http://www.nypress.com/blogs-1-1-1-1.html Walter Easterbrook does not make drinks. He creates them. He’s been working behind a bar since he was a little kid, and has perched leg after leg on rung after rung. Working the slop nests. The tourist traps. The denizen lounges. The swanky hotel bars. He knows the customers that walk in, and knows exactly what and how much to serve them.--- It’s been a big year for him. He had a baby girl over the summer. Recently quit his night]]> @font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoBodyText, li.MsoBodyText, div.MsoBodyText { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: bold; }p.MsoBodyText2, li.MsoBodyText2, div.MsoBodyText2 { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: ]]> I’ve never watched Grey’s Anatomy, but I think I get it—there’s some guy called McDreamy and some other guy who’s like, McLovesy or something, and McDoeEyes can’t chose between them. And in between it all there’s McCheatsy, McDies, McLetsJustBeFriends and McDoctor. I mean, that’s close enough right? But here’s the thing—I’m pretty sure there’s no character called McScary (apo]]> Jai Lennard is a photographer based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. But more than that, he’s a prime raconteur. A connoisseur of sexual identity, one might say. There’s an ease to him that is non-threatening, no matter the conversation point, which makes it easy for him to plop himself down with a stranger and go from, “Hey, what’s up, I’m Jai,” to questions pertaining to that stranger’s boudoir. There isn]]> Jonas Elrod is a filmmaker in New York who woke up one day to discover that he was having visions and could see angels, demons, ghosts and auras. “My first vision was pretty personal,” he said. “I was in San Francisco working on a film when I woke up in my hotel room and started seeing energy and feeling energy. I saw these geometric figures and shapes—it was all very overwhelming and I didn’t understand what]]> Fans of experimental filmmaker Bill Morrison will have plenty of opportunity to enjoy his work this winter. In addition to The Miners’ Hymns at Film Forum Feb. 8–14, this year’s Silent Films/Live Music series (Jan. 31–Feb. 3) at the World Financial Center Winter Garden, 220 Vesey St., will feature four Morrison films: The Miners’ Hymns, Decasia, Spark of Being and The Great Flood. --- “I’d done Miners&r]]> When Parkinson’s Disease is a thing of the past, I’ll take comfort in knowing that I played a part in its eradication. Emphasis on ‘played’, de-emphasis on ‘I’. The truth is that hundreds of other Citizen Scientists helped me out. All we had to do was play a game. --- Up front, Phylo is a puzzle game that challenges the player with arranging colored squares in patterns on a grid. It’s fun. It’s a]]> Every neighborhood has a few. Even on the generally well-maintained Upper West Side, some buildings, whether from construction, neglect or outright abandonment, cause neighbors to flinch when they see them. We asked local residents and community leaders to spot the worst eyesores in the neighborhood. --- Tales of sketchy politicians and safety violations mysteriously surround this empty sorest of thumbs on West 76th Street between Columbus and ]]> One high aesthetic compliment is to call an artist ahead of his time. Yet the real trick is to be of your time and ahead of it, too. Cecil Beaton—photographer, illustrator, set and costume designer, even author—turned that trick, and nicely, too. The fabulous results, even a hint at his motivation, are currently exhibited at the Museum of the City of New York. Why there, and why now? ---Well, it’s Beaton’s “New York ]]> Winter, what winter? Please! Who can worry about the weather's moodiness when there are things to do and people to see? It's a weekend packed with music—from classical to Afro Caribbean—and a few fun fests. (Plus, have you heard of the Doodle 4 Google contest?) --- SATURDAY-SUNDAYFour more Chinese New Year events coming your way—make a grass animal at Children's Museum of the Arts or watch the acrobats in theChinatown Parade.T]]> Back in the mid-1990s, when Dr. Tony Urbina was completing his residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Greenwich Village, he witnessed a major turning point in HIV/AIDS care. At the time, medication cocktails were just being introduced to the infected. “There were patients who looked like walking corpses; with [medication], in a matter of weeks, they would miraculously come back from the [brink of] death,” Urbina recalled i]]> An exhibit of Weegee’s photographs proves that crime does pay In the pantheon of New Yorkers—Dorothy Parker, Andy Warhol, the Ramones—photographer Weegee may not be the first to spring to mind, but he may symbolize the contradictions of New York City better than anyone else. Driven, self-mythologizing and morbidly curious about the curiously morbid, Weegee spent a decade, from 1936 to 1947, chronicling the violence and ]]> Now in its 40th year, Dance on Camera is at a new level of maturity. The annual event at the Walter Reade Theater that once fit into a three-day weekend has expanded to fill five days, Jan. 27–31, and within its brief duration has its own opening night, centerpiece and closing night films. --- This year’s festival also takes advantage of the recently opened Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center (across 65th Street from the Walter R]]> AVEThe Weinstein Company with The Cinema Society & Forevermark held a screening for Madonna’s new movie W.E. at Ziegfeld Theater last night. Taking the stage before the film decked in a lace, sequin and ruffled dress by Marchesa, her Madgesty gave an emotional speech thanking the actors, crew and her mother. --- 5 / 5 ]]> Yeah, you heard me. I’ve figured out how to make a relationship work. I’m basically Batman right now but better, even though I don’t have a neat utility belt (I’ll get one though, I swear). That’s not to say I've actually employed my theories, or that I’m even capable of being able to fulfill their terms, but I get the distinct impression that if I did I would be happy forever. --- ]]> A recent tragedy proves once again the deadliness of the LES’ main thoroughfare A few months ago, a NYPD officer stood in the middle of the intersection of Delancey and Essex streets, out of breath and sweating. Occasionally, a driver would roll down his window to shout at him. --- “Tell this guy to move up already!” said an angry blonde woman in a green Jeep. In the middle of the intersection, with three honking cars behind]]> Last week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg laid out a sweeping vision for New York in his State of the City address, given at Morris High School in the Bronx. With a broad focus on education, creating jobs and bolstering the economy, Bloomberg echoed many imperatives that Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out in his State of the State address the previous week while putting forth some specific, and controversial, plans of his own. --- Perhaps the biggest issue Bl]]> Her One-Of-A-Kind Café May Be A Magical Playhouse For Children And Parents Alike—But Tracey Stewart Would Be The First To Tell You That The Real Magic In Her Life Is Being With Jon And The Kids It's easy to see why folks from all over town flock to Tracey Stewart's cozy corner of Tribeca. At Moomah, Stewart's café-cum-art-space, the walls dance with beluga whales while shelves house sea turtle shadowboxes and oversized jacks]]> Cinema Society and BlackBerry Bold held a screening of Steven Soderbergh’s new action-heavy film Haywire on Wednesday night at Sunshine Landmark Cinema. Gina Carano, who used her mixed martial art skills in the film, and Ewan McGregor, who plays her underhanded boss, posed on the carpet before heading in to watch along with Blake Lively, Justin Bartha, Elizabeth Banks, Debra Winger, Graydon Carter and Debbie Harry. --- After, guests ]]> As parents all over the country begin preparations for the inevitable final chime of the school bells this June, New York Family unveils an innovative new guide to navigating the maze of summer camps in the Tri-State area. With support from the American Camp Association, the latest addition to the Manhattan Media family, TheRightCamp presents parents of prospective campers with a comprehensive guide to picking the perfect activities and envi]]>