S: is for the sun finally shining

We are all going through things that bring us down. This column was meant to spread hope. Today I am going to use myself as an example. Two Sunday's ago it seemed as if God waved his magic wand and turned me into Job. You know the guy in the bible who had hell rained upon him, because he believed. Now I have been a Job for a lot of my life, so this was like the straw that broke the camels back. My phone was stolen, my cat almost died, I almost lost my apartment, the checks to my work were lost in the mail, my computer was damaged but under warranty and the newspaper that I am working on was stuck, because everything I needed was in my phone or in my computer. I was seriously down on myself wondering what I had done to deserve this hell.

Realize, I said almost to a couple of things. My cat Kismet just ended up costing me $1,400.00, but what is that really in the years of love and comfort he has given me and money can always be made back. I'm still in my apartment. My checks, came through, finally. I got my phone back as well, though that too ended up costing $200.00. The computer, turned out to be another story. You see I bought it off craigslist and though I did everything right, I still became a victim. On Easter my cat and another cat were in my room and after that the internet portal did not work. I brought it to Apple because it was still under warranty. After 8 days I was told it had irreplaceable water damage and that wasn't covered. It would cost more to fix than the computer. I was furious because no liquid of any kind had been near that computer. I called Apple Corporate, to find out that a week before I bought it, someone took it to the Apple Store. They were told that it had damage and it was slowly going to corrode. To make matters worse the computer itself had been stolen. Now most people would crumble, but by this point, so much had happened, I got ragging mad. I had kept the e-mails sent by Rik who sold it to me, so I wrote him. Surprise, the e-mail no longer worked. However, he sold me the computer where he worked. Anyone who knows me, knows two things: 1: I am a great researcher and 2: I love Mexican Food. So I found the restaurant where he had sold me the computer, a little place called Suenos at 311 West 17th. Low and behold Rik still works there. I also had his phone number thanks to the email. I can't say yet if this story has a happy ending because Rik who has been at Suenos for years and who lied in his emails that the computer was 100% sound, seems not to want to take the easy way out even though he has committed grand larceny. Suenos who unwittingly became a party to the crime isn't taking responsibility but is planning on talking to their employee. Me, I plan on turning this into a win. Craigslist is the #1 story in the news right now. I am starting a major newspaper in the Times Square Theatre District next month. Hmmmm can you see where I'm going? Facts are important. Always keep records. Always fight for your rights and remember you can always turn the negative into a positive and this is called a using your brain F.A.C.T.

T: Is for towers in the sky

Has anyone besides me noticed the building growth in Manhattan? It seems odd considering the recession and the fact that Manhattan rents slid 14.6% in the first quarter. Central business districts are seeing rapid growth, but who is going to afford to be able to live in these high rise towers? Unoccupied space is piling up. New York, is the epicenter of the world's biggest office market, with roughly 350 million square feet of floor space. In 2009 already New York added 2.9 million square feet of vacant property. The average rate is now $57.35 per square foot. At one time it was over $100. Right now 8.5%, of New York's office are vacant. Still well under the U.S. average of 14.7%. But with virtually no demand for new space, that percentage is likely to hit double digits within months, putting New York's recovery well behind. Steven J. Pozycki, founder of SJP Properties in Parsippany, N.J., is building a 40-story tower in Midtown Manhattan with 1.1 million square feet of space. The $1 billion project, a joint venture with Prudential Real Estate Investors, was started in early 2007. It is scheduled to open next spring but has yet to find a single tenant. Larry Silverstein said he may delay construction at the World Trade Center site for decades. But Pozycki site 11 Times Square is past the point of no return. With all this space why not create a new way to buy. Lease to buy. There was a time that you would pay a higher rent and that money would go towards a down payment. What about the return of that? At least then all those empty towers would not be so empty and that is a fulfilling F.A.C.T.

C: Is for clubs cropping up

Nightclub owners are notorious risk takers and you'd have to be crazy to open a new club in the Meatpacking District right now. Tomorrow night Griffin opens in the former PM space on Gansevoort Street. Already it is celebrity driven. On the 26th Ignacio Cipriani held his birthday after party at the space. Milk & Honey/Little Branch crew will refined mixology. Not only can you expect the best service and a who’s who crowd, but the venue itself will be gorgeous, as it was designed by Marc Dizon and Steve Lewis. Rich and decadent enormous unmarked doors and oversized chandelier greet you. look up at the giant framed-mirror ceiling. The VIP balcony has blue velvet banquettes, which seem to seduce you into dancing on top of them. The managing partners are power players, Rachel Uchitel (Tao Vegas) and Josh Kaiser (Pink Elephant), along with Hector Longoria (Cain-who is also doorman), have some surprises up their sleeves all month long that we will surely keep you talking and that is a F.A.C.T.

A: Is for art that imatates life

Millions of people have bipolar disorder. It used to be called manic depression and for those who have it, their lives and those around them are like an emotional roller coaster. One minute bliss and in a split second it descends everyone into a cataclysmic hell. Thus the subject of "Next to Normal" a rock musical playing on Broadway right now. Dark and edgy, Diana (Tony Award winning performance by Alice Ripely) wreaks havoc on her family's life. Her unreality starts off in the euphoric stage, blissfully telling her daughter she's about to have sex and descends into the manic as she makes sandwiches on the floor. You see this has been going on for years and is just another episode in the day of her life and for those she shares it with.

The cast is remarkable. Starting with Alice Ripley who peals Diana's glitches like a onion ripe and ready to explode. Dan (J. Robert Spencer) is the long suffering husband who even in the end loses or is he finally set free. Natalie (Jennifer Damiano)Dan and Diana's 16 year old daughter is a younger version of Diana and through her, we she the signs of this disorder starting. Louis Hobson as the doctors in Diana's life and Adam Chandler-Berat as Natalie's boyfriend also give standout performances but it is Gabe (Aaron Tveit), who gives a performance that all one can say, is here is the start of a star. He reveals the manipulative side of this disorder with cunning glee. He is manic to a tee.

The show is nearly completely sung and here in lies the problem of why this isn't a great musical and it should be. The actors emotions explode through the music but there is not one complete song. When explaining to my friend, a moment after the first act, we went to look for the songs titles and there are none. No music listed to reference to and therefore unforgettable. Brian Yorkey's lyrics and the book are so strong and realistic that it makes up for a score that in a word, lacks. Tom Kitt needs to study William Finn who has taken subjects that are not so simple and makes them tangible and singable. At the end of the show I actually felt I had been screamed at the whole way through. if the music was suppose to represent unsuppressed anger, then it did what it was suppose to do, but in the words of Sondheim "That's just not a hummable melody."

Director Michael Greif's (RENT) makes us understand the frenetic race all of these characters feel within and paces it so the audience, has gone through years of therapy in two hours. The ticket price alone is worth the cost of psychotherapy and is quicker and much less painless. After Diana goes through pills, suicide attempts and Electric Shock Therapy she tells her daughter, no more and the audience breaks out into a collective sob. You see more than a few of us had parents like this or relatives or friends and the number of casualties that lie in this wake are astounding. Even the end, (which I will not reveal) is truthful. This is a disorder that leaves wounds to those it touches and finally it is here, like it or not for the world to see. Go see this musical it could just heal you and that is a F.A.C.T.

Next to Normal
Open run. Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St. (betw. 8th & 9th Aves.),$25-$115.

F: Is for Saving Face

On Sunday, I went to the Beauty Show with my friend Stacy at the Javits. I had been invited to try a eye and lip treatment and facial by Repechage. What girl in her right mind turns that down? Certainly not me. With the stress of no computer and phone, this was just what the doctor ordered and boy, did he deliver. Repechage is a skincare line and all of their products are based on the wonders of seaweed and the best botanicals the earth has to offer. This potent formula hydrates, smooths wrinkles and diminish age. First I was cleansed and moisturized and the Opti-Firm Eye Contour treatment began. These products sooth not only your skin but your soul. Smelling like the sea and feeling like a thick gelatin, I immediately began to relax even though I became a demonstration model. Next the facial was applied feeling much the same as the eye treatment. Though there were lots of voices asking questions, I was relaxed and feeling blissful. After 15 minutes, it was lifted right off. Well, actually it was rolled right off and my skin felt amazing. I could actually feel it breath. Next came a lip rescue and for me this was a blessing in disguise. My lips were cracked and not in the best of shape. Not only did this solve the problem but it also left them plumped and ready for a kissable summer. Not wanting me to leave make-upless they applied their make-up with minerals and vitamins, the results were people asking me about my skin the rest of the day as well as today. I finally got to see the results for myself and they were astounding. My eyes puffy from allergies were normal and I was glowing. Today my skin is still reveling in the results and I am am a Repechage fan. You too can become one as they have a spa in the city. A Spa de Beaute located at 115 East 57th Street. The best part...the prices are reasonable. Check out www.spadebeauteny.com

I can guarantee once you try Repechage you too will become a fan and that is a F.A.C.T.

S: Is for Serenity

Optimism. For months, it’s been in short supply. Like a lingering cold you can’t shake off, the economic blues play those sad refrain as our psyches, are getting battered. The news is filled every day with losses of jobs, foreclosure and suicides and its hard to feel good. We can’t change the market’s ricocheting ride nor can we instantly Botox our bank accounts, but we can change how we take it all in. Here’s how:

Be grateful: If your paycheck’s lower and your job’s disappeared, it’s hard to feel thankful, but look around: Things are looking up. California banking giant Wells Fargo reported — gasp — a profit. Mortgage rates have fallen to historic lows. Maybe these aren’t reasons to rejoice, but hey, they’re hints that a recovery could be coming... someday if we get involved and make our voices heard. Being thankful for what we have in life is good personally, as well as financially. For so long we have gone after the quick fix and chased after greed.

Start each day with quiet time: meditation, prayer or reading. Write in a “gratitude journal,” jotting down things for which you are grateful for. We all have something even if it is small.

Let it go: It’s easy to go into mourning over what we’ve lost. Its time to move forward, it’s time to move on. Let go of the anger, the anxiety, the resentment, the baggage. Let go of the coulda, shoulda, woulda's that run through your head.

Get out doors: Fight the tendency to burrow under the covers.

Volenteer: It gives you a sense of purpose, self-worth, self-fulfillment. Just because you’re not getting paid for work, doesn’t mean you can’t be doing work that’s important. It’s a good place to network: You never know who you’ll meet.

If we define our existence by money, it can be a fairly shallow existence and that is a inexpensive F.A.C.T.

T: Is for hiding the truth

On April 2nd I wrote about Timothy Guitner being a part of the Group of 30. The day before Easter his name was removed. Curiously, I wanted t0o know why so I wrote the following letter and received the following reply:

From: suzanna@xplorefacts.com [mailto:suzanna@xplorefacts.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2009 6:24 PM
To: Nicole Firment
Subject: question

Why was Timothy Geitner taken off your roster sometime yesterday? Since I discovered your group I have googled it everyday. What are you trying to hide. Curious minds want to know.

Suzanna

Subject: RE: question
From: "Nicole Firment"
Date: Mon, April 13, 2009 10:49 am
To:

Dear Suzanna:

He was removed from our website in early January, when he resigned before taking part in the Obama Administration.

Nicole Firment
Office Manager
The Group of Thirty

Dear Nicole,

No actually he wasn't. He was definitely there the day before Easter because I have been showing people because I am a writer and discovered him there by accident on April 2nd. I copied it because I know how things disappear. So I ask the question why now?

Sincerely,
Suzanna Bowling

Since writing the last letter, I have received no reply. Why the lies? Why has this been hidden? What else is being hidden? When Dr. Jacob A. Frenkel is Vice Chairman of American International Group, Inc. and is also the Chairman and CEO of the Group of Thirty, it seems there is a conflict of interest. No? Frenkel served from 2000 to 2004 as Chairman of Merrill Lynch International Inc.,as well as Chairman of Merrill Lynch’s Sovereign Advisory and Global Financial Institutions Groups. Between 1991 and 2000 he served two terms as the Governor of the Bank of Israel. With what is coming out now shouldn't this be looked into? Well these are the F.A.C.T.S. the question lies now is will somebody use them?

C: Clubs with a twist

Wonder where I've been? Well it's not me, but my computer that is laid up at the Apple Store. I snagged a computer so, lets catch up.

Remember how sex clubs had all those rooms where you could satisfy your particular cravings and or needs? Well, now so does a bar. Hmm, liquor and sex, seems compatible. If you are looking to see what I am talking about check out the old Level V space soon to be known as the 675 Bar, opening Friday. In the 70's the space was known for being a notorious sex club, so it takes the notorious Steve Hanson to pull this one off. 675 With bowling alley benches, vintage wallpaper, shag rugs with five unique caverns for drinking. The Boardroom, panel with wood and conference table and the Arcade complete with a vintage Ms. Pacman are exposed. While the Parlor: poker table, the Wardrobe: foosball and the Library: sofa and and bookshelves are sequestered and private little hideaways. All have flat screen TVs. NO bottle service and plenty of draughts (Hopf Helles Weisse, Duvel, St. Peter's Porter.)The cocktails contain zwack, Mezcal and absinthe. Me thinks there will be more than drinking at this establishment and that is a F.A.C.T.