So you’ve seen that I’ve developed a new curiosity for urban farming. I love the idea of growing local. Here in NYC, I found downtown and near-midtown farms. It appears that cities around the world are becoming hot beds for urban farming. And new ideas pop up daily.

Mashable presented 11 small-big and big-big ideas for the future of urban farming. Here are my favorite picks of the bunch for the most interesting ideas for urban greening.

Green greetings: Postcardens (UK)

Temporary and tiny Postcardens are perfect for urbanites with little space and limited attention spans. These green greetings are mailable, so say hello to friends and spice up their desk space for about $13.

Micro farming: Merry Project (Japan)

Kid-friendly farming is attractive to urban todds who like to get their hands dirty. Putting those discarded bottlecaps to good use and creating a teaching tool makes Merry Project’s bottlecap farming a great idea. Kits cost about $2 each, and house seeds for herbs and small produce.

Vertical farms for vertical living: Vertical Farming (US)

Here’s the most expensive and most controversial of ideas, but interesting nonetheless. Vertical Farming challenges the horizontal blueprint. By creating high-rise, stacked farm systems placed in central urban locations, plantings would have a small footprint and can be harvested easily. Critics cite extensive water and energy use, and question actual savings over the traditional farm model.

The Vertical Farm Book costs about $11. Listen to Dickson Despommier’s big idea.

PS I received a Whole Foods gift card. It was enclosed in a wrapper that is recycled and embedded with wildflower seeds. I’m getting ready to plant it and I hope it will grow. Kudos Whole Foods, great idea!

Images: © Postcarden; © Merry Project © 2012 Janet Giampietro, Whole Foods wrapper shot with my first generation iPhone

We all know that texting while driving is an absolute no-no. I propose that texting while walking should be banned as well.

If you live in a place where you have huge expanses of walkspace or European piazzas, then have at it.

But this is Manhattan people. There’s hardly enough room for the population as it exists now to find room on the sidewalks and move at a decent clip. If you’re behind texters (as I always seem to be) they are usually walking at a snail’s pace, and weebling left to right.

I personally witnessed the hazards of texting while walking last week. One guy on West 21 had his foot run over by a cab. Luckily he didn’t seem to be badly hurt. A young woman was nailed by the big, heavy door of a retail store by an exiting shopper. I’m not sure that she even noticed – never missed a beat on the keypad.

I say, get out of the way! Move to the left or right of the sidewalk. Stand against the buildings with the smokers to send your messages. And pick up your head – the crosstown blocks come up really fast, as do the cars.

How do you feel about texting while walking?

Left: Flickr image by kevin dooley. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Right: Flickr image by mattjiggins. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Albert Einstein

How about that – Einstein and I have something in common.

Some of the most interesting finds I made in 2011 were random – and local – discovered while walking around the city. As the world struggles through economic challenges, political uprisings and figuring out what to do with occupy-ers, there’s always something new to find and explore from the mainstream to the fringes. Good thing too.

In chronological post order – my 2011 discoveries…

1 > Bard Olympics

Since I penned A celebration of Shakespeare: 38 plays in 38 languages, one dropped. I’ll leave it to you to figure out where I went wrong. Get booking, looks fantastic – maybe the productions will travel.

2 > Happy Smappy

My quest to research the state of happiness continues after discovering that chasing that elusive emotion may be more harmful than we thought.

3 > Cartesian order

How do you keep millions of people, places and vehicles mixing it up on a 12- x 2-mile island, without imploding? And keep a city open to future development? Grids baby.

4 > Politics, Italian-style

Italians proclaimed a big “No” to Silvio Berlusconi’s government and four big “Sí’s” to referendums. The vote may have been the biggest turning point in Italian government in 20 years – leading to Berlusconi’s november resignation.

5 > Adieu Barnes

This year we bid adieu to the fabulous Barnes collection housed in its historic home in lower Merion, PA. While the artwork is being moved into a new museum in Philadelphia, we’ve lost a completely personal way to experience Barnes’ fantastic and eclectic collection.

6 > NYPL @100

Why does an extensive, big-city, free library system covering three boroughs work so well? Find out as the New York Public Library celebrates 100 years of education, research and entertainment for millions of New Yorkers.

7 > Wrong Turn

The buildup to Hurricane Irene was endless, and the preparation – sometimes over the top. Irene shut down major cities on the East Coast, turning them into ghost towns. With all the attention focused there, the powerful Nor’Easter that followed was underestimated.

8 > Taking Root

Urban farming made a huge leap this year in NYC with the sprouting of many new and inventive plots in developing microcommunites. Uptown, downtown and into the boroughs, local restaurants were the beneficiaries of some of the freshest ingredients restaurants have seen in a long time.

9 > Onesies Rule

With only one more numeric occurrence remaining for another 100 years, this year number lovers latched on a string of “ones” in search of mystical and spiritual narratives.

10 > Spinning DUMBO

Jane’s Carousel has finally been moved to its new home in DUMBO: Situated beautifully between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. It seems fitting that one national treasure spins among many other historic New York landmarks.

Onward to 2012.

What was your best discovery in 2011?

Time to throw my top 10 lists into the bottomless pit of lists (apologies). As in 2010, I’ve focused on films, plays and books. These works surprised, informed and entertained me. Most importantly, they have peaked my curiosity enough to engage with them and just maybe discover something new.

Off we go, in no particular order – my top picks of 2011.

Films :: (Note: Films that I’ve seen this year, not necessarily released in 2011.)

1 :: Meek’s Cutoff > Kelly Reichardt’s spare and mesmerizing adventure of 19th-century settlers traveling through Oregon. The film gorgeously reveals the tedium, tenacity, and sometimes terror, as three pioneer families forge their way through a vast and uncertain landscape. Surrender to the film’s pace and you’ll be rewarded. Brava Michelle Williams, I would have nommed your performance in this film.

2 :: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy > An exquisitely understated film based on John LeCarré’s Cold War drama about the search for a mole within MI6. It’s quiet, but ruthless with a sense of doom looming just below the proper English surface. Gary Oldman’s restrained performance is a wonder to behold, as is the excellent ensemble including Colin Firth and Mark Strong.

3 :: The Descendants > A not-so-pretty view of a dysfunctional American family set against the so pretty state of Hawaii. Comedy, tragedy, and redemption alternate on center stage as George Clooney’s Matt King, the imperfect father, tries to make up for lost time with his two daughters. Chalk up another fine film from Alexander Payne.

4 :: The Artist > Film geeks like me love this stuff – a film about the magic of movies. Bias alert: director Michel Hazanavicius and his two leads also brought us one of my all time favorite comedies, so I was sold on this sentimental gem about an ingenue on the rise, and a legend on the descent in the advent of talkies. No dialogue, but lots of emoting. Pure pleasure.

5 :: Moneyball > I love baseball movies. And while this film isn’t really about baseball, it doesn’t hurt that it functions as its backdrop. Moneyball is based on a true story about Oakland As general manager Billy Beane and his need to revamp his losing team on a shoestring budget. Inventiveness butts tradition, with some balks along the way. Home run Brad and team!

6 :: Submarine > While the subject matter isn’t new, this inventive, quirky coming-of-age tale is well-conceived and directed by comedian Richard Ayoade as his debut feature. As our hero struggles with puberty and his social standing, we tag along and remember that excruciating time in our lives when we were so confused and forever misunderstood. Wonderful performances from Sally Hawkins and Paddy Considine.

7 :: The Trip > With observations about men of a certain age, this comedy hinges on director Michael Winterbottom’s dextrous skill and Steve Coogan’s and Rob Brydon’s​ improvisational agility (portraying a version of themselves). And it succeeds brilliantly. It’s a funny, poignant tale watching attempted male-bonding and one-upsmanship over food and life on a road trip across the northern English countryside.

8 :: Rango > If your raison d’être is to blend in, what can really you aspire to? Rango is a chameleon with one nasty identity crisis. He accidentally winds up in the gun-slinging town of Dirt – a lawless outpost populated by all sorts of wily critters. Rango is Dirt’s last hope for salvation. Voiced by Johnny Depp – naturally it’s surreal and weird. And wonderful just the same.

9 :: Le Quattro Volte > An idyllic village in southern Italy is the stage for this exquisitely filmed take on the cycles of life. Structured in four parts, it opens with a shepherd tending his goats, then moves through three related stories ­– illustrating life, its interconnectedness, and our place within it. The film is mystical, and poetic, and very satisfying especially the sound of the film, which is its key character.

10 :: Cave of Forgotten Dreams > Werner Herzog and his team follow an expedition into Chauvet Cave in southern France, which houses the most ancient visual art created by man (over 30,000 years ago). It’s an unforgettable, fully-immersive cinematic experience as told by one of our most idiosyncratic filmmakers. Kudos to Ernst Reijseger’s rapturous score.

Honorable mentions: Tucker and Dale vs Evil (so clever and simply hilarious); The Guard (a darkly funny buddy flick written and directed by the other McDonagh, brother John Michael); Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (they sucked me into Hogwarts and got me in the end).

Plays

1 :: The School for Lies by David Ives > Just the absolute perfect canapé (if you saw the play, that makes perfect sense)! Loosely based on Molière’s The Misanthrope and written entirely in verse, I was thinking in rhyming couplets as I giggled all the way home. Led by a stellar cast including Hamish Linklater and Mamie Gummer, the play scored in direction, costume and production design. A fluffy soufflé about French society in love, and at play.

2 :: Go Back to Where You Are by David Greenspan > A chorus boy from Ancient Greece stuck in a lonely purgatory for 2000 years is sent back to earth on a mission from God. He meets a family in the Hamptons where he is shaken up by his ability to re-experience love. Greenspan wrote and starred in this odd, affecting, wistful, melancholy, and ultimately funny piece about second chances. One of the more original works I’ve seen this year.

3 :: Fragments by Samuel Beckett > Peter Brook’s and Marie-Hélène Estienne’s spare and elegant (both in production and in interpretation) direction serves as a perfect means for delivery of five Beckett shorts. So spare, in fact, that every glance and gesture of the three terrific actors speaks volumes. I particularly liked the wonderful, raspy-voiced Kathryn Hunter in Rockaby playing a lonely woman as she contemplates her life’s end. Who doesn’t love an evening of existential angst and bittersweet comedy when they’re conceived as beautifully as this.

4 ::  Neighbourhood Watch by Alan Ayckbourn > The prolific Mr Ayckbourn delivers his 75th play. Perhaps not on par with The Norman Conquests (how many could be?), but a stinger just the same. It succeeds on keenly observed human failings and bitingly funny humor (particularly the penultimate scene). The play follows the actions of a brother/sister pair of do-gooders who take the law into their own hands. They rally the neighbors and turn the community into a fascist state. Until it all goes terribly, terribly wrong.

5 :: The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer > The most moving, human production of this play that I’ve encountered. The cast, led by the passionate Joe Mantello as Ned, were superb in this minimalist production. The difference for me: It felt more raw than the previous two I’d seen many years ago when the crisis was in its infancy. Unlike the previous Neds, Mantello didn’t play him to alienate the world in delivering his message, but to inform and fire up.

6 :: Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire > How do good, ordinary people behave when their entire world is collapsing? Francis McDormand expertly shows us, as Margie (appropriately pronounced with a hard “g”), a lifelong Boston Southie with a disabled daughter who has just lost her cashier job. A funny, often caustic examination of how we manage class differences, or often choose to ignore that they exist. This timely play strikes a chord in an ever-growing disparity between the haves and the have-nots.

7 :: Misterman by Enda Walsh > Thomas Magill, played by the terrific Cillian Murphy, inhabits the role of a self-proclaimed messenger from God, hiding in an abandoned warehouse where he meticulously recreates the day he fled his rural village of Inishfree. Housed with recorded conversations, Thomas plays out recent past events in an effort to understand his failings to convert his flock. We watch a descent into madness. No balm for the soul here. This is the third Enda Walsh piece I’ve seen at St Ann’s Warehouse – they just keep getting better.

8 :: Seminar by Theresa Rebeck > Repeating my bias alert from last year: Alan Rickman stars (ergo I’m seeing it) with a terrific ensemble, including Hamish Linklater [see The School for Lies above] and Lily Rabe playing neurotic, aspiring writers to Rickman’s egotistical and prickly teacher. I’m not convinced of the script’s success, but the performances here are the thing – with Rickman leading the way as a world-class writer giving a masterclass while lobbing punishing words at his students. Who survives and who flounders were almost irrelevant. It’s the exchanges, particularly between Rickman and Linklater that make the evening worthwhile.

9 :: The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco > Disclosure: this is my first encounter with this play. The Smiths and their neighbors, the Martins, live an unremarkable life in a world where time is out of joint, language and meaning are out of sync, and identity itself is questionable. Are the two couples acting in a play-within-a-play? Is the play about the banality or futility of communication? Is it an absurd bit of experimental theater? I don’t know. I do know that the Pearl Theatre’s production kept me thoroughly entertained and provoked (in a good way) throughout.

10 :: Kin by Bathsheba Doran > A portrait of one of the most unromantic couplings you’ll ever see, but the surrounding relationships that the couple form become the catalyst for keeping them together. We can’t choose our family, as the saying goes, but we can choose the people we want to provide companionship and comfort throughout our life’s journey. A great ensemble cast delivered truly memorable performances in this atmospheric and very moving play about getting out of your own way to live your life.

Books :: (Note: Books that I’ve read this year, not necessarily published in 2011.)

1 :: In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda > This serendipitous find while browsing the library proved to be my favorite read of the year. Termed “fiction” by its author, 10ish year-old Enaiatollah Akbari (Enaiat) and Geda collaborate to reconstruct the boy’s memories. When abandoned by his mother during the Taliban takeover in 2000, Enaiat must fend for himself to cross into Pakistan and beyond, traveling for years to ultimately find asylum and a home in Italy. Brilliantly told with humor and a childlike perspective, Geda captures the heroic story of Enaiat’s eternal hope and survival.

2 :: In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson > The author of one of my favorite books, The Devil in the White City, explores 1930s Berlin during Hitler’s rise to power. Larson guides us through the appointment of William E. Dodd as American Ambassador to Hitler’s Germany, and his family’s move to Berlin. It takes a while for Dodd to see that all is not as it seems. The book is a superb, atmospheric read of the accounts unfolding and Dodd’s relationships with the likes of Göring, Goebbels and other high-ranking officials in the regime. It’s still seems unbelievable that the world could not grasp the imminent threat until it was too late.

3 :: The Convert by Deborah Baker > Why would a young Jewish woman from Westchester, NY leave the comfort of her middle class life, move to Pakistan, and convert to Islam in 1962? Via an archive of letters, the author explores the hows and whys of Margaret Marcus’s (Maryam Jameelah’s) conversion and exile, and her possible reasons for becoming Islam’s most fervent critic of the West. It’s an unsettling, often contradictory tale of a woman whose radical behavior may have played a role in the fundamentalist Islamic revival.

4 :: The War for Late Night by Bill Carter > I have no great interest in late night TV or who inhabits which chair at what time, but what a wonderful surprise of a read! Media reporter Bill Carter is the perfect storyteller for the late-night “tectonic shift” that failed not just miserably, but spectacularly. Barbs and backstabbing reared throughout the entire lineup of hosts and it looked as though Leno was the loser again. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes… Soap opera plot, anyone?

5 :: Must You Go? My Life with Harold Pinter by Lady Antonia Fraser > As a big, and sometimes mystified, fan of Pinter, I thought reading this book might shed some light on his work. It didn’t really, but Fraser’s memoir did reveal that life with Harold was sometimes strange, rarefied, and frequently hilarious. Much like his work. Having started a scandalous affair later in their lives, the pair shared what seems to be a super-full life for 33 years until Pinter’s death in 2008. Fraser lovingly captures the challenges in living with the difficult writer, and sadly defines the void his death leaves for her.

6 :: Patience & Fortitude by Nicholas Basbanes > I’ve read his Among the Gently Mad so I had to read this one too. Basbanes simply makes you love books and book collections, and I don’t need much of a nudge there. In this epic journey, Basbanes takes us to the great libraries of the world, past and present – from Alexandria to elite universities. Along the way, he recounts fantastic stories of collectors and collections. Yummy! And the book title itself pays homage to one of my favorite libraries.

7 :: A Month in the Country by J L Carr > A poetic tale about a veteran of the Great War, Tom Birkin, who suffers from a stammer and nightmares as a result of his service. Birkin’s summer is spent in a small, northern English village restoring a medieval mural. In the midst of the gorgeous countryside unlocking the mystery of the painting, and with the company of locals, Birkin finds himself consoled at all that he’s lost. I revisit this book every few years – it’s a beautiful read.

8 :: Seasons in Basilicata: A Year in a Southern Italian Hill Village written and illustrated by David Yeadon > A year in the village of Aliano, rich with local characters and strange, pagan customs, Yeadon explores the unusual, mountainous “lost world” of Basilicata. I was drawn to this book because my maternal grandparents emigrated from here. Yeadon’s captures Aliano’s tapestry of people, traditions and endless festivals with respect and humor – especially entertaining is his entry to the region and his encounter with a goat.

9 :: Three Cups of Deceit by Jon Krakauer > It seemed only right that since I’d singled out Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea last year, that I had to read Jon Krakauer’s case for CAI’s impropriety. Here’s my take: You can want to do all the good in the world. But if a charity is legally created – be clear about what its mission is, and disclose in detail how the money accepted from individual donors, foundations etc., is being used. Otherwise become a missionary or a Peace Corp volunteer, and do good in other ways.

10 :: Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino > One of my favorite books of all time by one of my favorite authors and master storyteller. The imaginary conversations between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan conjure up magical cities. Every time I read this book, the visuals take on new form, and the possibilities of their reality seem limitless. So rich in detail – cities of all places, ages, shapes and peculiarities represent wonderful journeys of what might have been, or what can be.

What tops your lists for 2011?

One of these years I’m going to go see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (MTDP) balloons get inflated.

To those outside NYC, this event is nearly more anticipated by locals than the parade itself (note that those of us who like this are also the people who have been, or would likely go to the circus elephants arrival via the QM Tunnel in March).

After watching the parade for many years, I got curious about its history and the balloon characters that have appeared. I’ve rounded up a healthy bunch of resources for those of you who need mental sating as well as physical this holiday season.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation

When: Wednesday, November 23, 2011, approximately 3:00pm – 10:00pm
Where: Central Park West and Columbus Avenue on 77 and 81 Streets / Inflation Map

2011 debut of B. Boy: MTDP’s newest balloon star

> Tim Burton talks about creating the latest character for this year’s parade.

Balloons through the Decades: Terrific gallery of MTDP balloon characters.

> 47 slides of the balloon characters throughout the parade’s history. Wonderful shots of vintage New York.

How do they do it: Making-of the MTDP giant balloons

> Short overview from concept to production of a balloon character from the art department.

History of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

> How it all started and listings of all the balloon characters over the decades.

The parade airs nationally in the US on NBC, 9:00am – 12noon EST, Thursday, 24 november 2011. No links as yet for live streaming, check the website for further details.

Happy Turkey Day all!

What’s your favorite balloon character?

Kermit and Smokey the Bear on Broadway, 1979 and Tim Burton’s B. Boy // Images: Hamburg via NY Daily News and Richard Perry/The New York Times

Today, 11 november 2011 at 11:11:11am, time and date will sync to a perfect uninumber palindrome – an amazing event that happens only one day every 100 years. How cool is that?

Who cares, what does it really mean?

Not much, but then again, if you’re creative, you can make a story where there actually isn’t one. And millions of number lovers do, and will.

More coincidence than deep significance

Those of us who like numbers, patterns and sequences wait for these occurrences. We’ll attach meaning – because we need explanations.

It’s called apophenia: The natural urge to find patterns in things.

Practiced within reason, apophenia is instinctive to all humans as a way of drawing conclusions about the world. For example, it helps us to reconcile abstract drawings as representing human figures, or helps us find patterns in phone numbers to remember them.

11.11.11 doings

• A plethora of ceremonies, rituals, meditations, and prayers with the focus on seeking higher inspiration. One of the most popular is The Gathering in Sedona, Arizona.
• Engorged casinos: it’s a big day for gamblers. The 16th century scholar, Petrus Bungus, considered the number 11 pure evil. Not so for Blackjack and Keno players.
• Worldwide estimates count over 250,000+ weddings scheduled for 11.11.11. Las Vegas is poised to break the 7.7.7 wedding records. The day has been booked over a year in advance. Next year (12.12.12) is the last opportunity in this century for a matching DMY date. Better get going now to hold that date.
• One of the more creative events, 11 Eleven Project is asking for video/music uploads worldwide, which will be assembled into music videos and photo montages. Grab your recorder and get going.

Amidst all of this manufactured silliness, let’s not forget the actual meaning of 11 november in the US: Veteran’s Day, a day of remembrance of those who have sacrificed in service to our country.

While not as publically-proclaimed as the 21 may 2011 Rapture, Harold Camping has declared this friday, 21 october, the real deal.

“We can be sure that the whole world… will be annihilated together with the whole physical world on October 21, 2011.”

What the believers did
Camping’s previous declarations didn’t come to fruition, and sent believers into a tizzy. Flushing their bank accounts and ridding themselves of all possessions left many with nothing, and no where to go.

Skeptics, however, note that Camping himself has not shed his worldlies in preparation.

What the non-believers did
Devout atheists took an entrepreneurial path to counter Camping’s predictions. In 2009, many atheists in 26 states banded together to form Eternal Earth-Bound Pets (EEBP). Their mission: Provide a home and care for pets of those Raptured, for a nominal fee. All species are not welcome, please consult their website first.

Which only goes to prove “Endings create new beginnings.”

What are you doing for Rapture Friday? I’m going out doing what I love to do, just in case, you know – it all ends – attending a film screening.

I’ve been walking this city for along time. When I arrived, New York was a raw city. I knew where to walk, and where to avoid. But the one thing I could always rely on, if things got a bit dicey, were gas stations. They were always nearby as a safe haven.

Well, it’s a different city now. Manhattan is so developed, nearly everything is open 24/7. But noticeably missing are the plethora of gas stations. So I wondered, if you live in Manhattan and own a car, drive a taxi, or come into the city for business, where do you get gas nowadays?

Thanks to Crain’s New York Business, here’s the answer: A gas station map of the 41 remaining.

Click on the image for details.

Way back when I first began writing the curious g, I wrote a post about a great book, a travel essay, called Shadows Across the Sahara by John Hare.

I happened upon an interview that Mr Hare did with NPR, and some video of his journey. How timely as I’m about to reread the book about Hare’s recreation of Hans Vishner’s 1906 amazing camel caravan across the Sahara. Hare made his trek on Pasha, his white camel.

Shadows Across the Sahara is out of print, but AbeBooks.com is a fabulous resource, if you’re interested in picking it up.

Listen to John Hare’s how and why story here. Download video and other files here.

Hans Vishner’s 1906 expedition map. Hare reversed the journey: starting in Nigeria and ending his trek in Tripoli. Map: © 2002 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.

One of my favorite mountains that I’ve never climbed, K2, is in the news this week. Known as the “Savage Mountain” because of its treacherous ascent to the summit, K2 notched another first this week.

Austrian mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner reached K2’s summit along with three others from the National Geographic team. She is the third (or second, there is conflicting information here) woman to climb all 8,000ers, but definitely the first woman to climb all 14 of the world’s tallest peaks without supplemental oxygen, joining an elite club with the likes of American mountaineer Ed Viesturs.

Kaltenbrunner ascended K2 on the north ridge, a longer and more difficult climb than that on the Pakistani side, and counts only a handful of successful attempts.

Glückwünsche Gerlinde, a major achievement, especially for women!

Listen to the complete story on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Image from National Geographic, photograph by Darek Zaluski