Though we’ve given up hope that people will ever stop obsessing over this glorified kid’s movie, we have to admit this Flickr pool is pretty damn cute.

If you can stomach it, here’s a clip from MTV’s The Real World Brooklyn, which is being filmed in Redhook.

From Gothamist:

So what did locals think of the cast invading their neighborhoods? Perhaps transgender Katelynn (who despite hating us is one of the more interesting “characters” on the show) sums it up best on her LiveJournal, nostalgically recalling: “all those disgusting hipsters in Williamsburg who would run up to the camera and tell us how much we suck.” She continues, pitting MTV versus Hipsters (who to side with?!): “Riiight, because we’re the reason the borough is experiencing wide-spread gentrification. Or maybe after the show airs all those shallow hipsters will move in, because, y’know, they haven’t been doing that for the past decade.”

We’re back to the grind, and many of us have been drooling since Monday for the weekend to get here already. Dammit. My plan is to wallow in a soused state of TGIF-dom tomorrow, and then hit some live music on Saturday night. Here are three recommendations for shows on the 10th of January, 2009.
1.

via DanielMartinMoore.com
Daniel Martin Moore @ The Mercury Lounge
NPR describes him as ‚”optimistic folk,” and Metromix garners him with language like ‚”Austerity. Understatement. Obscurity. Honesty.” ‚Äì so expect a fine, charming night on Saturday at the Mercury Lounge with Daniel Martin Moore. Other acts playing Saturday include Great Lake Swimmers and Haley Bonar who also have that same sort of gentle twang. Meanwhile A Hawk and A Hacksaw will throw a more nomadic gypsy effect into the mix.
8 pm
$13 advance/$15 day of show
***This lineup (minus A Hawk and a Hacksaw) will also be playing tomorrow night at the Bell House, if that fits your schedule better!
2.

Hot Lava @ Death By Audio
Hot Lava, Mixel Pixel, Hologram, Math the Band, and Hey Willpower will all be jammed into Death By Audio starting at 8 pm. It will be a sweet indie-popper fiesta, so sneak your best flask of whiskey into your girlfriend’s purse and come along.
8 pm
3.

Jacob Jiles @ The Delancey
Brooklyn-based Jacob Jiles plays ‚”indie soul,” which a new genre to me, but it’s still nice and mellow and grownup-sounding music. Also playing are ENDI, The Royal Wylds, and The Ravages – who are definitely NOT indie soul.
7 pm
$10

via RadioCity.com
The Speaker Series will be back at Radio City this spring, and the lineup of panels looks pretty entertaining:

March 9:
Bill Maher and Ann Coulter – Humorous Perspectives, Serious Issues
March 31:
Anderson Cooper interviewing Arianna Huffington, D.L. Hughley, and Mike Huckabee – Free Speech and the Power of the Press
April 20:
Janet Reno, Alberto Gonzales, and John Ashcroft — Domestic Law, International Policy
May 26:
Charlie Rose interviewing James Carville and Karl Rove — Strategies, Alliances and Policy

Last year was the debut of the series, and the only option was to buy packages of tickets that included each night – and cost about $500 minimum. The good news is that single nights are on sale this time around, and you can pick and choose when to attend (obvi March 9th to watch Bill Maher destroy the bigoted ice bitch).
Even better news is that FREEwilliamsburg readers can get tickets today, before they go on sale to the general public on Sunday the 11th. Just got to http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/47seyc?camefrom=CFC_MSG_SPEAKERSERIES09, and enter the pre-sale code INFO when you are purchasing.

Plus she likes “When Animals Attack!”
Anne Hathaway keeps getting cooler. Now, if we can just keep her from dating Devendra Banhart, making a Tom Waits covers record, or appearing in movies with Jim Carrey….

North 7th and Bedford

Tipico – image c/o EatingInTranslation
We now have two new South American joints in the hood: Tipico BK and Zero Latitude. Let us know what you think, if you’ve been. Here’s the word on the street:
Tipico BK – from Black Book

Rodrigo’s chill Paraguayan on lazy south WB block. Afternoon hang for perfect steak sandwiches and creamy coffee “batidos” while listening to South American rock like Fabulosos Cadillacs, Piojos, or weed-themed Brazilian reggae. Hammock in cozy patio goes great with BYOB six pack from corner bodega or terer√©: that cool, refreshing, Paraguayan drink (iced yerba mate). Caf√© Havana before it turned into a Lenny Kravitz video.

Zero Latitude – from Grub Street

Williamsburg has a new South American restaurant in Zero Latitude. Actually, we’re not sure whether it can be called a South American restaurant since it serves Spanish tortilla, a hummus dip, and palek paneer, but chef-owner Eduardo Polit (formerly chef at Frederick’s Downtown and before that a sous-chef at Soho House) was born in Ecuador, and many of his dishes were inspired by a recent five-month trip around the continent. He’s calling his two-day-old joint a caf√©, and as you can see from the interior shot that follows, it’s a stripped-down affair — but take a glance at the menu and you’ll see there are culinary aspirations (‚”risotto con pollo”?). For spring, Polit is working on getting fresh spondylus (a rare scalloplike mollusk prized for its colorful shell) and other delicacies from his native country, but in the meantime, here’s what he has going.

On another note, qoo Robata Bar, a new Japanese Izakaya spot just opened on Metropolitan. Throw in the staple Williamsburg Izakaya spots, Bozu and Zenkichi (both wonderful) and Williamsburg is becoming the place to go for Japanese small plates.
You can see a complete list of what’s new (and/or newish) here in restaurants.

via TheCrane.tv
Hi creative ones. TheCrane.tv is a site that will launch in the next month or two, and once it’s up and running it will serve as a resource for fashion, lifestyle, art, and other aesthetic forays. They’re currently accepting submissions for their video competition, so if you want Karl Lagerfeld, Ora-Ito, or Flavio Albanese (among others) to judge your short film, then send it over their way.
Per TheCrane.tv:

‚”TheCrane.tv, Discovery Campus and Reelisor.com are hosting a film competition for creative talents from all over the world in the categories: Culture, Art&Design, Lifestyle, Fashion, Ideas, Travel and “Green”. We reward creativity and encourage you to offer fresh, insider perspectives into your topic of choice. We would like to feel inspired and enriched by your contribution.

‚”There are no boundaries to your creativity. The short videos can be non-fiction, fiction, animated or could be in a journalistic or documentary style….. The winning films will be selected by our accomplished jury and announced at the international launch of TheCrane.tv in March 2009. The rewards for Laureates include cash, equipment and TV broadcast.”

The films should be between 1 and 5 minutes long, preferably in English (or subtitled) and all standard file formats. You can submit them electronically via the upload portal on www.thecrane.tv, just remember that the deadline is February 28.

c/o pbrnow.com
The rodeo is in town! Fans of PBR (Professional Bull Riders – although Pabst Blue Ribbon fans overlap in the sociological Venn diagram) know that this weekend, Madison Square Garden is hosting some severely brawny and carnivorous types:

‚”The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) 2009 Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) returns to The World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, for the 2nd stop on the elite tour. The top 45 bull riders in the world buck into New York City for the Built Ford Tough Invitational on January 9-11. The action will get underway at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. For three-action packed performances, the Big Apple will see a world-class production unlike any other they will see in all of 2009!”

Hurray! The best part is that if you click here and buy tickets between today and Friday, you’ll find a buy-one-get-one-free promotion. It might just be the best purchase you’ve made in 2009, seriously.