Brooklyn Under Iowa Invasion

Image via vanquishall.tripod.comLet’s face it; we see some pretty weird stuff as residents of the crazy capital of the world. Now, according to concerned Brooklynite Joel Siegel, you can add another phenomenon to the already long list—a sudden increase in Iowa License plates. I mean, fire up the presses.

Siegel, a Ditmas Park lawyer, maintains that something just ain’t right on them there streets. Okay, I’m sure he said it much more eloquently, probably with a few “I objects” and whole lot of “I hold you in contempt."  He’s fit to be tied because a slew of corn growing, cousin lovers are making parking in his quiet neighborhood even more difficult.

Convinced that there’s a conspiracy afoot, Siegel contacted the Iowa DOT, the Iowa Insurance Division and a handful of NY government muckity-mucks providing them with 20 Iowa tag numbers to check into. The official replied, “Are you fucking kidding!?”  I’m paraphrasing. 

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OH TO LIVE ON CARROLL STREET!

I assumed that block parties had gone the way of Jello Salad and martini lunches.  Then I moved to Park Slope, where the quaint pleasures of an earlier time still seem to be intact.  A few weeks ago, my PS block celebrated summer, life, childhood, and first world dumb luck with a bouncy castle and some communal mac and cheese.  Needless to say, I was impressed.  That is, until I saw this flyer for an upcoming block party on Carroll Street.

?!?!????!!!!  It’s as if the townspeople from The Music Man recruited Leslie Knope to plan the super-duperist day of folksy fun in the HISTORY OF THE WOLRD! Let’s review in a more detail:

You’ll start off with some coffee and homemade baked goods at #643.  Now, don’t forget to BYO Mug.  This cuts down on paper waste and creates a homey feeling right off the bat.  On this day, not only is the world your oyster, but the street your breakfast nook!  Of course, you’ll all pitch in with the cleaning (BYO Broom!), during the synchronized street sweep.  And for those of you who finish your chores early, there’s yoga at 10 (BYO Mat and Inner Calm!). 

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FIPS Juicy: Best Stories of the Week

In case you spent all week watching how-to-twerk videos so you can be just like Miley Cyrus, here's a round-up of juicy FIPS news that graced the pages of our blog this week:

* Obligatory post-VMAs post

* Breeders, Ballers, Show Us Your Tits! Oops. That Was Yesterday.

* Top Dogs in NYC Democratic Mayoral Primary -- A Cheat Sheet

* Park Slope Missed Connections

* You're A Shitty Cook. You Need Money. We Can Help.

* Viacom Has The Hots for Brooklyn; Nickelodeon's Day of Play in Prospect Park

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Smile for the Security Camera(s)!

Pic via Flickr User Madstfri

Remember when NSA meant No Strings Attached on Craigslist? Don't pretend like you don't.

Nowadays everyone is all up in everyone's privacy grills. We're being watched and monitored and stalked and all sorts of creepy things. And while there are a whole shitload of people screaming about rights infringements, apparently Brooklynites don't care.

According to a Quinnipiac University Poll over 80 percent of Brooklyn residents say they want more security cameras installed in public spaces. Head scratch? As a spokeswoman for the study told The Brooklyn Paper: “Maybe they like that, walking on the street, someone is watching over them.” 

But there are others who say that's weapon's grade bolognium. Chris Dunn a New York Civil Liberties Union lawyer: "There are lots more government cameras out there and there are no protections."

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Illustrated Brooklyn Poster Confirms Our Suspicions: Manhattan & Queens Don't Matter

Is a week after the VMA's took place at the Barclay's Center too soon to declare that Brooklyn is now officially the center of universe? Eh, whatevs. 

As far as I'm concerned, this new Brooklyn Poster from BK's own Blankslate* team gives our fine borough it's proper due. Manhattan looks like some sepia colored, lonely, wasteland and Queens looks like an old western ghost town, but Brooklyn! Ah, our fair Brooklyn looks like Oz after Dorothy made it through the tornado (and/or the X-Pro II filter on Instagram). 

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