A Grain of Salt

Giant Bunnies Fight North Korean Famine!

Wow. There are some mornings when you go to the NY Times website and you think you've seen it all. But then you get forwarded something like this, an article from the Washington Post describing how the North Korean government is trying to stave off nationwide famine by breeding oversized rabbits.

I'm not kidding. As the picture above shows, you can create some pretty big bunnies if you know what you're doing--which apparently Karl Szmolinsky, a breeder in Germany, does. His favorite breed, German gray giants, are described as being "the size of a full-grown beagle and so fat they can barely hop."

So it's weird enough that there's some guy out there trying to breed gargantuan bunnies (the Wallace and Gromit film, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, springs to mind). But it gets much, much stranger--the North Korean embassy in Berlin heard about his bunnies, and contacted him to see if he might help them learn how to breed animals of their own. Why? To help stave off famine. As the article puts it, they "saw a possible solution to their nation's endemic food shortage: an enormous bunny in every Korean's pot."

(The article comments that, "How, exactly, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea intends to parlay the small herd of German Flopsies into hunger relief for its 23 million citizens is unclear.")

Szmolinsky traveled to Pyongyang to personally drop off four of his finest rabbits, who are now in North Korean hands. But he's fearful of what's happened to them since; they apparently need to be fed "like pigs" in order to reach impressive size. I don't want to bust the North Koreans' bubble or anything, but if you're so strapped for food that you can't afford to feed normal livestock, breeding giant, hungry rabbits might not be the best solution. But hey, then again, what do I know about ruling hermetically sealed dictatorships?

It's not like I look like Kim Jong Il or anything.

This is the blog for Salt Magazine.

Ugg is for Ugly

Catherine here. As anyone who knew me in the winter of 2002-3 can attest (when I went on a three-month long rant about how much I hate Burberry Plaid), I am sensitive when it comes to women's fashion. This is, perhaps, ironic, considering the fact that my own would-be fashion sense has been sacrificed in the name of hooded sweatshirts and a bicycle helmet. But whatever. I'm still judgmental.

The latest target of my rage? Uggs. Those faux-fur lined, suede-looking boots that every hipster girl is yanking up over her low-waisted blue jeans and trotting out for winter. I understand the need for warm feet when one is doing something cold and outside like, for example, building an igloo. Or ice skating, for that matter--when I taught skating lessons in the winter of '01-'02, I yearned for blades coated with pastel-colored sheepskin--metal attached to ice really does suck the warmth out of you.

I was offended enough last winter when I awoke one morning to discover that the neighborhood was crawling with bootie-wearing fashionistas. It was if there had been a news bulletin: Uggs. They're the new Burberry Plaid. I complained about it, made rude comments, and waited it out till spring, when the warm weather buried the booties and brought about one of my other least favorite fashions: those short skirts that are tight around the butt and then explode into horrible frills, making girls' asses look like dustruffles. For lack of a better expression, "Ugg!"

But I digress. My point is, the uggs were bad enough in New York City, a place where wintertime temperatures have been known to drop below freezing and, on occasion, there is snow. But imagine my horror when I was walking to class in mid-October and caught sight of not one, but three ugg-clad underclassmen. These were uggs with skirts. In California. It was 70 degrees out!

I retreated to the journalism school, my body trembling with detached irony and a self-righteous sense of rage. Where did these girls get off? Did they fear avalanches from the Berkeley hills while on their way to lab? Do earthquakes induce immediate climate change? Were we all going ice fishing?

And, what's more, this is last year's trend. Are people just wearing last year's leftovers (surely a fashion no-no), or do they genuinely like the look? It boggles the mind.

Yes, I wear the same pants three times a week. Yes, I've had the same pair of running shoes for two years. Yes, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw . . . whatever. I'm willing to tolerate the new J-Lo-inspired trend of matching velour sweatsuits with phrases printed over the ass. But those boots are not made for walking. Especially in pastel.

We [Heart] Justified Criticisms of the American Media!

We here at Salt love the way The Daily Show uses political satire to criticize the media and both
parties for not really doing their jobs.

Many of you have already gotten wind of this, but just in case you haven't, Jon Stewart was on Crossfire last week. The hosts thought he'd be funny, but he refused to let them derail him into jokes and instead criticized them for doing what he called a disservice to the American people. He said they catered to the political parties, that they didn't have actual debates, but rather put on a form of political theater, and criticized them for comparing his responsibilities on Comedy Central to theirs on CNN (he also called Tucker Carlson a dick, which I found refreshing). The hosts didn't know what to do about the fact that Stewart wouldn't joke around (as he put it, "I'm not your monkey"). I, on the other hand, got palpitations at how refreshingly frank (and downright confrontational) the conversation became.

Two of my favorite exchanges were:

Carlson: You should get a job at a journalism school, I think.
Stewart: You should go to one.

and

STEWART: It's not honest. What you do is not honest. What you do is partisan hackery. And I will tell you
why I know it.

CARLSON: You had John Kerry on your show and you sniff his throne and you're accusing us of partisan hackery?

STEWART: Absolutely.

CARLSON: You've got to be kidding me. He comes on and
you...

STEWART: You're on CNN. The show that leads into me is puppets making crank phone calls.

Anyway, the transcript's at:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/15/cf.01.html

Video:

http://www.ifilm.com/filmdetail?ifilmid=2652831&htv=12&htv=12

If you want to see the response on the Daily Show, which was hysterical, it's:

http://www.looptvandfilm.com/blog/dailycross.mov

This J-school student gives two non-partisan, media-critical thumbs up.

Gene is back!

Gene here. Where have I been? Loyal readers have wanted to know. Last you heard from me I was on the wrong end of a two-foot camera and my penis was involved. You'll be happy to know that the recovery period is over, I'm all better. I've been busy rehearsing (see below) and interviewing (see below)

First medical things -- for the two weeks after my cystoscopy, my urine had been sporting a hot-to-trot Paas (R) easter egg orange!. Now, my pee has reverted back to the more traditional yellow-green color. Yay!

I also have a job. Perelson officially ends a lengthy freelance life for the safe, secure environs of the computer consulting world. How 1998!

Most importantly, my show Apocalypse! Book One opens at the FringeNYC next week. Check out www.etc3dot.com for details.

Salt Magazine Launch Party is Today! (Thursday) And check out our sponsors!

For anyone who has somehow escaped the clutches of our email list, Gene and I would like to encourage you to come to Salt's launch party. It is TONIGHT!! The details:

Thursday, July 29th

6:30-9 pm (conveniently scheduled to end before Kerry's speech, intriguingly scheduled to be followed by a Hungarian folk ensemble). Get there on time to catch the performances.

Barbes Brooklyn
9th Street between 6th and 7th Aves (closer to 6th)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Take the F to 7th Ave or the M/R to 4th Ave

$10 suggested donation (to cover costs of programming, designing and hosting)

Performers include Katie Sawicki, Lynn Harris, Amy Keyishian, sketch comedy from Trophy Dad, and something special from Boomie Aglietti

We're having a raffle, too (you get a ticket with your donation) complete with fantastic prizes, including:

-dinner for two at Patois (a $120 value)
-dinner for two at 2nd Street Cafe (a $90 value)
-free week membership plus $100 off training package at NYSC ($175 value)
-two $25 certificates at Belleville Bistro
-gift certificate to Dizzy's Diner
-$40 at the Prospect Wine Shop
-$25 at Bierkraft
-$25 at Jack Rabbit Sports Shop
-free entree and glass of wine at the Minnow
-free pound of coffee and a drink at the Tea Lounge
-free yoga class at the Park Slope Yoga Center
-free ice cream from Uncle Louie G's
-the Gene Perelson Girl Drink Drunk Endowed Chair
-the Catherine Price Price-less Dance Mix
-the slightly out-of-date freelancer award

. . . and others!

And now, a word about our sponsors:

Patois is a cozy restaurant on Smith Street (between Douglas and Degraw) in Carroll Gardens. A friendly staff, an amazing chef (thanks, Charlie!), a beautiful dining room and wonderful, well-portioned food (not to mention fireplaces in the winter and a garden in the summer) make it Salt's favorite Smith Street pick. We suggest the salmon, the beet salad, and the chocolate cake. Damn.

The 2nd Street Cafe (2nd Street and 7th Ave) is a Park Slope neighborhood favorite, serving up great breakfasts, lunches and dinners. We suggest the pancakes, the quesadillas (though not together!) and chatting it up with Tristan, who was really, really nice.

Belleville (5th Street and 5th Avenue) is one of the newest additions to Park Slope's 5th Avenue. Thanks to Pascal, two lucky Salt readers can stop by its candle-lit, tin-ceilinged dining room for some traditional bistro fare (or sit outside at cafe tables and enjoy a leisurely brunch).

At The Minnow on 9th Street (just off 7th Ave), Vicki and Aaron Bashy serve Mediterranean-style seafood, just up the block from Barbes. Catherine's favorite dish is the skate osso bucco, and when she confessed that to Aaron, he promptly offered up a free skate entree and glass of wine to Salt. It's too bad that editors-in-chief can't enter the raffle.

We can't even tell you how fun it is to shop at Bierkraft (5th Avenue between Union and Berkeley). This specialty food shop stocks hundreds of different micro-brewed beer (even Catherine, who hates beer, loves looking at the labels!), delicious cheeses, more chutneys/mustards/spreads and sauces than you can shake a stick at, gourmet soda, exotic teas (try the chocolate-rooibus-mint), fresh produce, specialty sausages, and, oh lord, an entire case of gourmet chocolates (try the wasabi truffles). Just thinking about it makes our mouths water. Thank you, Richard and Daphne! (And check out their free beer and wine tastings Tuesdays at 7--check their site for details.)

When Catherine needed new running shoes, she headed to Jack Rabbit (7th Avenue near Garfield). There, store owner Lee Silverman popped her on a treadmill and videotaped her feet from three different angles. A strange, jogging fetish? Perhaps. But more importantly, by analyzing which way her feet were rolling as she ran, Lee was able to determine what brand and shape of shoe would best fit her feet and body weight distribution. After going through four different brands and styles, Lee and Catherine settled on a model by Brooks that is truly the best shoe she's ever run in. And she has bad knees, too.

If you don't know anything about wine, Prospect Wine (7th Avenue between 8th and 9th Street) is the place to go. In this well-stocked shop, Alex, Liz (the owner) or any of the other friendly and well-informed employees can help you find that perfect chardonnay. They also have free tastings and don't make you feel like an idiot for not knowing the difference between a Pinot Grigio and a Chablis. Not that we don't, or anything.

Dizzy's (9th Street and 8th Avenue) is a Park Slope neighborhood favorite, especially for weekend brunch, when specialty pancakes and baskets of fresh-baked muffins lure crowds to its corner. Owner Melanie has decorated it in classic 50s style and its bottomless cups of excellent coffee, specialty egg sandwiches (try the Miles) and amazing french toast keep us coming back for more.

The Park Slope Yoga Center (Union Street between 6th and 7th) has two studios (Devi's right across the street) and offers over 55 classes a week in yoga, pilates and belly dancing. Catherine's tried all three, and when you combine the peaceful, welcoming and unpretentious atmosphere (thanks, owners Judy and Vee!) with their excellent instructors and abundance of classes--well, it just doesn't get much better than this.

If you've found your zen center and are looking for caffeine instead, check out the Tea Lounge (10th Street and 7th Avenue, or Union Street between 6th and 7th). Greg, the owner, used to run coffee shops in Israel but now has concentrated his efforts in Park Slope instead--and let us just tell you, he's done a good job. Both lounges are like living rooms away from home (albeit, living rooms with strollers). The staff's friendly, the music's good, the coffee satisfies, and there are over 70 types of tea to choose from, all fresh-brewed just for you. Catherine has spent way too much time there.

Uncle Louie G's (Union Street and 5th Ave, or 7th Ave and 9th Street, plus other locations) is Brooklyn's answer to Haagan Daaz. Owner Rick, who cruises around the neighborhood in a yellow hummer painted with ice cream cones, looks strangely like the man on the logo (whom we'd always presumed to be Uncle Louie). But don't let confusion stop you from checking out their ice cream, especially the peanut butter cookie dough, which rocks our world. Also, we like their staff--in particular, the guy who responded to Catherine's request that he "talk to [her] about the 'Bada Bing Cherry'" by saying, "What, you wanna sit down and have a coffee about it?"

And finally, New York Sports Club hardly needs a link from our site, but we'll give them one anyway. If you're sick of the unfriendliness of many of the lycra-clad Manhattan gym-goers, might we suggest going to the NYSC branch in Park Slope (5th Ave and 9th Street)? It is so friendly. Catherine wants to send a shout-out to Lourdes, Christopher, Richard, Amreeta, Andre, Serge, Sonia, Trevor, the other Chris, Dawn, Juan, and all the other people who make it nice to go back there. If Gene exercised to begin with, it would be with NYSC.