Since arriving in New York Jamie Tisch has continued with her philanthropic activities on behalf of cancer research. Jamie Tisch was recently a co-chair of the Third Annual Spring Ball in support of research at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. This highly successful fund-raising event, which took place at the Pierre Hotel in New York, raised more than $1.4 million and honored the chairman of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Charles L. Sawyers, M.D. Doctor Sawyers is the recipient of the prestigious Lasker Award for his work in cancer research, and more than one quarter of a million dollars was raised in support of Dr. Sawyers’ groundbreaking work which focuses on understanding the human genome. Without the help and support of Jamie Tisch and the other devoted volunteers, the event would not have been such an overwhelming success.

During the process of cleaning a treasure trove of artifacts have been discovered, including a bowl of a clay smoking pipe, pheasant shot, a cannonball of iron and measuring a mere 1.5 inches diameter, and a coin showing a lot of damage.

The parts of the ship will be sent to the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory for investigation, and it is where the ships parts will reside for the next several years, at least. Preliminary investigations seem to establish that the ship was a cargo boat traveling up and down the East Coast in the late 1700s. After scientists finish their review of the discovered ship’s parts, they will be soaked in preservative and freeze-dried, a several years process which will preserve the ship’s parts for many years to come.

Before First Carbon James Donovan used to be an investment banker for Lehman Brothersalong the same lines  as a Goldman Sachs Partner or Citi Bank fund manager. Of course that was 25 years ago and James Donovan can now say he has realized his goals of giving back to humanity and the world instead of just making money.

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So who are these ‘Scene Stealers’ already? Well if you would like to judge for yourself whether or not they are truly fashion conscious, follow the link. But if you want my humble opinion, out of the fourteen captured in Sam Horine’s lens, I would say that Lori Cheek, the founder of Cheekd, looked great, with fantastic tie-up sandals, a gorgeous, comfortable-looking dress, and funky sunglasses all wonderfully complimenting her amazing silver hair and emphasizing her sweet, sincere smile. Also Alexa Klebanow, a technology consultant visiting Brooklyn from her home in Greenwich Village looked snazzy in a striped black and white blazer perfectly matched with a simple black dress and high-heeled pumps, which did look a bit uncomfortable. But we all know that’s the price us women must pay to get our pictures in the fashion pages. But my favorite was Grace Tsou, an economic consultant. (I wonder what that means exactly for someone who is only 22 years old. Does she train the cashier at the Gap store where she works?) Grace also came all the way out to Dumbo from her digs on the Lower East Side. Her photograph proves that no matter what you wear, even if it’s just a bag, your inner beauty will still express itself. There is no doubt she has a beauty that needs no other accompaniment for it to be appreciated. Complimenting Grace’s white linen bag-dress were a comfortable pair of ‘tong-style’ sandals and an over the shoulder black-bag perfectly chosen to match the sandals.  Definitely a woman (however young) with style and grace.

Yes, there were a few guys that made it to the slide show, but let’s just say that some of them look like they pulled their clothes from the top of the pile of laundry that was still in need of folding and putting away. One young man, who will go nameless, looked a bit silly in black shoes, no socks, ankle length! pants, and a grey and black conservatively striped tie. It’s hard to tell if he was serious, or if ‘fashion’ has taken a definite turn for the worse. And can someone please tell me how someone all of 22 years old can be a ‘financier?’ What, exactly, am I missing?

Summer hours at the aquarium are from May 29th – September 6th: 10am – 6pm weekdays and 10am – 7pm on weekends and Holidays. You can come by car and park in the parking lot for an extra fee, or you can come by subway. Take the F or Q train to West 8th Street station in Coney Island, Brooklyn, or you can take the N or D trains to the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station and walk two blocks to Surf Avenue, east of the station.

For more information you can visit the New York Aquarium’s official website.

For instance in Bryant Park, which is just around the corner from the New York Public Library between 5th and 6th Avenues from 40th to 42nd streets you will find on this coming Thursday, August 5th a free concert at 12:30pm featuring songs from Broadway. This performance will be the last of a series which transpired all throughout the month of July.

Actual performers from several Broadway shows sing 2-3 songs during the course of the one-hour long concert. Audiences can come prepared with picnics and blankets for an á la grass lunch or can sit in one of the many chairs or tables spread out around the park.

According to those that keep records, this summer is unusually hot, especially compared to last summer which did not have even a single day above 90 degrees. We have not had such a hot dry summer since 1999. Remember back to the beginning of this month? The two days in a row of over 100 degree temperatures did not occur in New York since 1999, and we have had the driest June and July also since 1999.

Dry, yellow lawns are the order of the day, with people hesitating to satisfy their gardens for fear of wasting precious water when it is needed for more pressing things. But according to Farrell Sklerov, the spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection, although reservoirs are lower than normal for this time of year, “we’re not at a point where we have to implement conservation measures.”

Citizens are actually being asked to water public trees found growing in the streets. The parks department actually issued a press release explaining that trees need about 15-20 gallons or water each week. The press release included the following instructions to be followed by concerned citizens wishing to keep their neighborhood trees alive.

“Poke small holes at the bottom of a large trash can. Fill it with 15 to 20 gallons of water and leave the trash can next to the tree overnight.”
This advice will help New Yorkers to insure that there will always be “trees growing in Brooklyn.”

The two teens, David Luccioni age 17, and Crystal Reyes, 15 were cooling off in the apparently calm but truly treacherous water of the river after the third day of over-90 degree temperatures in the city. Crystal, who, according to witnesses did to know how to swim, slipped on rocks and fell into the river. David dived in after her when he realized that she was drowning.  Despite the fact that David’s twin brother, Matthew tried to save him, but “he slipped out of his hands,” according to their father.

Just steps from the entrance to the Bronx Zoo, there is no easy access to this part of the river, and in order to enter the area one must jump over a wrought-iron fence and pass a sign reading “Danger No Swimming” which was placed there by the Parks Department.

Just take a look at this amazing web site “Club freeTime.” It claims it is the only “source of free events, free things to do in New York City: your perfect guide to free Entertainment & free Culture in the City that never sleeps.”

The New York Times summed up the state of culture in New York City in its article about Club freeTime by stating that “New York is abuzz with so much culture that they’re giving it away.”

One small catch: membership is not free. But considering how many things you will find to do, you will probably save the cost of membership after just one activity.

Check it out and let me know where you went and how much fun you had.

However not everyone agreed that graffiti was something that needed to be suppressed, and so in the 1990s the Phun Phactory was founded in Long Island City, Queens.  At the Phun Phactory graffiti turned into “Aerosol Art” and “Graffiti Artists” were allowed to ply their trade without fear of arrest or large fines. In 2001, to the dismay of many, including graffiti artist legend Michael “Iz the Wiz” Martin, the Phun Phactory closed its doors.
If you are an aspiring aerosol artist, or a veteran of the art-form, you need no longer contain your urge to decorate walls and subway cars with your special type of art because the Phun Phactory has reopened its doors as of June 19, 2010, in a new location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  According to Pat Di Lillo, one of the founders of the Phun Phactory, the hope is to create the world’s largest outdoor aerosol mural, “as an homage to one of its founders”, Iz the Wiz, who died exactly one year ago, at the age of 50.

About 60 artists came through the Phun Phactory’s new permanent space, which is located on North 15th Street and Wythe Avenue. On everyone’s minds at the opening was the desire to not only celebrate graffiti’s past, but also to make this special art form more accessible and relevant to a wider audience. The older artists also want to create more respect for graffiti as a means of self-expression to the younger generation.

“New York City does not acknowledge that they themselves started this art movement. So the significance of re-launching the Phun Phactory is creating a platform, an international platform for aerosol art to have exposure,” said Phun Phactory director Jeremy Vega.