Archive for October, 2008
Kent Ave is getting bike lanes, with work already completed on Kent Ave from Division St. to South 5th. With neighborhood groups, including long time residents, the Hasidim, complaining about lack of parking, we took a look back to Spring of ‘08 when the lanes were initially approved. There are two promises we’re not sure are being addressed in the implementation.
First, that the loss of 500 parking spaces on Kent would be made up for by “reclaiming” parking spaces in the neighborhood – this would be done by revisiting load zones, etc. to see what parking spaces can be taken back from street regulation.
Second, that the north/south bike lanes, in keeping with the design for the Brooklyn Greenway, would both be on the East River side of the street, with a protective, plant-filled buffer between the bicyclists and the semi-trucks that use Kent Ave. (see illustration below) Clearly this isn’t the case. Perhaps its a future upgrade and these more conventional bike lanes are temporary placeholders. Certainly, having a buffer would be a much safer way to bike and enjoy the waterfront. It would also be in keeping with the bike path that runs along the West Side Highway near Chelsea Piers.
photo: Kent Ave @ S. 8th. PSE/The New York Herald.
illustration: proposed Bike path for Kent Ave, via Brownstoner
The venerable Canon name has extended itself into compact point and shoots. Even affordable Canons like the A590 (just over $100) earns accolades for picture and build quality in a way that arch rival Nikon has yet to fully replicate.
At around $165 new, the Canon SD1100 stands out as a veritable price/performance sweet spot. A beautiful, tiny, well-built Canon SD1100 is a relative bargain – even to itself, it’s release price was $250. In addition, and most importantly, for some, are the stylish colors you can choose. Besides black and silver, there’s a metallic brown, navy blue and this brushed pink.
The Canon SD1100 is the perfect gift for the technically challenged, stylish person who just wants to take great pics right out of the box. It doesn’t hurt that the stylish and occasionally pink Canon SD1100 fits nicely in a clutch or front jeans pocket either.
The venerable Canon name has extended itself into compact point and shoots. Even affordable Canons like the A590 (just over $100) earns accolades for picture and build quality in a way that arch rival Nikon has yet to fully replicate.
At around $165 new, the Canon SD1100 stands out as a veritable price/performance sweet spot. A beautiful, tiny, well-built Canon SD1100 is a relative bargain – even to itself, it’s release price was $250. In addition, and most importantly, for some, are the stylish colors you can choose. Besides black and silver, there’s a metallic brown, navy blue and this brushed pink.
The Canon SD1100 is the perfect gift for the technically challenged, stylish person who just wants to take great pics right out of the box. It doesn’t hurt that the stylish and occasionally pink Canon SD1100 fits nicely in a clutch or front jeans pocket either.
We doubt the hamburgers at Kellogg’s Diner, the “classic” diner near Union Pool, will taste any better now that they’ve completely blinged out the place, but we think you’ll feel a little more self esteem being spotted there than before.
photo: “Neon” by roboppy
People speak of Vientienne, Laos, and the serenity of Hue, Vietnam. Legendary outposts for sure, but it seems to us that a nation and culture brimming with energy and often overlooked is Malaysia. When one thinks of beaches for example, Thailand is considered the king, with tiny islands and clear blue views in each direction. Leonardo DiCaprio’s “The Beach” was filmed in one of those islands (Koh Phi Phi).
Yet, Malaysia’s beaches rival Thailand’s best. We recommend the following:
Eastern Coast:
Redang.
Perhentian Islands.
Tioman Island.
Western Coast:
Langkawi.
Pangkor Island.
Borneo.
photos:
Twin Towers at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, via homesgofast.com
Malaysian beaches via viator.com
Map of Malaysia via malaysia-maps.com
The all new Vizio Java is a reasonably priced 32 or 37″ 1080p HDTV flat screen accented in a unique copper and black bezel. The bling yet understated look should go well with surrounding wood furniture – say sitting on a 1950’s Dutch credenza.
The Vizio Java is priced between $650 to $850. The Vizio brand is often considered a low budget option, but with this bold new look, they’ll invariably attract more customers as interested in style as they are in technical features.
In not the greatest surprise, the editorial board of The New York Times has strongly endorsed Barack Obama for President. This after the Washington Post, conservative Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Colin Powell and Chris Buckley Jr., son of arch conservative William F. Buckley Jr., lined up behind the Senator from Illinois.
Warning that the “future hangs in the balance,” the board wrote that Obama has “met challenge after challenge” while McCain has “retreated farther and farther to the fringe of American politics, running a campaign on partisan division, class warfare and even hints of racism.”
New York Times endorsement of Barack Obama
Barack Obama is scheduled to leave the campaign trail today for Hawaii, where he is to spend three days with his Grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham. Her health has reportedly taken a turn for the worse. Barack Obama is widely reported to be very close to his Mrs Dunham, whom he affectionally refers to as “Tutu”.
According to an AP account:
“Madelyn Payne Dunham gave young Barack Obama a place to call home while his mother traveled the world. When he needed money for school, she went without new clothes to help pay his tuition.”
Leaving the trail with just over a week left is a risk, as John McCain will have the opportunity to go on the attack, without an Obama response. Yet, given how powerful the human narrative of his relationship with his Grandmother, Barack Obama’s candidacy could very well benefit from the visit. He has often been accused of being “aloof”, and nothing demonstrates his human qualities more than putting Grandma and family first.
Vast Resources over McCain
Barack Obama’s jaw-dropping fundraising ($150 million in September alone) will allow his team to sustain a barrage of TV advertising in key states. Some markets are reporting a $250,000 (Obama) to $30,000 (McCain) a day TV spending advantage. Add a dream team of surrogates to speak up for him while he’s away and we’d expect Barack Obama to emerge unscathed, if not even more appealing after his bedside visit to “Tutu”.
File photo: Barack Obama with his grandparents, Chicago Tribune
We’re at the moment of truth for The New York City Council, as they weigh whether to vote for extending the term limits, which would ease the path for a third term for Billionaire Mayor Mike Bloomberg. This despite two referendums in the 90’s limiting third terms. According to AFP, “A Quinnipiac University poll this week found that 89 percent of New York voters believe term limits should only be changed through another referendum.”
Yet given the deepening economic crisis, and Bloomberg’s consistently strong popularity over the years, it’s our expectation that the nail biter will come down in his favor..We’ll find out soon enough.
file photo: Reuters, 2005
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan testified today in front of Congress. He anticipated “significant rise in layoffs and unemployment”, and described the “once-in-a-century credit tsunami” as “”broader than anything I could have imagined.”
Most significantly perhaps, he acknowledged a “flaw in the model” of how markets work. While he didn’t blame low interest rates, which kept the economy booming for much of his term, he suggested that he incorrectly expected that self-regulation and the correct pricing of risk (in the subprime holdings) would prevent any such crisis scenario.
“It was the failure to properly price such risky assets that precipitated the crisis,” he said. Instead of defining subprime assets as a risk that relied on increasing home values, investors looked at these risky assets as a “steal”.
“The whole intellectual edifice . . . collapsed in the summer of last year.” He suggested that the bottom of the crisis is directly related to the bottom of falling home prices, which won’t be for “many months in the future.”
photo/illustration: Time
