The Pandemics on The Checkerboard Kids in HD (2014)

the Flippants on Checkerboard Kids (2014)

Catie Vanderbilt on Checkerboard Kids (2014)

Checkerboard Kids and Free Advice (2010-2012)

There was an amusing show I used to TD for called "Moon Juice and Free Advice". I actually found two old episodes when they came onto my program and here it is. Enjoy!

2012
 

2010
 

The Duppies on Checkerboard Kids (2009)

Oscars 2011

I'm not really one for the Oscars but an impromptu appearance by Seth Shire the Unpaid Film Critic really got me thinking. I really liked Inception and Toy Story 3. In any case enjoy the episode featuring Vince Lombardi from Rolling Rhinos and Rich from DVTV.

Enjoy the episode!

Checkerphil in compramising position with man of the cloth!

I was just reading about Rev Billiy's triumph over NYC and I walked into MNN and there hewas with his choir for the Church of Life After Shopping and everything so I just had to say what's up and he of course was mpre than gracious!
You can see what he was doing at his blog: here

NYC Teachers in the Rubber Room

If you don't know about it I'll put it into nutshell. In NYC teachers are getting placed in these limbo like facilities while waiting for their court cases.

In New York City a growing number of teachers are being removed from schools and being reassigned to detainment centers. Nicknamed "the rubber room" these delapidated, makeshift prisons are meant to house them while they await their impending trials. While still on the payroll the innocent, guilty and just plain insane are thrown together to fend for themselves for sometimes several years before they see a trial or even receive their charges.

Theres a documentary on the subject as well as countless news articles and a episode of this American Life on the subject. If you want the latest scoop on the goings on check out Betsy Combiers Rubber Room Reporter blog. Betsy one day returned home to find her site suddenly linked to a dead page and she had to rebuild her site from scratch article by article. A oversight or sabotage! You decide. There are lots of higher ups that want this story buried but there are some justice loving folks that won't let it die! More info to come! Betsy also does an informative website for public school parents called parentadvocates.org

So you might wonder what exactly do people do while they're in the Rubber Room? Some get office work, and menial tasks. Some do obvious stuff like play cards, chess or try to avoid getting stabbed or choked over sitting in someones seat. I personally took full advantage of my time and wrote a book about my experiences. I'm in the process of creating a screenplay version of it. No, seriously. I think Michael Winslow would be perfect to play me. I'm sure he would chubby up for the role...


RUBBER ROOM ROCK

Within These Walls Cirano Z shares his experiences in music form.


on the Rubber Room Song Jason Trachtenburg from the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow players co pens and pulls double duty on this ode to NYC Rubber Room Teachers trapped in the system. Catherine Dudley on Violin.

Kofre

International ska in espanol skank meisters. Kofre did the TV show they were really great! Special shout out to my homegirl Lauren who showed up and represented. Thanx! Here is the extended episode with extra songs you wont see on the air!

Comic Books and Alan Alda vs Burgess Meredeth on Naked City

Lately, I've been on this Naked City kick, renting them from the library and such. The latest episode, the opening episode of its fourth and final season, "Hold For Gloria Christmas" had a fantastic story with Burgess Meredeth as this alcoholic, beat poet in the village (filmed on location) with this cool poetry showdown with a very hip Alan Alda going toe to toe with Meredeth.


My favorite fanboy moments from this great episode are incidental. Two times the visit the newstand on Christopher St. and the first time theres a new copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 (the first appearance of Spider Man)

This all must have been filmed August 1962 because later on Adam Flint (Paul Burke) returns to grill the blind newstand owner and whats there but "Journey into Mystery" #83 (first appearance by Thor)

Do you desire to see this fine episode? if you are into downloading torrents the episode is available on mininova!

Chess Now:Juliana vs. The Bishop

Heres a couple of candid behind the shots of Chess Now featuring Juliana a lovely girl from Brazil and Peter from zERO gRAVITY. It was a fun episode!



The shoes on the desk are a tribute to tragic Chess superstar from New Orleans, Paul Morphy (1837-1884) who had an arrangement of womens shoes near his bed.

There But For Fortune

I was walking to a friends house this past Tuesday in the village and on the side of the NYU dorms there was a large representation of a Chinese Fortune Cookie fastened to the side of the building. As I drew closer I saw you can actually pull out your own fortune. So I did!



Lol! Are you trying to tell me something giant cookie?

The Cat is the Hat

This just in: This evening in Lincoln Center an unidentified man with a cat on his head hit me up for spare change. I laughed to see such sport, so circle gets the square! How can I resist?

Me and My Tai Chi

Photo: A Yin and Yang on the Dojo Door with double dragons that I like.

I've been studying Tai Chi since March 2008. I have this teacher Roldan that is cool and funny and makes it fun to learn. He also acts and sings and does many things in addition to his keeping up his martial arts skills. I just wanted to shout out the Dojo website: Nisei Goju and Roldan's Blog

Here's a clip of Grand Master Roldan. Normally I'd ask "Hey! Wheres the Furious Five?" but after seeing this clip I dare not.

Laurie Anderson is all right with me.

On the 25th I got to see one of my favorite artists ever, Laurie Anderson perform at the Rose Hall of Lincoln Center.



I was really psyched to see the show and got to sit next to the wife of the awesome in his own right Viola player, Eyvind Kang who was friendly and equally effusive as I was . I sat directly behind Lou Reed and was really pleased to see him get up there and perform "The Lost Art of Conversation." While I was there enjoying the show. One thing kept coming back to me. The song by Christopher X. Brodeur "Lou Reeds (Thing)" where he, a fellow Laurie Anderson enthusiast cautions Laurie against the Evils of Lou Reed.



Grrr! Way to monopolize my enjoyment CXB! All in a a splendid time was had by all.

The Cure For Sadness is MORE CHESS NOW!

Since I started this blog I've had these foster cats, Kat Kong and Pretty Pretty Princess On Thursday they finally returned to their rightful owners. I tell ya I really got attached to those guys. I guess I'll Cheer myself by watching Chess Now

Pilfers/ Bigger Thomas / Ghost Front @ Knitting Factory

Last night I had the pleasure of MCeeing the Pilfers newest reunion at Knitting factory with a percentage going to National Hopeline Network There was such a positive vibration going on! So shout outs go to the entire Bigger Thomas Massive, Roy Radics, Shay, TC, Kevin Batchelor, Snow White, (Former Toasters Drummer) J-Mac who is in Ghost Front with this dude that sounds like Robert Smith from the Cure (with less whine) My homey Skarno and I agree awesome band! And he's a mad music snob yo! Also DC Ska Girl, Michelle from the NYC Ska myspace, anybody friendly that said "Hi!", the young ladies upstairs who love dancing and that security guy who shut that drunk girl down (It had to be done!) I'm listening to "Flicker" on Plifers MySpace page it's fantastic the live version yesterday really had me hyped!! Speaking o' Flikr I have mad pictures from last night up so peep it out! Right now I'm working on the logistics of getting Pilfers on the TV in February!

¿Quién es TigerWall Flip?

To explain what TigerWall Flip is about would be OD just peep out this clip of this surf taxi garage rock n roll lucha libre style nastiness on the Checkerboard Kids Program! Enjoy!



Update: Watch the full Checkerboard Kids episode featuring TigerWall Flip HERE! Don't forget to rate it willya? Don't make me send Mitch after you!

Healthy Eats on NYC's Longest Street

No, not Broadway! Although it's mad long (it goes all the way to Albany if you let it) It is an avenue! Turn your sights over to 14th Street! This is NYC's longest street, spanning two and a half miles long. It is bookended by the Hudson River on the West to the East River (Where we dump the bodies... kidding..) This mighty thoroughfare was the first street in New York to get electric lampposts.

As you know this street with little bargain shops, cheap electronic stores and all sorts of fast food joints and bars each one seedier than the next, Where can I get my vegetarian grub on?

Drum roll please!

Thai ME Up is a cool sandwich shop with great salads, noodle bowls and other healthy goodies! Amir the owner is always on hand and made me a great smoothie! "I'd rather it taste healthy than it taste all super sweet with those high fructose corn syrups" I like the ambiance! He plays some really cool music! All the stuff on the menu can be made vegetarian or not. He even let me try some of the vegetarian dumplings! Great! He assures me the chicken ones are quite good too! I'm sure the menu is online, You can peep their city search page here. You feel free to write a review of your adventures in eating Also you can bum rush their myspace page that you can friend them at!
http://myspace.com/thaimeupnyc
I'm sure their facebook page isn't far behind! Give them a try!

I Took The A Train (no, really!)

On the occasion of my Godchild Xavier's birthday his grandmother and I got him tickets to this!:

IND ANNIVERSARY SEPTEMBER SPECIAL: A DAY ON THE A

Highlighting the 75th Anniversary of the IND, vintage R 1/9 trains will travel on the A line from midtown Manhattan to the New York Transit Museum, in Brooklyn Heights, for a one hour layover for passengers to enjoy the various museum exhibits and vintage car collection. From the Museum we’ll head out to Lefferts Boulevard and back track to Manhattan where we’ll change to the D line to go to Coney Island. After a stopover in Coney Island so that passengers can partake of all that this famed destination has to offer, we’ll travel to 207th Street in Manhattan and back to Midtown where we’ll end our special “Day on the A

Travel Journal: The trip was long and ardurous. Trees falling on tracks rerouting the action, exited folks getting too excited and almost getting decapitated by sticking their heads out of windows. I must admit seeing a lot of this all before my main interest was watching and interacting with the people. Everyone had a different story and love of trains to varying degrees (even people that were there to support their relatives obession.) Everyone seemed affable, approachable and well mannered, Although some individuals love the F-word more than my students love the N- Word!

The higest kudos have to go to Mikey (Left) who rocked a super exclusive NYC subway map prosthetic leg. (click on pic for detail) It was like a convention with everyone sporting rare T-shirts, pins, hats or adorned with cool train tattoos.

Big question: Was Jerimiah from Xaviers favorite site "the Subway Nut" there? I couldn't tell! There were a lot of Sub Chat folks! A cool site I lurk on the low.

It's my blog and I'll plug if I want to! This cool cat named Junior from the LIRR is down with the Central Operating Lines LTD. a model train club operating out of Ronkonkoma. You can attend their free open houses and see some cool train layouts! www.trainweb.org/centoplines

So what have I learned from all this? I learned in the 1950's 81 out of 100 women prefered men with hats! if you believe the advert on the left!

End result: Xavier had a great time and so did I!

Morrissey News:
I only got one Mozz ticket for the Monday!
No I dont wanna talk about it!
You know I'm truly dissapointed.
Truly truly truly,,,