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Daily News Describes Clinton Wedding as "Practical"

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:55:48 +0000

Rhinebeck, NY (AP Photo/Mike Groll) What does a now-estimated $3 million budget get a bride these days? $15,000 porta-potties , and modesty. That’s what the Daily News attempts to argue by comparing Chelsea Clinton’s upcoming wedding to other outlandish celebrity weddings. Ok so she doesn’t have a “Swarovski-crystal-encrusted tuxedo made for a pet Chihuahua” like Carrie Underwood did, nor will she stuff “magnolia trees with white roses” like Fergie. She’ll just reserve part of the budget for shutting down all the airspace above Rhinebeck, NY. Totally low-key. Speaking of Rhinebeck, those residents not standing to make a fortune off the event are angry that nobody is telling them what’s going on. Nobody has officially said that the Hudson Valley town will be the location of the wedding, though all signs point to Astor Courts . Mayor Jim Reardon complained , “No one has given us a straight answer. The whole town has been kept out of the loop.” Though they have allotted $2,500 for extra police force, local barber Bob Gioffi says it’s ridiculous. “This wedding is so secret that even the people who are supposed to know don’t know. You have a better chance of figuring out who shot JFK.” Watch out, Gioffi. They’re listening. One thing seems certain: Chelsea Clinton will be getting her dress from Vera Wang. The former first daughter was seen entering the designer’s showroom wearing the brilliant disguise of an oversized sun hat . Her refusal to comment to reporters serves as a reminder that, up until this wedding, the younger Clinton has typically stayed out of the spotlight.

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Daily News Describes Clinton Wedding as "Practical"

New GTL-ing Jersey Shore Gal

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:23:00 +0000

From Deena Nicole Cortese’s MySpace profile In April, MTV headed to the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale to find a new cast member for Jersey Shore , but they turned up empty handed after the auditions. Snooki to the rescue! She presumably gave her pal Deena Nicole Cortese an “in” by introducing her to the producers of the show, and now she’s set to be a part of the cast for the 3rd season (though isn’t yet considered an official cast member). Cortese is actually from New Jersey (this one’s all on you, Chris Christie ), and describes herself as “fucking classy.” The 23-year old graduated from high school in 2005, and then attended Brookdale Community College where she honed her cheerleading skills, according to the NY Post . Since word has gotten out that she’s been cast on the show, she’s taken her MySpace profile down (which may have something to do with that video where she drops the N-bomb )—but that’s nothing a little cache can’t fix! On it we learn that Deena (nickname: Dee) fancies herself “addictive and expensive like cocaine!” She also says, “I’m loud.. Crazy.. Random and at times Corkyy and loveeeee to laughh its kinda my best thingg” [sic]. And because of society’s never-ending fascination with reality television, this one will now be “laughh”ing her way to the bank.

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New GTL-ing Jersey Shore Gal

Poll: Will You Pay More To Keep Unlimited MetroCard?

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:10:09 +0000

Daniel Gene’s Flickr Today the MTA released its 2011 Preliminary Budget and proposed Four-Year Financial Plan for 2011-2014. No surprises here; the plan includes all the different fare hike proposals that have been floated in the past couple of weeks. You can peruse the full financial plan in pdf form here . One of the more controversial proposals would kill the unlimited MetroCard, replacing it with a monthly card that maxes out at 90 rides for $99, and a weekly card that would have a limit of 22 rides for $28. Which option would you prefer: online surveys “It is inequitable to keep asking transit riders to contribute more to the system while drivers, who reap the congestion busting benefits of our transit system, can still travel into the densest city in America for free,” said Kate Slevin, executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign . “You can’t just blame the MTA. Elected officials who simply point fingers are dodging their responsibility to ensure our region’s transit service remains safe, affordable, and reliable. Voters angry about the recent service cuts, especially bus riders on Long Island, should ask candidates how they plan on dealing with the MTA’s financial crisis.” In September, there will be public yellings hearings on the plan, to be followed by the MTA implementing the changes regardless of what they “hear” from the public. More details about the proposed increases below, from the MTA press office: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today released its 2011 Preliminary Budget and proposed Four-Year Financial Plan for 2011-2014. The proposed plan reflects unprecedented internal cost cutting initiatives undertaken in response to a $900 million shortfall for 2010 resulting from cuts to State assistance and dramatic downturns in tax revenue. These shortfalls amount to more than $2.5 billion over the plan period. As a result of its cost-cutting actions, the MTA was able to limit the fare revenue increase to 7.5% in 2011, as agreed to with the Governor and Legislature in May 2009 as part of the MTA rescue package. The Plan faces many risks, however, including the need for labor participation to control wage and benefit costs. The July Plan is preliminary; the MTA Board will consider a final Plan in December. The Plan relies on three key components. The first is the continuation and expansion of the MTA’s cost-cutting initiatives, which have saved more than $380 million in 2010, translating into more than $500 million in annual recurring savings and growing to more than $700 million by 2014. The second key to the Plan is controlling labor costs, which make up 2/3 of the MTA’s operating expenses. The Plan acknowledges that in the current economic situation wage increases must be tied to productivity gains or other cost savings. The Plan therefore assumes that all employees – both represented and non-represented – would receive a “net-zero” wage increase for two years. Finally, the Plan includes the 7.5% increases in fare and toll revenue in 2011 and 2013 agreed upon with the Governor and Legislature as part of the MTA rescue package approved last spring, which also included a series of new taxes to support the MTA and funding for the first two years of the MTA’s 2010-2014 Capital Program. “The foundation of this Plan is the most aggressive and comprehensive overhaul in the history of the MTA,” said Jay H. Walder, Chairman and CEO of the MTA. “These actions have allowed us to hold true to our commitment regarding fare increases while maintaining the quantity and quality of service that New Yorkers rely on every day. The State’s ongoing fiscal crisis is one of many risks to the Plan, but with continued hard work and the participation of our labor unions I believe that this Plan can be achieved.” The MTA was able to eliminate its 2010 deficit through a series of management actions, including: · Eliminating more than 3,400 administrative and operating positions through layoffs, voluntary separations and elimination of vacant positions · Freezing pay for management employees · Increasing efficiency of paratransit and Bridge and Tunnel operations · Reducing use of overtime · Eliminating or deferring projects · Consolidating functions · Renegotiating contracts with vendors · More efficiently managing inventories These actions, the initial stages of a continuing effort to fundamentally overhaul the way the MTA does business, will mean recurring savings of more than $500 million in 2011, rising to $700 million in 2014. Despite these savings, the Financial Plan remains subject to risks that could mean additional difficulties. The plan assumes that the health of the economy does not deteriorate significantly, and that the taxes that are collected by New York State in the MTA’s name are paid to the MTA. Regardless, additional reductions will need to be identified through labor savings, as noted, and through elimination of shortfalls to subsidies for Long Island Bus. Labor Controlling wage and benefit costs have a critical role to play in stabilizing the MTA’s finances. Wages, benefits and other personnel expenses account for 2/3 of MTA operating expenses. This financial plan assumes that each new labor contract will not impose any additional financial burden on the MTA for two years. This is intended as a clear statement that the MTA cannot afford to allow salary, wage and fringe benefit costs to rise in ways unconnected to productivity and the regional economy’s ability to support the system. This, however, does not preclude the possibility of wage increases based on bankable productivity improvements or contributions to benefit costs. Consistent with this “net zero” labor initiative, non-represented employees will not receive a cost of living raise in 2010, which will be the second of two consecutive years without an increase. MTA Long Island Bus The MTA proposed budget assumes that Nassau County will fully fund its obligation to support Long Island Bus. Under a 1973 lease agreement, the MTA operates the system as a contractor working on behalf of the County, which owns the bus system. Through 1999, the County made up 100% of its funding obligation. But since 2000, when the County dramatically cut back its assistance for this service, the MTA has been forced to shoulder an increasing share of this cost, totaling $140 million. The MTA can no longer afford to subsidize this service, which would cost the MTA more than $25 million in 2011. Proposed Fare and Toll Increases Fare policy is designed to raise the necessary revenue while maintaining ridership as much as possible, minimizing impacts to lower-income customers, and increasing efficiencies of fare collection. The proposal below will be discussed at public hearings in the fall before a final plan is taken to the MTA Board for approval. The fare increase would take effect on January 1, 2011. “Today’s announcement begins a period of public discussion,” Chairman Walder said. “We look forward to hearing from the public and reviewing the public comments as we continue to evaluate this proposal before we adopt the final budget by the end of the year.” New York City Subway & New York City Local Buses Pay-Per-Ride MetroCards · The base fare would remain unchanged at $2.25. · The bonus discount offered on pay-per-ride MetroCards would fall to 7%, from the current 15%. · Customers would need to put at least $10 on a MetroCard to receive the bonus, up from $8 currently. · The effective fare paid by users of the pay-per-ride bonus discount MetroCard would rise to $2.10, from the current $1.96. · The effective fare paid by express bus riders would rise to $5.14, up from $4.78 currently. Unlimited Ride MetroCards · For users of the 30-day unlimited-ride MetroCard, the MTA proposes to adopt one of two options: A 30-day MetroCard offering up to 90 rides for $99. A 30-day unlimited-ride MetroCard for $104. Users of the 30-day unlimited card tend to have the highest incomes of all New York City Transit customers, and would continue to benefit from significant discounts on a per-ride basis as compared with pay-per-ride users. (A rider taking 90 rides in a month would pay $1.10 per ride under the $99 option, or $1.16 per ride under the $104 option.) The median household income for users of the 30-day MetroCard is $63,000; for the 7-day card it is $38,000. · For 7-day unlimited-ride MetroCards, the MTA proposes to adopt one of two options: A 7-day card offering up to 22 rides for $28. A 7-day unlimited-ride card for $29. · In order to simplify options and retire ineffective discounts, the less popular one-day and 14-day MetroCards would be phased out. The one-day Fun Pass is used for just 0.8% of subway and bus trips. The 14-day pass, is used for only 2.1% of trips. Proposed changes to the 7-day and 30-day MetroCards close the gap in per-ride cost, eliminating the need for the 14-day card. Increasing Efficiencies It costs 15 cents to collect every dollar the MTA collects in fare revenue. The MTA proposes two changes to help reduce this expense. · To encourage customers to refill existing MetroCards instead of purchasing new ones, the MTA is proposing a charge of $1 to purchase a new MetroCard. The MTA pays $13 million annually to print MetroCards, many of which wind up as litter. This is a charge that any customer can avoid. It would not apply to those who refill an expired MetroCard by obtaining a new one, those who hold Reduced Fare passes, or to MetroCards sold at out-of-system retailers. · Similarly, the MTA is proposing to institute a 25¢ charge for purchasing a paper single-ride ticket. Long Island Rail Road & Metro-North Railroad · Average ticket increases range from 7.6% to 9.4%, depending on distance and ticket type, in order to achieve a revenue gain of 7.5%. · Most discounts for tickets purchased via the Mail & Ride and WebTicket programs would be eliminated. Sales through these programs cost the MTA up to seven times more per ticket than sales through Ticket Vending Machines. The discount for the joint Mail& Ride monthly ticket/MetroCard would be retained, but reduced. · To help limit the size of the fare increase, the MTA is proposing to reduce ticket validity periods in ways that conform with policies of numerous peer railroads. . A one-way ticket would be valid for seven days (down from the current six months). . A ten-trip ticket would be valid for 90 days (down from the current one year). · To speed up on-board fare collection processes, the cost of tickets purchased on board would be rounded up to the nearest dollar. · The railroads would institute a fee to cover the cost of processing refunds. MTA Bridges and Tunnels · Cash tolls at the MTA’s six major crossings and the Henry Hudson Bridge would increase by 50¢, and cash tolls at its two minor bridges would rise by 25¢. · The MTA proposes to increase E-ZPass tolls for cars by 10% at all crossings. · Resident discount programs increase proportionally.

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Poll: Will You Pay More To Keep Unlimited MetroCard?

Is This Where Don Draper Lives?

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:01:00 +0000

In the season premiere of Mad Men , Don Draper is set up in his new city digs (circa 1964 )—which we find out is in the vicinity of Waverly Place and 6th Avenue. True/Slant set itself upon a mission this week to find out the exact address where the ad man lives in season 4, and they’re pretty certain it’s at 136 Waverly Place . The 16-story apartment building—better known as The Waverly—was built in 1928, and still stands today. The True/Slant team visited the apartment building (but neglected to take photos!), and report back saying, “It had the right look. Old, discreet, maybe 100 apartments, faded yellow brick facade, just off the corner, southwest side. The lobby’s dark, art-decoish, with a diamond-pattern floor.” They also note that in the early ‘60s rent there was probably a couple hundred a month (currently, a one-bedroom goes for $769,000 ; a three-bedroom goes for $3.7MM ). Fans of the show don’t seem very fond of Don’s new place—calling it “terribly depressing” and labeling it a man cave. But taste aside, do you think it could be at 136 Waverly? The Mad Men team are sticklers for detail, and the windows seem very off—it almost looks like Mr. Draper may have a balcony (or at least windows down to the floor), which The Waverly doesn’t have. (More shots of the apartment in the first episde, which you can watch in full below.)

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Is This Where Don Draper Lives?

Guess The Year: Ice Cream Edition

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:31:00 +0000

People have been cooling off in the summer with nice cold ice cream cones for a long time (albeit, not that fancy, overpriced Van Leeuwen stuff)—did you know that confectioners sold ice cream at their shops in New York during the colonial era? This clearly wasn’t that long ago, but try to guess the year that this couple was photographed with their ice creams melting in their hands. Bonus points if you get the neighborhood (maybe you can recognize that fountain). And guess what, we’ve got a sweet prize for the winner today! Two free gelato-on-a-sticks from popbar ! (And we will know if you cheat.) We’ll update later with the answer and more details—and the winner will be contacted by tomorrow morning.

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Guess The Year: Ice Cream Edition

Chelsea Clinton’s Wedding Means Hudson Valley Lockdown

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:15:18 +0000

Last week, two Norwegian journalists were arrested outside of Astor Courts , the 50-acre estate rumored to be the location of Chelsea Clinton’s wedding to Marc Mezvinsky this Saturday. According to the AP, “Thomas Bjorn Nilsson, 43, of New York, and Kjerste Sortland, 41, of Snorova, Norway, were charged with a [trespassing] violation after they were stopped around 2 p.m. Wednesday on the” sprawling estate’s ground. The journalists’ editor said the fine will be paid, but the police were overreacting and that they were not trespassing, “We did not realize it was forbidden to take the picture of the gate of the house where the Clinton wedding is to be.” Never underestimate the importance of a Clinton-connected gate. Besides security lockdowns, the Clinton-Mezvinsky nuptials are causing second-guessing (maybe the wedding will be in Martha’s Vineyard ?) and teeth-gnashing—whether from other brides or Democrats who thought they would be invited. “I’m good enough to borrow a plane from, but not good enough to be invited to the wedding?” complained one Clinton friend , who remembered the times he handed over his jet and his pilot to take Bill Clinton around the country but had not landed a coveted invitation to Chelsea Clinton’s nuptials.”We’re outer circle, not inner circle,” said Victor Kovner, a prominent New York lawyer who supported Mrs. Clinton’s presidential bid. “We’re very happy for them, we’re very happy for their parents, and mazel tov, as we say in New York.” Those lucky enough to attend will be treated to a mix of modern and classic tunes. TMZ got a sneak peak at the band’s set list , which includes lots of hits from the likes of Diana Ross, Jackie Wilson and Ray Charles. There will also be a ton of Michael Jackson, and some modern hits like “I Got a Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas. WABC estimates the music will cost $40,000, which in their breakdown is one of the lowest costs of the $2 million affair. They estimate invitations alone cost $50,000, the reception space up to $200,000, and the flowers a whopping $250,000. Best of all, taxpayers will be footing the bill for the Secret Service outside of the other security costs, all of which will most likely ruin this bride’s special day .

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Chelsea Clinton’s Wedding Means Hudson Valley Lockdown

Video: Pete Seeger Pipes Up About Drilling

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:13:06 +0000

The 91-year-old Pete Seeger has been awfully busy lately—recently we saw him get honored at Gotham Hall , and yesterday he spent some time protesting in Albany . The activist and musician was joined by actor Mark Ruffalo (a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_XkaUxF_Xs&feature=player_embedded#!”> video ) and other opponents of hydrofracking. The group is trying to push the Senate to adopt a one year moratorium on the gas-drilling process in New York. Naturally, Seeger wrote a song for the occasion, titled, “God’s Counting On Me”—listen below (and sing along! “drill baby drill turns to spill baby spill”): You can here that song live this Friday at City Winery—the legendary folk singer will be performing it at the Reclaim the Coast benefit event. Tickets are still on sale !

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Video: Pete Seeger Pipes Up About Drilling

Can You Identify New York City’s Buildings?

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:03:00 +0000

How many buildings in New York City’s famous skyline can you identify? Click through the images to test yourself (answers at the end); the Illuminating Engineering Society of New York created this Nightseeing map , and the Daily News recently tested locals with it. Turns out their sample pool of New Yorkers didn’t test any better than tourists! One woman who has worked in the 75-story CitySpire building for three years couldn’t even identify it on the map (in fact, she could only name 3 of the 26 buildings on the map)—and one man standing in front of the Time Warner Center failed to name it on the map! How did you do?

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Can You Identify New York City’s Buildings?

Cool Japan In Hot New York

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 16:10:05 +0000

Reni Mimura and her backup performers via her website If you happened to see an abundance of ladies dressed in French maid outfits and men rocking furry headdresses in the East Village yesterday, you weren’t suffering from heat stroke-induced hallucinations. The costumed cosplayers were attending JapanTown ’s Cool Japan street festival. Yesterday’s festival, the first of three scheduled around the city this summer and fall, focused on the cool aspects of Japanese culture. Vendors provided a variety of Japanese foods, from traditional curries to teriyaki pizza, as well as Japanese antiques, anime-related products, and even miniature battle bots duking it out sumo style. For the spiritually inclined, there was a portable shrine and a stall providing information about Japan’s major religion, Shintoism. One of the main attractions was cosplay singer and dancer Reni Mimura , who was podcasting live from her booth at the festival. Reni and her backup performers wowed the crowd with her Japanese maid dance show (as you can imagine, this was particularly popular with the fellas). There was also a scavenger hunt for Squid, the Cool Japan mascot. Because this was a Japanese scavenger hunt, it was a bit more technologically advanced and involved taking pictures, creating albums, and uploading them to the JapanTown website, which was too much work for most of us lazy Americans. There was also a fashion contest, which encouraged attendees to dress in their most eye-catching Japanese street style to vie for the grand prize: free tickets to Japan. The next JapanTown event, the Healthy Food and Green Festival , will focus on the healthy foods that are credited with helping the Japanese to have the longest lifespans in the world, the Soul Food Festival , will encourage you to stray from your standard California roll and chicken teriyaki and chow down on Japanese food like grandma used to make.

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Cool Japan In Hot New York

Youths Bringing Back Ancient Craft of Moonshine Distilling

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:50:02 +0000

This recession is getting more ridiculous than we thought. Wooed by the trends of financial crises past, the nation’s youths are looking to the 20s and 30s for lifestyle inspiration. And as if the raccoon hats and speakeasies weren’t enough, the latest trend brings speakeasies right into the convenience of your own kitchen. According to BBC News , the kids are making moonshine. Prohibition historian Max Watman says, “The stigma has gone. It’s become cool.” However, it’s just as dangerous as ever. Anyone found guilty of distilling alcohol without a license faces up to a $15,000 fine and up to five years in prison. There’s also that whole risk of your kitchen exploding. But the “hipster kids, foodie enthusiasts and hobbyists on America’s coasts” say it’s worth the risk. One Brooklyn distiller says, “Growing up, me and my brothers watched our dad make moonshine in the bathtub. Now we do it.” Not even the city’s watering holes are immune to the secretive allure. Chef Sam Mason tells Metromix that he sometimes offers the homemade liquor at Lady Jay’s . But he can’t guarantee it every night, saying, “You can’t cross the BQE with that stuff.” The anonymous Brooklyn distiller says she bought her still online for several hundred dollars, though for just $245 you can invest in this one that says making whiskey will be “almost as easy as making coffee.” And if you’re worried about the long arm of the law keeping you from that sweet grain alcohol, Colonel Wilson of Copper Moonshine Stills has a whole web page dedicated to how to “beat the law.” (Hint: drag out the case!) This all seems a bit too complicated for the pleasure of getting a buzz. We can’t wait until going to regular, non-hidden bars becomes retro-chic.

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Youths Bringing Back Ancient Craft of Moonshine Distilling