S:: Is for Sadness over Humanity!

The atrocities that are happening in this world are enough to make me wonder, where has humanity gone. The pictures and story I am about to share with you are intensely graphic. The horror in the acts themselves, are in actuality in the glee on the faces of the people who are committing the crimes. This is what is happening in Indonesia.


Over the last two years, ethnic violence and hostility has been mounting in Indonesia against the ethnic Chinese. The underlying causes of increasing tensions includes political instability, economic problems, and the remnants of the government's policy on transmigration. Although the Chinese comprise only around 4% of the population, before the financial crisis they accounted for the majority of private economic wealth and activity. This is partly due to the Dutch colonial legacy of using the Chinese as "middlemen". While some of the Chinese control large amounts of money, there are also many lower and working class Chinese. They are getting raped in the streets by Islamists anyway. Around 1,200 Chinese have been tortured or killed and many businesses were looted or destroyed. Bodies were left in the streets. Usually impaled for viewing on poles.
Since then, an estimated 150,000 Chinese have fled the country, taking their assets with them, although some have since returned. Many of them never made it out. Although conditions are better now, the environment remains unsupportive with roughly 50 laws and ordinances considered to be discriminatory toward Chinese-Indonesians. Indonesia is a very diverse country. There are over 300 ethnic groups speaking 250 languages spread over more than 6,000 islands. It is also a nation comprised of multiple religious groups. While over 90% of the people are Muslim, there are also Protestants, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhists, and other native religions. Religion plays an essential role in the violent conflicts that plague Indonesia today. These conflicts include an inter-religious clash between Christians and Muslims, most recently centered in Maluku; and intra-religious clashes between opposing Muslim groups. The ongoing conflict has caused 5,000 deaths. Although the two parties have signed a cease-fire, violence continues to erupt. Over the last two years, ethnic violence and hostility has been mounting in Indonesia. The underlying causes of increasing tensions include political instability, economic problems, and the remnants of the government's policy on transmigration.

When Hitler wanted to terminate the Jewish population it was because again they had the wealth. Instead of trying to find a more even distribution, they have to inilate from anger? But how can you find glee from the torture of another human being? We have sunk back to the days of the coliseum and that is a sad and disheartening F.A.C.T.

T: Is for Try a Little Tenderness!

In California, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs in a zoo. Unfortunately,due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth. The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve. After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cub s of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only "orphans" that could be found quickly, were a litter of weanling pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger. Would they become cubs or pork chops??
Take a look...

Now, please tell me why can't the rest of the world get along? Tomorrow I am about to write about the opposite of tenderness. There are horrors going on in this world that deify humanity. I send out a warning now that the pictures tomorrow are graphic and are uncomfortably cruel. How ironic that I was sent these pictures of unconditional love shown here as a contrast. This is not the first story I have heard of animals giving selflessly in order for the whole to survive. The story of Owen and Mzee, is about an orphaned baby hippopotamus and the 130-year-old giant tortoise who rescued and adopted her. The animal kingdom can teach us a few lessons and that is a F.A.C.T.

C: Is for the evolving of clubs.

The buzz in the air these days is recession. It is everywhere. Even in the upbeat opulent world of the clubs. What with bottles mark-ups exceeding 200% one begins to wonder how bottle service happened in New York. This is what I found.
1941: In Japan, bottles of sake were served to seated soldiers. Soon after, it become normal for Tokyo businessmen to buy bottles and store the unfinished portion in lounge lockers.
1988: With more customers than space, Paris nightclub Les Bains Douches sells table reservations, which come with a complimentary bottle.
1993:To promote a “small,” 200-person VIP section of the Tunnel, Jeffrey Jah and Mark Baker offer bottle service at $90. With drinks at $6, customers actually save about $30.
1995: At Spy Bar, David Sarner and Michael Ault make bottle service mandatory for VIP-room access, with mixed results, then turn an entire club over to the trend at Chaos a year later (Stoli: $175). Thanks to the Internet boom, they meet with more success the second time around.
2001: The bottle service reigns as Pangaea and Bungalow 8 open, joining Lotus to rule New York nightlife, with Bungalow charging $500 for a bottle of Grey Goose. And the fad spreads to Miami and Vegas.
2006: With seven bottle service clubs on West 27th Street alone, owners had to get creative. At Pink Elephant, a “Spirit Tree” comes with mini-bottles of various liquors and “complimentary” sweets.

One wonders what will 2008 bring. In Times Square 'Spotlight Live' is an expensive version of those divey party rooms. The extra price gets you back-up singers and a band, which apparently was enough to entice Naughty By Nature to perform and Hip hop stars to flocked. Mya, Ne-Yo and Beyonce have all reportedly stopped by Spotlight Live to belt out bad karaoke tracks. Tyra Banks was caught on camera when she decided to perform "Proud Mary".

In search of the all mighty buck It is a F.A.C.T. clubs will always turn out something new.

A: Is for the over abundance of Art.

From Thursday- Sunday there were 11 major art expos around NY. I went to two and I can state I have OD'd on art. I seriously don't get how you can go to all 11 and not be brain dead. The reason for the over abundance is contemporary art prices have more than quadrupled over the past 11 years. The Armory Show sales last year were more than $85 million up 37 percent from the year before. After all prices at the Armory range from a mere $200 to a cool $5 million. To give you an idea here are two paintings and what they cost. The 1st painting shown is Ori Gersht and is an edition of 6 price, $40,000. The second is Bernard Friz. It sells for $70,000. The Armory is the most significant art fair in the US. Much of the art world has been standing on the sidelines waiting to see the results of the Armory. It has been reported that sales were much better than expected. Looks like a lot of European collectors swooped in and took advantage of the suffering dollar.


















The Armory Show represents more than 21 countries and over 150 galleries. I can't wait to see the works by American painter and sculptor Sol LeWitt and Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, who will build a series of four waterfalls on the East River in lower Manhattan this summer, and then will go on sale. Who buys and runs the art world is just as interesting as the art. The buyers, founder of Exis Capital Management Inc, managing partner of London's Auctor Capital Partners Ltd and Lance Armstrong bought a piece at Volta. Artist Jenny Holzer pieces collectively went for $558,500.00. Gursky’s $1.2m, sold at gallery owner Matthew Marks. If Europe, China or Russia seem empty it is because they are here buying, looking and selling. Who runs The Armory? A unit of Vornado Realty Trust, the third-largest U.S. real estate investment trust. They also ran the Volta fair.

Look for more articles on The Armory and The International Bridge Fair, as well as an art auction at Henry Buels for a good cause. Unlike the Whitney this year there was a lot to absorb and I need to sit and think before I write more and that is a F.A.C.T.








As the credit crisis continues to hobble financial markets, collectors are taking a bit longer as they weigh purchases of works by newer artists who've gained fame in the past five years, dealer David Maupin said.

``People are asking themselves: `Is the artist living up to the potential, and are the prices reflecting that?''' Maupin said. ``The Armory will be a big test.''

The Conference Board's consumer confidence survey, which reflects Americans' outlook on the economy, fell in March to a five-year low, the New York-based research group said yesterday. It's the lowest it's been since Richard Nixon was president, from 1969 to 1974.

Chelsea Rival

The Lehmann Maupin gallery is showing a painting by Miami- born Hernan Bas, ``Oedipus and the Sphinx (proper answer to the riddle).'' It's priced at $90,000 to $120,000. The gallery is seeking $200,000 for ``Her soft lips touched mine and everything became hard,'' a neon-light poem by British artist Tracey Emin, whose works tend toward the autobiographical.

The Armory Show, which competes with galleries in New York's Chelsea section, had about 50 more applications this year than in 2007, and no Chelsea galleries dropped out, De Backer said.

Other blue-chip galleries exhibiting at the show include David Zwirner and Matthew Marks from New York; White Cube and Victoria Miro from London, and Thaddaeus Ropac of Paris and Salzburg.

Prices at PaceWildenstein, which has LeWitt's white-wood sculpture, ``Progressive Structure,'' from 1996, run as high as $750,000. Zach Feuer Gallery has three sculptures by Tal R, an Israeli-born artist based in Copenhagen. They're priced at $20,000 to $40,000. The Feuer gallery also has three paintings by German artist Christoph Ruckhaberle priced at $30,000 each.


Tanya Bonakdar is selling a light sculpture by Eliasson and a painting by Germany's Thomas Scheibitz.

The largest modern and contemporary art fairs are Switzerland's Art Basel, which last June estimated sales at more than $500 million, and a spinoff, Art Basel Miami Beach. The Armory Show, focusing more on living artists, resembles London's Frieze Art Fair, which suspended sale reports after reaching almost $57 million in 2005.

F: Is for food that fits all kinds of cravings!

I heard about the opening of Insomnia Cookies in NY Magazine. These cookies are the quintessential ADD solution. Made up of three individual parts, which you chose from a selection of delectable treats. M&Ms, white chocolate macadamia, snickers and much more await your creation. Each giant cookie is cut up into thirds, and the result is a sweet marriage of three incredible ingredients. University of Pennsylvania undergrad Seth Berkowitz is the genius behind this treat shop. While in school he started a late night cookies and milk delivery program. Five years ago, a dozen colleges nationwide including NYU and he has arrived at 50 W. 8th Street. Store hours are until 3:00 am and delivery hours end at 2:30 am making this the perfect late night craving. Insomnia prices are inexpensive for traditional cookies ($.90 each). Brownies are $1 each and $.25 extra for special toppings. A magic three-part cookie will set you back $6 since it's made up of three separate cookies. The cookies come in a pizza box for a fun presentation.


Another dessert treat is Pichet Ong’s P*ong spinoff, Batch. This take-out dessert shop is next door, serving recipes Ong is turning his attentions to his sweet tooth. Located right next door to his restaurant. Specializing in sweets, ice cream and baked goods, with a few savory sandwiches thrown in for good measure. Look for beautiful Asian inspired treats like yuzu shortbread sandwiches, coconut calamansi layer cake, Thai tea tiramisu pudding, durian ice cream, and a pineapple chèvre cheesecake pudding will be available to the watering mouths of the lucky customers. Batch is located at 150B West 10th St.

Are you looking for elegance personified and don't care about the price? The Plaza hotel is back on the New York dining scene with the Palm Court and Champagne Bar. Featuring menus crafted by Didier Virot, look for standards like Muscovy duck breast and venison chops. This an elegant serenity, thanks to a restored skylight, warmer lighting and subdued upholstery. A Champagne Bar, open all day, with bubbly by the glass starts at $25. There is something to be said for old world charm and that is a legendary F.A.C.T.