Phyllis Diller. Source: Wikipedia
CUNY Professor, Dr. Ira Epstein, will continue his “Ladies of Comedy” series at the Kings Bay YM-YWHA with the lecture, “Ladies of Comedy: Phyllis Diller,” April 25 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Kings Bay YM-YWHA, 3495 Nostrand Avenue between Avenue U and Avenue V.
Dr. Epstein will explore the career of the legendary comedienne through the use of numerous video clips.
To learn more, call (718) 648-7703, email info@kingsbayy.org or visit www.kingsbayy.org.
Jackie Robinson, former second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Source: Wikipedia
Learn about Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson, the Brooklyn Dodgers’ venerable #42; the racial integration of sports in the 1930s (Robinson came up in the majors in 1947), and discover the interesting relationship that existed between a young man and Robinson during a lecture given by Professor Joe Dorinson called “Letters from Jackie,” April 16 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Kings Bay YM-YWHA, 3495 Nostrand Avenue between Avenue U and Avenue V.
Die-hard New York baseball fans and sports enthusiasts still argue nearly 67 years later — “He was safe!” “He was out!” — over whether Robinson successfully stole home against Yogi Berra during Game 1 of the 1955 World Series against the New York Yankees.
To learn more, call (718) 648-7703, email info@kingsbayy.org or visit www.kingsbayy.org.
A joke: A Jewish man lies on his deathbed, surrounded by his children. “Ah,” he says, “I can smell your mother’s brisket — how I would love to taste it one last time before I die.” So one of his sons hurries down to the kitchen, but he returns empty-handed. “Sorry, papa. She says it’s for after the funeral.”
That is only an example of a tiny nugget in the vast and diverse canon of Jewish humor, a subject that will be showcased by Joe Dorinson in his upcoming lecture, “Jews In Comedy,” scheduled for March 26, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Kings Bay YM-YWHA, 3495 Nostrand Avenue between Avenue U and Avenue V.
Dorinson, a Long Island University professor of history and noted authority in the field of popular culture, will showcase not only Jewish humor, but also the history of Jews in comedy. While any such lecture will certainly include mention of a few personal favorites, such as Woody Allen, Alan King, and the Marx Brothers, hopefully Professor Dorinson will also highlight the contributions of comedic geniuses such as Zero Mostel and the great Myron Cohen. Behold:
To learn more, call (718) 648-7703, email info@kingsbayy.org or visit www.kingsbayy.org.
Members of the New York Mets, circa 1968, from left: Pitcher Dick Selma, southpaw pitcher Jerry Koosman, catcher Jerry Grote, pitcher Nolan Ryan and Tom "Terrific" Seaver. Source: Mets Merized Online
For all you New York Mets diehards out there, Long Island University Professor of History and noted authority in the field of popular culture, Joseph Dorinson, will deliver the lecture, “Here Come the Mets,” March 5 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Kings Bay YM-YWHA, 3495 Nostrand Avenue between Avenue U and Avenue V.
Coming on the heels of the heels of the recent death of beloved New York Mets catcher Gary Carter, Dorinson will present an encapsulated history of New York’s Amazin’ National League underdogs — from their early “lovable loser” days under the helm of the legendary Casey Stengel, through their “Miracle” championship years with managers Gil Hodges and Davey Johnson, to the present day struggles — leading up to the franchise’s 50th Anniversary.
Here’s a little video to get you in the mood:
To learn more, call (718) 648-7703, email info@kingsbayy.org or visit www.kingsbayy.org.
The Turkish Cultural Center of Brooklyn’s forum on anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, originally scheduled for this afternoon, has been postponed.
A new date has yet to be selected.
On the upside, the organization’s director has told Sheepshead Bites they’ll be using the time between now and the rescheduled forum to tweak the program, taking feedback from Sheepshead Bites’ commenters into consideration.
The group said they hope to add a local a rabbi to the program, as well as possibly split it into two events – one in the afternoon for students, and one later in the day for adults.
More information will be posted as the group firms up its plans.
Carol Burnett | Source: californiamuseum.org
If some of your fondest memories of the 1970s are of watching Carol Burnett struggle to contain uncontrollable laughter alongside the likes of Harvey Korman (of blessed memory), Tim Conway and Vicki Lawrence during the eponymous hit comedy / variety series that made her a household name, then you will love the Kings Bay YM-YWHA’s tribute to her this week.
Recommended for adults, CUNY Professor Dr. Ira Epstein will explore the career of the multi-talented, strawberry blond comedienne through video clips and stories during a program called “Ladies of Comedy: Carol Burnett” at the Kings Bay Y, 3495 Nostrand Avenue, this Monday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public.
If you are not familiar with the genius that is Carol Burnett, behold:
For more, call (718) 648-7703, email info@kingsbayy.org or go to www.kingsbayy.org.
Dozens of scientists, educators, environmentalists and public servants met last Thursday evening at Brooklyn College for the third annual Jamaica Bay Research Symposium, a forum focused on issues of water and shoreline health throughout the bay. Jamaica Bay’s history, current state, and future improvement plans – including a new State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) draft agreement to reduce sewer overflows into the water – were discussed.
Read about the health of the bay, and what new initiatives are being rolled out.
So before we were New York City, we were Brooklyn. And before we were Brooklyn, we were Gravesend.
You see, back in the old days, we were the only English chartered town in the Dutch colony of New Netherland, founded by this badass boo named Lady Moody. As a widow, she rebelled against Puritan mores in Massachusetts, was chased down here, founded a town, and, upon chillin’ with homeboy Peter Stuyvesant, scored religious freedom for her Anabaptist crew – a coup very unusual for anyone in the 1600s, especially a woman.
Fast forward 200 years, and Brooklyn’s all up there lookin’ smug and stuff, annexing away at Williamsburg, New Lots, Flatbush, et al. Gravesend was all like, “Yo, them Dutchies gettin’ grabby.” But then we thought about the situation a little more and realized those chickenheads needed us. So, like, whatever.
And then a few years later, we realized how sad Manhattan would be if its future leaders had no one to ignore. So we hooked up with them, too, forming New York City.
Now, you might be saying to yourself, “Ned’s a genius. Thanks for filling me in on this rich chapter of history.” You’re welcome.
But if you’re really serious about knowing the details about the formation of New York City from five separate counties, you should check out Bay Improvement Group’s History Night, tonight at 8:00 p.m. at Sunrise Assisted Living (2211 Emmons Avenue).
The group holds this annual event the week before BayFest to remind everyone what it is we’re celebrating, and they’re having a real pro historian – Ron Schweiger – come down and explain it in detail. So, you know, you can actually learn something instead of reading my nonsense.
We are all more acutely aware of the effects our activities have on the marine ecosystems since the catastrophic explosion and subsequent oil spill — the petroleum industry’s largest in history — devastated the Gulf of Mexico last year, claiming 11 human lives and taking an incalculable toll on marine life.
Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Boulevard, will be exploring this topic, and more — including CO2 emissions, crashing global fish stocks, the scarcity of freshwater available for human consumption, the lack clean water for more than one billion people of the world’s population, over-fishing, pollution, development, and climate change — at its “Eco-Festival 2011: Sustaining Waters,” April 13 to 15.
All Eco Festival events are free and open to the public.
