Gaga's grotto…
(15 Oct 11)
One of the attractions in many stores around Christmas is Santa's Workshop. Sit on Santa's knee, surrounded by elves, and tell him what you want for Christmas. This year, at the famous Barney's department store in Manhattan, there will be an extra workshop. Not Santa, but Lady Gaga. Yes indeed! Gaga's Workshop will take over the 5th floor of Barneys from mid-November till New Year. Good little fashion girls and boys can expect limited-edition gifts that were designed by Lady Gaga and her team, including to apparel, accessories, candles, cosmetics and, of course, toys and candy. Will Gaga be there herself to take gift requests from little boys? Probably not. Which will break the heart of many a 45 year old wanting to sit on her lap and be asked what their biggest Christmas wish is…
Living postage stamps…
(1 Oct 11)
I always enjoy getting email, but real, physical letters are always a pleasure to receive too (just not bills). Many countries pride themselves on colouful and inventive postage stamps, but not here in the US where they are dull, dull, dull. However this week, the potential for more interesting stamps increased a lot as the rules have changed for who can be featured on stamps. Up till now only dead people could be represented, but now the living can make their mark too. The Postal Service hasn't specified what rules will determine who could be eligible, but that could include celebs like Bill Gates, Lady Gaga, or even Mark Zuckerberg. The most popular suggestion at the moment though is the first man on the moon – Neil Armstrong. I certainly approve of that - there should definitely be more Neils on stamps…
Fewer smoking New Yorkers…
(24 Sep 11)
The percentage now is… 14%. That is the number of New Yorkers who smoke. And that is also the lowest number since the city began keeping records almost 20 years ago. Perhaps most encouraging was the drop in young smokers – which has dropped considerably over the last decade. Now it is "only" 7% of high-school kids who smoke. Still a crazy amount who think it is cool, but a big drop from 23% of students back in 2002. The drop in the number of smokers is put down to many things – but primarily the city's active campaigns to educate people on the hazards of smoking, plus the bans in smoking in bars and restaurants in 2002, which has now been extended to parks and city beaches. The aggressive marketing of horror pictures of the effects of smoking which have to be displayed wherever cigarettes are sold will also have helped, along with the top-tier pricing too. A pack of ciggies now costs around US$11.20 but over half of that price is tax levied by state and city…
The final parking meter…
(24 Sep 11)
It was a historic week for disgruntled motorists in Manhattan this week. Parking meters have now all been consigned to history! But before you motorists start wanton cheering, there is of course a proviso. It is just the type of parking meter that you put coins in that has now been discontinued in the city. In fact they have all been removed and gone to that great big parking lot in the sky. Actually they'll be auctioned off – just in case you want to buy a rather used parking meter – which could actually be rather cool in your front room. Instead of them there is a machine that you put money in, get a ticket out of, and put that ticket inside your windscreen. The newer system is more efficient, less likely to break down, and although more expensive than the old style ones, will supposedly pay for themselves in time. However just in case you really did miss the old machines, and the satisfying clunk of your coins falling into the meter, then there are still a few of the old style meters left in Brooklyn and Queens …
The well-traveled cat…
(24 Sep 11)
One of the most amazing tales from last week was of a cat called Willow. And what makes Willow unusually amazing is that she was found on the streets of New York City last week as a stray, but when her ID chip was examined, it was discovered that she had traveled from Colorado where she was reported missing five years ago! The problem is that nobody knows how she got here. Logistically it would be possible for a cat to walk the 1,800 miles from Colorado to New York – the time scale would fit – but that would really mean she was on a mission to come here. She might have jumped on a truck or a train but to do that without being spotted would have been pretty hard. So could someone have brought her from there to here? Possibly, but nobody has owned up to doing so and they probably wouldn't let her roam the streets in New York City if that was the case. But Willow is healthy, seemingly disease free, and friendly enough, so maybe she just used her guile and cunning to cross the country…
Bike-share programme…
(24 Sep 11)
I enjoy biking around New York and do appreciate the many bike lanes that are available – in fact over 250 miles of bike lanes have been rolled out in the city over the last 4 years. That makes cyclists happy, but those grumpy old motorists who think that roads are just for them are not so chuffed. But as of next year, you won't have to own a bike to use a bike lane. The city has just announced a bike-share programme which will allow you to pick up a bike at one location, ride it, and drop it off at another location. It's not free, and the charges haven't been agreed yet, but a company has been chosen to run it, and so that will be starting next summer. You'll either have to be a member, or probably use your credit card as a deposit, but the automated system is meant to have you out on 2 wheels in no time at all. They are not particularly attractive bikes – much more chunky and functional with only 3 gears – but any bike like that is better than no bike like that. The city is keen to stress that it won't cost the taxpayer anything, and they are looking for corporate sponsorship too. But similar bike-share schemes have been successful in other cities in the US and in some European cities too, so New York City will be next on the bike trail…
Sex education…
(13 Aug 11)
Education in public schools throughout the US may not be the best in the world but here in New York City, another subject is returning to the classrooms. Sex. It is part of the Bloomberg administration's attempt to increase awareness in Latino and African American communities in particular, and to prevent unplanned pregnancies. There will be a parental option to opt out of sex-ed classes for kids, and the classes will probably be for only one semester, but even in this age of AIDS and STDs there is still a lot of ignorance about sex and pregnancy. As with all schools, the classes will be co-ed and so both genders will be taught together. Hopefully that dialog between kids will help understanding and conversation about when to say yes, when to say no, and why you should always say "condom".
Where is Chinatown?
(13 Aug 11)
So where is Chinatown in New York? It should be a pretty simple question, but with the ethnic mix that is the Big Apple and the changing demographics that occur, Chinatown might not be where you think it was! Traditionally Chinatown is in Manhattan near the Lower East Side. It was the first area to be populated by primarily Chinese residents in around the mid 1850's, with traders from Hong Kong. By around 1900, there were about 7,000 Chinese residents in that area of Manhattan. And although you will still see predominantly Chinese people and signage in that area, new statistics have shown that the biggest population of Chinese people in Manhattan isn't in Chinatown any more. The mix is split between in Sunset Park, Brooklyn and Flushing, in Queens. The main reason – as with any migration out of Manhattan – is money. It is cheaper to live out of Manhattan and live in the boroughs, than in Manhattan. So if you are looking for Chinatown on your next visit to New York, then you might need to be a little more specific about which one you mean!
Seniors knit-in…
(13 Aug 11)
Although the debt ceiling debate in Washington is over – for now anyway – many people are very concerned of the consequences. In particular seniors and older people who are worried that their state supplied healthcare (called Medicare) could be undermined, reduced, or even lost altogether. So the way seniors are taking the argument back to the politicians is to have a knit-in. John and Yoko did the "Love In" back in the early 70's, so grannies now are hoping that a knit-in will do the trick in persuading lawmakers. Many seniors in the New York area are knitting scarves with the writing "save medicare" knitted within them. They will then be delivering the scarves to select members of Congress to try and influence their decisions. I can't imagine the Congressmen who are proposing big cuts will wear the scarves, but they could under a coat. Then nobody need ever know that hypocrisy keeps them warm…
Scrabble Street…
(6 Aug 11)
The board game Scrabble originated in New York City. The man credited as inventing the game – Alfred Mosher Butts – lived in the Jackson Heights area of Queens, and so for many years, the street where he lived had a rather special street sign. The road was 35th Avenue and the sign for that avenue was made up of Scrabble-type letters – a little "1" by the "A", a "4" by the "V" and so on – to denominate the value of the letters when playing Scrabble. Sadly though the sign went missing 3 years ago.
But now it will be replaced – and presumably will be bolted down rather better too. Incidentally the word "avenue" only counts for 9 points on the Scrabble board - unless on a double or triple word score square…
Xin Hua at Times Square…
(6 Aug 11)
Times Square (which is not a square but a diamond) is full of bright lights and flashing billboards. But there is now a more unexpected one there that is now a centre of attention. The billboard is for the Xin Hua news agency. It replaced a space that was being used by HSBC but unlike other news billboards which might give you ticker-tape news, images, or other breaking news, the Xin Hua one will just display its own name - in English and Chinese. I believe it flashes, but it certainly doesn't give news flashes. But whenever did Xin Hua give anyone news anyway…
Polls on high…
(6 Aug 11)
There are public opinion polls for everything here in the US. And many politicians will base public decisions on the perceived popularity of the populous. Presidents too. Amazingly though, the latest "person" to fall foul in the polls is… God. In a new poll by the Public Policy Polling organization last month, barely half of all Americans think that God is doing a good job. When asked the question, "If God exists, do you approve or disapprove of its performance?" only 52% approved. 40% were "unsure." Interestingly younger voters, ages 18 to 29, were more likely to disapprove of God's works. Voters were asked to rate God's performance when it came to issues like creating the universe, handling the animal kingdom and controlling natural disasters. If it is any consolation to the Almighty, Rupert Murdoch ranked the worst or notable people, receiving a lousy 12% approval rating. Though I suppose that could be spinned by News Corporation that at least they got compared to God…
Back to school already…
(30 July 11)
Even though it is still July, the 'Back To School' promotions have already started. But schools don't return for weeks yet! It is all about marketing and money of course – the same reason that Christmas starts earlier and earlier in the stores each year. So the thinking is that the earlier the "back to school" savings are advertised in stationary stores, computer outlets, and everywhere else where students and their parents need to part with their cash – the earlier those stores get the money, and the less chance the competition will succeed. The advancing of Christmas is referred to as "Christmas creep", so I suppose this is "Back To School creep". Which reminds me of several of my teachers at school actually…
Naked cycling…
(30 July 11)
It was World Naked Bike Riding Day last weekend, and so the New York chapter of the World Naked Bike Ride did their thing around Central Park to celebrate. Or if not entirely naked, then perhaps a well-placed thong. In theory police could stop you for being naked (though not topless – that is OK for either gender) but the cops turned a blind eye to the celebrations. Which was probably a good idea for everyone else too.
Same sex marriage lottery…
(23 Jul 11)
Getting married can be a lottery at the best of times, but in New York City, that is definitely the case. As of this weekend, same-sex weddings will be allowed in the state, and there has been such a rush of couples wanting to be the first to tie the knot on the first day possible, that the city has held a lottery to determine which of the thousand or so couples should get one of the 760 slots that the city can offer around the 5 boroughs on Sunday. Anyone registering for the marriage lottery should have been notified of any success by noon Friday. That won't have given them a whole lot of time to prepare for a swanky celebration, but after many years of waiting for the legislation to pass, they've probably done the planning in their minds, many times over already.
WRXP RIP…
(23 jul 11)
Another sign of the changing face of radio here in the US was the demise of one of my favourite local radio stations here in NYC. The station WRXP had presented itself as "New York's Rock Experience" and had a good selection of indie and alternative tracks which suited my ears, along with a singular lack of crass, stupid DJs presenting. (And I know a lot about crass, stupid DJs as I used to be one.) So now that station will change to either all speech, or a more mainstream music format – which is seemingly more attractive for advertisers. Although the station has vowed to play on with an online presence, the lack of another musical character on the 'real' airwaves is another loss for the city.
Good to be men about town…
(25 Jun 11)
In a new survey just out, the Big Apple ranked fifth on a list of 40 American cities… ideally suited to men. This according to Maxim magazine. The survey wasn't only about dating, but other factors like career opportunity, nightlife, sports teams, steakhouses and recreation. At the top of the best men-centric cities was Atlanta, followed by Boston, Los Angeles and Miami. As for the nightlife part, Atlanta apparently came top of the list as that city has one drinking den for every six people, not to mention 1,500 strip clubs. And whoever said men were superficial…
Multitasking with TV…
(25 Jun 11)
Do you do something else while watching TV? According to new statistics just out, you are not alone. In fact about one-third of U.S. TV viewers multitask while watching TV. Mostly it is surfing the internet (56%) but also included include reading a book, magazine, or newspaper (44%), social networking (40%) and mobile phone texting (37%). These stats obviously take into account the abysmal, low-brow state of TV in the US at the moment…
Solar powered bikini…
(11 Jun 11)
With the hot, hot weather that has been happening in the city, New Yorkers have been out to the parks and the beaches in their swimsuits and bikinis. But what if you run out of power for your iPod, iPhone, or other iDevice when miles from anywhere and on the beach? Naturally you use a solar powered bikini! A Brooklyn designer has created a new bikini made from fabric that generates electricity when out in the sun. Made from hand-stitched fabric, it incorporates multiple solar panels and generates enough volts to power your iPod. It does cost around US$200, but if you really are tied to your iPod and do spend days in the sun, then this could be the device for you! Just as long as you don't short-circuit yourself when going for a swim…
No flying falcons…
(11 Jun 11)
Security and safety at airports these days is paramount, and at New York's JFK airport, that is more enforced than anywhere. But in a surprising reduction in security measures, the flying falcons have been sacked. Flying geese are a big problem for aircraft taking off at the area airports (it was a flock of geese that were the cause of the flight that ended up being the 'Miracle on the Hudson') and falcons have been used to scare away those geese from the airports. But not any more – they have been fired. The official line is that studies show that there is no discernable difference in having the birds of prey on patrol as not having them, and by having no falcons, the authority will save over half a million bucks. Honestly? Do falcons really have such expensive tastes?
English signage…
(4 Jun 11)
In some areas of the city – parts of Queens in particular – non-English languages dominate. And that means that shop signage is often in that language, and not in English. So a couple of lawmakers in the city are proposing that every foreign language sign should have an English translation included in it. The idea is not about xenophobia but practicality – they claim – as it would enable emergency crews like fire fighters and ambulance workers to read the venue of where the problem or emergency was. Shops and businesses would have four years to comply, but any new signs would have to comply immediately. It is still only a proposal, but perhaps not a bad one…
Manhattanenge…
(4 Jun 11)
One of the more amazing natural phenomena's happened in Manhattan this week, as it will for as long as Manhattan keeps its grid street structure. On Tuesday this week the sun was aligned perfectly so that when it sets, it shines all the way along the dead-straight streets that run from west to east. The perfect symmetry only happens on two days a year, and is quite a spectacle that you can see best from the eastern side of Manhattan, and all the way across the island, between the skyscrapers, to where the sun is setting over New Jersey. The phenomenon is dubbed "Manhattanenge"…
Rites of spring…
(28 May 11)
With spring definitely here in the city, the trees are out, restaurants have seats on the sidewalk, and… more dead bodies turn up. That is the gruesome truth for the waterways around New York as more dead bodies turn up in the rivers in April, May and June, than any other months of the year. It is down to the cold waters over winter, that slow down any decomposition process, and so that when the water does warm up at this time of year, the "floaters" tend to surface. The dead bodies are most likely missing persons who were never found - as opposed to mob killings or anything more exciting like that. It is not a huge number - perhaps 25 or 30 bodies a year – but they are still grizzly discoveries in the local waterways.
Officially smoke-free…
(28 May 11)
If you want to smoke in a public park or on one of the New York City beaches. The city ordinance to ban smoking in public places came into effect this week, so if you were planning to have a quick drag in Central Park, or light up in the newly pedestrianized area of Times Square, then you've had your last puff. Cops are unlikely to be giving out tickets for smokers – and getting a US$50 fine as a consequence – and it is hoped that the new regulations will be self-enforced. Also it will be down to other New Yorkers to advise errant smokers know that they are now in the wrong. The official line in the first few days of the ban was to hand offenders a small card which said "smell the flowers, not the smoke"…
More Brooklyns than NYC…
(21 May 11)
If you recall, when the Beckhams were in Brooklyn in the late 90's, they named their son Brooklyn, as that was apparently where he was conceived. But how popular is the name Brooklyn these days? In new statistics just out, over 6,000 couples named their child Brooklyn last year, which made it the 34th most popular name in the country - for girls. And unlike other names like Dylan, Aubrey, Sydney, and Robin – which seem to be acceptable for either gender – Brooklyn is deemed to be for girls only. However although Brooklyn is a semi-popular name elsewhere in the country, the name doesn't even crack the top 100 names in New York. Presumably one Brooklyn is more than enough here…
Diplomatic Parking fines…
(21 May 11)
Although it is great living in a city where every country will have representation or an embassy, one of the problems for the city is that diplomats don't like paying parking tickets! There is no diplomatic immunity from parking tickets and so if diplomatic cars do park where they shouldn't, then they get a parking ticket – just like anyone else. Problem is, they rarely pay them! There is a manoeuvre that can prevent the federal government from giving foreign aid to countries that have parking tickets, but that still means that New York City doesn't get the parking ticket fines. Some 289 foreign missions have racked up more than US$16.4 million in unpaid city parking tickets and fines. There has been some success for the city, with the Kuwaiti embassy coughing up around US$1 million in fines recently, but with teachers and public workers losing their jobs due to budget problems, the cry is on to clamp down on diplomatic fines. Clamp them!
Hawk eyes…
(14 May 11)
Whilst the US and the world was engrossed with the Osama Bin Laden killing a week or so ago, some New Yorkers were eying a much more delicate operation on the ledge of one of the New York University buildings. They have been watching a webcam of a bird's nest - a red-tailed hawk that has been named Violet. Hawks are not uncommon in the city but after one made a nest on the building and laid 3 eggs, a webcam was set up so that anyone anywhere could see the progress. But after many weeks of Violet sitting on the eggs, experts gave the depressing news that there was zero chance that the eggs would hatch. However nature had other ideas and late last week one baby hawk hatched. Now the search is on for a name for the young "eyass" (yes, that is what a baby hawk is called) and hope that the other 2 eggs might break through too. Check out the cam at:
http://www.livestream.com/nytnestcam
Dirtier subways…
(14 May 11)
Bad news about cleanliness on New York City subways. In a new survey just out the subway system trains are less clean than they were a year previously. Only 47% are "acceptably clean" compared to 51% a year before. The various 24 different routes have been graded from best cleanliness to worst cleanliness. The best being the #7 train – which goes from Manhattan to Flushing in Queens, to the dirtiest which was the R train – which travels a longer distance from Brooklyn via Manhattan to Queens, and the train I regularly take! But New Yorkers are blaming the subway authority for not cleaning up, however surely it is down to the riders who are dropping stuff. You drop it, you pick it up OK!
The new NY taxi…
(7 May 11)
Last year I mentioned that a selection process was going on to find the next generation of taxi to be used on New York City streets. The main model now is the Ford Crown but a new, more efficient model is needed and it is best to concentrate on one particular model, rather than have a selection. So the shortlist had gotten down to a Ford, a Nissan, and a Turkish brand called Karsan. No one model was perfect, but this week Mayor Bloomberg announced that the taxi to be seen in the years ahead on the city streets would be a… Nissan! That gives the Japanese carmaker the exclusive rights to supply New York City taxis over the coming years, with the first of the new batch on the roads in 2013, and the rest being phased in after that. It will be a controversial decision – partly as it is not wheelchair accessible by default, the vehicles may not be made in the USA, and it is more a mini-van rather than sedan car. Welcome to the NYC taxi of the future…
Breast milk cheese…
(7 May 11)
New York is a gastronomic city for sure, and with its range of cultures and ethnicities, you can find almost any food from anywhere in the world here. But how about a certain cheese - made from human breast milk. The Lady Cheese Shop is a temporary art installation by artist Miriam Simun, who is not offering the cheese commercially, but instead is using the ploy to raise questions about the ethics of modern farming methods. She found three nursing women willing to have their milk turned into cheese. She screened the milk for diseases, pasteurized it and then followed the basics of cheese-making. There are three varieties currently were available: 'West Side Funk', 'Midtown Smoke', and 'Wisconsin Chew'. Predictably the critics are lining up somewhere between amazed and gagging. However as for the artists viewpoint, "I know more about the source of this food than going into a supermarket and picking up Cheddar cheese," she said. "I don't know what they pumped into that cow." I can see the logic, but I think I'll pass on the tasting…
Boobies approved…
(30 Apr 11)
Is the word "boobies" to describe breasts lewd or offensive? According to a Federal judge in Pennsylvania, the answer is definitely no. In an attempt to raise the issue of breast cancer, the "Keep A Breast" foundation has been making fun bracelets with the words "I love boobies" on them. They have been making them for the last 7 years, but it's been a controversial way of getting the message across and many schools have banned students from wearing them as they were deemed lewd and offensive. But the Federal judge has now rukled that the wrist bands are not offensive if worn in schools and that it is OK to refer to breasts as boobies in this way. So there. I love boobies…
Equality eating…
(30 Apr 11)
One of the events on 4th July is the annual hot dog speed-eating contest held at Coney Island. But the competition will have a streak of gender equality this year, when a separate women's section is introduced. Up till now it has all been a unisex affair, even though about 20% of all speed-eaters are women. But as the president of the Speed-Eating League noted – "you wouldn't have Serena Williams playing Roger Federer in tennis", and so why should that not be the same in speed-eating? Fair enough. But don't let the size of a person's frame lull you into thinking that they might be easy game, as some of the best female speed-eaters are actually remarkably skinny. It's all about having an elastic stomach apparently…
Lady Liberty licked…
(23 Apr 11)
The United States Postal Service has just issued a new stamp featuring a close up of the Statue of Liberty. Just to remind you of New York… only it isn't. The Lady Liberty featured on the stamp is actually a photograph of the half-sized statue copy in Las Vegas! What's the difference? The facial features aren't the same, with different hair and sharper eyes. The Postal Service only realized the mistake when it was too late, but have said since that even if they knew it was the wrong Liberty, they would have gone with it anyway as they liked the image. Even so, New Yorkers feel gypped!
Lady Liberty - Las Vegas style
Where's the beef..?
(23 Apr 11)
Fast food is of course huge in the US, but sometimes all is not what it might seem. Is a beef taco from Taco Bell really full of beef? According to one claimant in California, no. They initiated a law suit against the fast food giant claiming that as a beef taco was so full of other stuff, that it shouldn't be called beef at all. In fact the suit claimed that only 35% of the meat filling is actual beef, the rest is filler and "extenders". The case however has now been dropped – apparently without financial settlement – but with an agreement that Taco Bell revise their descriptions of what is inside their taco meals. So perhaps instead of beef, maybe "beef-ish"…
Taxi protection…
(23 Apr 11)
I've repeated many times over the years that New York is a pretty safe city – a lot more than many visitors may think. However it was quite a surprise this week when 12 taxi drivers were given bullet-proof vests! The vests cost around US$400 each and were a gift from the manufacturer, but having seen pictures of the thick armor, I can't imagine that many cabbies would want to wear the things when driving around at night. The 12 vests have been given to cabbies in high crime areas. I just hope they don't get robbed – to steal the bullet proof vests…
Recycling music…
(23 Apr 11)
Vinyl in music is staging a remarkable recovery in the digital age. Turntables are cool again and many new albums will now be released on vinyl. Which is just as well, as nothing beats the delights of a big album cover and shiny sleeve. Even so, a lot of old vinyl records do end up in thrift stores here and they rarely get bought. So a small company in Brooklyn is recycling them. Brooklyn Phono collects old records, shreds them up (which must be quite an emotional experience), melt them down and re-press them into whatever is needed. They produce around 10,000 records per month, which may be for indie bands here, dance labels, or even club mixes for Europe. It's the ultimate in recording green - even though most vinyl remains proudly black.
The Devil's address…
(16 Apr 11)
If the Devil were to live in New York City, then what would be his address? Bearing in mind the unique number of the beast, then perhaps number 666 on 6th Avenue might be the ideal address. Unfortunately that address is already occupied by a humble deli and grocery store, so it's unlikely that Beelzebub resides there. However one avenue over – and on a far more prestigious avenue too – there is 666 5th Avenue, and that is currently owned by Jared Kushner – who happens to be the son in law of Donald Trump! Kushner paid a mere US$1.8 billion for the building in 2007, and is apparently now considering selling it, and so the real estate barons have been pondering on the possible price it could go for. So the question is whether the prince of darkness already resides in the building (and the real estate business would be a perfect cover for Satan), or whether he might be interested in getting a foothold in the city if not. Next time I'm passing by I'm going to check the list of residents and companies in the lobby. If there is a Lucifer Holdings Inc, then I'll be distinctly worried…
Library scavenger hunt…
(9 Apr 11)
Another one of the great institutions in the Big Apple is the New York Public Library on 5th Avenue. It's a wonderful old building and very much a working library still. However to celebrate the upcoming 100th anniversary of the institution, the library will be holding an overnight scavenger hunt. 500 pre-screened contestants will be split into teams of eight, and spend the night searching for historic objects within the library. The groups will use smart phones to get clues, leading them to items like a draft of the Declaration of Independence, or Charles Dickens' letter opener, fashioned out of his dead cat's paw. (The cat being called Bob.) The scavenger hunt is on May 20th, and you can find more info at nypl.org/game.
Renaming the bridge…
(9 Apr 11)
New Yorkers take great pride in the buildings and bridges here. However at the end of last year Mayor Bloomberg proposed renaming the Queensboro Bridge after former mayor Ed Koch. That has been approved by the City Council and the structure is now the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge. But however loved the former mayor was, renaming bridges is one step too far for many. Although a less famous bridge was renamed after Robert Kennedy a year or so ago, key city landmarks should be off limits – at least according to city representatives in Queens, where the bridge goes to. They say that you'd never dream of renaming the Brooklyn Bridge or the Manhattan Bridge, so why would you rename the Queensboro Bridge? Fair point, as perhaps the new name belittles the bridge in front of its more famous relatives…
The dog started it…
(9 Apr 11)
Perhaps the silliest story of the week comes not from New York, but Ohio. Police there have charged a drunk man with taunting a police dog by barking at it. Officers had been investigating a car accident, when they heard their canine partner - named "Timber" - barking from inside their police car. When they returned to the car they found the highly intoxicated man barking at the dog through the car window. However in his defense, the drunk guy insisted that "the dog started it..."
Snakes alive!
(2 Apr 11)
The world famous Bronx Zoo is an amazing place, but last week one of their inhabitants went missing. A rather poisonous Egyptian cobra snake. It's only a relative baby – at a mere 20 inches long – and it's thought the snake just popped out of the enclosure to find a nice warm spot, though nobody can exactly say how it happened. Until the snake is found, the reptile house at the Bronx Zoo remains closed. Something like closing the stable door once the snake has bolted…
a snake - yesterday
UPDATE! - Thankfully the missing snake was captured a few days later (found in a warm corner of the reptile house) but not before it had apparently opened a Twitter account to report its adventures. Tweeting under the name of @BronxZoosCobra the account had over 150,000 followers in just a couple of days. Some of the exploits that the snake reported were taking the ferry to Ellis Island, and a nice trip to the Guggenheim Museum. Though not a visit to the marvelous Museum Of Natural History – perhaps that would have been a little too close to home...
Brooklyn is a disaster…
(2 Apr 11)
New Yorkers are pretty protective about the boroughs they live in, but Brooklyn is now an official disaster area. (And as a Queens resident, I may smirk at the one-upmanship.) However this is serious business, as after the huge Boxing Day storm that dumped 2 feet of snow on the city and caused mayhem, the city used up all its snow-clearing budget for the whole year. So after an appeal to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Brooklyn has been declared an official disaster area and as such will be eligible to get back some of the funds spend on snow-clearing. Also property owners and those who suffered damage or lost income too can claim.
SpiderBloom…
(2 Apr 11)
Mayor Michael Bloomberg sometimes gets a bad rap here, but recently he took pleasure in making fun of himself. The annual Inner Circle Comedy Show is hosted by former and current press reporters, and is a chance for officials to poke fun at themselves. So last weekend, Mayor Bloomberg decided to spoof himself and appeared on stage as Spiderman. But as the troubled Broadway production of the musical has had so many problems, they were also mirrored in the spoof show. So Bloomy was left hanging in the air for a while – just as the actors have done in the Broadway show. This time however, it was meant to happen.
Yes, the richest man in NYC
I-time…
(19 Mar 11)
Whilst the US switched to daylight saving time last weekend, and moved the clocks forward one hour overnight on Saturday, the iPhone had other ideas. A glitch in the software made the phones move the time BACK one hour instead of FORWARD. This caused many people to miss Sunday appointments because they have no idea of the time as their eyes and fingers are surgically attached to the iPhone and have no grip on reality. Or a watch.
US memory championships…
(19 Mar 11)
The US memory championships were held here in New York last weekend and mental athletes competed against each other in a series of events that required the memorization of names and faces, a sheet of numbers, an unpublished poem and a deck of playing cards. So congratulations to a guy called Nelson Dallas who took home the grand prize remembering 248 digits in one sequence and memorizing a deck of cards in just over a minute. I would have gone to the memory championships myself, but naturally I forgot…
Space shuttle competition…
(12 Mar 11)
It's pretty sad that the era of the space shuttle is drawing to a close, but the shuttle Discovery has just completed its last mission, and has returned back to earth. In fact I actually saw the shuttle flying overhead this week soon after it had undocked from the International Space Station. The two were visible in the early evening night sky, as two particularly bright stars following each other across the sky. There are two more shuttle flights due – the Endeavour and the Atlantis – in the next few months, and then the shuttles will be grounded for good. But what happens to the shuttles after they get retired? They will be heading to various space museums around the country, but competition is strong for one of the 3 remaining shuttles. Any venue has to shell out close to US$30 million to have the craft cleaned up and cleared of any toxic matter, but then they could be heading anywhere. Oh, and if you were hoping to buy one yourself, two of the conditions of sale are that – 1 – they must be housed in an air-conditioned hangar so they don't get rusty, and – 2 - that they must be used for educational purposes, and not just something that sits in your back garden. Sorry about that.
Golden Monopoly…
(12 Mar 11)
I was brought up on the game of Monopoly – and even competed in the UK Monopoly Championships many moons ago. But the board game is ubiquitous around the world with numerous variations to highlight local streets and stations. But the world’s most expensive incarnation of the game has arrived here – predictably enough, on Wall Street. It is an 18-karat gold version of the famous Parker Brothers board game and is now on display at the Museum of American Finance on Wall Street. The gold and jewel-encrusted Monopoly is estimated to be worth around US$2 million. The set of dice alone is valued at US$10,000, with 42 full-cut diamonds for the number dots and all of the properties that make up the game board are also set in gems, with some 165 gemstones in total. But if some stinking rich financier on Wall Street fancies picking up the blinged-out board game, then think again. It is not for sale. Not even for all the money on Wall Street.
Mystery in the East Village…
(5 Mar 11)
Getting a book published is no easy task, but an unknown author here is attracting new readers in an innovative new way. The person is printing off pages to a new whodunit and is sticking them to lamp posts in the East Village! Each lamp post has a different page, and so you have to visit a number of lamp posts to get an idea of the story. At the end of one page, you will get a direction as to where to find the next lamp post with the next page to read. The direction of the plot is difficult to make sense of at the moment – as there are only a few pages posted, and it is seemingly without a page 1 also – but the book seems to be about a person just became a parent. Is it autobiographical, is it fiction? Nobody knows. It won't be a best seller, but at least it is big - it covers around 4 blocks of Manhattan's East Village!
Fashion week…
(19 Feb 11)
It has been Fashion Week here in New York City. The event happens twice a year, and fashion houses and various designers jostle to show off their wares. And with that glitz, all the world's supermodels jet in – meaning that the average female height in the city goes up by a few inches, whilst the weight drops 50%. Curiously though, in a strange case of synergy scheduling, it has also been the prestigious Westminster Dog Show in the city this week. A Scottish Deerhound won – whatever one of those is. But models and poodles. In the same week. Which was the bigger bitch?
Grammy rant…
(19 Feb 11)
It was another total waste of time with the Grammy awards last weekend. It's the award show I despise the most – it's outdated, crass, and is more incestuously back-slapping than all the other award shows put together. The music business that the Grammy Awards represents is a dinosaur, with music execs in their ivory towers still living in a pre-Napster mindset. And forget about any new music. The cut-off date for eligibility was the end of August last year - thus skipping the main season of new music sales! And it was a frenzy of activity for the 3 and a half hours as a sum total of 10 awards got doled out. Yes, an average of one every 25 minutes. However somehow, more people watched the show than any time in the last 7 years. So what do I know. But congrats to Muse and Arcade Fire anyway.
3D opera…
(19 Feb 11)
The movie world seems to be obsessed with 3D at the moment, and the TV manufacturers are trying to get us to shell out on 3D TVs, but what about the opera world? Yes, coming soon to the super swanky Lincoln Center will indeed be a 3D live version of "The Ring". The fabled Wagner opera that goes on for something like 5 days. New York's Metropolitan Opera will be including a 3D sequence in its next production of "The Ring" next season. And if you think that snobby opera lovers might have issues putting on those 3D glasses, then you'd be right! The new production will be viewed in 3D but without having to add that unsightly eyewear. Um, but isn't all opera in 3D?
Valentines Day roach…
(19 Feb 110
I hope you survived the financial excesses and emotional strains of Valentines Day. Here in NYC the world famous Bronx Zoo tried something a little weirder to tempt the lovers in the city: Adopt a cockroach for Valentines Day! Not any old roach but a saddle-up sized Madagascar hissing cockroach. For a $10 donation, the object of your affection received an e-card and could see their namesake among with the thousands of other roaches in the zoo. As being the ideal Valentines Day gift, the zoo director noted that "they are resourceful, resilient and have been around for hundreds of millions of years. Nothing says forever like a cockroach.”
Staten Island Ferry for sale…
(19 Feb 11)
The Staten Island Ferry remains one of the key attractions in the city (even more so as it is free) but now you can actually buy one. Or a former one to be exact. The "Gov Herbert H. Lerhman" ferry was sold by New York City in 2007 for $152,500 to a man who wanted to turn the vessel into a college dormitory, but he couldn’t find a place to dock it. So now he is selling it on eBay – and is looking for US$500,000. That's a pretty handsome $350,000 profit - if it happens…
Groundhog Day…
(5 February 11)
Wednesday this week was Groundhog Day. No not the movie with Bill Murray, but the day of winter when groundhogs around the country are consulted as to how long winter will continue. The theory is that if a groundhog can see his own shadow (basically if it's sunny) then there will be 6 more weeks of winter. But if he can't see his shadow, then winter will end soon. It's a pretty inexact science and was cloudy this Wednesday, so winter should be over if the groundhog theory is to be believed, but I just can't see that happening this year. Here in New York, Mayor Bloomberg goes to the Staten Island Zoo to consult with the resident groundhog there, and 2 years ago there was the unfortunate incident when Chuck the groundhog bit the mayor. Bloomberg has been rather more prudent since and has work thicker gloves. Besides, there are plenty of other New Yorkers that would like to bite the mayor…
More roller coasters…
(5 February 11)
It's hard to think of summer with deep snow still outside my window but if it ever does come, then the Coney Island area of Brooklyn will have more attractions this year. It's the home of the famous Cyclone roller coaster (arguably one of the scariest in the world) but this year it will be joined by at least one more scary rollercoaster. "The Soaring Eagle" will be a 66 foot high ride but with riders strapped in a horizontal position, and then will be joined by the "Steeplechase Coaster" where riders will mount cars shaped like horses. Or something. The two new rides will be part of the new Coney Island "Scream Zone". As if the price of hot dogs wasn't enough of a shocker in itself…
Smelling your partner…
(22 Jan 11)
Ladies, when it comes sexual attraction, how important is a guy’s smell? Not just his cologne or deodorant, but his natural scent? In two new studies conducted at Brown University, scent may be the main way in which women literally sniff out genetic compatibility with a potential mate. Apparently, like fingerprints, each of us has our own unique "odor print", and this can affect what women find attractive in men. (Men meanwhile find all women attractive as long as they are simply breathing in and out.) But more interestingly, the scents that turn women on in men differ in different American cities. In Houston it's barbeque. Los Angeles – lavender. San Diego – suntan lotion, or the scent of the ocean. Philadelphia – clean laundry (really?!) Here in New York, it's the smell of coffee that women will find a turn-on in men. Bring on the java!
Cleopatra needled…
(15 Jan 11)
One of the many sights in Central Park is Cleopatra's Needle - an ancient obelisk that Egypt gave to New York 100 years ago. But an Egyptian official has threatened to take the obelisk back to Egypt if the city doesn't take care of it better! Zahi Hawass, is the secretary general for the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, and he claims that the monument has deteriorated badly over the last century and the city has made no obvious effort to keep it in shape. But the city Parks Department said that the monument is in great shape for its age and is in no need of a face-lift. Besides, what would you do to give it an upgrade? Slap a coat of paint on it? You can't exactly do that to the pyramids after all, though maybe the Pink Pyramids of Giza is the way to bring the ancient monuments into the 21st century…
iPhone battle begins…
(15 Jan 11)
Here in the US, mobile phone customers are tied to their service providers for long-term contracts, usually 2 years. You might get a free or cut price phone as an incentive, but you do pay a hefty price on monthly service bills. Also in the US the iPhone has been only available through one company – AT&T – but as of next month it will also be available on the competing Verizon network. But for anyone thinking they could just switch networks, think again. AT&T use the SIM card system, Verizon uses a completely different system. So it will mean breaking one contract – or letting it expire – then buying a new iPhone on a different plan with the other company. But rather more amusing will be the TV advertising that is bound to happen which will have one provider beating the other one up. Let the gladiatorial contest begin!
No-pants on…
(15 Jan 11)
The 10th annual "No Pants Subway Ride" happened here in NY last Sunday. The chance when anyone with just a slight temptation for exhibitionism coordinated with a lot of other riders to take the subway at one particular moment on Sunday afternoon and all took their trousers off at the same time. And apparently the trick is to look completely nonchalant and normal, as if this sort of thing happens every day. Maybe it does for some people…
Dracula dead…
(15 Jan 11)
One of the most spectacular Broadway failures this year was a new version of Dracula, which was cancelled after a mere 4 days of performances. Critics gave the latest version of the Bram Stoker novel a chilly review but it wasn't the first time that the evil undead one had performed on Broadway. Perhaps the most famous version was the most recent one before this, featuring the wonderful Frank Langella as the blood sucking count back in 1977. I'd imagine that with vampires being so commercially hot these last few years (the Twilight movies in particular) Dracula would be a sure thing on Broadway, but not so with this production. So for now, Dracula has returned to his coffin – where he belongs of course…
The cape…
(8 Jan 11)
One of the big new TV series to debut this year is called The Cape. The story of a cop wrongly accused of murder and so then tries to right wrongs by taking on the persona of a superhero in a cape to clean up the town. But to promote the new series in New York City, the NBC network has draped many of the more famous statues in the city parks in a cape. So George Washington is caped in Union Square, William Shakespeare in Central Park and Eleanor Roosevelt on the Upper West Side. Temporary plaques explain the heroism of the historical figure in relation to the series' fictional character, Vince Faraday. The city's parks department has embraced the idea as it might draw more people in, and supposedly they got some sort of minor financial incentive too. Thanks to The Cape…!
A good year for NYC…
(8 Jan 11)
Some parts of the economy may be tanking, but New York City has had a good year. In fact the city hosted a record number of visitors in 2010. 48.7 million people visited New York last year – up over 1.7 million from last year. In a statement my Mayor Bloomberg this week, he noted that New York City was less impacted by the national recession than other cities, and is well on the way to attracting 50 million visitors in the next couple of years…
No pants subway ride…
(8 Jan 11)
The annual "no pants subway ride" will be happening again tomorrow. That's the time when hundreds of insane New Yorkers arrive at a pre-determined station, take a pre-determined subway train, and all at once, remove their trousers at the same time. It is NOT about nudity organizers stress, and underwear must be maintained at all times, but if you do happen to be riding the subway at that time (and the time is a closely guarded secret, kept to only those participating) then you will see a mass-trouser-removal going on. More than normal anyway.
Skinny pizza…
(8 Jan 11)
Now the indulgencies of the holiday season are over, New Yorkers are looking to reduce their waistlines. But what about the staple food for many New Yorkers – pizza? Thankfully a Manhattan pizzeria has got the answer in the form of low calorie pizza. Although pizza truly does vary from one establishment to another – one thing that doesn’t change much is the calorific value, which tends to be around 500 calories of a regular slice. So the "Revd Up Pi" pizzeria has developed a healthier slice that contains only 170 calories, and has a much reduced fat content too. Most pizza here uses white bleached flour with sugar or high fructose syrup, along with high fat cheese too, but this revolutionary slice has all the cheesy flavour, combined with oregano and tomato paste, but less than half the calories of a regular slice…
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