A Toned Down Rudy?

The New York Times noticed something that is subtly apparent with Presidential candidate Rudy. He is a lot calmer these days. Not his policies of course (or lack thereof), those are just as idiotic as ever. However his voice has changed considerably. Instead of acting like an arrogant asshole as he did as Mayor, he just says "9/11, 9/11, 9/11" now. The Times takes a look back at many of Rudy's memorable moments on his weekly radio show at WABC.

When Joe from Manhattan called in 1998 to complain about the city government giving special parking privileges to a white-shoe law firm, Mayor Giuliani emitted an audible groan into the microphone.

“Well, let me give you another view of that rather than the sort of Marxist class concept that you’re introducing,” Mr. Giuliani said.

When a National Rifle Association member opposed a ban on assault rifles in 1994, Mr. Giuliani really got annoyed.

“Now the reason why the N.R.A. has lost all credibility is statements like that,” he said. “By definition these are attack weapons. They are used for offense. It really is absolutely astounding that the N.R.A. continues to have influence in areas in which they make no sense at all.”

Basically he went after everyone and anyone. Now he is backtracking on his NRA statements and wholeheartedly endorsing them, assault rifles and all. The question is, where is the real, temperamental Rudy we all loved to hate? I sincerely doubt that massive ego in his head has let him change for the better. More likely it has gone underground with the advice of campaign consultants and the will to win next year.

I wonder what it'll take for America to see that famous temper?

Rachel Takes On Proto-Newt

A Soulless City?

First off, I love living in New York, there is nothing out there like this city. On my street, I live across the street from an SRO and there a few local shops across the way as well. The neighborhood (Kips Bay)has its own character for sure, but you can definitely see things are changing. The 99c store on the corner went out of business and now there's a Chase Bank branch coming, even though it is only a five minute walk to one that is already open. Is it really necessary? What the hell is going on?

From AM New York:

"It used to be a badge of honor to live in New York City, and we used to laugh at the people in the suburbs," said Jerilou Hammett, co-editor of the book "The Suburbanization of New York."

"Urban areas were all about diversity and the struggle of the creative individuals ... Now, other than little monikers like SoHo and NoHo, where is the uniqueness of most neighborhoods?"

Indeed, with the seemingly epidemic-scale disappearance of the longtime small shops and low-scale residential buildings that give neighborhoods texture, some are wondering whether the feel of New York has forever changed.

The Municipal Art Society is examining these issues with a new exhibit on the legendary city urbanist Jane Jacobs, who successfully blocked a highway from cutting through Greenwich Village in the 1960s and argued that a neighborhood's character is its most valuable asset. The exhibit and accompanying panel discussions look at the numbing qualities of gentrification, chain stores, and an influx of people who move to the city without a sense of its history.

The only difference between bank branches and Starbucks in New York as compared to burbs' is that there are generally ten to forty stories of offices and/or apartments above the stores. Even in my place of refuge in the city (Greenwich Village) you can see the crushing forces of gentrification on the horizon. The East Village is a shell of what it used to be and although I like Max Brenner's, there is nothing wrong with keeping stores like it out of our unique nabes.

The uniqueness of New York is one of its largest gems. Having a Starbucks and a bank on every corner while eventually erode the character of our city.

Condi Relents Over Blackwater

In a 180 degree maneuver, Secretary of State Rice overhauled the policy of how diplomatic convoys are guarded in Iraq. No longer will her pets at Blackwater have the right to guard visitors alone as they speed through town. Public and Congressional pressure was so overwhelming that the most stubborn Administration of all time has agreed to a change that gives more authority to our troops and less to mercenary groups, particularly Blackwater.

From The Los Angeles Times:

Under Rice's order, all convoys will be accompanied by official monitors from the department's Diplomatic Security Bureau, and video cameras will be mounted in vehicles. In addition, radio communication will be recorded and will be archived along with the video and electronic tracking data so diplomats can better review Blackwater's performance.

The order marks a sharp reversal for Rice and the State Department, which for weeks has maintained it has adequate controls in place to monitor Blackwater contractors, who accompany U.S. diplomatic officials as they travel in Iraq.

As recently as last week, John D. Negroponte, the department's second-highest official and the former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, defended the embassy's oversight of Blackwater, saying the contractor operated under strict standards monitored with "close" supervision by State officials.

Of course the State Department denies that supervision was inadequate before, so this must all just be a grand coincidence that the change is occurring now. The Pentagon has been up in arms (no pun intended) about the mercenary groups and soldiers talk about them as no other. The problem has been that there is no accountability when things go wrong. Often when there is an "unfortunate" incident, the State Department has covered up the tracks of Blackwater and others, such as the case of Andrew Moonen, who killed an Iraqi bodyguard while being intoxicated.

Things are FUBAR in Iraq, but when there is enough of an outcry, little bits of progress can be made. Though if it took that much effort to have a bit of supervision of Blackwater, what will it take to get the hell out of Iraq?

This Week's Top Ten Videos

Larry Craig's Protege Lives In Louisiana

Parish Councilman Joey DiFatta never made it to the big time like Larry Craig, in fact, he bowed out of a State Senate race in his home state of Louisiana. He was promising to defend conservative values from extreme liberal groups, whoever those are. Joey was going to clean up Louisiana but instead chose to leave politics, something completely foreign to the Senator from Idaho. Larry must be really be disappointed in his protege. Why use that word, protege? Ask the police.

From The Times Picaynue:

On Thursday, reports The Times-Picayune, Parish Councilman and GOP state Senate candidate Joey DiFatta, 53, denied that his dropping out of the Senate race had anything to do with documents outlining two encounters with police, who held him in suspicion of "lewd behavior" in public restrooms.

(snip)

"The detective asked DiFatta, 'What do you want?' according to the report, and he replied, 'I want to play with you.'"

Police reports, found here in .PDF format, outline a 1996 "peeping Tom" encounter and a 2000 "toe-tapping" escapade, made fashionable more recently by embattled Idaho Senator Larry Craig. The 2000 report includes a comment made by the officer involved that DiFatta seemed "well-versed."

Joey claims that the reason he dropped out was due to elevated enzymes in his heart but I have a suspicion it might be something else. Maybe Joey realizes what a hypocrite he is. I can hope, can't I?

Cleaning Your Street Has Its Perks In NYC

Do you have a car in the city? Do you hate having to move it two or three times a week so that the street cleaners can come through? Well there is salvation for all of you automobile owners, and you can thank the Sanitation Department for that (and your respect for your street as well).

From WCBS-TV:

Under a new Sanitation Department plan, neighborhoods with really, really clean streets can receive a break from one of the greatest afflictions suffered by city car owners: the dreaded alternate side of the street parking regulations.

Last month, Brooklyn Community Board 6 -- the tree-lined residential brownstone areas of Red Hook, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Park Slope—earned the parking perk by consistently scoring 90 percent or higher on the city's twice-monthly scorecard for street cleanliness.

No shifting from one side of the street to the other on Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays, an unpleasant slice of urban living parodied in a classic "Seinfeld" episode.

While no other city neighborhoods yet qualify for the plan, Sanitation spokesman Vito Turso said Friday that Sunset Park and Windsor Terrace in Brooklyn have expressed an interest and the city is considering it.

I think they should consider it for all neighborhoods in the city, not just a few in Brooklyn. The only catch is to have good street-hygiene. The plan is a win-win for New Yorkers and the city by reducing the costs of using those sweeping machines. Now the only question is, will your neighbors cooperate?

The Ron Paul Effect

Many Republicans try to dismiss the conservative libertarian, but Ron Paul's fundraising and more importantly his message might have an effect on the race, even if he doesn't become the Republican nominee.

NYC Prosecutor Shows The Holes In Case Against Rev. Billy

The case against Reverend Billy has to be one of the dumbest on the dockets of NYC courtrooms. The story starts with the Reverend reciting the First Amendment at a rally for the.....First Amendent, also known as the Critical Mass Bikeride. This apparently angered the NYPD on the scene so they charged him with two phony counts of harassment against the arresting officers. The video of the incident clearly shows he wasn't.

Not only did the NYPD arrest him, the city is trying to convict him of the charges. Prosecutor Mary Weisgerber couldn't even get a good case together for the hearing, so she requested a delay until October 15th. Here's what went down in court on Tuesday.

From The New York Times:

In court yesterday, the prosecutor told Judge Tanya Kennedy that Mr. Talen’s offense had been to shout the familiar lines beginning with “Congress shall make no law” while standing just three feet from the officers, and to ignore their requests to stop. The prosecutor, Mary Weisgerber, said his behavior was “obnoxious” by any standard.

“That’s not true,” Mr. Talen piped up.

Outside of court, Mr. Talen — who says that his lungs are like bullhorns because he has had operatic training — maintained that he was about 15 feet from the officers and that his account was supported by a videotape of the episode that has been preserved on YouTube.

Thankfully when court comes back into session there will be nothing that the city's Attorney will have to offer. The judge has already agreed with Public Advocate Norman Siegel that the case will be dismissed pending the next trial date.

What Happened To Ciara Durkin?

Until last week, Ciara Durkin was a finance specialist serving in the Massachusetts National Guard, stationed at Bagram AFB in Afghanistan. Then she was shot in the head and found dead outside the Air Force Base. This story would usually just be another casualty report from the Afghani front of the "war on terrorism" except for the fact of what she told her family when she was home last month in Quincy, MA.

From The Patriot Ledger:

Fiona Canavan, Durkin’s older sister, said today that when her sister was home three weeks ago, she told family members that she had come across some things that concerned her and had raised objections to others at the base.

‘‘She was in the finance unit and she said, ‘I discovered some things I don’t like and I made some enemies because of it.’ Then she said, in her light-hearted way, ‘If anything happens to me, you guys make sure it gets investigated,’’’ Canavan said. ‘‘But at the time we thought it was said more as a joke.’’

(snip)

Her family was initially told that Durkin was killed in action on Friday. But on Monday, the family learned that she died about 6:30 p.m. of a single gunshot wound to the head in a non-combat situation.

Durkin had been assigned to a finance unit at the base since February. Her tour of duty had been scheduled to end in February.

Her younger brother, Pierce Durkin, said that because of the nature of the wound and the fact that the shooting happened under ‘‘curious’’ circumstances, the family decided to contact legislators.

So far those legislators, Senators Kerry and Kennedy and Representative Delahunt have not been able to find out anything from the Pentagon. So far they have lied to her family and the question is, why? What did Ciara know and who didn't want her to know that information? Durkin's death is eerily similar to the death of Pat Tillman, another soldier who was killed in Afghanistan where the army sought to cover up the true story of his death.

This case deserves an independent investigation and no more BS from the Pentagon.

Kids Strike Back!

CNN's Rob Marciano Ridicules Al Gore

First of all who is Rob Marciano? He got his B.S. from Cornell (that is impressive) and worked his way through little TV newscasts to get to CNN. Where he gets off giving commentary on climate change is besides me. Meteorology is not climatology and he does not have a good background to discuss such things as climate change and global warming. Nevertheless he took a pot shot at Al Gore yesterday.

From RawStory:

CNN reported on Thursday that a British judge has called Al Gore's Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth unfit for schools "because it is politically biased and contains scientific inaccuracies and sentimental mush." British schools may now have to preface any showing of the film with a warning.

CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano responded to this story by applauding and saying,"Finally, finally," before commenting sarcastically that "the Oscars, they give out awards for fictional films as well."

Marciano said he objected in particular to the film's claim that global warming causes stronger hurricanes, noting that the current hurricane season has only been average.

That statement shows Marciano's ignorance about climatology. When it comes to climate change, not every year is going to have record breaking statistics. Even though there were a few so far in 2007. Just because there isn't a storm that every year that punishes the U.S. on Katrina levels, it doesn't mean we have a problem with global warming.

Also, just because a judge in Britain said something about how school should be taught across the pond does not give Rob the right to do or say anything on air in that fashion. Shame on you Marciano.