Smartmom

I so agree. I just cannot stand her blog or her column. I find her writing style so freaking annoying. I don't know why I feel compelled to read her blog; it is so consistently irritating. It's just the same damn thing over and over: She lives on 3rd Street. She is jealous of people with money. Her kids went to 321. She knows everyone in Park Slope. She is jealous of Jennifer Connelly because she has a big expensive house. She is jealous of Jonathan Safran Foer because he has a big expensive house. Did I mention that she lives on 3rd Street?

She's like the epitome of what irritates me about so many people in Park Slope. The smug self-satisfaction weirdly combined with a constant need for other people's approval.

Subject: Enough already!

Now she's quoted by lazy Times reporters who couldn't find a real-person quote for the life of their Columbia-trained keesters.
Blog was interesting at the start.
But there are others, better.
And the obsession with money? Sheesh.
Don't tell me she's got none.
After all, it's Third Street in the Slope.

link please...

“She’s the beautiful Brooklyn girl [Connelly was raised in Brooklyn Heights] made good who bought the nicest house on the hill, and he’s . . . well, a signpost of blond, gorgeous Englishness.”

i see what you mean...that's painful.

Subject: THe Answer is ...

stacey wrote: Wait is Smartmom and Only The Blog Knows Brooklyn the same person?

Yes.

stacey wrote: Ha the sister in law baby changing incident was hysterical and kind of sad at the same time.

Oh yeah, that was charming: Sister paid good money for this baby and she's going to change her poopy diaper in the middle of the restaurant or anywhere she damn well pleases, heehee.

I don't even know who this Smartmom chick is, and it doesn't seem like I"m missing anything. ....

but......since you mentioned Park Slope papers........

Does anybody know what the story is with the guy who writes the crime section in that weekly PS paper (found in supermarkets, etc.)? His stories go something like this:

"Two hooligans were rough housing in front of a residence on 7th Avenue.."

"There were shenanigans in the park on Sunday..."

Does anybody know what/who I am talking about? I want to know if this guy is 80 years old or just some asshat trying to be funny (well, ok, I do find it funny, but still......).

Anyone?

Flexichick wrote:
"Two hooligans were rough housing in front of a residence on 7th Avenue.."

"There were shenanigans in the park on Sunday..."

Yes! I love that.

Yep, I think those are them.

I don't remember what the paper is called, but it's the PS paper with the red and blue banner.

I never saw "Car 54", but I think that's the idea

Subject: links

to the police blotter news - www.brooklynpapers.com
to the rather annoying - www.onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.com

Drano wrote: Personal favorite: "A large dog was seen devouring a pie that was left on a sill." Yup, apparently someone called the sheriff over that.

Lordy, where'd you grow up, Mayberry?

Dang, now I've got the Andy Griffith Show theme song in my head.

I didn't think people even left pies on window sills in real life.

That's definitely the level of journalism we aspire to around here:

LOCAL BEDCLOTHES DEFENESTRATED
http://www.dailyheights.com/archives/482

LOCAL MAN HAS OPINION ON KATIE COURIC
http://www.dailyslope.com/2006/04/local_man_has_opinion_on_katie.html

Subject: Smartmom et al

I've enjoyed reading the thread about Smartmom, the Brooklyn Papers (aka "that rag"), and Gersh Kuntzman (whom someone had the decency to call "a good guy," which I, as Gersh Kuntzman, appreciate). As the editor of the paper, I urge you to express your frustations through the Letters to the Editor process. If you think we are failing in our mission to inform, educate and entertain the savvy Brooklyn readers which you clearly are, please tell us rather than making anonymous posts.

We aim to serve you better, and, as such, would love to hear your complaints.

Regarding Smartmom, she is an acquired taste that I urge you to acquire. She is a rare Brooklyn talent and I am so happy to be in the position of nurturing that talent (others would prefer to resent her, I guess). Why so much backbiting? If you can do better, please pitch me stories. I welcome your contributions to the Brooklyn Papers.

By the way, we're the one with the blue-and-red banner every week (and we're a broadsheet, to boot). We are not the Courier-Life -- and I thank God for that daily.

Thanks for listening

GERSH KUNTZMAN

Subject: Re: Smartmom et al

brooklyngersh wrote: Why so much backbiting?

From Crescentlife.com:

Imam Ghazâlî in his 'Ihya Ulûm ud Din' cites 6 situations in which backbiting is allowed.
1. To narrate the faults of another in a trial.
2. To help change one's evil deeds.
3. To seek a legal decision.
4. To warn about someone's harmful deeds.
5. To disclose the bad deeds of an evildoer.
6. To call someone by a well-known characteristic or feature.

He goes on to say:

>>To disclose the guilt of those who are accustomed to evil deeds openly is no sin, such as a male wearing female dress, a drunkard, a fornicator, or an oppressor.
The Prophet (saw) said: There is no sin in backbiting a person who has shaken off the screen of shame from his face.
Hazrat Omar (raa) said: There is no honor for a great sinner (meaning those who commit major sins openly). He who commits sins secretly should have the honor of his fault being kept secret.
Hazrat Hasan Basri said: There is no fault in backbiting three persons - (1) one who is a slave of passion, (2) an open and well known transgressor, (3) and a tyrant ruler.

>>The Prophet (saw) said:
Do you consider it bad to disclose the faults of a sinner? Disclose his faults so that people may know them. Disclose the faults in him, so that people may take precaution.

>>It is lawful to narrate the deeds of another to seek legal decision or law for remedy. For instance, one says: My father, my wife or my son treats me like this. What is the remedy of getting out of it?
Hinda, daughter of Utba, complained to the Prophet: 'Abu Sufiyan is a miser. He does not bear necessary expenses of my children and myself. May I spend anything in his absence? The Prophet said: Take such things as are necessary for you and your children. Hinda mentioned about miserliness and oppression of Abu Sufiyan, but the Prophet (saw) did not blame her for backbiting, as she had intention of taking decision.
(Note: Abu Sufiyan was Hinda's husband)

>>The ancient sages said: There is no sin in disclosing the guilt of three persons - (1) a tyrant ruler (2) a learned innovator (3) and a shameless evildoer.<< end quote.

I am officially on a Federal watchlist now. :evil:

Rose is right. Anybody who's worked in journalism knows that this is the first lame knee-jerk defense of anyone who's been critiqued by a writer: "How dare you criticize if you've never [made a movie, been elected to office, been a contestant on American Idol, whatever]!"

It's not your readers' job to write your paper. It's their job to read it. And it's their prerogative to have opinions about it and share those opinions, whether in the paper or elsewhere, by name or anonymously. Better that than that they just silently start picking up the Courier. (Having read Gersh for a while, before his present job, I suspect that he is enough of a pro to know that deep down but understandably wanted to defend his writer.)

Having said that, even if I can't stand Smartmom I think it's great that Gersh is drawing from local bloggers, so in the spirit of being constructive here are a couple Brooklyn bloggers whose writing I can recommend offhand, neither of whom I know personally (as far as I know):

http://callalillie.com/
http://myopenwallet.blogspot.com/