John Stein's Grampa

New in the Everbrite Mercantile Gallery: John Stein bring us his altered universe, where grampas and teddy bears wage war with cowboys and dinosaurs. In addition to John's signature ballpoint pen panoramas, the show includes 3-d printed sculptures, paintings, and a large, digitally-printed banner. Miniature cast resin bears and posters are available as souvenirs.

The art shows are lining up fast and furious- we're nearly scheduled through the end of the year. What really excites me is that we are able to hold onto pieces from each show, to add to the store's collection. We currently have one of Greg Barnett's large quilts, a painting on board, a smattering of his 8 1/2 x 11 drawings, and two plush toys. Kegan Fisher was kind enough to loan us No Way Out But In, and L.A. Sunset. And of course we still have a smattering of Jenna Kole's origami ornaments on hand.

Stay tuned for more art and make it out to Red Hook this weekend if you can.

clicky on the picky for a larger view.

more gardening!

yesterday I noticed how overgrown the English Ivy had become and decided to cut it back. I found the original plant, which had been placed at the end of the bed that hugs the east fence. the root cluster was still stuffed full of vermiculite, from the potting soil it originally came with.


here is some of what I cut away.


this little tree is the first thing I noticed that had survived the snow when we moved in in the spring of last year.


some of the leaves have yellowed and have these white spots, telling me that something isn't right. I pruned the little guy back and added compost. I really haven't given the tree any love since I repotted it last year.


but at the same time, it's starting to flower. new leaves are forming.


I'm turning what's left of the veggie patch into an area for herbs and flowers. After everything died last fall, the neighborhood cats took advantage of the bare ground and started pooping there. This was made obvious by the presence of house flies. I rooted through the soil removing the turds, and transferred the dirt to non-edible plants. The cats had contained their activity to two sections of the bed, so I was able to salvage the rest of my good organic soil in this area.


A cutting from the Autumn Fire Stonecrop, which I pruned last year when the plant was feasted upon by birds. The cutting lasted through the winter indoors. To the right is a bit of a sedum variety, which I had placed in the east bed, not knowing what it would do. It ended up being shaded by the many vines, so I transferred it this year. In the pot is what I believe to be a barley sprout. I've been composting the remains of barley tea, and I noticed something sprouting in the bin.


Eucalyptus Cordata in the pot, because it will need to be brought indoors when the weather turns cool. To the right is Lantana Camara. In front are rosemary and sage.

the garden

Precious little time to spend in the garden this summer. The work I put in last year paid off though, and plants grew back prettier than before.




echinacea and lavender



view towards the back. the english ivy has finally gathered around the ladder. I propped the alium (onion) on an old chair, as it grew too tall.



there was just a tiny bit of this species of sedum growing above the step, in the paver cracks, last year. it spreads more slowly than the other stuff I'm cultivating. (the branchier stuff to the left) This year it's growing white flowers!


the lamb's ear came back very thick. then it started flowering, and it's kind of a mess. I will cut it back this week. the autumn fire stone crop behind it is looking good.



picked up rosemary, (hearty variety- want to try leaving it outside this winter. Don't know if I got a big enough plant to survive) peppermint, eucalyptus, and these beautiful roses. the roses will go in the former vegetable patch. the herbs will go in pots.

I have visions of creating a cool environment to hang out in, full of greenery. I shaded the back door to the apartment (which leads to the garden) with a mesh screen, cooling down the bedroom. A kiddie pool and giant mosquito coil incense are what I'm thinking of, along with seating.

CUSP OF CONFLUX

CUSP OF CONFLUX
Kegan Fisher
paintings & drawings
June 25 - July 31

CUSP OF CONFLUX explores the moment before everything ends. It seeks to capture time as so incomparably quiet, so impossibly still, that we are unaware if movement persists.

Kegan Fisher's new collection of paintings and drawings is composed of works constructed around horizon lines, tight as skin stretched around sockets, full of memory and yesterday. Worlds are full of elemental structures that have long outlived their architects. Skies droop like wet cotton, with clouds hung up to dry.

Fisher's artwork encapsulates the point at which development has ceased, cities are empty, and we stand as voyeurs, witness to a silent future.

OPENING RECEPTION
sat. june 25 1-7pm

Everbrite Mercantile Co.
351 Van Brunt St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231
ebmerc.com

PCL: at it again

Our friends over at Pop Chart Lab have been working over time. It wasn't easy deciding which new posters and tees to add to our line- but here they are. They'll be arriving at the shop tomorrow.



A Visual Compendium of Notable Haircuts in Popular Music



Super Powers


And something B insisted upon, the Game Controller Tee. Ah, boys.

new in the store

at last, summery products for our Red Hook customers! These retro-inspired items from Wintercheck Factory embody the Brooklyn aesthetic very well. All of Wintercheck Factory's products are made in limited runs, and are of the utmost quality. What's more, we brought in the clothing after it had been marked down- so we are offering both swimsuits and the mini skirts at great prices! (and the original prices were reasonable enough)


first up, the Jen Halter Swimsuit. Beautiful cut, heavy fabric, and a hidden pocket for your keys and cash! pencil lead grey, $62



the anna romper- already a fave in our shop! same heavy fabric and hidden pocket, this time done up in an easy (and forgiving) romper shape. anna has a built-in shelf bra. anna and jen are both made in Brooklyn! punch out purple, $62



the sarah skirt, in both rusty nail maroon and blue; or masking tape tan, yellow and red. sarah has silky hip pockets (yes- women's clothing with pockets!) and a simple, casual cut that will be cool and comfy for those sticky nyc summer days. made in Brooklyn too! $54



the lizzie sunglasses! I have always loved the safety glass look and I'm glad to see it brought back. (I've been waiting since the 80's) Wintercheck's version comes with either pistachio green or smoke grey lenses. we're carrying the orange earpiece version, and each pair comes with a sturdy plastic case. this design seems to look good on everyone. $45

so stop by our store before we sell out of these gems, okay?

Everbrite Mercantile Co.
351 Van Brunt St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231
W-Sat, 11-7: Sun 12-6

facebook's culture of like

Is Facebook only for *liking?* What if you genuinely dislike something that is posted by a *friend* on facebook? Does the culture of the site discourage negative commenting? I recall a campaign a few months back for a *dislike* button, as an alternative to the *like* button, but nothing ever came of it. *Liking* goes beyond how you feel about a person's comment or photo- it's a large part of Facebook's marketing and integration with other sites. It's hard to find a major blog or news website that doesn't include FB *like* buttons as a feature for sharing posts.

What if you genuinely dislike something someone has posted on fb, or find it disturbing or distasteful? Do you feel comfortable expressing your opinion, or are you more apt to say nothing? I guess it depends on how well you know the person, how well they accept criticism, and how you deliver your message. But all of this is tricky and subjective. You can write something with the best of intentions and still fail to get your point across, have your words be misinterpreted, or even worse, have the comments be deleted.

I ran into a problem this past weekend involving some photos of girls in their junior prom dresses. I had a visceral reaction to some of the dresses and typed exactly what I thought- "too sexy, too mature, inappropriate." I made no personal attacks on the girls, said nothing mean or offensive, and tried to get my point across in the most direct way I know how. And yet, my comments were met with disbelief and horror. After some conversation back and forth, my comments were deleted- by my brother.

After he notified me of what he had done, I started a new thread, letting people know that my brother had censored my comments. The thread went on, with a few of my friends- these are actual friends, defending my point that prom dresses today are in fact too mature and too sexy. And yet, my brother refused to acknowledge my initial point, instead evading the question, claiming that I criticized the girls and not the dresses, bringing up irrelevant points and generally making an ass of himself. After a very frustrating few days, B pointed out that since my brother had deleted my comments, it had been pointless to engage him in conversation. Because in fact, he was now free to rewrite history to suit his own needs.

In a new post I wrote precisely what B had pointed out- that deleting comments allows you to rewrite history. And still, my brother continues to make false claims, commenting on the very post where I am trying to explain the problem with censorship. I say, whether you agree with what's been written or not, let the record stand. If the comments offend someone (which was my brother's alleged reason for deleting the comments- he said it hurt the feelings of a certain girl whose dress I singled out) then so be it. The girl already read the comments, so why bother deleting them? If you think I'm being offensive, then where's your proof?

I have written to Facebook, suggesting that if a comment is deleted, a flag should be put in its place to let people know. As it stands now, people are able to delete comments made by themselves and others, leaving gaps in conversations. Most reputable websites and forums indicate to the reader when a comment has been deleted, and whether it was by the commenter or the moderator.

My brother claims that the photos were posted for peoples' enjoyment and that commenting on them failed because my comments were unsolicited. I wasn't aware that one was able to post a photo with intention. I wouldn't assume that everyone would only *like* what I post on FB. There are those who don't like everything I do or say, and I accept that. It's life. If my brother's wife only wanted people to *enjoy* the prom photos, she could have invited people to her house to view the photos in private. FB blurs the line between what is public and what is private. It's private in the sense that you can choose your *friends* and set your own privacy settings. But it's public in that there are so many people with the ability to view your content- many more than you would invite to your living room to look at a photo album.

PRISM index

Jeffrey Bowers, who works at Fort Defiance, (one of the fine eating establishments on Van Brunt Street) stopped by recently with copies of PRISM index. PRISM index is like a grown-up zine. It's a collection of art and writing, offset printed, hand bound, and finished with a silkscreened cover done up on hand made paper. Inside the book are a compilation music cd and a dvd of short films. All of this is curated by Jeffrey, and Volume I contains work by 60 artists. We have a few copies for sale in the store, and at $25 it's a bargain indeed.


Cover art by Jeffrey Bowers


Luke Ramsay


Lisa Hanawalt

purim

andrew's ambrosia

propolis, buckwheat honey, bee pollen.


home made ambrosia

some time during the winter I found the Andrew's Honey booth at the Union Square Green Market. I looked through the products- honey made from various flowers, honey with the comb, bee pollen, etc. and asked (I think it was Andrew himself) which was the best for immune system support. I've heard for years that eating local honey and related products is especially good for allergies. It's like taking homeopathics or allergy shots- introducing a small amount of the allergen into the system to work as an antibody. The difference with bee products is that you're eating a whole food, filled with complex nutrients.

Andrew handed me a small jar of what he called Ambrosia. It was a mix of honey, royal jelly, bee pollen and propolis. I ate a small spoon of the ambrosia every morning until it was gone.

Last Wednesday I went back by the market looking for the ambrosia. A different guy was working the booth- he said they were sold out. At the same time a little old lady was asking him a million questions and kind of driving the guy crazy. I had to kind of poke and prod to get him to supply me with what I needed! but finally he produced the goods- the components of ambrosia, minus the royal jelly. (thus the reason why they were sold out) The honey and bee pollen were right on the table- he suggested buckwheat honey as being the most nutritious. And you can tell- it's dark and not nearly as sugary as other honeys- similar to molasses. The propolis he produced from behind the table, handing me a ratty plastic bag sealed with blue painter's tape.

I brought the ingredients home and first off researched propolis, the bagful of waxy chunks with a sweet, perfumey smell. Propolis is a resinous material that bees collect from conifers. It has antiseptic properties, and bees use it to keep the hive hygenic, encasing foreign bodies in it and using it to line the hive when the queen gives birth.

Before mixing the ambrosia together I decided to try the propolis by itself. It's quite sticky and waxy, and on first try I took too much. I chewed it like gum- it releases an herbal, medicinal flavor. Propolis is known for keeping gums healthy- it is an ingredient in some toothpastes- and for soothing sore throats. Since the mouth is an entryway to the respiratory system, I can see how chewing the propolis is probably good for allergies as well.