The transit strike is behind us. Let’s all take a moment to say “Yay.”

Trains and buses won’t be running for a number of hours so tonight’s cancellations are still in effect at this moment, but tomorrow things should be back to normal.

When artist Chuck Close stops by the 92nd Street Y, he’s going to be speaking with Robert Storr (ex-MoMA senior curator) about something close to both of their hearts: portraits.

San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art is currently home to Chuck Close: Self Portraits 1967-2005. To promote their exhibition, the museum is offering a podcast of Chuck Close narrating the stories behind the portraits. A quick listen and an interesting example of how museums are getting in on the podcast game.

[Chuck Close: 04/26/06]

Upcoming guest Mike Wallace is a news legend. He’s been with 60 Minutes since its 1968 premiere and has interviewed presidents, generals and royalty. But his dream interview, the one who turned him down? George W. Bush.

In the Boston Globe, Mike Wallace talks about what he would ask President Bush [via kottke.org].

[Mike Wallace: 02/01/06]

On Tuesday, we’re screening The Last Jews of Baghdad: End of an Exile, Beginning of a Journey at Makor. The Iraqi Jewish community had roots dating back to biblical times (The rivers of Babylon? Iraqi.) and numbered 160,000 in 1948. Anti-Jewish riots at the time of Israel’s founding forced many Jews to flee the country and tens of thousands more fled for political reasons after Saddam Hussein came to power. Now Iraq has only 22 Jews remaining, mostly in Kurdistan.

The Jerusalem Post wrote about Baghdad’s last Jews and Iraqi Jewish emigres are on the internet. Interested in their culture? Here’s something on Iraqi Jewish food and Iraqi Jewish music.