone, less odd, more understood, more connected. I certainly feel that way about songs I love that other people wrote.

Life is full of struggles, deferred dreams, confusion, loss, and uncertainty, just as it is of triumph and love and lust and exultation. I think my path is to explore the questions about ourselves that come to us in the middle of all of that, in a way that captures the compound nature of our beings. We're messy creatures, with loud brains, contradictory thoughts, irrational behaviors, and lots of other people's expectations which we've internalized. Sometimes it's healing just to know that other people are equally messy. : )

Whew!

Alrighty, well, there you go -- my thoughts du jour, for what they're worth.

City Grace Announces New Music Director

City Grace has announced a new music director: Kyle Sandison, who has been guest playing guitar at the church, will officially take over this July. City Grace says, "Kyle is a talented musician and brings a wealth of experience as a worship leader."

He will be replacing Ashley Jones, who has been given the opportunity to do some work in Rwanda from July to December.

The Proverbial Exalted Nation

Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a disgrace to any people.
~ Proverbs 14:34

Brooklyn Hotpot Benefit

No sushi, please! I can't eat the stuff, or shellfish in general. Which is why I couldn't thoroughly enjoy the first and last Hotpot I attended last winter for a friend's sister's friend's going away dinner in Chinatown (several degrees of separation going on here). Seafood allergists will have the chance to redeem themselves this Saturday May 30 between 1-5pm at Littlefield Performance & Art Space (622 Degraw between 3rd & 4th - Brooklyn).

If you've never Hot-Potted before, basically it's a bowl of boiling liquid brothy goodness. Dip your choice of meats, veggies, noodles, and so forth in the pot. Cook at 450 degrees for a few minutes, eat and repeat! You've now been educated. Use this information for good, not for evil.

The food's free but donations, as always, are welcome. Donations will be used towards opening a HotPot location in Brooklyn. As the philosopher-poetess Paris Hilton would say, that's Hot!

Info: info@hotpotbrooklyn.com

Save the Date: Pray New York -- June 6

Cover all the zip codes in prayer! That's what will happen on Saturday, June 6, when churches throughout New York City go on prayer walks in their respective neighborhoods. Find out more about Pray New York! here.

City Grace is meeting at 10:00 AM at their normal location, 215 Sullivan St., before covering Greenwich Village in prayer.

Trinity Baptist Church, located at 250 E. 61st, will host an ice-cream social for all prayer-walkers at 4:00 PM.

Please leave a comment if your church is participating.

Sound Fix's Top 10 ~ May 2009

Who is this summer's Vampire Weekend?

Here is Sound Fix's current top 10:

1. St. Vincent: Actor (4AD)
2. Akron/Family: Set Em Wild, Set Em Free (Dead Oceans)
3. Camera Obscura: My Maudlin Career (4AD)
4. Bob Dylan: Together Through Life (Sony)
5. Woods: Songs of Shame (Shrimper)
6. Bill Callahan: Sometimes I Wish I Were an Eagle (Drag City)
7. Magik Markers: Balf Quarry (Drag City)
8. Vaselines: Enter the Vaselines (Sub Pop)
9. Pink Mountaintops: Outside Love (Jagjaguwar)
10. Papercuts: You Can Have What You Wants (Gnomonsong)

You dig?

The Proverbial Heart of the Discerning

Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning
and even among fools she lets herself be known.
~ Proverbs 14:33

IAM Wednesday Morning Discussion Group

You've already got your evenings booked, so take some time out on Wednesday mornings to get together with other Christian artists for International Art Movement's discussion group:

Wednesday Morning Discussion Group
Every Wednesday, 8:00-9:00 am
Cafe 28 (28th Street & 5th Ave)

Join us each Wednesday morning for a lively breakfast discussion of a recent newspaper magazine article pertinent to our work as artists and creative catalysts working in a changing society. All are welcome!

What articles would you like to discuss?

Mechanics, Pup Your Ride, and Bike Punk

Time's Up has some really fun cycling events coming up:

Come join us for the rides, events and workshops listed below. Details follow the headlines.

******************
******************
1. MECHANICS MEETING
Monday, May 25th, 7:30 p.m.
156 Rivington Street, between Suffolk and Clinton Streets
******************
2. BUILD BIKING INTO NYC'S SOCIAL GREEN MAP
Tuesday, May 26th, 4 p.m.
Green Map Headquarters, 220A East 4th Street
******************
3. PUP YOUR RIDE WORKSHOP
Thursday, May 28th, 6:30 p.m.
156 Rivington Street between Suffolk & Clinton Streets
******************
4. CRITICAL MASS: MANHATTAN
Friday, May 29th, 7 p.m.
Union Square, North Side
******************
5. BIKE PUNK CRITICAL MASS AFTER PARTY
Friday, May 29th, 9 p.m.
Angel's Lounge, 990 Broadway, Brooklyn (JMZ to Myrtle Ave)
******************
6. GRAFITTI RIDE
Saturday, May 30th, 2:30 p.m.
Time's Up! Brooklyn at 99 South 6th Street, off Bedford Avenue
******************
7. RIVERSIDE RIDE
Saturday, May 30th, 10 p.m.
Columbus Circle (SW corner of Central Park, at the intersection of Broadway, Central Park South 59th Street, and Central Park West)
******************
8. SECOND ANNUAL DOGGIE PEDAL PARADE
Saturday, May 31st, 2 p.m.
Tompkins Square Park Dog Run
******************
9. FRANKENBIKE BEGINNER'S WELDING WORKSHOP
Sunday, May 31st, 2:30 p.m.
XUP Brooklyn, 99 South 6th Street, off Bedford Avenue
******************
10. MAILING PARTY AND VOLUNTEER MEETING
Monday, June 1st, 7:30 p.m.
156 Rivington Street between Suffolk & Clinton Streets
******************
11. CENTRAL PARK MOONLIGHT RIDE
Friday, June 5th, 10 p.m.
Columbus Circle (SW corner of Central Park, at the intersection of Broadway, Central Park South 59th Street, and Central Park West)
******************
12. HISTORY, MYSTERY, MURDER AND MONEY TOUR
a.k.a. the Lower Manhattan Historic Ride
Saturday, June 6th, 10 p.m.
Manhattan Entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge (SW corner of Chambers and Centre St./Park Row)
******************
13. WEEKLY BIKE REPAIR WORKSHOPS
** Now in NYC and Brooklyn! **
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday Workshops will be held at ABC No Rio which is located at 156 Rivington Street between Suffolk and Clinton Streets.
Wednesday and Sunday Workshops will be held at Time's Up! Brooklyn which is located at 99 South 6th Street off Bedford Avenue
******************

Which one are you most excited for?

[photo by Stephanie Nikolopoulos]

You may also be interested in this.

Grill It: Grilled Veggie and Tofu Stack

It's officially grilling season. Hot dogs and hamburgers are sooooo cliche though. This month, we'll be looking at some yummy alternatives.

First up: Grilled Veggie and Tofu Stack we found at Bon Appetit via Epicurious.

[image by Lisa Hubbard via Epicurious]

This delicious-looking substitute to a beef patty is made out of tofu, peppers, and eggplant. Find the complete recipe here.

The Proverbial Wicked Are Brought Down

When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,
but even in death the righteous have a refuge.
~ Proverbs 14:32

Save the Date: B'klyn Against Human Trafficking This Sunday

Human trafficking is the number-one growing criminal industry in the world. Every year about 14,000 people are trafficked into the US alone, cites Wikipedia. North Brooklyn Vineyard is trying to put an end to it by raising awareness through B'klyn Against Human Trafficking:

B'KLYN AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING. Ok everyone, all our bands confirmed for May 31 @ the Trash Bar starting at 6pm. The bands are: THE HI-HATS, JOHN FURSTE & STEVVI ALEXANDER, BUGS IN THE DARK, DIESEL’N’DIXIE & DJ KENNY MITCHELL (on the way out for his European summer tour). Not to mention anti-trafficking advocate JOHN ODEAN sharing at 8pm, free BBQ & OPEN BAR (PBR & Well Drinks)! Come on out & invite everyone you know (over 21) to help spread the word & stop slavery.

There’s a $5 cover charge that will go towards our church’s support of the Ukrainian orphans. Tell your friends about this special night. Bring them along.

Trash Bar is located 256 Grand Street in Williamsburg and is where North Brooklyn Vineyard usually meets for their evening church services.

Find out more about B'klyn Against Human Trafficking here.

Will you consider attending this event and helping to raise awareness?

Sweatshop Social

Look stylish while saving the earth:

Made for food-shopping fashionistas and creative environmentalists alike, join non-profit organization, Bags for the People, in a night of custom cotton bag making. You bring the fun and the fabric; we'll provide the sewing machines, instruction, drinks, snacks, live music and prizes*. 'Cause everybody knows plastic is passe.

RSVP events@3rdward.com

Social Sweatshop happens tonight and every last Monday of the month, 7 to 10 pm at 3rd Ward (195 Morgan Ave., Brooklyn). FREE.

Send us pics of your creations.

[image via 3rd Ward]

Dangerous Docs

Rooftop Films will be showing Dangerous Docs tonight:

Rooftop Films 2009 Summer Series, our 13th year of "Underground Movies Outdoors," will run every weekend from May 15-September 20. We are thrilled to announce the lineup for May and June below. More details will be available next week, including information about live music, ticket sales, after-parties and more. Programming for the 2009 Summer Series includes feature-length films and programs of shorts, all new, all independent. Most of the feature films are either New York, US or World Premieres. Most screenings will include a filmmaker Q & A. Films represent a diverse range of documentaries, fiction, drama, comedy animation and more. We couple films with venues, and connect artists with audiences so that each event is unique and memorable. Rooftop Films 2009 Summer Series is presented in partnership with Cinereach and New York magazine. After parties with complimentary drinks are provided by Radeberger Pilsner and Carlo Rossi.

Tickets: $9 at the door or online at http://www.rooftopfilms.com/

Rooftop Films is a non-profit organization which relies on the support of our audience. Please consider making an additional donation with the purchase of your General Admission ticket. Unless otherwise noted, all screenings follow this schedule:

8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Live music presented by Sound Fix Records
9:00PM: Film(s)

Saturday, May 23
Dangerous Docs
Train surfers, beard competitions, and rare chicken rescues. You can’t make this stuff up. Venue: On the Roof of Brooklyn Technical High School Address: 29 Fort Greene Place (Fort Greene, Brooklyn)

Friday, May 29 Dark ‘Toons: Optical Illusions Animated short films that bring the still to life.Venue: On the Open Road Rooftop above New Design High School Address: 350 Grand St. @ Essex (Lower East Side, Manhattan) Open bar after-party following the screening Saturday,

May 30 Strongman (Zachary Levy New York, NY 113 min.) A humorous but heart-wrenching verité documentary about Stanless Steel, the only man in the world who can bend a penny with his fingers, a working class strongman struggling to succeed and survive.Venue: On the Roof of Brooklyn Technical High SchoolAddress: 29 Fort Greene Place (Fort Greene, Brooklyn) http://www.strongmanfilm.com/ Stanless will be in attendance to perform a stunning feat of strength. Open bar after-party following the screening

Loving those themes!

Romantic Short Films: Endless Forgiveness

Rooftop Films will be showing Romantic Short Films: Endless Forgiveness tonight.

Rooftop Films 2009 Summer Series, our 13th year of "Underground Movies
Outdoors," will run every weekend from May 15-September 20. We are thrilled to
announce the lineup for May and June below. More details will be available next
week, including information about live music, ticket sales, after-parties and
more.

Programming for the 2009 Summer Series includes feature-length films
and programs of shorts, all new, all independent. Most of the feature films are
either New York, US or World Premieres. Most screenings will include a filmmaker
Q & A. Films represent a diverse range of documentaries, fiction, drama,
comedy animation and more. We couple films with venues, and connect artists with
audiences so that each event is unique and memorable.
Rooftop Films 2009
Summer Series is presented in partnership with Cinereach and New York magazine.
After parties with complimentary drinks are provided by Radeberger Pilsner and
Carlo Rossi. Tickets: $9 at the door or online at www.rooftopfilms.com Rooftop Films is a
non-profit organization which relies on the support of our audience. Please
consider making an additional donation with the purchase of your General
Admission ticket.

Unless otherwise noted, all screenings follow this schedule:
8:00PM:
Doors open
8:30PM: Live music presented by Sound Fix Records
9:00PM:
Film(s)


Friday, May 22
Romantic Short Films: Endless
Forgiveness
Love, lust and sexual confusion. Shorts: Endless Forgiveness
display the many varied sacrifices we make to be with the people we love and
lust after.Venue: On the Open Road Rooftop above New Design High SchoolAddress:
350 Grand St. @ Essex (Lower East Side, Manhattan)Open bar after-party following
the screening

Saturday, May 23
Dangerous Docs
Train surfers, beard
competitions, and rare chicken rescues. You can’t make this stuff up. Venue: On
the Roof of Brooklyn Technical High School Address: 29 Fort Greene Place (Fort
Greene, Brooklyn)

Friday, May 29
Dark ‘Toons: Optical
Illusions
Animated short films that bring the still to life.Venue: On the
Open Road Rooftop above New Design High School Address: 350 Grand St. @ Essex
(Lower East Side, Manhattan) Open bar after-party following the screening

Saturday, May 30
Strongman (Zachary Levy New York, NY 113
min.) A humorous but heart-wrenching verité documentary about Stanless Steel,
the only man in the world who can bend a penny with his fingers, a working class
strongman struggling to succeed and survive.Venue: On the Roof of Brooklyn
Technical High SchoolAddress: 29 Fort Greene Place (Fort Greene, Brooklyn) www.strongmanfilm.com Stanless
will be in attendance to perform a stunning feat of strength. Open bar
after-party following the screening

Loving those themes!

Art Class Today

Art class was the best. Let's relive it:

Art Class - an exhibition of art you made in high school (Thursday May 21)

Chances are, if you went to a public high school, you were forced to take art class whether you wanted to or not. You were compelled to turn out a predictable portfolio of drawings, watercolor, and tempera paintings that used the color wheel or something. It is possible you still have some of the laughably awful work you created in school at your parents' house somewhere, or hey, maybe some of it was actually good.

We want to show the art you made in public school at Refuge on Thursday May 21st. You can even sell it, name your own price!

All submissions must be accompanied by a title, approx. age at creation, and a short but pretentious description that sounds like "juxtaposing the recontexualized neo-Leninist paradigm with an exploration of the intangibility of imagination."

The night should be a fun and funny, and who knows, you might end up with some cool wall art for your apartment.

With background music that was popular in the late 1990's.

ART CLASS / THURS. MAY 21 2009
8pm - 2am @ REFUGE
1532 DECATUR ST.
BROOKLYN, NY

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=177013010262

To submit work, email info@refugenyc.org

Feel free to links to your fridge-worthy art below.

Handmade Music Night: Before You Make Music, Make an Instrument

Handmade Music Night is back:

This Month, everyone's favorite part party, part mixer, part Science Fair, and part performance brings you:

* ROBOTIC GAMELAN: The GamelaTron by League of Urban Robots makes an appearance, with a fully robotic composition for a high-tech take on the traditional Indonesian instruments

* RESCUED iPODS: Hans-Christoph Steiner is saving old mobile devices and PDAs from being junked, by harnassing open-source software to make them powerful, useful, expressive, fun tools, toys, and instruments instead

* POCKET ANDROIDS: Peter Kirn shows off a new, in-progress app for turning Google's open-source Linux platform into a gestural controller - and for connecting any computer running any operating system for music, visuals, and interaction via Java and OpenSoundControl

Open hacking and party + time to get close to the instruments and gadgets + mini-workshops/show-and-tell + a musical performance by the Robotic Balinese Gender Wayang.

For full details visit http://handmademusic.noisepages.com/

Presented Every 3rd Thursday by createdigitalmusic.com with our friends at music trend-setters XLR8R.com, DIY bible makezine.com, and self-made marketplace Etsy.com.

RSVP handmade@3rdward.com

This is happening at 3rd Ward, located at 195 Morgan in Brooklyn, at 7:30 pm tonight. Free admission and PBR.

I know at least two of you have made your own instruments. Are you ready to debut them?

[image via 3rd Ward]

Geek for a Day, Data Storage for a Lifetime

["Ravage"]

Courtesy of The Big Bad Toy Store and coinciding with the upcoming release of the Transformers movie sequel later this summer, I present to the techies out there the Transforming USB Flash Drive. As a fan of the cartoon growing up with the toys, all i can say is 'whoa!'

For $43.00 and shipping & handling, you too can relive memories of the Decepticon 'Soundwave' (a radio/boombox/tape player) who used to keep those little transforming animal robots stored as 'cassettes'. Well, the times have changed and computer memory is a lot less reliant on tape today than it was 20 years ago. This little guy carries a 2GB drive, good for carrying around your favorite Hold Steady album or latest slam poetry Word document. A bit over-priced, but nostalgia usually doesn't carry a price tag.

IAM Wednesday Morning Discussion Group

You've already got your evenings booked, so take some time out on Wednesday mornings to get together with other Christian artists for International Art Movement's discussion group:

Wednesday Morning Discussion Group
Every Wednesday, 8:00-9:00 am
Cafe 28 (28th Street & 5th Ave)

Join us each Wednesday morning for a lively breakfast discussion of a recent newspaper magazine article pertinent to our work as artists and creative catalysts working in a changing society. All are welcome!

What articles would you like to discuss?

Conquest Performs at Christian and Missionary Alliance

Conquest will perform at the Christian and Missionary Alliance (155 East 107th St.) this Saturday at 7:00 PM.

Conquest's other New York tour stops include:

5/30: REHAB Coffeehouse (806 Jennings St.), Bronx
8/2: Higher Calling 2009 (Herbert Von King Park, corner of Tompkins & Lafayette), Brooklyn

[image]

AIDS Walk New York

AIDS Walk New York is taking place this Sunday, May 17. If you thought AIDS was a thing of the past, guess again. According to the AIDS Walk website:

More than 1.2 million people in the United States are estimated to be
living with HIV.

This is a first since the height of the AIDS epidemic during the 1980s.

What are you doing about it?

Recommended Reading:::

My Pet Virus by Shawn Decker

The Proverbial Contempt for One's Maker

He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
~ Proverbs 14:31

Underground Movies Outdoors

It's lucky thirteen as Rooftop Films kicks off its thirteenth year of “Underground Movies Outdoors” tomorrow night. Calling all AHDH sufferers -- they'll be showing short films that "don’t take long to astonish, amaze and inspire."

Venue: on the roof of the Open Road Rooftop
Address: 350 Grand Street @ Essex (Lower East Side, Manhattan)
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Sound Fix presents live music by Cymbals Eat Guitars
9:00PM: Films
11:30PM - 1:00AM: Open Bar at Fontana’s (105 Eldridge St), courtesy of Radeberger beer
Tickets: $9 at the door or online at going.com

The summer starts for real this Friday--Opening Night of Rooftop Films 2009
Summer Series, our 13th year of Underground Movies Outdoors. Head to Open Road
Rooftop in the Lower East Side for a live performance by Pitchfork favorites Cymbals Eat Guitars, an open bar after party, and most importantly, an incredible program of short films--dramas, comedies, animations and documentaries that could only be shorts, in an array of tales about people, polar bears and pixel-based adventurers coming together for companionship.

At Rooftop Films, we bring people together. Warm weather is here: it’s time to leave the boob tube and the YouTube at home, gather your friends, trek to the roof, and watch new, original, independent films you won’t see anywhere else, in the company of your community, our community, and the New York City night.

Fittingly, we begin 2009 with a program of films about individuals of all types (and species) seeking companionship. We celebrate the start of our 13th year, our coming of age, with several films about growing up, finding your way, settling into new roles. We welcome back Rooftop alums (Huggins, Walker, Lees, Wardop, Lev), and invite new filmmakers into our family. And we kick off another year of underground movies outdoors with a stunning selection that represents the diversity and vision of Rooftop Films.

Before the films, Sound Fix presents Cymbals Eat Guitars. The Staten Island rockers have been getting a lot of attention for their first self-released album Why There Are Mountains and were just named "Best New Music" by Pitchfork (Read the REVIEW). And after the films, everyone in attendance is invited to the Rooftop Films after party at Fontana's where we will be serving complimentary Radeberger Pilsner until 1 AM and hanging out with the filmmakers and the band.

The Films:
Beholder (Eric Daniel Metzgar New York, NY 7:00) A perfect opening film for Rooftop, crafted in our signature style (the home movie), and investigating our home town (New York). Acclaimed feature-film director Metzgar reveals his new-to-NYC neuroses and offers a visionary way to reflect on this overwhelming urban experience.

Happy 95 Birthday Grandpa (Gary Huggins Kansas City, MO 5:40) A fleeting memory of a (fictional) celebration. Crafted with a daring sense of dislocation, the film spirals from the dancers, drunks and gossips, and settles on a boy, coming of age, unsure how to balance his desire to fit in as a bully and an indescribable desire for a stranger. He’s torn between this cruel sexually-charged teenage world, and the suddenly confining comforts of being a child in an adult world, with his family, his sister, a slice of cake at a party.

Thompson (Jason Tippet Bakersfield, CA 10:00) Since second grade Matt and Ryan have shared the bond of speech impediments, weapons, and things that go fast. But as their last days of high school speed by, the two friends find that their go-carts, dirt bikes, and RC cars can't outrun adulthood. Ryan is running out of options while his best friend Matt is moving on in a different direction.

Purple Sunrise (Nina Vukovic & Viktor Jalcovleski Germany 15:30)
John and Karen (Matthew Walker United Kingdom 3:30)A touching and quirky animation about two unlikely creatures who finagle their unusual and enduring bond. worldofarthurcox.com

She Walked Away Calmly Disappearing Into Darkness (Malik Hassan Sayeed New York, NY 10:00) Lying in a hospital bed, a man tries to piece together how he got there. Fragments of memories replay with subtle changes—a look from a driver, a bag in the street, a shooter on the left or the right. His family and friends gather round him, but offer no grounding for his fractured memory. Part of the Little Minx Exquisite Corpse series: littleminx.tv

Pockets (James Lees United Kingdom 3:00) What’s in your pocket? Portraits of people’s lives, histories, connections, crafted from the trinkets and refuse carried by our sides.

The Herd (Ken Wardrop United Kingdom 4:00) A portrait of the filmmakers’ family, including a farmer playing at being hard-hearted, his stubbornly loving mother, and an adorable deer with an identity crisis. venom.ie

Skhizein (Jérémy Clapin France 14:00) After being struck by a meteor, Henry has suffered an unusual dislocation, not just from his surroundings, but from his very self. skhizein.com

How We Managed to Not Really Date Each Other (Lev Yilmaz CA 6:00)Lev (and a “friend”) tell a story of comically awkward non-heartbreak. Lev’s work will be showcased at a special Rooftop show June 10.
ingredientx.com

The Adventures of Ledo and Ix (Emily Carmichael New York, NY 4:40) Ledo and Ix are friends on an unknown quest, scaling steep mountains, sailing choppy seas, avoiding dens of monsters and existential voids. Sleeping under the stars makes them philosophical, and sometimes they wonder if they should’ve chosen different careers, or if they’re really friends at all. kidcandrive.com

Which film do you want to see?

The Proverbial Rotting Bones

A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.
~ Proverbs 14:30

Rooftop Films May Schedule

Rooftop Films has announced its schedule for May:

Rooftop Films 2009 Summer Series, our 13th year of "Underground Movies
Outdoors," will run every weekend from May 15-September 20. We are thrilled to
announce the lineup for May and June below. More details will be available next
week, including information about live music, ticket sales, after-parties and
more.

Programming for the 2009 Summer Series includes feature-length
films and programs of shorts, all new, all independent. Most of the feature
films are either New York, US or World Premieres. Most screenings will include a
filmmaker Q & A. Films represent a diverse range of documentaries, fiction,
drama, comedy animation and more. We couple films with venues, and connect
artists with audiences so that each event is unique and memorable.

Rooftop Films 2009 Summer Series is presented in partnership with
Cinereach and New York magazine. After parties with complimentary drinks are
provided by Radeberger Pilsner and Carlo Rossi. Tickets: $9 at the door or
online at http://www.rooftopfilms.com/ Rooftop
Films is a non-profit organization which relies on the support of our audience.
Please consider making an additional donation with the purchase of your General
Admission ticket.

Unless otherwise noted, all screenings follow this
schedule:
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Live music presented by Sound Fix
Records
9:00PM: Film(s)

SCHEDULE:

Friday, May 15
This Is
What We Mean By Short Films
Opening Night of Rooftop Films 2009 Summer
Series, our 13th year of Underground Movies Outdoors. A program of dramas,
comedies, animations and documentaries that could only be shorts, in an array of
tales about people, polar bears and pixel-based adventurers coming together for
companionship.Venue: On the Open Road Rooftop above New Design High
SchoolAddress: 350 Grand St. @ Essex (Lower East Side, Manhattan)Rain: In the
event of rain the show will be Sun 5/17 at the same location. Check http://www.rooftopfilms.com/ or call
718-417-7362 on the day of the event if the weather seems questionable. Open bar
after-party following the screening

Friday, May 22
Romantic Short
Films: Endless Forgiveness
Love, lust and sexual confusion. Shorts: Endless
Forgiveness display the many varied sacrifices we make to be with the people we
love and lust after.Venue: On the Open Road Rooftop above New Design High
SchoolAddress: 350 Grand St. @ Essex (Lower East Side, Manhattan)Open bar
after-party following the screening

Saturday, May 23
Dangerous Docs
Train surfers, beard competitions, and rare chicken rescues. You can’t make
this stuff up. Venue: On the Roof of Brooklyn Technical High School Address: 29
Fort Greene Place (Fort Greene, Brooklyn)

Friday, May 29
Dark
‘Toons: Optical Illusions
Animated short films that bring the still to
life.Venue: On the Open Road Rooftop above New Design High School Address: 350
Grand St. @ Essex (Lower East Side, Manhattan) Open bar after-party following
the screening

Saturday, May 30
Strongman (Zachary Levy New York, NY
113 min.) A humorous but heart-wrenching verité documentary about Stanless
Steel, the only man in the world who can bend a penny with his fingers, a
working class strongman struggling to succeed and survive.Venue: On the Roof of
Brooklyn Technical High SchoolAddress: 29 Fort Greene Place (Fort Greene,
Brooklyn) http://www.strongmanfilm.com/ Stanless
will be in attendance to perform a stunning feat of strength. Open bar
after-party following the screening

Loving those themes!

I'll Have the Fresh Meat with a Side of Desperation

Complete in Christ Ministry is hosting an Oasis Singles Dinner Concert in Brooklyn on May 23. Have to say, we're loving the irony here: a ministry that purports that we should be complete in Christ is hosting an event that suggests we might possibly need/want more than just Christ while we're here on earth. It makes sense, though. Where else are you supposed to meet like-minded hotties -- er, servant-leaders? Anyway, here are the deets:

May 23rd 2009 (Saturday), 7:00 PM (doors open at 6:30 PM)

Oasis Singles Dinner Concert, Brooklyn, NY

Single Adults All Ages

HUNDREDS ATTEND THESE EVENTS!

CHURCH SINGLES GROUPS ARE WELCOME!

7:00 PM: Catered Italian Dinner (served until about 7:45 PM)
8:00 PM: Music & Message
9:00 PM: Dessert & Fellowship

Location:
First Evangelical Free Church,
6501 6th Avenue, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY 11220
(Sixth Avenue at 66th Street)

Dinner menu consists of two choices:
Baked Ziti with Meat, Salad and Bread
-OR-
Pasta Primavera in a White Sauce with Vegetables, Salad and Bread.

Praise and worship featuring musicial guests ClayPoet.
- http://www.claypoet.com

Get ready to get energized with upbeat, contemporary praise and worship that will knock your socks off and bless your soul!

Dynamic Guest Speaker Wilton DeGraffe is the Singles Leader from the renowned Brooklyn Tabernacle church. He will share a relevant message for today’s single entitled “Is Life Passing You By? How To Overcome Obstacles and Realize Your Dreams.”

Tickets $15.00 at the door.

------------

For More information:
- http://web.mac.com/jbwoodward/Complete/Oasis.html



How do you reconcile being complete in Christ with wanting a relationship?

Do you feel like Christian singles events are much differ than secular ones?

The Proverbial Displayal of Folly

A patient man has great understanding,
but a quick-tempered man displays folly.
~ Proverbs 14:29

Fly the Friendly Skies

The Adventure Society will be organizing a day of Tandem Hang Gliding in the Hudson Valley this Sunday, followed by wine tasting and Bocce, should time permit. The group will meet in Midtown at 7 a.m. See website to sign up for location.

This is one event where you will not want to say, "Look Ma! No Hands!" It could be an exciting alternative to your normal Sunday service if you're looking for something different and exciting to do.

The Psalms speak of the beauty of creation: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands" (Psalm 19:1) Gliding hundreds of feet up in the air will give you ample time and opportunity to allow God's creation to reveal itself to you.

The cost is $223 per person and is limited to 14 participants.

IAM Wednesday Morning Discussion Group

You've already got your evenings booked, so take some time out on Wednesday mornings to get together with other Christian artists for International Art Movement's discussion group:

Wednesday Morning Discussion Group
Every Wednesday, 8:00-9:00 am
Cafe 28 (28th Street & 5th Ave)

Join us each Wednesday morning for a lively breakfast discussion of a recent newspaper magazine article pertinent to our work as artists and creative catalysts working in a changing society. All are welcome!

What articles would you like to discuss?

Trinity Grace Park Slope Heads to the Poconos

The Brooklyn community at Trinity Grace is heading out for their first retreat. They'll be spending time worshipping out in the Poconos. Here's what they had to say about it:

Forty people have signed up to join us on our first "Vision Retreat" which will be taking place May 15-17. It is hard to overstate the significance of this first getaway as a growing community. We are going about an hour and a half out of the city to cabins in the Pocono mountains to spend some vital time praying, worshiping, grappling with our vision as a new church, and flat-out having a good time away from the hustle of the city.

Our hearts are full with expectation for this time. We will be honoring and thanking our Life Group leaders who have been leading or co-leading during this first season of Life Groups. We will be thinking and praying toward our launch in the Fall and all that will be involved in that. It is also going to be a unique time for building unity as we all take a step out of the normal rhythm of our lives for some deliberate and intentional time of bringing our hearts fully to Jesus to seek the vision of our church in His Kingdom.

Please pray for God to meet us on the mountain with a powerful revelation of His presence. Pray that we will have breakthroughs in unity as many friendships will be born and strengthened. Pray for God to sharpen our understanding as individuals and a community of the vision He is calling us into this new church. Pray that this will be a step forward in our church growing towards the maturity it needs to launch well.

The retreat costs $65 per person. If you are interested in attending, visit their website for further information.

[image via Flickr]

The Proverbial Prince without His Subjects

A large population is a king's glory,
but without subjects a prince is ruined.
~ Proverbs 14:28

Where Are My Keys?..

If you've found yourself asking this question before heading to work in a rush, then FOUND:A Night With the Story Pirates may help you in your search. In fact, you may want to bring something you found on the way there: Perhaps a discarded bank receipt, a book on the subway, some random guy's grocery list, or the forty seven cents you've happened to 'discover' at the local mall fountain (make sure you dry your hands to get rid of the evidence). You may end up being a part of the night's entertainment... and will get a laugh getting a glimpse at the everyday minutae that is a part of everyone's lives (For fear of embarrassment and public humiliation, I will not bring any old love letters!)

The improvised play, inspired by Davy Rothbart's FOUND magazine (which displays collected discarded love letters, diary entries, lists, and pictures) and performed by the Story Pirates, will be hitting the Actor's playhouse June 4-6th with 2 shows at 7:30 and 9:30 PM, one on Friday. This group consists of teaching artists who perform throughout the NYC school system. Tickets are $25.00 and will benefit the Story Pirates 'Striking Viking' educational programs.

Map your way to the Actors Playhouse by clicking here

Finally, things you lose are usually where you last left them. Deep, spiritual, stuff here.

Curator Rachel Rauch Speaks at The Haven

Curator Rachel Rauch speaks at The Haven tonight, 7 PM at Calvary Episcopal Church, located at 61 Grammercy Park North.

Here's what The Haven has to say about itself:

we meet on monday nights for inspiring presentations, meaningful worship, and mirthful fellowship. anyone can attend: no invitation necessary. this isn’t business as usual. each week is curated by a different artist. it's rock your face off, move you to tears, idea igniting creative outpouring at full tilt.

Five Borough Bicycle Club vs. NYPD Trial

The weather's be-a-u-tiful and you'd rather hop on your bike than put your hard-earned money into the pockets of the MTA. These days, though, it's getting more difficult to defend your right to bike. Time's Up!, the people from the Cops Vs. Clowns Bike Ride, is fighting back for cyclists' rights and so can you:

Show your support for nonpolluting transportation by attending this historic court case.

Five Borough Bicycle Club vs. NYPD Trial
Fighting against the city's crackdown on cyclists' rights and group bicycle rides
Tuesday, May 12th at 11 a.m.
United States Court House, 500 Pearl Street, Room 12D

While environmental awareness and bicycle ridership continue to increase in New York City, the road to this success has been a struggle. Over the years we've sen many lawsuits, city regulations and police tactics that have discouraged the growth of nonpolluting transportation. You, the community, however, have constantly rallied back, finding creative ways to keep bicycling on the road and on the rise. Without this public and political concern, we wouldn't have the recent installation of sustainable infrastructure, which includes more than 170 miles of bike lanes citywide.

The Five Borough Bicycle Club with the help of attorney Steve Vaccaro of Debevoise and Plimpton, LLP, is continuing the fight for cyclists' rights with an upcoming court case. Pro bono lawyers and volunteers from the cycling community have put in countless hours of investigation in preparing for it, interviewing more than one hundred people, reviewing thousands of questionable tickets and watching video footage covering years of events. This court case will show that, despite community and political support for cycling and the environment, members of the police department used psychological tactics to break up the community and the growth of nonpolluting transportation. It is clear in numerous forms of evidence that cyclists' constitutional rights were violated through selective enforcement, domestic spying, perjury by some of the highest in command of the police department, unfounded divisionary propaganda and undercover agitation.

Let's put an end to these divisionary tactics for good and work together to continue to create a positive, sustainable city. Time's Up! environmental organization encourages you to attend the upcoming trial and support the Five Borough Bicycle Club and the future growth and safety of biking in New York City.

The trial date is set for Tuesday, May 12th at 11 a.m. at the United States Courthouse. Since the trail schedule may change at the last minute check http://5bbc.org/parade/casefiles.shtml on May 11th for status updates.

What are your cycling horror stories?

Also, and PS, even if unlike Senator Schumer you didn't show up to 3rd Ward's Block Party, you can still get a free bike when you sign up for membership.

[photo via Stephanie Nikolopoulos]

The Proverbial Fountain of Life

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
turning a man from the snares of death.
~ Proverbs 14:27

The Evils of Prom

A Christian fundamentalist high school in Ohio said one of its students will be suspended if he takes his girlfriend to her prom at a secular school, according to the Associated Press.

The Baptist school has an 84-page handbook of rules and has students sign a statement of cooperation. The school forbids dancing, holding hands, and considers rock music "part of the counterculture which seeks to implant seeds of rebellion in young people's hearts and minds." We wonder if that includes DC Talk and Audio Adrenaline and bet they certainly frown upon Underoath and Haste the Day.

"In life, we constantly make decisions whether we are going to please self or please God. [Seventeen-year-old Tyler Frost) chose one path, and the school committee chose the other," said Tim England, principal of Heritage Christian School.

Does anyone know if private Christian schools in New York have these sorts of rules?

Should students have to comply with school rules even when they are outside of school grounds?

Harvest Outreach This Saturday

Harvest Christian Fellowship is doing a homeless outreach this Saturday at 2:00 PM:

Harvest Outreach Ministries will feed and minister to the homeless in the areas surrounding our church. In addition to providing lunch, we will serve spiritual food as well as we pray and present them with the Gospel. There are a number of ways each of us can be involved: 1-Be part of the outreach team 2-Prepare the lunches 3-Donate pre-sliced cold cuts, snacks, and bottled water 4-PRAY

For more information, visit the website.

[image via Harvest Christian Fellowship]

Guitar Workshop at Harvest Christian Fellowship

Harvest Christian Fellowship is offering guitar workshops this month. The first one will be held on May 8. Victor and Rachael Coppola will instruct beginners through intermediates on guitar and music theory instruction. The session, which runs about an hour, will start at 7 PM in the third floor of the Harvest Christian Cafe (130 West 56th Street).

For more information contact Victor at vcoppola@earthlink.net your contact information and music goals.

Instructions will be held on the second Friday of each month.

The Proverbial Secure Fortress

He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress,
and for his children it will be a refuge.
~ Proverbs 14:26

The Home We Build Together

This Friday is the last day to register for the $35 ticket level of Socrates in the City's May 18 lecture featuring Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks:

SOCRATES IN THE CITY:
Conversations on the Examined Life

* INVITES YOU TO JOIN US *

For an evening of entertaining and provocative discussion
on "life, God, and other small topics"

May 18th, 2009

The Union League Club**
(38 East 37th Street at Park Avenue)

with host ERIC METAXAS

and special guest

Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks

Chief Rabbi of the UK, Times Online columnist, and author

who will speak on the subject of his book

"The Home We Build Together"

Wine & Cheese Reception from 6:15 till 6:45 pm
Speaking will begin at 6:45 pm SHARP
Rabbi Sacks will sign copies of his books at 8:15 pm

** Club requires appropriate attire for all persons;
coat and tie for gentlemen.

Please register/rsvp for this event by clicking here to pay online,
or by calling 1.646.201.3375.

Please note that registration before May 8th is $35.
Registration on or after May 8th and before May 13th is $50.
Registration on or after May 13th or at the door is $75.

VIP Reception
There will be an hors d'oeuvres and wine VIP Reception with Rabbi Sacks from 6:00 pm until 6:40 pm. Attendance at this reception (and which includes the event immediately following with Rabbi Sacks) is $75 before May 8th -- or $100 between May 8th and May 13th, or $125 on or after May 13th. To rsvp, please click here.
Please be advised that space for this reception is limited.

SITC Patron's Dinner
There will be a SITC Patron's Dinner with Rabbi Sacks and other special guests immediately following the event (approx. 8:45 pm). Attendance at this dinner (and which includes the VIP Reception and the event with Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks) is open to any persons making a tax-deductible donation to Socrates in the City of $500 or more by clicking here.
Please be advised that seating for this dinner is very limited.

Donations to SITC
If you are unable to be with us on May 18th for this special evening with Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks but would like to contribute to the work of Socrates in the City by making a tax-deductible donation at this time, we would be very grateful to you. To make a tax-deductible donation to Socrates in the City please click here.

CHIEF RABBI SIR JONATHAN SACKS

RABBI SIR JONATHAN SACKS has been Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth since September 1, 1991, the sixth incumbent since 1845.

Widely recognised as one of the world's leading contemporary exponents of Judaism, Britain's Prime Minster Gordon Brown, said of him (May 2003): "The Chief Rabbi is not just a distinguished scholar but a distinguished spiritual leader and a globally respected ambassador for the Jewish community here in Britain. He is respected in every continent because he has done more than anyone in Britain today to focus our attention on the needs and challenges of community in the global world."

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said of him (March 2004): "Jonathan Sacks is truly a towering figure in the intellectual life of Britain today. He ranges with extraordinary ease across different fields, making a contribution that is uniquely and distinctively his own. In particular, as few other people can, he relates the insights of religion to the modern world and retells the story of faith in a compelling way, and that is a rare and remarkable achievement."

Historian Michael Burleigh has described him as "the most impressive religious leader in the Kingdom" (2006).

Prior to becoming Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Sacks had been Principal of Jews' College, London, the world's oldest rabbinical seminary, as well as rabbi of the Golders Green and Marble Arch synagogues in London. He gained rabbinic ordination from Jews' College as well as from London's Yeshiva Etz Chaim.

His secular academic career has also been a distinguished one. Educated at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he obtained first class honours in Philosophy, he pursued postgraduate studies at New College, Oxford, and King's College, London. Professor Sacks has been Visiting Professor of Philosophy at the University of Essex, Sherman Lecturer at Manchester University, Riddell Lecturer at Newcastle University, Cook Lecturer at the Universities of Oxford, Edinburgh and St. Andrews and Visiting Professor at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. He is currently Visiting Professor of Theology at Kings' College London. He holds honorary doctorates from the universities of Bar Ilan, Cambridge, Glasgow, Haifa, Middlesex, Yeshiva University New York, University of Liverpool, St. Andrews University and Leeds Metropolitan University, and is an honorary fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and King's College London. In September 2001, the Archbishop of Canterbury conferred on him a doctorate of Divinity in recognition of his first ten years in the Chief Rabbinate.

BA (Hon.), first class - Philosophy : Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Post Graduate : New College, Oxford King's College, London Honorary Fellow : Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge King's College, London

At his installation as Chief Rabbi in 1991, Dr Sacks set out his vision of a reinvigorated Anglo-Jewry and launched it with a Decade of Jewish Renewal, followed by a series of innovative communal projects. These included Jewish Continuity (a national foundation funding programmes in Jewish education and outreach), the Association of Jewish Business Ethics, the Chief Rabbinate Awards for Excellence, the Chief Rabbinate Bursaries, and Community Development, a national programme to enhance Jewish community life. In 1995, he received the Jerusalem Prize for his contribution to diaspora Jewish life. In September 2001 the Chief Rabbi began his second decade of office with a call to Jewish Responsibility and a renewed commitment to the ethical dimension of Judaism. He was awarded a Knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in June 2005. A notably gifted communicator, the Chief Rabbi is a frequent contributor to radio, television and the national press. Each year before Rosh Hashanah he delivers a message to the nation on BBC Television. In 1990 he delivered the BBC Reith Lectures on The Persistence of Faith. He is the author of a number of books, including:

• Tradition in an Untraditional Age (1990)
• Persistence of Faith (1991)
• Arguments for the Sake of Heaven (1991)
• Crisis and Covenant (1992)
• One People? (1993)
• Will We Have Jewish Grandchildren? (1994)
• Community of Faith (1995)
• Faith in the Future (1998)
• The Politics of Hope (1997)
• Morals and Markets (1999)
• Celebrating Life (2000)
• Radical Then, Radical Now (2001)
• Dignity of Difference (2002)
• The Chief Rabbi's Haggadah (2003)
• From Optimism to Hope (2004)
• To Heal a Fractured World (2005)
• The Authorised Daily Prayer Book: new translation and commentary (2006)
• The Home We Build Together (2007)

Six of his books have been serialised in the national British press. The[London] Times described his Faith in the Future as "one of the most significant declarations made by a religious leader in this country for many years," and called his The Politics of Hope "a remarkable book...rich and eloquent...which deserves to become a key text." The Daily Telegraph wrote of The Dignity of Difference that it "stands far above other books about globalization and the so-called clash of civilizations, both for what it has to say and for the grace with which it says it." Rabbi Sacks is a regular contributor to The Times, in which he writes a monthly Credo column. He is a frequent contributor to Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4. A Letter in the Scroll and The Dignity of Difference both won national American book awards.

Born in 1948 in London, he has been married to Elaine since 1970. They have three children, Joshua, Dina and Gila and three grandchildren.

[image of Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks via Socrates in the City]