'Brer Rabbit The Opera: A Funky Meditation on Gentrification' in Brooklyn

Image by LaRonda Davis, courtesy of BRIC

BRIC is taking a look at gentrification in Brooklyn:

Brer Rabbit The Opera: A Funky Meditation on Gentrification looks at the isssue through the lens of black folklore hero Brer Rabbit.

Plot: The story of a black middle-aged professional "at the tipping point in his battle to claim the American dream," moves into a "notoriously dangerous black neighborhood, at the tipping point in its battle with gentrification."

Performances: Thursday and Friday, Jan. 22 and 23, at 8 p.m.

Brer Rabbit The Opera is part of the Brooklyn In Transition series of events taking place at BRIC House in January.

Relared event: Brooklyn for Sale: The Price of Gentrification, A Community Town Hall
January 28, 7 - 9 p.m.
BRIC House Ballroom

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84-Year-Old Nun in 'Squalid' Brooklyn Jail, and More Brooklyn Briefs

Elvis' gold piano, Country Music Hall of Fame.* Photo: MK Metz

- 84-year-old activist nun imprisoned in "squalid Brooklyn detention center" which is also home to an Al Qaeda terrorist. [Daily Mail]

- Brooklyn man finds solace on a golf course made of trash. [NY Times]

- Allegations of malacious prosecution by a former Brooklyn assistant district attorney. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Tangeez, Squinks, Not-a-Cameras etc: NYCEDC’s Next Top Makers program wraps up a NYC tour at the Urban Future Lab in Downtown Brooklyn. [Technical.ly]

- A town called Ypsilanti feels it is just like Brooklyn. [MLive]

- Brooklyn Hospital Center's CEO Dr. Becker hits the road. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Cops are looking for a gun-toting Brooklyn teen who's been robbing people. [NY1]

- Rev. Al lays a wreath for shot Brooklyn cops. [DNA info]

- It appears to be Brooklyn Hotel Week (plus, a discount code for Nets tickets). [Riverhead News]

* We visited the Country Music Hall of Fame during our recent trip to Nashville and saw Elvis' piano, painted with 24-carot gold. Its owners may have to sell it soon.

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Brooklyn Students to Talk About Police-Comunity Relations via Google Hangout

Today at 10:45 a.m., Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams will launch a series of "digital youth dialogues" with Brooklyn students on the issue of police-community relations.

The conversations will take place online via Google Hangout. Moderators will remotely pose questions to students from Bishop Kearney High School in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn Academy of Science and Environment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn Amity School in Sheepshead Bay, and Sunset Park High School in Sunset Park.

The media was invited to hear Adams' remarks, but the students' discussion will not be open to the press.

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McBrooklyn Is Taking a Winter Break

Photo: BiblioArchives, Flickr

 It's been a busy 2014, and McBrooklyn is taking a break and heading south for a couple of weeks.

Thanks for reading folks -- we'll check back in as soon as we return around Jan. 19, 2015.

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Turnout High for 'Save the View Now' Meeting in Brooklyn Heights; and More Brooklyn Briefs

On a wall in DUMBO. Photo by MK Metz

 - About 70 Brooklyn residents attended the "Save the View Now" meeting at Brooklyn Heights Synagogue on Saturday.  [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Hamill: Brooklyn neighborhood mourns NYPD Officer Wenjian Liu. [Daily News]

- Brooklyn Heights Blog publishes its Ten Most Influential list. [BHB]

- Body parts found floating in Gravesend creek. [NY Post]

- Police are looking for a man they say shot another man outside a Brooklyn nightclub early Friday morning. [NY1]

- Neville Walker, a 73-year-old black male, disappeared from Herkimer Place and Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn. He was last seen at approximately 3 PM on 1/4/15 wearing a blue jacket, gray slacks, black sneakers. and a black felt hat. Mr. Walker is  5'4" tall and 130lbs with gray hair. A photo is available at http://i.imgur.com/3wNV0RF.jpg.


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Meeting Saturday: Saving Promenade's Brooklyn Bridge View

Pier House from Squibb Park. Photo:MK Metz

 A meeeting of a group working to save the iconic (and supposedly protected) view of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is set for Saturday, Jan. 3 at 1 p.m. at the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

As of Wednesday, more than 600 Brooklyn residents and visitors had signed the Change.org petition started by Steven Guterman.

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Happy New Year Brooklyn!

Here's to a healthy, happy, prosperous 2015!

(Yep, that's what those fireworks, tug boat horns and cheers you heard at midnight over Brooklyn were all about!)

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Marijuana Smoker on 2 Train Claims He Has a Bomb Strapped to His Body

From the scanner:

Emergency responders are headed to the 2 train at Flatbush after receiving a report of a man smoking marijuana and claiming to have a bomb strapped to his body.

The call came in at roughly 10:25 p.m. Wednesday night. 


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Brooklyn Chipotle Apologizes; 70,000 Apply for 35 Apartments; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Christmas in DUMBO. Photo: MK Metz

 - More than 70,000 people applied for affordable housing at a Williamsburg building with just 38 units. [DNAinfo]

- 18-year-old girl fights off mugger in Fort Greene. [Brooklyn Paper]

- Chipotle apologizes for Brooklyn Heights worker’s police protest. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- NYT Editorial slams NYC police for "walking off the job" in fight with de Blasio. Traffic and parking tickets fall 92%.  [NYT]

- Grimm resignation fires up speculation on replacement. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Customers created a petition against 'Annie' for whitewashed Target ads. [NY Magazine]


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Google Lists Its 'Most Searched' Trends for 2014; 'Mutant Giant Spider Dog' Heads YouTube Videos

"Mutant Giant Spider Dog" was the most searched for video in 2014, says Google.

Google has compiled its "most searched" trend lists for 2014 in a number of categories.

The most searched term overall this year was Robin Williams, the acclaimed comedian and actor who committed suicide in August. (Searches for World Cup, Ebola, Malaysia Airlines and ALS Ice Bucket Challenge followed Williams.)

The most searched person was actress Jennifer Lawrence (who is also 2014's highest grossing actress.)

Soccer player James Rodriguez was the most seaarched athlete.

In the consumer electronics category, the iPhone 6 was the term most searched on Google.

In terms of global news, Ebola led the list.

The most searched YouTube video? "Mutant Giant Spider Dog," embedded above. This video went viral, and now has roughly 122,964,896 views.

More of 2014's Google Trends.


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