Say no more!

It’s… Monty Python’s Flying Circus!

No it isn’t.

Yes it is!

How exciting! My wife Michelle’s Unnata Aerial Yoga class was written up in the NY Times “Thursday Styles” section this past Thursday! You can see a copy of the print article over on the Aerial Yoga website. Or if you like, you can read the article on the NY Times website.

As I have mentioned before, the Aerial Yoga class is now in its new location on Bedford Ave. in Williamsburg, and was recently featured on NBC’s First Look NY. In fact, Michelle’s segment on First Look NY was syndicated, and played in the little TVs in the back of NYC Taxi Cabs for about two weeks! Many people called to say that they saw Michelle in their Taxi Cab!

FYI: Tonight (Sunday Oct. 12, 2008), Michelle is doing an Aerial Acrobatic performance at the Zipper Theatre on 37th St. (b’twn 8th and 9th Aves) at 7PM. Come on down for an exciting evening of mixed aerial performances by some of New York City’s leading aerial acrobatic performers!

About twenty years ago, I was working next door to a shoemaker’s shop. One day, I was complaining to Joe (the Shoemaker) that my new sneakers kept coming untied. These shoes had roundish, nylon shoelaces and my standard shoelace knot that I had been taught as a child was not staying tight at all with these new laces.

Joe taught me what he called “the nylon shoelace knot,” and from that day forward, my shoelaces never come untied by themselves. But here’s the best part; a quick, firm pull on the two loose ends, and they come untied with ease. Beautiful!

Fast-forward to today; with the Interwebs being what they are, of course there is a website devoted to shoelaces – only shoelaces: Ian’s Shoelace Site.

I have now learned that this knot is called the Surgeon’s Shoelace Knot.

Ian’s Shoelace Site has tips on lacing shoes, tying shoelaces, slipping shoelaces, crooked shoelaces, shoelace lengths, shoelace tips for teaching children, shoelace tips for sports, shoelace tips for the elderly/disabled; shoelace tips for everyone!

This website will change the way you think about shoelaces. It’s never too late to learn to tie your shoes well!

On Tuesday, June 10, 2008, Unnata™ Aerial Yoga moves to its new location on the main strip in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY.

The new location is at 241 Bedford Avenue (buzzer #7). This is on Bedford Avenue between North 3rd and North 4th. It is only a 2.5 minute walk from the Bedford Avenue stop on the L train; very easy to get to!

Classes at the new location will begin on Tuesday, June 10. Class days and times will be Tuesdays, 7:15-8:45pm, and Saturdays, 2:15-3:45pm. Additional schedule and reservation information can found at the Aerial Yoga Website.

Unnata™ Aerial Yoga’s new location (classes began two and a half years ago over at the Streb SLAM Studio), will offer some distinct advantages over the old space, says founder Michelle Dortignac:

“At this new location, I will be able to hang more apparatuses (when necessary) to ensure no more than 2 people per apparatus – even when class is full! Also, we will be the only class happening in the room when we are there, so it will be much quieter with fewer distractions. I had been looking for a space that would be more conducive to Yoga, and this space is really it!”

Classes, which are designed for all levels – even beginners with no previous experience – will cost $20. There will be a 5-class card for $85 (good for 2 months) and a 10-class card for $150 (good for 5 months).

According to an article in the NY Times today, it turns out that fortune cookies—the desert treat popularly served in Chinese restaurants—are actually of Japanese origin.

Japanese bakers have been making omikuji senbei (“written fortune crackers”), in Kyoto for generations. Fortune cracker making was brought to the west coast of this country by early Japanese immigrants. After these Japanese families were removed to the internment camps during WWII, it was Chinese families that took over the production of the cookies.

After the war, returning American servicemen were served fortune cookies in California. Upon arriving home, they asked their local Chinese restaurants why they didn’t serve the fortune cookies.

Still popular in Kyoto, Japan, the “written fortune crackers” are similar in shape, but differ in taste. They are bigger and browner, and not as sweet, being flavored with miso and sesame instead of butter and vanilla.

One bakery, Sohonke Hogyokudo, has used the same 23 fortunes for decades. (Wonton Foods, the American cookie maker has over 10,000 fortunes in its database.) Hogyokudo’s fortunes tend to be more poetic in theme than prophetic.

But a cookie opened in another local Kyoto shop contained the advice, “To ward off lower back pain or joint problems, undertake some at-home measures like yoga.”

Happy New Year everybody!

I spent New Year’s Eve watching my wife Michelle Dortignac perform in an amazing show called Cirque Le Masque: Carnivale.

Cirque Le Masque performed six shows over three days at the beautiful Patchougue Theatre, on Long Island. The late show on New Year’s Eve featured a New Year’s party at midnight (during the intermission) replete with Champagne toast and hors d’oeuvres for the whole audience! Nice way to ring in the new year!

Michelle performed a fabulous duo trapeze act with fellow aerialist Kristen Olness; and she also choreographed and performed in a triple silk act along with Kristen Olness and Hilary Sweeney. Michelle, Kristen and Hilary were brought together for this show by Laura Witwer and Angela Jones of ImaginAerial.

All of the performances in this show were STUNNING!

I took a few pictures from the wings on stage-left during the early show, and then more pictures from the balcony during the late show. You can see a mix of my pictures of the Cirque Le Masque show after this:

NOTE: Click thumbnails below to enlarge; then click the RIGHT or LEFT EDGE of enlarged images to move though the gallery of images. (You may also use the right or left arrow keys on your keyboard, once you have opened the first image.)

WOW!

The Baby Janes rocked the house at La Mama for the past two weekends!

This aerial, singing, dancing, musical holiday celebration was put together by Kristen Olness, and starred The Baby Janes: Kristen Olness, Michelle Dortignac, Angela Jones and Laura Witwer, with special guest Terry Beeman. Sara Moore was the eccentric hostess in her character, Pearl Claus.

SEE LOTS OF PICTURES from the closing night performance on Sunday, after this…

Click on the first image below, and then just click the RIGHT-SIDE of each large image to advance through the pictures.

Blue has always been my favorite color. (Take look around this site!) So the news today that Pantone has selected BLUE IRIS as its color of the year for 2008 really caught my eye; and I like this color a lot.

According to their press release, Blue Iris is “a beautifully balanced blue-purple,” that combines the “stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple.” Additionally, “Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement.”

Ahhh, that’s nice!

There exists a certain psychological state which tends to produce laughter, which is the natural phenomenon or process of “humor”, or “humor perception”.
–Thomas C. Veatch, Department of Linguistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Here is the short scientific explanation of “funny,” and here’s the full version.

Here’s why I’ll try my best to avoid making puns ever again.

My favorite part of the above referenced paper: “Humor is emotional pain that doesn’t actually hurt.”

From a NY Times article today:

Urban Camouflage

Though street crime is relatively low in Japan, quirky camouflage designs like this vending-machine dress are being offered to an increasingly anxious public to hide from would-be assailants.

Check out the other great Urban Camouflage images here.