Rainbow Music is one of the last available independently owned music stores in NYC. I’m proud to say that I’ve purchased a few CDs from the establishment in the past few years. Though, if my purchasing habits are any indication of the overall public that visits the store – they need more business to survive.

I was looking for the Philip Glass orchestrated “Dracula” CD as performed by the Kronos Quartet. After going to Circuit City, Best Buy and Borders Books & Music, I had no luck in finding the CD. So I decided to call Rainbow Music. But they weren’t there. What I got was the most entertaining voicemail of all time, it reminded me of Buzzo’s Music at Geneseo, where I went to school.

My suggestion is that you go to the store, talk to the owner and if you can’t do either, call when the store is closed so you can hear their awesome voicemail recording.

Rainbow Music 2002 Ltd – 212 505-1774

130 1st Ave, New York –

The Princeton Clubhouse is looking for a new marketing person. I thought, “hmm, let me check them out.”

I had no idea when I clicked on the link that this was a clubhouse with squash courts and rooms for you to stay in. What exactly is a clubhouse? Upon seeing the different facilities and services offered, I was reminded of several Seinfeld episodes where Jerry and the gang go and play squash or tennis. So pretty much it’s like a fitness club except much snootier seeming.

Who goes to Clubhouses in a recession? But then I thought about it and realized that people still workout during a recession, so why not be members of clubhouses too? And then I thought about it further and realized clubhouses are frequented by those who aren’t hugely affected by a recession, and even if they are, they are so rich that it won’t really have an impact on their wallet. And that is a good thing because the Clubhouse will employ someone who is most likely not clubhouse attendance caliber, but still benefit.

The exclusivity and House Rules drew me further in and I found it extremely fun to read through their rules. Here’s a sampling, but go to the site if you want to read them all.

Effective September 1, 2008

• Laptops and texting by cellular phone are permitted so long as they are silenced.

• Business Meetings, which require obvious use and display of papers, are disruptive to other members and are not permitted. A quiet business conversation among two or three people is permissible. Club employees have been instructed to call attention to violations and to request that the member conform to the rules. Members who refuse to remedy a violation may be escorted from the Clubhouse.

• No food or drink may be brought in from the outside for consumption inside the Clubhouse with the exception of members and guests consuming food or drink within their bedroom.

• No food may be brought into any Club sponsored events/programs when food is not furnished for the particular event/program.

• The Club’s address or telephone numbers may not be used on business related materials.

• The addresses and telephone numbers of members may not be revealed except with member’s permission.

• Working Press and members of the media are not permitted in the Clubhouse except by permission of management. Photography and audiovisual recordings of any kind are not permitted inside the Clubhouse except by permission of management.

• Club employees are not to be sent out of the Clubhouse by a member.

• Club management is empowered to enforce the House Rules on behalf of the House Committee.

• Dining Policies

  Papers and documents should be handled and displayed discreetly in dining areas, subject to the discretion of management.

I was spending a slow afternoon at IKEA today. Had to pick up a few items and landed up at lunchtime to devour the favorite Swedish meatballs.

IKEA Brooklyn, Image courtesy The Brooklyn Paper

After lunch I venture into the store. Its fairly empty and I think the weather this weekend is to blame. Get some of the items I want and put them in the yellow IKEA bag along with my saturday copy of the NYT.

Once on the lower level transfer all of the stuff to a cart. I continue walking around the store slowly moving towards the checkout. The last stop I needed to make was at the shelving area, to pick up some shelves. Put my cart out of people’s way and get busy measuring different shelves to get the correct ones.

And then pick up the correct ones and turn back to the cart to put them in and go to checkout. And lo and behold ! There is no cart.

At first I check around to see if someone pushed it out of their way. But its nowhere to be found. Spot the IKEA personnel in charge of that area and she hasn’t moved my cart or seen it. She offers to call security and I take up that offer. Security shows up in 5 min and ask me a few questions etc. Luckily besides my NYT copy, I did not leave anything in the cart of personal value.

However by this time I was pretty pissed to go back thru the store to pick up what had now wandered away. Will go back another day for it.

However its really scary to think about how someone can either intentionally or unknowingly walk off with the cart. When we go shopping Shirrin seldom leaves her purse in the cart, and I always leave my bag. Perhaps this is a good and inexpensive lesson, and henceforth I will be wary of leaving personal stuff in the cart. 

As for Cart Thief, damn you.

Next time you have time to spend, sit down and log onto Borough Edges and be ready to be totally mesmerized! Bettina Johae took 2418 digital images of the perimeter around the whole city — all 5 boroughs! From Riverside Park to Astoria/Ditmars to the Brooklyn Riviera, it’s a trip around the edges. It’s like that coffee-table book that everyone picks up and can’t put down…truly amazing!

Finally New York City gets a proper snowfall. And we don’t have to just look at it in pictures and on TV.

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Snow just makes me happy. I’m loving how my neighborhood of Astoria looks covered in winter wonderlandiness. Fortunately, I don’t have to drive in it!

Everyone’s doing it doing it it doing it.

Growing their beards and not trimming it.

Some people trim non-facial hair parts in the restroom at my workplace – and that is grossing me out.

What the point of this post was that everyone and their mothers has a beard. It’s like beards are so in that it’s time for them to not be so in anymore. People say it’s to keep warm, but seriously, it’s just like a space for water to get caught and then freeze while you’re walking.

I know our friend Atom has had a beard for a super-long time. Everywhere I turn in the East Village, people have some scruff or a full-on beard. I do too. It’s really alright by me but I’m always thinking like why such huge groups of people – especially in a big city like NYC – grow beards at the same time.

Fashion is weird. Beards are in. But who knows what ’09 will bring??

Beautiful giant snow flakes falling this early afternoon.

I was out and about this evening getting some cat food from my favorite local pet store The Natural Pet, when I found out the management had changed hands! Rats, I said as we walked into the wine shop next door. My wife was deciding on which wine from Orvieto she wanted when a gentlemen came through the door. He seemed like your average middle aged New York City man. He saw my Leica hanging around my neck and this is how he interacted with me. (more…)

It’s freezing cold here. It snowed on the entire ride from NYC to Niagra Falls and even while we were near the falls there was snow falling on top of us. It is absolutely the best time to visit Niagra if you’re from the city. A perfect winter break to remove your mind from holiday stresses like shopping, arranging holiday parties or unwillingly going to your work celebrations.

It’s also interesting to see how a (relatively) short trip into Canada changes everything as far as the way people interact. It’s mainly that they are nicer.