If they want bumper cars and skeeball, who are we to argue? via Facebook

OK, so it’s summer now, right? What’s that about 50 degrees this weekend? Whatever who cares. Summer! Which of course has us thinking about Coney Island. Almost 6 months after Sandy, the businesses there are still trying to get over the hump and get ready for the summer throngs. And sure, they could fill out a bunch of FEMA forms and hope that some lunatic Tea Party rep from backwater Alabama doesn’t get people to go along with the idea that sending the rest of the Sandy relief money is “against God’s will.” But they can also turn to us and ask for a little help, which is exactly what they’ve done. (more…)

Maybe give some to Occupy Sandy. via Facebook

So we’ve already got one way to argue over how to spend gobs of money, at least if you live in Brad Lander’s district and want to be part of his participatory budget-palooza. If you don’t live in Lander’s district, don’t get bummed out about not being able to spend huge amounts of money, because you’ve got two more chances in front of you. One, involves how Ikea should help Red Hook, and and the other is the big kahuna: how do we spend the money the federal government gave us after we clawed it out of their horrible hands. (more…)

Delicious, and charitable. Great, sign us up. Via Flickr user Chandra Marsono

Food! Do you like it? Haha, of course you do! What’s the only problem with it? Yep, that’s right, eventually you eat al of it and it’s gone. Yet you still want more. On occasion there are ways around this problem though, and this weekend is one of those occasions: an all-night spaghetti buffet bash that benefits the Hurricane Sandy Relief Kitchen. Food and charity? Hell freaking yes. (more…)

He doesn’t look THAT angry

1. See Curtis Eller, America’s “angriest yodeling banjo player” do his thing at Branded, because this is Brooklyn in the year 2013 (Friday)

2. It’s a fundraiser/pizza making contest, so you can show off, fill up and still claim to be doing good for the world. A rare win-win-win (Friday)

3. The Brick hosts plays based on conversations with internet chat machine Cleverbot. Expect things to be…robotic? (Friday)

4. The Toothaches and Eskalators really ramp things up at Death By Audio (Friday) (more…)

We hear volunteering gives you real sex a-peel

We’ve given some attention to New York’s slow but encouraging recovery from Sandy, whether it’s something like Fairway re-opening or the Wonder Wheel starting its season on time, but despite those encouraging signs, there’s still a lot of work to be done. But if you’re not an actual superhero, what can you do to help as volunteer opportunities fade to the background? You can do food prep for good at the Hurricane Sandy Relief Kitchen, that’s what. (more…)

Please teach them. Our livelihood kinda depends on it

It’s almost outdoor festival season, which means that a whole bunch of jobs are cropping up around Celebrate Brooklyn! and related events. BRIC Arts is a multi-disciplinary non-profit dedicated to bringing the borough’s art to the people. They’re looking for a full-time program coordinator, temporary web specialist, and a whole bunch of other positions. If you’re looking for something a little less long-term and a little more sweat-outdoors-while-listening-to-music, maybe you can sign on as merch or entrance staff. The possibilities are endless.

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If you can look this clean at the end of the day, we salute you

Just because the Super Bowl is over doesn’t mean wing season is over. As it turns out, wing season lasts the entire year, which is great news for people who like chicken but don’t want to be bothered with a fork and knife. More good news for wings fans: it’s almost time for the fourth annual Best Wings in Brooklyn competition, at Red Star Bar. Get your stomachs in gorging shape, guys. (more…)

Was this your boat? Tell Your Story wants to hear about it. Photo by Ben Britz

If you were in Red Hook during Sandy, what were you going through? Was it scary? Did you think you were going to get washed away? Or was it more resigned irritation, knowing you’d have to clean all that shit up after the storm subsided? Did you form new bonds with neighbors? Where did you stay if you had to leave? If you’ve got answers to these questions or any other experiences you can only have by living in Red Hook during a hurricane, Tell Your Story wants to hear it! (more…)

High five for helping your fellow man! via Facebook

Today’s sunshine may be acting like a tease, but the words we tell ourselves to get through winter are truer than ever in this last week of February: it’s almost over. So with spring and summer just around the corner, it’s about time to start thinking of things like the beach, outdoor music festivals and baseball. Specifically, our hometown Cyclones, who defend Brooklyn’s Single-A pride capably every season. They’re also great neighbors, as evidenced by their Meaningful Mondays promotion, that will give money to a different community impacted by Sandy every night one is held. (more…)

Good as new. Restored by Genevieve Wolff, Oakland, CA

We previously covered the work the people at CARE (Cherished Albums Restoration Effort) for Sandy when they were getting their volunteer photo restoration effort off the ground. In just a few months, they’ve made a ton of progress, scanning over 2,000 water-damaged photos and helping to restore 200 so far, thanks to the tireless efforts of 450 volunteers in 21 countries. If you or anyone you know has Sandy-damaged photos, you can get them on the road to recovery this weekend in Red Hook. (more…)