DOCU Week--Missed it!

 

This poster for DOCU Weeks caught my eye back in July and I took this picture to remember to check it out. I missed it. That's kind of the way things go here. If you don't write it on your calendar, you'll get distracted by other things. Anyway, I think I'll check this theatre, IFC Center, out soon and watch a good independent film. It's near Washington Park in Manhattan. 

I love learning about new things through the documentaries. I'm a slow reader, and watching a film is more efficient for me, plus, I seem to remember what I've learned better than if I read a book. The thing I want to say about documentaries is this: How can you tell if the writer of a documentary is being honest or has a slanted point of view?

The Empire State Building lights up with different colors every night to represent an event or organization, etc. You can look up this information on their website. During the Olympics each side was lit differently to represent various countries' colors.

Reading Places

 

 If you find a good spot to read at your leisure in this town, you have to make note of it. This little shop called CommuniTea in Long Island City is one of those.

I took my newspaper (everyone else had laptops, but, hey, I'm old school) here yesterday. I was able to sit and eat my lunch (a mushroom "burger") for a good long while, and no one from the staff even glanced my way to indicate I'd been there too long. You may say, "How would you know, if you were reading your newspaper?" Good point. Let's just say that the place was busy, but I didn't feel rushed at any time. Mind you, I do not linger in restaurants or coffee shops if tables aren't available for new customers.

So, CommuniTea, I recommend you as a place to hang out. It's a good place to go and be around people, but still take your time. I'll be posting on more good places to read in the city.

Jehovah's Witness Founder a Fake

Here's some interesting information about the founder of the Jehovah's Witness cult from Catholics.com, in an article called History of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

"It was this diminished Adventism which influenced Russell, who took the title "Pastor" even though he never got through high school. In 1879, he began the Watch Tower—what would later be known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the teaching organ of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. In 1908 he moved its headquarters to Brooklyn, where it has remained ever since.

"Before he got his religious career well underway, Russell promoted what he called "miracle wheat," which he sold at sixty dollars per bushel. He claimed it would grow five times as well as regular wheat. In fact, it grew slightly less well than regular wheat, as was established in court when Russell was sued. Later he marketed a fake cancer cure and what he termed a 'millennial bean' (which a wag has said probably got that name because it took a thousand years to sprout)."

I wonder if Jehovah's Witnesses know this. 

Jehovah's Witness Worldwide Headquarters

Photo by Dan Nguyen

The worldwide Jehovah's Witness headquarters is located in Downtown Brooklyn. At least for the past century is has been. It is moving upstate because more space was needed for their printing operations.

An April, 2012 news article from WABC TV, states, "In the next few years, Brooklyn could see one of the largest turnovers in real estate, all thanks to one seller. The Jehovah's Witnesses are planning to sell all 34 of its buildings as they move their operations upstate. The scope of the church's holdings is massive, 3.2 million square feet, more than the Empire State Building. It's being valued at more than $1 billion, and once the properties are turned over to private owners, the tax dollars will be flowing."

I'm going to read more about this sect -- or is it a cult? 

Standing In Line

 

My husband and I were in Downtown Brooklyn (Dumbo) Sunday to stand in line for this much-talked-about pizza place. It was 503 degrees that day. The pizza was delicious, but why stand in line for pizza in New York? I think people stand in line here just to say they did it. That's Brooklyn Bridge in the photo.

Distant Clickers

Apparently a number of people from all over the world accidentally or on purpose click through this blog. Isn't that crazy?