Was it worth it? StoryCorps

17 10 2009

Continuing in this vein of adventures in and around and occasionally having nothing to do with NYC, here goes … StoryCorps.

NPR’s StoryCorps oral history  project (what they say | what the other guys say)
Foley Square, NYC … and other locations fixed and mobile

ReyesReport Overall Rating: Two Reyi thumbs up (we’d add toes if the rating allowed!)

Time

  • Book your appointment in advance with their Web site. We found this incredibly easy to do (+2) … down side was you had to book in ADVANCE – we booked over a month in advance (-1)
  • We got there on time, recording started on time, recording ended on time. +2 for accuracy and good expectations!
  • Net: +3

Cost

  • There is no charge for the interview session.
  • Two recorded copies are burned to a CD — one for you, one for the Library of Congress. That’s free too.
  • They do ask if you’d like to make a donation – they suggest $25. We happily agreed with that. Donations are 100% tax deductible.
  • +2 (who doesn’t love free. no pressure for a tax-deductible deduction for a service you think is super cool is good too.)

Quality

  • The recording equipment and sound booth were top-notch.
  • My dad felt like a celebrity on a radio show… which in a way, he was … the star of the talk show about my life and those who influenced it.
  • The free recording they send you off with was great too — mom enjoyed the listen, and I’m sure more will be subject to at least part of the 40-minute adventure.
  • +2, no doubts.

Experience

  • You know where this is going. I walked out of there thinking who else to set up time with and wishing grandpa Osmon was still alive. When you want to go back for more, right away, it’s a good thing.
  • Dad was on top of the world — having contributed a living memorium to the Library of Congress. Not to be morbid, but I think that’s way cooler than an obelisk in a graveyard. This is a moment and a breath of life that will live on — both with my family (e.g. future kids, yes moms, we do hope) and with anyone else who wants to hear stories from a real American who was drafted for Vietnam, made sweeping changes to the public school system, publicly fought the influences of religious fundamentalists on public school policy, or about the life of a deep-sea charter captain.
  • Dad was also a little nervous about what I’d ask … I didn’t give him any zingers, but I didn’t let him off the hook until the interview was over either. Yeah, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy watching him squirm just a little bit ;-) Next time I’ll ask him about his torrid affair with my mother or … maybe some of the other unmentionables we don’t discuss in our WASPy little family >:-) <wink>
  • +5 … can I do that?

Overall

  • Reba: I don’t know why everyone hasn’t done this. Other than planning ahead, there are no down sides. The experience was excellent. If you live in NYC, book a time slot now. You can figure out who to interview when the date gets closer. Or hell, ask someone to interview you. We all have a story to tell. If you’re not in NY, no worries, there is a mobile booth that’s making its way around the country — stalk it. Or just come to NYC and make it part of your visit!
  • Rad:If nothing else, this offers people a forum to sit down with someone you want to talk with, ask them questions you want to know the answers to, and preserve those answers for future generations. Of course, there is also the doubt or challenge to now figure out how to make what is probably thousands of hours of interviews usable for those who want to dig into the hundreds of interviews and topics discussed.
  • Score: Perfect 10 (actually, it got a 12, but we gotta stay true to the system and have some kind of ceiling.)

Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : family, livin like a tourist, new york, Was it worth it?

Was it worth it? DiFara’s

25 09 2009

A friend asked me that about our recent trip to DiFara’s Pizza. After all, it is way the heck out of the way. So I thought that might be a nice summary for some of the adventures we do.  I know, I’ve been bad at the blogging … if my company would get a wee bit better at the speech to text technology, I’d could knock this out from a wireless phone update on my commute home from the north … but I digress.

Now, in any good rating system, one needs consistent metrics. As we’re just beginning this experiment, I’m still open to the influence of outsiders — feel free to comment. Here’s what I’m going to start with: Time, Cost, Quality, Experience, Overall rating.

So let’s start this new blog experiment with DiFara’s. (If you’re lucky, there’ll be a second post this weekend on a new subject.)

DiFara’s Pizza (what they say | what the other guys say)
424 Avenue J, Brooklyn NY 11230

ReyesReport Overall Rating: Two Reyi thumbs up (that’s a 4 thumbs for those of you who have trouble counting fingers)

Time

  • For starters, DiFara’s is not close but it is accessible by public transport, so +1 for that. But it took about an hour to get there by subway, so there goes that bonus point (-1, one hour or over).
  • Now … once you arrive, you don’t just get your pizza. You shoulder your way to a wait list. Get your name on a sheet of paper. And wait. Some people bring games. Some people have children. Most of the comments on the Interweb warn to plan at least 30 minutes of queuing. That would normally garnish a -1 … but we made a special order of pepperoni pizza, which apparently put us on a special list. The woman taking orders told us if we didn’t mind pepperoni *and* mushroom (which happens to be Conrad’s absolute favorite pizza), she could give it to us right now. The people in the line were *not* thrilled. I, however, attribute +1 for just being awesome and jovial.
  • Net: 0 — It’s not worth a regular commute, but on a splurge, time is on your side.

Cost

  • This pizza was not cheap. Tasty, but not cheap. Toppings were all extra too. -1
  • They accept only cash. -1 (Sorry, Mr D, I’m a modern girl)
  • Net: -2

Quality (warning: this is one of two of the distinguishing qualities)

To me, pizza is judged in 3 main qualities. So that’s the methodology we’ll follow here:

  • Crust: Thin and just the right kind of crisp. Delectable. Amazing. Even after a 10 minute walk to a park. +3, really great.
  • Toppings: Pepperoni is a staple. I think it has to be the most common, American pizza topping. We used that as the topping benchmark. Honestly, DiFara’s didn’t stand out here. The mushrooms were awesome, but the pepperoni was sub-par. -1  However, Mr. DiFara has a special secret touch and adds, by hand, to each pie, as they come out of the pizza oven on that crazy board thing, a special drizzle of olive oil and a fresh cut of basil. +1, Mr. DiFara, +1.
  • Taste: Put those things together, and does it all work? Yep. +2.
  • Net: +5. It’s damn yummy pizza.

Experience

This is the tourism rating. The flavour. The zest. The culture. Mr DiFara has created a cultural experience all his own. And kids, he isn’t young. It’s a trek to the depths of Brooklyn. It’s a story to tell your grandchildren. It’s a tiny hole in the wall that you’d pass by on the way to the 7-Eleven without a second glance. The interior is not special, it’s a pizza joint. We went in the summer. The pizza oven was hot. There was no A/C. And every step of the experience made us feel like happy tourists at home in our city. Yep, definitely a +2.

Overall

  • Rad: Definitely go do it. Now, my caveat, we didn’t have to sit for 1.5 hours to wait for the pizza. Would I wait that long? I don’t think so. But I had a great time, great pizza, don’t miss it before this guy dies.
  • Reba: Do it, at least once. But make a day of it and enjoy the ride — it’s an epic adventure and not a regular commute for your daily slice.
  • Score: 0 -2 +5 +2 = +5, don’t miss it!

Comments : 4 Comments »

Categories : city living, livin like a tourist, new york, Was it worth it?


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.