A LOOK AT LOCAL RACES
October 30, 2008
We asked each of the candidates running for Congress and State Legislature to tell us their top three priorities for the district. And, to make things a little more fun, we also asked them to pick a campaign theme song. Responses have been edited for style and brevity. [Read more]
DISNEY MAKES A PORNO, WHILE KEVIN SMITH LAYS AN EGG
October 30, 2008
Both High School Musical 3 and Zack and Miri Make a Porno set out to corrupt our youth. The Disney film, second sequel to the 2006 cable TV and CD blockbuster, aims capitalist tripe at unsuspecting teenagers, while Kevin Smith’s extended sex skit trashes whatever is left of adult romantic innocence.
Each film is a peculiar example of Hollywood gone wrong. High School Musical at least started as a good idea: The original film was a genuinely amusing fable about American plurality and teen division. Cute, multiracial kids at an Arizona high [Read more]
TACTICAL RETREAT
October 30, 2008
There I was: Ten minutes before midnight this past Saturday at a packed downtown multiplex auditorium, right before the coming attractions to Saw V, and not one pair of seats could be found together. Any way you sliced it, it was a lose-lose situation. Anyone else might have sucked it up and sat down, but A) I hate the Saw franchise pretty fiercely B) so did my buddy Bill, who had got me into watching the films for reasons I still can’t justify to myself and C) I was planning on attending The Craving, a cheesy 1980s werewolf pic starring Paul Naschy (think Spain’s Bela Lugosi) the following evening, fulfilling my taste for bad horror films for one weekend. I walked out, relieved. [Read more]
DIARY OF A SWING STATE VOLUNTEER
October 30, 2008
STUMPING FOR OBAMA IN BUCKS COUNTY, PA.
By Jeff Williams
As a political junkie, one of the downsides of living in New York is that our state is never contested in presidential elections. In an attempt to do my part, I’ve made two trips to Bucks County, Penn. to knock on doors and canvass voters for the Obama campaign. My first trip in September took me to Quakertown, a small town with many working class retirees. Recently I traveled to Bristol, a more economically diverse area with both McMansion-filled cul-de-sacs and trailer parks. [Read more]
TAXI SEX ASSAULT
October 30, 2008
A woman was sexually assaulted in the morning hours of Oct. 18 by the driver of a yellow taxi cab. Police said the 23-year-old New Hampshire woman hailed the cab on Third Avenue in the lower 40s. When the driver got close her apartment at around 1 a.m., he pulled over on Third Avenue between East 91st and 92nd streets and asked her if she wanted to “hang out,” according to cops. The driver allegedly jumped into the back seat and tried to kiss her and attempted to take off her sweater. Police said she fought back and escaped, leaving behind a BlackBerry and Prada sunglasses.
SPATE OF GYM LOCKER ROBBERIES
October 30, 2008
In October, there have been at least seven reported gym locker robberies at three separate New York Sports Club locations in the Upper East Side. The robberies, which all happened in the afternoon, occurred at 151 E. 86th Street near Lexington Avenue; 1637 Third Ave. near 91st Street; and 349 E. 76th St. between First and Second avenues. Most of the stolen items were credit and debit cards, iPhones and iPods, and various types of watches. One thief ran off with $450 in cash. The 19th Precinct’s community affairs division offers advice on gym locker safety, and gym goers are encouraged to call 212-452-0630 for free tips.
PHONY SIGNS FOR A GOOD SPOT
October 30, 2008
A little early for Halloween, Sergio Khorosh was arrested for forgery after attempting to feign a medical emergency. Police said he was apparently trying to score a good parking spot by displaying official documents. On Oct. 18 at 4:30 p.m., an officer spotted the suspect’s black Ford Crown Victoria parked in front of a fire hydrant on the southeast corner of First Avenue and East 91st Street. Khorosh, 42, was pulled over after he tried to pull out of the illegal spot and turned on a police siren, according to cops. The officer searched Khorosh’s car and found three forged parking placards, a catalog of police shields and the siren.
GETTING READY TO RUN
October 30, 2008
With the 39th New York City Marathon right around the corner, New York Road Runners launched its week of festivities with a Marathon Kickoff on Sunday morning, a five-miler through Central Park that drew more than 6,400 competitors. Mohammed Awol (25:14) of the powerful Westchester Track Club, and Manhattanite Christine Hoffman (28:59) were the top male and female finishers.
The schedule for the days ahead is fairly packed. Thursday begins with a “Run with Champions” event in Central Park at 9 a.m., a one-mile gallop for schoolchildren. [Read more]
PREPPING FOR FLU SEASON
October 30, 2008
It’s time for a flu shot.
Flu season in the northern hemisphere can range from as early as November to as late as May. The peak month usually is February.
The vaccine can be administered anytime during flu season. However, the best time to get inoculated is October-November. The protection provided by the vaccine lasts about a year. Adults older than 50 are prime candidates for the vaccine because the flu can be fatal for people in this age group. [Read more]
START A TREND OF THE MOST NEEDED KIND
October 30, 2008
“Dewing Things Better” is the name of this column, in case you don’t remember or notice (the font is pretty small, dear editor). Anyway, we all need reminding, “even more than being informed,” advised wise man Dr. Samuel Johnson. Both are essential, “but to be more informed, read more than one newspaper,” I was told when granted this column by then publisher Ed Kayatt and then editor, Arlene Kayatt. Too much? Then alternate sometimes, change channels and stations, too—except every policy maker/pundit must regularly watch the role-model series, [Read more]
