Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
By Armond White
Not a zeitgeist filmmaker, Oliver Stone is, rather, our swiftest, most politically responsive filmmaker, and those attributes make Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps dazzling. It’s less a sequel to the 1987 stock-trading drama Wall Street (where Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko articulated the 1980s mantra “Greed is Good”) than it is a lightening-quick assessment of our current economic disaster. Rather than celebrating our confusion, Stone resurrects Gekko—here released from more than a decade in prison—and through him examines the still ruthless and corrupt financial system. Read more
Protecting Yourself with the Flu Shot
The elderly are most at risk against the deadly virus
By Fred Cicetti
It’s time for a flu shot.
You can get the flu vaccine from your doctor, and at public health facilities, senior centers, pharmacies and supermarkets. Adults over 50 are prime candidates for the vaccine because the flu can be fatal for older people. Read more
Football for the Everyday Life
Manhattan women and sport—not so far apart
The New York Jets and Giants are back, and if, like me, you’re not a gridiron fan (or sports reporter like the beleaguered Ines Sainz), then when the men in your life start to talk about “the game,” it’s as though they’re speaking another language. Read more
More than One Type of Blood Sucker
Bedbugs have a lot in common with their Tea Party brethren
Concomitant with the rise of the Tea Party, we are now infested with the rise of that disgusting horror known as the bedbug. Some people would rather deal with al-Qaeda than the newest threat to our city. Very little is known about this verminous addition to our society except that it likes living with humans, particularly conservatives, as their blood has the bitterness quotient bedbugs need. Read more
Inside the War Room
Cuomo vs. Paladino will be a real barnburner
OK, let’s play war games—Paladino versus Cuomo. You are sitting around the war room table in both camps.
If you are Andrew, do you debate? (Not unless Paladino is coming on strong and then only very early or very late in the game.) Do you fight back against dirty ads? (Yes, you answer his stuff before it begins to stick to you, especially if he is vulnerable to many of the same charges.) Do you take him seriously even though he seems to be a clown? (You bet you do, considering how he decimated his opponent in the Republican primary.) Read more
Part of the Near Beer Crowd
Being social without consuming alcohol
By Josh Perilo
I have, literally, dozens of friends and acquaintances who, for one reason or another, no longer drink alcohol. For some of them, the choice to not drink was an easy one. For others, it was, and continues to be, a long and difficult road.
In the Behavioral Therapy world, there is an idea called replacement behavior. A replacement behavior is implemented to take the place of a target behavior, which is usually a behavior that is detrimental either socially or health-wise. This new behavior will have a similar reinforcing effect to the behavior it’s replacing. This is the basic idea behind those plastic nicotine dispensers that ex-smokers suck on instead of using the patch. The actual physical act of putting something in their mouth is soothing, for some at least, and makes the transition to a life without smoking a little easier. Read more
At El Porron, Taste of Spain Is Delivered
Authentic dishes served with flair
By Tom Steele
Before I visited Spain for the first time, my friends warned me that I’d be disappointed by the cuisine there. On the contrary, I was not only completely beguiled, but the trip changed the way I cooked in several important ways. For example, as soon as I returned to New York, the first thing I did was get myself a good Spanish paella pan. Ever since, paella has almost always been my go-to dish for company—it’s so incredibly versatile, and you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen; after a certain point, it just cooks itself. Read more
City Week: September 24 – September 30
A Selective Listing of Recommended Cultural & Community Events
Compiled by Allen Houston
Friday, September 24
Pipilotti Rist: Heroes of Birth—Rist already seduced many with her MoMA atrium installation; now comes a chance to check out new videos from the Swiss artist, including “All or Nothing,” a triptych of mounted LCD screens that is surrounded by an altar with daily offerings such as fresh flowers and water “for visitors to pause and quench their thirst.” Luhring Augustine, 534 W. 24th St., 212-206-9100; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Free. Read more
Deutschland Days Revisited
Yorkville will become old Germantown once again September 25, during the 53rd annual German-American Steuben Day Parade. The parade starts at 12 p.m. at East 67th Street, and marches along Fifth Avenue to 86th Street until it finishes at the Oktoberfest celebration in Central Park. Hundreds of groups are taking part in the celebration. The Grand Marshalls of this year’s parade are Dr. Ruth Westheimer, TV personality, and Dr. Michael Möller, CEO of the famous Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany. Read more
‘Vision 2020’ Calls For Esplanade Repairs, Easier Waterfront Access
An East Side with easier waterfront access, a refurbished esplanade and improved pedestrian bridges are some of the recommendations in Vision 2020: The New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, released last week by the Department of City Planning. Read more
