THE WRESTLER

I saw Milk last night. Terrific film. Sean Penn is amazing. And what fun to have a packed theatre boo Anita Bryant.

And I saw the trailer for The Wrestler. I've heard really good things about it. What's most shocking is Mickey Rourke. He looks perfect for the role but what the hell has happened to him? He looks like a freak. Even freakier than he usually looks.

And what's not to love about a new Springsteen song?

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

Greetings from Orlando, FL. I'm basking in 74 degree weather. I'm a cold weather weenie so this weather is heaven to me. I'll be back in the northeast cold soon enough. But for now I'm going to enjoy my Sunshine State weather.

WINEHOUSE ON FIRST STEPS TO RECOVERY?

Blake Fielder-Civil, Amy Winehouse's husband, has admitted to getting Winehouse hooked on drugs. In an interview, Blake revealed how Amy

• Asked him to let her try crack cocaine as she watched him taking it.

• Cut her arms after she saw him self harm.

• Collapsed with a seizure after an all-day drug binge.

Thanks Blake. Thanks for that.

So now Amy is finally doing the right thing and seeking a divorce from Blake. Hopefully this will be the start of her recovery. She's a fantastic singer and I'd hate to lose her to drugs.

BLACK FRIDAY

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and with it comes Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But with the economy in the worst shape since dinosaurs roamed the earth, Friday and Monday may not be so black.

But if you're looking for deals, there are plenty of places to check out the sales. Try here, here and here. You can also check out Cyber Monday deals here.

Happy shopping.

LEFT BAY RIDGE

Sorry, dear reader, for the lack of posts this week. I have left Bay Ridge until after the new year. Yep, I'm in Orlando, Florida, the city beautiful, soaking in the sun until 2009. Posts will be few and far between, but I'll do what I can.

NIGHT LAUNCH

For you space buffs, hie thee down to Florida asap. Tonight there will be a night launch. Years ago I saw a night launch and it was absolutely amazing. The light was dazzling and the roar of the rockets was deafening. I'm sorry I won't be down there tonight.

But if you can make it, here's where to go.

BRAIN FREEZE

Sarah Palin's return to chilly Alaska has evidently caused some serious brain-freeze. At a Republican Governors Association convention in Miami, Florida (where you'd think her brain would have thawed), Palin told her fellow Republican Governors -

not to let obsessive, extreme partisanship ... get in the way of doing what's right.

Palin also -

criticized the national media for wanting to "dissect the past."

This from a woman who couldn't stop talking about William Ayers, whipped up crowds with her talk about Obama "palling around with terrorists" and one was one of the most polarizing candidates in recent history. In fact, Palin has been blamed for an increase in death threats against Obama. According to the Standard -

The Secret Service warned the Obama family last month that they had seen a dramatic increase in the number of threats against the Democratic candidate, coinciding with Palin’s attacks.

And now she's calling for an end to partisanship and criticizing the media for wanting to dissect the past?

Really, Governor!? And you're supposedly the future leader of the GOP?

All of which begs the question: who is the real Sarah Palin?

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Sheesh, I'm late to my own party. Two days ago Left in Bay Ridge celebrated its one year anniversary. What started as a lark to keep me occupied has grown into a full-fledged whim that still keeps me occupied.

While I'm no Rover with his 100,000 hits, I would like to thank the one person who has visited Left in Bay Ridge 50,694 times.

And especially, thank you Melisa Christian.

BUSH LEAGUE

You gotta hand it to Still President Bush. The man doesn't give up.

It was announced today that Bush has just become the

most unpopular president since approval ratings were first sought more than six decades ago.

76% of Americans disapprove of w. 76%!

No other president's disapproval rating has gone higher than 70 percent. Bush has managed to do that three times so far this year.

Congratulations, wanker. You've carved out quite the legacy. Mission accomplished.

US VERSUS THEM

I read today on the Rover that the Green Church's cornerstone has been stolen. You can read more about the theft here or at the Brooklyn Paper.

But what I find disturbing is Pastor Emerick's quote -

“This is consistent with the attitude that has been directed towards us, but this is theft. We want it back. We want to keep it because it is ours.”

And he wonders why the community isn't crazy about him.

Instead of saying the cornerstone is a part of the history of Bay Ridge or the community, he instead made it about his congregation. Yes I know the cornerstone belongs to the Methodist Church, but it seems that the hurdle of the battle for the Green Church was"us" versus "them." The congregation versus the community. The preservationists versus the church.

The church is torn down. A new church, hopefully, will be built (along with some swanky condos). But still Pastor Emerick can't get passed the "us" versus "them" attitude. We all want that cornerstone to be a part of the new building. It is part of the history of Bay Ridge and of the Methodist church. But until Pastor Emerick can rise above the past (or his perception of the past) and talk and act as if he and the church are an actual part of the community, it will continue to be "us" versus "them."


Photo courtesy: The Daily News