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Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

St Patricks Day Parade, NYRR Half Marathon, Women in the Heights Art Exhibit, Fundraiser at Harlem Nights in Manhattan; 40 Shades of Green Irish Cultural Celebration at the NYIC in LIC, Rough Draft Festival Playwright Readings at LPAC, Thalia Theatre Comedy about the Sexes, Famous People of Queens, Black Spurs at Spectrum Theatre & Art Opening Reception in Jamaica in Queens; St. Patrick's Day Parade, Artists Talk in LIC & Night in the Central Library in Brooklyn; St Patty's Day party, Orchid Show at NYBG, Art Exhbit at Bartow Pell Mansion in the Bronx; St Patricks Day Parade for All, Pan African Ball & Carpenter Shop Curiosities on Staten Island, Ramandan Continues & Spring Begins on Tuesday

things to do this weekend in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island events & things to do this weekend nyc March 15, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 3.15.24. Sunrise 7.05 am. Sunset 7.03 pm. The temperature highs could reach 70 on Friday, descending to about 60 for the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will be in the mid 40's on Friday and Saturday, descending to the low 40's on Sunday. The winds will be 9 - 11 mph on Friday and Saturday, rising to 10 - 15 mph on Sunday. The humidity will range from 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, falling to 40% - 50% on Sunday. No rain is expected this weekend.

The photo at right shows the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade marching north along 5th Avenue in Manhattan in a prior year.

 

MID AFTERNOON EDITION 3.15.24. 5 MORE ITEMS TO ADD BY CLOSE OF BUSINESS TODAY.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Saturday, March 16, 2024 beginning at 11 am, the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan begins on 5th Avenue at 44th Street and marches up to 79th Street. There are generally about 150,000 participants and about two million spectators. For details see - https://www.nycstpatricksparade.org/

Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 5.30 to 7.30 pm - Harlem Bomb Shelter 12th Anniversary Fundraiser Showcase at Harlem Nights Bar & Lounge at 2360 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd [at 138th Street] in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan. For details and $27 tickets see - https://www.facebook.com/TheHarlemBombShelter/

Sunday, March 17, 2024 beginning at 7.20 am at Washington Avenue near the Brooklyn Museum - NYRR Half Marathon. There will be five waves, with the first at 7.20 am, the 2nd at 7.50 am, the 3rd at 8.20 am, the 4th at 8.50 am and the 5th at 9.20 am. The race heads south on Washington Avenue in Brooklyn, then does a U-turn and comes back north through Prospect Park, heading onto Flatbush. The route leaves Brooklyn over the Manhattan Bridge, and turns at City Hall toward the FDR, where it heads north until 42nd Street. At 42nd Street it departs the FDR and travels west to Times Square where it turns north again along 7th Avenue until it hits 59th Street where it turns east until it hits 5th Avenue at the SE corner of Central Park, where it turns into the park and heads north up to Bethesda Terrace, where it turns south and heads down to Columbus Circle [inside the park] where it ends. For details see - https://www.nyrr.org

Thursday, March 14 [Opening Reception] - May 7, 2024 beginning at 6 pm - Women in the Heights: Dress - Art Exhibit Opening at United Palace at 4140 Broadway in Washington Heights in Manhattan. It's the 15th annual exhibit organized by the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance [NoMAA]. Free but limited capacity so rsvp at https://www.nomaanyc.org/events/opening-women-in-the-heights-dress/

This is New York [Film] runs until July 21, 2024 at the Museum of the City of New York at 1220 5th Avenue at 104th Street on the UES of Manhattan. For details and $20 tickets see - https://www.mcny.org.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Manhattan Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, March 15, 16, 17 & 22, 23, 24, 2024 beginning at 8 pm, 3 pm & 8 pm and 4 pm, respectively - Women Do It Better Than Men or Las Mujeres Lo Hacemos Mejor Que Los Hombres at Thalia Theatre at 41-17 Greenpoint Avenue in Sunnyside Queens. It's a comedy about the sexes in Spanish with English subtitles. For details and $35 / $32 tickets see - https://thaliatheatre.org

Saturday, March 16, 2024 beginning at 5 pm - Evolution Group Art Exhibit Opening at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning at 161-04 Jamaica Avenue in Queens. About a half dozen of underrepresented, emerging, sustainable visual artists show their work. Free. For details & to rsvp see - https://jcal.org

Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 3 to 9 pm - 40 Shades of Green at the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson Avenue in LIC. For details and $39 tickets see - https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org - CONTRARY TO WHAT THEIR WEBSITE SAYS, EVENTBRITE SAYS THERE ARE STILL SOME TICKETS LEFT - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/40-shades-of-green-new-yorks-st-patricks-day-gathering-tickets-737288749497?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm_campaign=6a7963189f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_11_25_2019_14_16_COPY_01&utm_term=0_d4ed277754-6a7963189f-353265545&utm_source=New+York+Irish+Center&utm_medium=email&mc_eid=13371f3076&mc_cid=6a7963189f

Wednesday thru Saturday, March 13 - 23, 2024 [except 3/18 & 3/19] beginning at 7 pm weekdays except Wednesdays which are 11 am matinees and 2 pm Saturdays & 4 pm Sundays - Black Spurs. At Spectrum Theater at 177th Street and Baisley Blvd in Jamaica Queens. A story about an African American who sets out on a trail ride along the Chisolm Trail in an effort to raise money to save his family home. For details and $35 tickets see - http://www.blackspectrum.com.

Saturday, March 16 - 23, 2024 on various days at various times - Rough Draft Festival Playwright Readings at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in LIC Queens. New works by new writers / artists. For details and $5 tickets see - https://www.lpac.nyc/upcoming-events/rdf-2024-playwright-readings

Sunday, March 17, 2024 from 2 to 3.30 pm - The Famous People of Queens at the Voelker Orth Museum at 149-19 38th Avenue in Flushing. Author Rob McKay shares his tales. For details and $5 tickets see - http://www.vomuseum.org

Sunday, March 17, 2024 from 6 to 9 pm - Artists Talk at Culture Lab at 5-25 46th Avenue in LIC Queens. An Asian Art Exhibit in the year of the dragon. Free. For details see - https://www.culturelablic.org/#artist-talk-year-of-the-dragon

Open Call for the Making Moves Dance Festival [MMDF] 2024. "... They will present performances from up to nine choreographers on ... [Friday, Saturday & Sunday September 20 - 22, 2024] ... All choreographers, dance artists, and companies working in any genre are encouraged to apply. Early submission is encouraged; the submission deadline is Friday, May 24, 2024 [at 6 pm]." For details see - https://jcal.submittable.com/submit/288855/15th-annual-making-moves-dance-festival

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Queens Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Queens Buzz New Member Sign Up.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 6 pm to 2 am - Night in the Brooklyn Grand Army Plaza Central Library. For details and a schedule of the events of the evening, see - https://www.bklynlibrary.org/night-library/schedule

Sunday, March 17, 2024 beginning at 7.20 am at Washington Avenue near the Brooklyn Museum - NYRR Half Marathon. There will be five waves, with the first at 7.20 am, the 2nd at 7.50 am, the 3rd at 8.20 am, the 4th at 8.50 am and the 5th at 9.20 am. The race heads south on Washington Avenue in Brooklyn, then does a U-turn and comes back north through Prospect Park, heading onto Flatbush. The route leaves Brooklyn over the Manhattan Bridge, and turns at City Hall toward the FDR, where it heads north until 42nd Street. At 42nd Street it departs the FDR and travels west to Times Square where it turns north again along 7th Avenue until it hits 59th Street where it turns east until it hits 5th Avenue at the SE corner of Central Park, where it turns into the park and heads north up to Bethesda Terrace, where it turns south and heads down to Columbus Circle [inside the park] where it ends. For details see - https://www.nyrr.org

Sunday, March 17, 2024 beginning at 1 pm, the Brooklyn Saint Patrick's Parade. The St. Patrick's Day events begin at Bartel-Pritchard Square at 14th Street at the southwest corner of Prospect Park in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. The parade was established in 1975 and is said to be the oldest St Patricks Day Parade in Brooklyn. Parade Route. Historically, the parade kicks off at Prospect Park West and 15th St [assembly stretches to 9th St] and then marches to 7th Ave & Garfield Place, back to Prospect Park West & 15th Street where there's a celebration from 2 - 5 pm. After Party. There's a St Patrick's Day Parade after party at Holy Name of Jesus Church at 245 Prospect Park West. There's a corned beef and cabbage dinner served along with beer, soda and music by Celtic Justice for $50 for which you must rsvp as there are no tickets sold at the gate. St. Patrick's Day parades in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn NYC.

  • For details see their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/p/Brooklyn-St-Patricks-Parade-100067529770947/ because as of this post their website was out of date - https://brooklynstpatricksparade.org/

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Brooklyn Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Brooklyn BLVD New Member Sign Up.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC

Sunday, March 17, 2024 begins at 5 pm - Rocking the House on St Patrick's Day at the Rambling House at 4292 Katonah Avenue in the Woodlawn neighborhood of the Bronx. A post St. Paddy's Day party. For details see - http://www.ramblinghousenyc.com or FB - https://www.facebook.com/events/1224517251840851/

Saturday, March 9th thru Sunday, March 31, 2024 from 2 to 4 pm - Art in Bloom - at the Bartow Pell Mansion at 895 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park. For details and $15 / $12 tickets see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.

Thru April 23, 2024 [began February 19th], the Orchid Show is on display at the NY Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. For details and $35 / $31 / $15 / free tickets see - https://www.nybg.org. They're open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Bronx Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up. There's a Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting on Tuesday, March 12th beginning at 7 pm hosting Kristy Marmorato who serves as the NEW Councilwoman for the 13th District.

 

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 12 noon - 5 pm - Carpenter's Shop Curiosities in Building G Galleries at Snug Harbor at 1000 Richmond Terrace in the Randall Manor neighborhood of Staten Island. A curated selection of vendors selling various arts, crafts, clothing and accessories. Free. https://snug-harbor.org

Sunday, March 17, 2024 the 1st Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade from 11 am to 3 pm. It is organized by the Forest Avenue BID in a response to the ongoing boycott of gay marchers by the traditional Staten Island St. Pat's Day parade organizers [see above]. Since the controversy, attendance at the traditional parade fell off significantly, which has hurt the businesses along Forest Avenue and diminished the sense of unity within the community. For details see - https://forestavenuebid.com

Friday, March 22, 2024 from 8 pm - 12 midnight - Pan African / Red, Black & Green Ball at the Crystal Room at 67 Olympia Blvd in the Arrochar neighborhood on Staten Island. Dinner and an awards celebration of pan African 'change agents' on Staten Island. For details and $125 tickets see - https://siblackheritageday.com

SI MEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR. See the Staten Island Events - Member Events for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Staten Buzz New Member Sign Up.

Have a nice weekend.


NYC St Patricks Day Pubs Bars & Restaurants - Places to Celebrate St Pats Day in NYC Manhattan Brooklyn Queens Bronx Staten Island

St Pat's Day NYC 2024 - Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants in NYC

Most Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants We Cover Survived & Are Ready to Party, but Remember Reduced Capacity Seating Offset by Outdoor Seating & CoVid Guidelines Still Apply

nyc irish pubs st pats day bars restaurants manhattan queens bronx brooklyn staten island st patricks day irish pubs bars restaurants nycMarch 11, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Irish Pubs Bars & Restaurants / Gotham Buzz NYC.

We're only a few days away from St. Patrick's Day 2024. Four years ago we were all waking up to a new reality ... the CoVid pandemic. So back then the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade in Manhattan was hugely scaled down ... and many in the outer boroughs were cancelled. Last year they all returned in spades.

Restaurants and bars have long settled back into mostly normal and many have kept the outdoor dining. The current weather forecast [as of 3/11/24] for St. Patrick's Day weekend calls for daytime temperatures in the 50's with a small possibility of precipitation on Sunday.

We've compiled a set of Irish pubs, bars and restaurants in each borough for you to peruse, if you're contemplating going out before or after the parades that span the entire month. Please remember, that like New Years Eve, all the amateur drinkers come out, many of whom are not Irish, so to all, please be respectful of others.

That said, enjoy yourself, drink responsibly, so that the day after your St. Patricks Day celebration is also a good one .



Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

'Spring Ahead' into Daylight Savings Time, TNC's Frankenstein, Rachmaninoff by Carnegie Hall Citywide, Women in the Heights Art Opening, IFC & Metrograph Film Event in Manhattan; Take Root & Fertile Ground dance, Black Spurs at Spectrum Theatre, Film Talk at Sculpture Center, Jackson Heights Orchestra & Jazz Jam in Queens; Italian Opera in Brooklyn; Bronx St Patricks Day Parades in Throggs Neck & Eastchester, Orchid Show at NYBG, City Island Theater Group performs Becky's New Car, Youth Photo Exhibit at Bronx Doc Film & Art Opening at Bartow Pell in the Bronx; Titanic Book Launch at the Lighthouse Museum, Portrait of Josephine at Newhouse Contemporary Art Museum & Two Indoor Markets on Staten Island; & NYC Ramandan begins Monday

things to do this weekend in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island events & things to do this weekend nycUpdated March 8, 2024 from 3-7-24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 3.8.24. Sunrise 6.18 am. Sunset 5.55 pm. Note that on Sunday Sunrise is 7.15 am at & Sunset is at 6.58 pm. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the high 40's on Saturday and the low 50's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be be in the low 40's on Friday and Saturday, descending into the high 30's on Sunday. The weekend is dry EXCEPT Saturday, when nearly an inch of rain is expected between 3 pm Saturday and 4 am Sunday. The winds will be between 5 - 10 mph Friday, and between 8 - 15 mph the rest of the weekend.

The photo at right shows life in the subway in Manhattan in mid January of this year.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Thursday, March 14 [Opening Reception] - May 7, 2024 beginning at 6 pm - Women in the Heights: Dress - Art Exhibit Opening at United Palace at 4140 Broadway in Washington Heights in Manhattan. It's the 15th annual exhibit organized by the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance [NoMAA]. Free but limited capacity so rsvp at https://www.nomaanyc.org/events/opening-women-in-the-heights-dress/

Friday, March 8, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - Carnegie Hall Citywide Presents Meghan Kasanders, Soprano & Dror Baitel, Piano performing Rachmaninoff at St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church at 263 West 86th Street on the UWS of Manhattan. No advance tickets or reservations required; seating is first come, first served. Doors on West End Avenue open at 6:30 p.m. (accessible entrance on W86th Street). For details see - https://stpaulandstandrew.org

March 14, 2024 begins at 8 pm - Anna May Wong / Daughter of Shanghai - Book Launch & Film Screening Reception [Members Only]. March 1 - 8, 2024 at various times - Film Series entitled Bad Actress, Forever Young, Mad House or Mad World & Remember Every Frame are being shown at the Metrograph Theater at 7 Ludlow on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. For details and $17 / $12 / $10 tickets see - https://metrograph.com.

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, February 22 thru March 10, 2024 beginning at 8 pm, except on Sundays when it begins at 3 pm - William Electric Black's The Frankenstein Project at the Theater for the New City at 155 First Avenue at 10th Street in the East Village in Manhattan.  For details and $18 / $15 tickets copy & paste - https://theaterforthenewcity.net/

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 - Opening of Blackout [a Werewolf film] at the IFC [Independent Film Center] at 323 6th Avenue. For details see - https://www.ifccenter.com.

This is New York [Film] runs until July 21, 2024 at the Museum of the City of New York at 1220 5th Avenue at 104th Street on the UES of Manhattan. For details and $20 tickets see - https://www.mcny.org.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Manhattan Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Friday & Saturday, March 8 & 9, 2024 at 8 pm - Take Root Dance performance. And Sunday, March 10, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - Fertile Ground Dance performance. Both at at Greenspace at 37-24 24th Street in LIC in Queens. For details and $18 tickets see - https://www.greenspacestudio.org.

Saturday, March 9, 2024 from 1 to 3 pm - Small World Cinema Conversation with Liu & Wood - at the Sculpture Center at 44-19 Purves Street in LIC Queens. Free but must rsvp at - https://www.sculpture-center.org.

Wednesday thru Saturday, March 13 - 23, 2024 [except 3/18 & 3/19] beginning at 7 pm weekdays except Wednesdays which are 11 am matinees and 2 pm Saturdays & 4 pm Sundays - Black Spurs. At Black Spectrum Theater at 177th Street and Baisley Blvd in Jamaica Queens. A story about an African American who sets out on a trail ride along the Chisolm Trail in an effort to raise money to save his family home. For details and $35 tickets see - http://www.blackspectrum.com.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 beginning at 7.30 pm - Jackson Heights Orchestra at St. Marks Church at 33-50 82nd Street in Jackson Heights Queens. They perform Copland, Ellington, Burleigh and Dvorak. Free but suggested donation of $20. For details see - https://jhorchestra.org.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - Louis Armstrong Legacy Jazz Jams at Flushing Town Hall at 137-35 Northern Blvd in Flushing Queens. For details and $10 tickets see - https://www.flushingtownhall.org.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Queens Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Queens Buzz New Member Sign Up.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Saturdays & Sundays, March 2 & 3, 9 & 10, 2024 beginning at 3 pm [and extra performance at 7 pm on 3/9] - Pietro Mascagni’s CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA conducted by Scott Jackson Wiley, staged by Sabrina Palladino and performed in Italian with English supertitles at the OLPH Catholic Academy of Brooklyn at 59-02 6th Avenue in Sunset Park in Brooklyn. For details and $25 / $20 / $5 tickets see - http://reginaopera.org and the location is at https://www.olphcab.org

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 beginning at 6.45 pm - State of the Borough Address by Antonio Reynoso at City Tech at 275 Jay Street. For details and tickets see - https://www.brooklynbp.nyc.gov.

Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 6 pm to 2 am - Night in the Brooklyn Grand Army Plaza Central Library. Details coming.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Brooklyn Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Brooklyn BLVD New Member Sign Up.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC

Saturday, March 9th thru Sunday, March 31, 2024 from 2 to 4 pm - Art in Bloom - at the Bartow Pell Mansion at 895 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park. For details and $15 / $12 tickets see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.

bronx st pats parade throgs neck st patricks day parade photos bronx st pats parade throgs neck photos Sunday, March 10, 2024 beginning at 12 noon the Throggs Neck St Patricks Day Parade in the Bronx steps off at Lafayette and East Tremont Avenue. The parade marches south on East Tremont Avenue, through the Throgs Neck commercial district, ending about a mile later at Harding and East Tremont Avenue, where a mobile stage is usually set up for parade speechs and entertainment. The parade lasts about an hour, but the festivities go on far longer. The parade is organized by the Throggs Neck Benevolent Association [aka TNBA]. For details see their blogspot page at - https://tnsaintpatricksdayparade.blogspot.com

The photo at right was taken at the Throggs Neck St Patricks Day Parade in 2018.

Sunday, March 10, 2024 the Eastchester St. Patrick's Day parade in the Bronx kicks off at 3 pm at the Immaculate Conception School on Main Street. It marches north on Route 22 - ICS to White Plains Road and ends at Lake Isle Country Club. St. Patrick's Day parades in Westchester County. For details and viewing locations suggestions see - https://www.eastchesterirish.org/st-patrick-s-day-parade/.

Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, March 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 & 10, 2024 beginning at 8 pm, 8 pm & 3 pm respectively - Becky's New Car at Grace Hall at 116 City Island Avenue in the Bronx. Performance of a new play by the City Island Theater Group. For $30 / $25 tickets and details see - https://www.cityislandtheatergroup.com.

Thru April 23, 2024 [began February 19th], the Orchid Show is on display at the NY Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. For details and $35 / $31 / $15 / free tickets see - https://www.nybg.org. They're open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

Friday January 25 - Sunday, March 10, 2024 - Through Our Eyes Youth Photo Exhibit 2013 - 2023 at the Bronx Doc Film Center Annex at 364 East 151st Street in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx. For details see - https://www.bronxdoc.org/. Free but donations welcome. Open Thursday, Friday, [Saturday closed 3/2/24] & Sunday from 3 - 7 pm weekdays and from 1 - 5 pm weekends.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Bronx Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up. There's a Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting on Tuesday, March 12th beginning at 7 pm hosting Kristy Marmorato who serves as the NEW Councilwoman for the 13th District.

 

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Saturday, March 9, 2024 beginning at 2 pm - Portraits of Josephine at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor at 1000 Richmond Terrace in the Randall Manor neighborhood of Staten Island. Musical performance with actor and playwright Kirya Traber. Josephine Baker was the first woman of color to star in a movie in 1927 and became a civil rights activist in the 1950's. Free.

Saturday, March 9, 2024 from 11 am to 2.30 pm - Indoor Market at New Dorp Moravian Church at 2205 Richmond Road on Staten Island. There will be about a dozen and a half vendors selling arts, crafts, body & bath, clothing, jewelry, handbags, accessories, gifts and pet related items. Free entry.

Saturday, March 9, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - Indoor Market at Flagship Brewing Company at 40 Minthorne Street in the Tompkinsville neighborhood of Staten Island. Arts, crafts, vendors, photo booth. Free entry. For details see - https://www.instagram.com/prismvisions_/

Sunday, March 10, 2024 from 2 to 3 pm - Titanic Book Launch at the National Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade at Lighthouse Point. Iron and Ice is the story of the Titanic. For details and $10 tickets see - https://lighthousemuseum.org.

SI MEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR. See the Staten Island Events - Member Events for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Staten Buzz New Member Sign Up.

Have a nice weekend.


City of Yes Text Amendments - Huge Zoning Changes in the Works

How Much Will the Proposed 'City of Yes Text Changes' Strip Communities of Input into What is Built in their Communities & What Activities Take Place within Each Property?

city of yes text amendments part 2 economic development nyc zoning law changes 2024Updated March 9, 2024 from 3.6.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Real Estate / NYC Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

On Thursday, February 1, 2024 I attended a Community Board 2 Queens meeting about the proposed City of Yes Text Amendments at the Sunnyside Community Services Center. The presentation was given by the Department of City Planning and the focus was the second piece of the massive, nearly 1,157 page City of Yes Text Amendment proposal.

The photo at right shows two City Planning Department representatives fielding questions from the audience following their presentation of the zoning law changes proposed in the City of Yes Text Amendments - Part II - Economic Development.

 

What are the City of Yes Text Amendment Zoning Law Changes?

The first segment of the proposal included changes to zoning in order to enable green energy powered buildings. The second segment of the proposal, which was what this meeting was all about, was to make changes to zoning laws to provide more zoning flexibility to enable more economic opportunity. And the third segment of the City of Yes Text Amendments is to address the need for affordable housing. As previously mentioned, for the purposes of this report, we're sticking to the second segment of the three part proposal, which moved front and center following the passage of the green energy initiative passed by the City Council in December of 2022.

 

City of Yes Text Amendment Changes - Part II - Economic Development

I am including a slide show from the February 1st, 2024 meeting mentioned above. And I have also reached out to Alicia Boyd, a Brooklyn activist in this area, and have obtained her permission to post a slide show she presented on January 16, 2024 at the Richmond University Medical Center on Staten Island. By providing you with both slide shows you'll obtain both a 'Pro' perspective and a 'Con' perspective. The Pro perspective, provided by the City Planning Department, also includes a description of the specific changes to the zoning laws for which they are advocating. We'll have more on this in the coming weeks because we think it is one of the most important issues of the day and the City Council is expected to vote on it in April 2024.

  • CLICK here to read the rest of our report, including competing slide shows about the proposed City of Yes Test amendments - Part II - Economic Development. As of this post we've not yet heard back from Alicia Boyd of MTOPP, but expect to hear from her today / tomorrow or by the end of the week. So please stay tuned.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Funding Deadlines for Youth Summer Jobs, Earth Day Artists Open Call & Citizens NYC Grants for all NYC Boros; Outsider Art Fair, Jelly's Last Jam, TNC's Frankenstein, Rachmaninoff by Carnegie Hall Citywide & Metrograph Film Series in Manhattan; Julio Film at Queens Historical, Open House & Redading Discussion at JCAL, St Patricks Day Parades in Sunnyside & the Rockaways in Queens; Italian Opera & Glide Skating under the Bridge in Brooklyn; Orchid Show at NYBG, City Island Theater Group performs Becky's New Car & Youth Photo Exhibit at Bronx Doc Film in the Bronx; and St. Patrick's Day Parade on Staten Island

st pats for all parade photos 2012 sunnyside queens

Updated March 2, 2024 from 3.1.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 2.23.24. Sunrise 6.29 am. Sunset 5.48 pm. There's over a 90% probability, of about a half inch of rain, expected on Saturday, beginning after 7 am and ending about 9 pm. Sunday is dry, but cloudy. The temperature highs will climb from the mid 40's on Friday to about 50 on Saturday to about 60 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be about 40 on Friday, climbing to the high 40's for the rest of the weekend. The humidity will rise from the 40% - 70% range on Friday, to the 80% - 90% range on Saturday, before falling back to 70% - 80% on Sunday. The winds will range from 4 - 9 mph all weekend.

The photo at right was taken at the St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside Queens in an earlier year.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in New York City - Open Calls

The Deadline for the Summer Youth Employment Program is Friday, March 1, 2024. Copy & paste this link to apply now - https://application.nycsyep.com/?emci=14c7d66f-8dd1-ee11-85f9-002248223794&emdi=35506f79-ced1-ee11-85f9-002248223794&ceid=13568279

The Deadline for the MTA Earth Day Artists' Installation Program is Monday, March 4, 2024. Up to $10,000 for works celebrating Earth Day this year [official date is 4/22, but the event is scheduled for 4/20/24] at MTA sites. Copy & paste this link to apply now - https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/dotart-cfed-2024.pdf

The Deadline for the Citizens NYC Program is Friday, March 1, 2024. Copy & paste this link to apply now for the $3,000 Community Leaders Grant - https://www.citizensnyc.org/communityleaders?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=e9ef546d-2fbe-4271-b3bf-2a79b8f1ee57

And copy & paste this link to apply now for the $5,000 Neighborhood Business Grant - https://www.citizensnyc.org/nbg?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=e9ef546d-2fbe-4271-b3bf-2a79b8f1ee57

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Thursday - Sunday, February 29 - March 3, 2024 from 12 noon - 6 pm Thurs, from 11 am - 8 pm Fri & Sat & from 11 am - 6 pm Sunday - Outsider Art Fair at the Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 West 18th Street [between 6th & 7th Avenue] in Chelsea. It's just what it says it is, which is an art fair for those operating outside of the established art world. For details and $35 / $65 / $100 tickets see - https://www.outsiderartfair.com

March 1 - 8, 2024 at various times - Film Series entitled Bad Actress, Forever Young, Mad House or Mad World & Remember Every Frame are being shown at the Metrograph Theater at 7 Ludlow on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. For details and $17 / $12 / $10 tickets see - https://metrograph.com.

Wednesday / Tuesday - Sunday, Feberuary 21 - March 3, 2024 beginning at 7.30 pm weekdays, 8 pm on Saturdays and at 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays - Jelly's Last Jam at New York City Center at 131 West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan. For details and $45 - $165 tickets copy & paste - https://www.nycitycenter.org

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, February 22 thru March 10, 2024 beginning at 8 pm, except on Sundays when it begins at 3 pm - William Electric Black's The Frankenstein Project at the Theater for the New City at 155 First Avenue at 10th Street in the East Village in Manhattan.  For details and $18 / $15 tickets copy & paste - https://theaterforthenewcity.net/

Friday, March 8, 2024 beginning at 7 pm - Carnegie Hall Citywide Presents Meghan Kasanders, Soprano & Dror Baitel, Piano performing Rachmaninoff at St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church at 263 West 86th Street on the UWS of Manhattan. No advance tickets or reservations required; seating is first come, first served. Doors on West End Avenue open at 6:30 p.m. (accessible entrance on W86th Street). For details see - https://stpaulandstandrew.org

  • This is New York [Film] runs until July 21, 2024 at the Museum of the City of New York at 1220 5th Avenue at 104th Street on the UES of Manhattan. For details and $20 tickets see - https://www.mcny.org.
  • Beginning Thursday, February 8 - March 3, 2024 starting at various times ranging from 2 pm to 8.30 pm - the Winter One Act Festival at the Chain Theatre at 312 West 36th Street on floors 3 & 4. For details and $22 tickets see - https://www.chaintheatre.org
  • Ending Saturday, March 2, 2024, times vary, but generally in the range of 11 am or 1 pm to 4 pm or 6 pm - Ice Bumper Cars in Bryant Park. between 5th & 6th Avenues and between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan. For details and $20 tickets and to rsvp see - https://bryantpark.org.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Manhattan Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Sunday, March 3, 2024 beginning at 2.30 pm - Julio - at the Kingsland Homestead at 143-35 37th Avenue in Flushing. A film about the murder of a gay man in Jackson Heights in 1990 which resulted in the coming out of one of the most closeted LGBTQ communities in NYC at the time. For details and to rsvp a free ticket see - https://queenshistoricalsociety.org.

Saturday, March 2, 2024 from 12 noon to 3 pm & from 3 pm to 5 pm, JCAL Art Classes Open House & Reading & Discussion Series at the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning at 161-04 Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica Queens. Free. For details see - https://jcal.org.

Ongoing until Sunday, March 3, 2024 from 1 to 3 pm when there is a - Closing Reception for the 23rd Bayside Historical Society Annual Winter Art Show at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center at 26th Avenue and Bell Blvd in Bayside. Free. For details see - https://www.baysidehistorical.org/bhs-winter-art-show

Saturday, March 2, 2024 beginning at 1 pm - The 49th Annual Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Rockaways kicks off at Beach 130th and Newport Avenue. Church services at Francis de Sales Church [129th and Newport Avenue] will be held prior to the parade with a brunch by invitation only. The parade marches east down Newport Avenue to 116th Street, where it turns right / heads south one block to Rockaway Blvd - where it turns left and continues east down Rockaway Blvd to 102nd Street terminating near a shopping center parking lot. This parade is in the Rockaways neighborhood of Queens. For details see - https://queenscountyparade.org/

Sunday, March 3, 2024 beginning at 12 noon - The St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside begins with speeches and music at 12 noon, and then kicks off from Skillman Avenue and 43rd Street in Sunnyside, Queens marching east and up hill for 15 blocks before ending at 58th Street in Woodside. For details see - https://www.stpatsforall.org/

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - See the Queens Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Queens Buzz New Member Sign Up.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Saturdays & Sundays, March 2 & 3, 9 & 10, 2024 beginning at 3 pm [and extra performance at 7 pm on 3/9] - Pietro Mascagni’s CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA conducted by Scott Jackson Wiley, staged by Sabrina Palladino and performed in Italian with English supertitles at the OLPH Catholic Academy of Brooklyn at 59-02 6th Avenue in Sunset Park in Brooklyn. For details and $25 / $20 / $5 tickets see - http://reginaopera.org and the location is at https://www.olphcab.org

  • Daily, January, February, ending March 1, 2024 from 12 noon to 9 pm - Glide in Brooklyn Bridge Park [in the Emily Warren Roebling Plaza] at 334 Furman Street. Ice skating underneath the Brooklyn Bridge along the East River. For details and $0 - $43 tickets see - https://glidebk.com.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Brooklyn Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Brooklyn BLVD New Member Sign Up.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC

Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, March 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 & 10, 2024 beginning at 8 pm, 8 pm & 3 pm respectively - Becky's New Car at Grace Hall at 116 City Island Avenue in the Bronx. Performance of a new play by the City Island Theater Group. For $30 / $25 tickets and details see - https://www.cityislandtheatergroup.com.

Thru April 23, 2024 [began February 19th], the Orchid Show is on display at the NY Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. For details and $35 / $31 / $15 / free tickets see - https://www.nybg.org. They're open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

Friday January 25 - Sunday, March 10, 2024 - Through Our Eyes Youth Photo Exhibit 2013 - 2023 at the Bronx Doc Film Center Annex at 364 East 151st Street in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx. For details see - https://www.bronxdoc.org/. Free but donations welcome. Open Thursday, Friday, [Saturday closed 3/2/24] & Sunday from 3 - 7 pm weekdays and from 1 - 5 pm weekends.

MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. See the Bronx Member Events Calendar for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up. There's a Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting on Tuesday, March 12th beginning at 7 pm hosting Kristy Marmorato who serves as the NEW Councilwoman for the 13th District.

 

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

staten island st patricks day bars restaurants irish pubs staten island st pat's day irish pubs staten island st patrick's day parties stapleton south beach st patricks day bars restaurants pubs great kills richmond town castleton st pat's day parties staten island st patricks day irish pubs rossville tomplinsville st pats day staten island nycSunday, March 3, 2024 the 59th / 60th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade on Staten Island steps off between 11.30 / 12.30 pm [after a church service at Blessed Sacrament in West Brighton]. They begin at Harts Blvd marching along Forest Avenue in the Westerleigh / Elm Park neighborhoods to Jewett Avenue, in the West New Brighton neighborhood of Staten Island. The parade lasts about one to two hours, but the celebrating continues after the parade.

Members of the LGBTQ community continue to be banned from openly marching in the parade. The parade is organized by the Richmond County St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee and not the Ancient Order of Hiberians.

The photo at right was taken at the Staten Island St Pats Parade in 2018.

SI MEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR. See the Staten Island Events - Member Events for free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. The new member sign up function has been fixed by providing this link - Staten Buzz New Member Sign Up.

Have a nice weekend.


St Pats Day Parades in NYC - All 5 Boros

St Pats Day Parades in All 5 Boros of NYC

This is a Look at All of the Upcoming St Patricks Day Parades, Including Photos of those We've Covered Over the Years with Links to a Page Containing Photos and Descriptions of Some of the Best Irish Pubs in Each Borough

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycMUpdated March 7, 2024 from 3.1.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs start at about 40 on Tuesday, rising to 45 Wednesday and 55 on Thursday, before falling back to 40 on Friday. The temperature lows start in the low 30's on Tuesday, rise to the low 40's on Wednesday, before falling back to the mid 30's on Thursday and rising again to about 40 on Friday. The winds on Tuesday range from 5 - 15 mph, then fall back to 5 - 10 mph on Wednesday and Thursday before kicking up to 15 - 20 mph on Friday. The humidity will range from 75% - 85% on Tuesday, then fall back to 65% - 75% for the rest of the weekdays. There's a 50% chance of a scant amount of precipitation Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, before a real chance of an inch and a quarter of either snow or rain on Friday. Most of Saturday and Sunday should be clear.

The photo at right was taken at the St Pats for All Parade in Sunnyside Queens. This St Pat's Parade was created to allow LGBTQ folks to march in a St Patricks Day parade at a time when all of the others banned LGBTQ from marching in their parades. As of March 1, 2024 there's only one St. Patrick's Day parade that continues to discriminate against people whose gender isn't totally traditional / binary. And there seems to be a pretty large groundswell of support for ending the discrimination, as a second Staten Island LGBTQ St. Patrick's Day celebration started last year, which this year has morphed into a full blown parade on March 17th. Conservative Catholics cite the Bible as their justification for the ongoing discrimination, but it's unclear whether such an interpretation of a text that has been translated from Hebrew, to Greek, to Latin, to English would hold up under greater scrutiny. Why would a just God discriminate against his own creation?

 

Each Borough Has its Own Parade

Parades, Pubs and Restaurants in Each Borough. Each borough has at least one or more St. Patrick's Day parade. As we've covered most of them, we've included links to our reports of each St. Patricks Day Parade to provide you with further details of the experience of attending. We've also included links to some of the best or oldest Irish pubs and restaurants in each borough. As this is by no means a comprehensive list, and we will continue refining this report as we learn more about the Irish pubs and restaurants in each borough of NYC.

How this page is organized. We've organized this page first by borough and then by date. The parades span the month, and even though ... the official feast date for St. Patrick is March 17th, the date of the Manhattan St. Patrick's Day parade is March 16, 2024 because as a tradition they don't march on Sundays, which in the Catholic religion is the Lord's Day. The Manhattan St Patrick's Day parade is the largest in NYC.

The LGBTQ Parade Participation Issue Appears to be Abating. In 2000 the St Pats for All parade was first launched in Sunnyside, Queens to protest the banning of gays from marching in the Manhattan St Pats Day Parade. In 2014 / 2015 the Manhattan Parade opened up its participation rules to allow gays to march. In 2020 the Throgs Neck parade in the Bronx opened up its participation to gays. At present only the Staten Island parade continues to ban LGBTQ community members from participating in the parade as openly gay people. The Staten Island ban continues in 2024 by the traditional parade organizers, but they now have competition as a new LGBTQ friendly parade will be marching on March 17, 2024.



The City of Yes Voting Tonight in Sunnyside Queens

The Most Sweeping Zoning Law Changes in a Half Century are Underway.

Why is the Media MIA?

things to do this weekend nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc weekend eventsFebruary 21, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Real Estate & Business / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

There's a vote tonight on the City of Yes zoning law changes beginning at 6 pm at 43-22 50th Street in Sunnyside Queens.

The City of Yes zoning law changes are the most sweeping changes to zoning laws in NYC in over a half century. I've not yet had a chance to thoroughly study them, but a cursory review indicates that one of the main tenets of the proposal is a significant rollback of local control in favor of real estate development. The Mayor's argument for this rollback is that it will enable developers to create more housing and enable more integration in neighborhoods.

COPY & PASTE this url into your browser to go to the website of Alicia Boyd of Brooklyn, who is a non-profit activist who's analyzed and been monitoring the 1,500 page City of Yes proposal - https://mtopp.org/index.php/2024/02/05/wake-up-do-you-know-whats-about-to-happen-to-your-new-york/

You'd think that such a major overhaul would be covered by the mainstream media. But they act unaware, just don't care, or they don't dare cover the issue because it doesn't generate the ratings that regurgitations of sensationalist accident and crime videos do.

We'll have more on this in the coming week, as a vote in the City Council is estimated by some to come as early as March.


NYC Things To Do Presidents Day Weekend - Events Presidents Day NYC

Things To Do Presidents Day Weekend in All 5 Boros of NYC

nyc things to do presidents day weekend nyc presidents day weekend events nycFebruary 14, 2024 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Presidents Day Weekend is three weeks away. For many, not all, it's a three day weekend. This means the Post Office and most federal, state and oftentimes municipal offices are also closed.

NYC Weather Presidents Day Weekend. Be aware that this forcast is a full three weeks out and subject to significant change by the time the weekend arrives. But that said, as of this post 1/31/23 the temperature highs will be in the mid 40's, and the temperature lows will be in the around 30 degrees. Precipitation. There isn't any rain forecast for the Presidents Day Weekend, as of this post. Winds. Generally they're 5 - 10 mph. Humidity. It's been a very warm and dry winter and it's expected to continue. As of this post humidity is expected around 50%.  Click for NYC Weather.


Brief History of Presidents Day Holiday in NYC

bronx things to do presidents day weekend bronx presidents day weekend events bronx nycA day commemorating Lincoln's birthday was first passed in Buffalo, New York in the early 1870's. Presidents Day originated as Washington's Birthday which was a holiday narrowly prescribed for federal government offices in Washington, D.C. in 1879. The holiday was dedicated to honoring the memory of the first American president, George Washington who was born on February 22, 1732.

In 1885 the holiday was expanded to include all federal government offices around the nation. In 1951 there was a push to create a Presidents Day holiday [vs a George Washington's birthday holiday] to include President Lincoln whose birthday is February 12, 1809 and was also celebrated by localities, but it didn't pass.

In 1971 the holiday was moved off of George Washington's birth date to being the third Monday in February. Thus while it never falls upon Washington's birthday 2/22, the official name of the holiday remains Washington's Birthday. But today, most folks refer to it as Presidents Day and to recognize the presidents who honored the U.S. Constitution and served the interests of the people.

More events, many of which will not be Presidents Day themed, will be posted the Friday leading into Presidents Day Weekend [2/17/23].

Enjoy.



The First Taylor Swift Travis Kelce Super Bowl Ends in Chiefs Victory

Swift Arrived on Time, but No Engagement Announcement: Chiefs 25 - 49'ers 22

February 12, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Super Bowl LVIII didn't disappoint. After four quarters the Chiefs and 49'ers were tied. They went into overtime and it took the entire overtime period for the Chiefs to emerge victorious 25 - 22, in a Super Bowl to remember.

Contrary to the rumors leading up to the big game, pop star Taylor Swift did not receive an engagement ring from K.C. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. She did, however, arrive at the game on time, after wrapping up a performance on her Eras tour in Tokyo, about 17 hours earlier.

January 13, 2024 Update. The TV ratings for the event have just been released. They broke the record for the most watched TV show & Super Bowl, with total viewership hitting an estimated 123 million, which was up from the last Super Bowl record, made last year with 115 million viewers.

More news coming later Tuesday 2.13.24.


NYC Valentines Day Restaurants - NYC Romantic Restaurants Manhattan Brooklyn Queens Bronx & Staten Island

Valentines Day Restaurants in NYC 2024

Dining Out on Valentine's Day 2024 in the 5 Boros of NYC

nyc valentines day restaurants nyc romantic restaurants all five boros nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycJFebruary 6, 2024 / NYC Restaurants / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Three weeks from next Wednesday is Valentine's Day in NYC. We are working on a roundup of romantic and Valentines restaurants in NYC by borough that will be offering indoor and / or outdoor dining specials on that day.

One thing worth noting is that with outdoor seating and Valentines Day falling on a week day - depending on your loved one's desire for dining specifically on Valentines Day - you should have good luck in booking a reservation.

So, here are links to Valentine's Day dining in all five of NYC boroughs - by borough. We also identify a number of restaurants have gone under since the pandemic began.



NYC Things to do February in NYC - February Events NYC

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Black History Month Begins, Valentines Day Weekend a Week Away, NYC Restaurant Week, Hotel Week and 2:1 Broadway Tickets - ALL end Sunday, Women in the Heights Open Call ends Monday & Ice Bumper Cars in Manhattan; the Flushing Chinese New Year Parade next Saturday in Queens; Glide under the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn; Bartow Pell Mansion Open Call ends Thursday 2/8 & Art Exhibit Event at Hostos in the Bronx Next Week; a Tavern Concert at Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island

things to do this weekend nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc weekend events

February 2, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather as of 2.2.24. Sunrise 7.04 am. Sunset 5.14 pm. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 40's and the temperature lows will be in the low 30's. Winds will range from 7 - 12 mph all weekend. The humidity will be 70% - 80% on Friday and then fall to 50% - 60% for the rest of the weekend. It's expected to be sunny without any precipitation in the forecast. This seems to be an awfully good weekend weather report for this time of year.

The photo at right shows Trinity Church cemetery in Downtown Manhattan last week, near where the Department of City Planning held two super important meetings. One was about a new real estate development on Flushing Meadows Corona parkland in Queens. The second was about the City of Yes Text Amendments which will completely change the limits on development in NYC. Democracies only work if the citizenry pays attention and participates. As Jefferson is quoted as saying [said something similar but it was a Vermont journalist who coined the phrase], "... Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty ...".

 



Mayor Adams Vetoes the How Many Stops Act - 586-A

* Updated - How Many Stops Act Veto Overridden & Was the Mayor Justified in Vetoing the How Many Stops Act Bill [586-A]?

And Did Corporate TV News Inform or Distort the Issue by Televising the Yusef Salaam Stop?

mayor eric adams vetoes how many stops act bill 586-A nycUpdated February 1, 2024 from 1.30.24 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The NYC Council voted to override Mayor Adams veto of the How Many Stops Act - Bill 586-A by a margin of 42 to override the veto and 9 in support of it, with 0 abstentions. The City Council also revoked the use of solitary confinement at Rikers. A number of the councilmembers stated an interest in working with Mayor Adams on implementation of the changes, to ensure there's no degradation of law enforcement effectiveness because of the change.

Some council members shared negative experiences of their own and their constituents, of being stopped by the police. Many NYC Council members also commended NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for drafting and pushing the legislation through the council.

The photo at right was taken at City Hall in December of 2023, when the Mayor met with members of the ethnic and community media, to discuss past, present and future issues and efforts.

CLICK here to read our report about why we think the Mayor was right in vetoing the Too Many Stops Act.



Mayor Adams Justifies his Veto of the How Many Stops Act - 586-A

What They’re Saying: New York Leaders Continue to Voice Opposition to City Council Bill That Could Make NYC Streets Less Safe

This is a Reprint of a Press Release Issued by the Mayor's Office Regarding the How Many Stops Act

January 29, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

The Following is a Press Release issued by the Mayor's Office

NEW YORK – Following today’s veto on City Council bill Intro. 586-A — which could make New York City less safe by forcing New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers to spend more time filling out reports after Level 1 interactions with the public instead of patrolling the street and keeping the public safe — faith leaders, community advocates, business organizations, district attorneys, law enforcement professionals, and everyday New Yorkers voiced their opposition to the bill.

Here is what New York leaders are saying:

CLICK here to read reactions to Mayor Adams Vetoing the How Many Stops Act - 586-A in NYC.

What follows is the full reprint of a press release issued by the Mayor's Office on January 19, 2024. 

  • CLICK here for a press release by the Mayor's Office regarding community leaders' response to Mayor Adams' veto of the Too Many Stops Act .


The Federal Reserve in NYC - Looking at the Impact of Climate Change

Climate Change is Real. Its Impact is Already Affecting Economic Investments & Outcomes, The Federal Reserve Shared a Closer Look with us in October 2023

ny federal reserve climate change conference 2023 manhattan nycJanuary 23, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Issues / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

On Monday, October 2, 2023 I headed down to the Federal Reserve Bank in NYC to make a withdrawal. Not a withdrawal of money, but to collect some information about Climate Change, at a Conference they hosted for local media outlets.

 

Keynote Speaker - Economics Professor Stiglitz

The Keynote speaker was Joseph E. Stiglitz, a professor at Columbia University, who participated in a discussion with John C. Williams, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of NY.

 

Informational Economics - Investment & Business Decisions are Based on Imperfect Information

The keynote speaker, George Stiglitz, has expertise is in economics, and more specifically, informational economics. Economist George Stigler [not to be confused with the keynote speaker Joseph Stiglitz] is credited with first developing 'The Economics of Information' in 1961 while a professor at the University of Chicago. This was the beginning of an entire area of study of how information and information systems affect economic decision making.

In the 1970's three researchers, one of whom was Joseph Stiglitz, is credited with developing the theory of 'Asymmetric Information' which posits generally that - one party, in a two party transaction, has better information. For example the seller of a used auto knows more about the car than the buyer or a borrower likely has better information about whether there will be problems in repaying the loan.

 

The Asymmetric Information Processing of the Risk of Climate Change

An Important Example of where Ignorance is Not a Recipe for Bliss

ny federal reserve climate change conference 2023 manhattan nycFor purposes of this discussion, the asymmetrics of information was discussed in a more global fashion, as the various and sundry impacts of global climate change have already begun to affect all economic transactions - albeit at the present time - some areas of the economy far more than others. Here what we're talking about is understanding the risks that climate change have on various economic sectors.

One example of a sector already impacted by climate change would be waterfront property, where the severity of flooding over the past decade or so, has increased the risk of devastating consequences and thus likely dampened - if not lowered the price - at which one can sell such property. Another example is where climate change is affecting the value of oil stocks. As the human race becomes more aware of the devastating side effects of uninterrupted use of carbon energy - which could lead to a near total extinction of, not just the human race, but most other species on the planet as well - the tax credits and investments in carbon fuel will stop, or trickle to a tinkle, like the Mississippi River has.

For details see - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/27/opinion/environment/mississippi-river-drought-colorado.html

You might think I'm sensationalizing the potential impact of climate change by stating that it could lead to species mass extinctions or nearly mass extinction of the human race. I say nearly mass extinction of the human race, because there will likely be some survivors and generally they're likely to be the ones who profited by doing this to the rest of us. Anyhow, in just the past few years, BILLIONS of Alaskan snow crabs have disappeared from oceanic areas around Alaska. While scientists are still trying to determine exactly what happened here, they hypothesize that warming oceanic temperatures have significantly reduced their food supply.

For details see - https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/19/us/alaska-crabs-ocean-heat-climate/index.html#

Please, don't - for a moment - think that this can't happen to the food supply of the 7 - 8 billion people living on this planet. Because just as the weather pattern shifts you see affecting your daily activities, they are wreaking havoc with the underlying ecosystem - the most significant impacts of which we are yet to experience. And which - if we do not roll back the ecosystemic changes in time - will become irreversible.

 

Enter the Federal Reserve - The Goal Here is to 'Manage Financial Systemic Risk'

So one might rightfully ask what has Climate Change got to do with the Federal Reserve?

The best place for this answer was the Federal Reserve website, which generally stated that its role is as follows, " ... 1) Managing the nation's monetary policy by influencing money and credit conditions in pursuit of full employment and stable prices, 2) Supervising and regulating banks and other important financial institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation's financial system and to protect the credit rights of consumers, 3) Maintaining the stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk, and 4) Providing certain financial services to the U.S. government, U.S. financial institutions, and foreign official institutions, and overseeing the nation's payments systems ...". Editor's Note - I edited out of the above statement what I believe was superfluous verbiage. See for yourself -

https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/about_12594.htm#:~:text=Supervising%20and%20regulating%20banks%20and,may%20arise%20in%20financial%20markets.

https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/climate-change-and-financial-stability-20210319.html

 

The Federal Reserve Conference on Climate Change

Now that we've briefed you, we're ready to go inside the Federal Reserve Bank, to hear what was said about climate change and it's impacts on the economy.

More coming later this week, or possibly this weekend. Stay tuned.


NYC Things to do Martin Luther King Weekend - MLK Events NYC

Martin Luther King Day Weekend Events / Things To Do in NYC

Things To Do in NYC over the MLK Day Weekend

nyc things to do mlk day weekend nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island mlk day weekend events nycJanuary 8, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

MLK Weekend Weather in NYC as of 1.8.24. Sunrise 7.19 am / Sunset 4.52 pm on MLK Day. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday, the high 50's on Saturday and descending to the mid 30's on Sunday and Monday. The temperature lows will be around 40 on Friday and then around 30 the rest of the weekend. There's a 100% chance of an inch and a half of rain on Friday evening beginning around 7 pm, and the possibility of some rain or snow Monday evening after 7 pm. The humidity will be in the 60% - 80% range on Friday, the 50% - 60% range on Saturday, the 40% - 50% range on Sunday and the 50% - 60% range on Monday. The winds will rise from 10 to 22 mph on Friday, hover about 19 mph on Saturday, and then fall back to 12 - 16 mph Sunday, and dropping again to 7 - 8 mph on Monday.



NYC Things to do January in NYC - January Events NYC

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

First Weekend of the New Year 2024 - Some of the Top Things to do this Weekend in All Five Boros of NYC

things to do this weekend nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc weekend events

January 5, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. Sunrise 7.20 am. Sunset 4.43 pm. The temperature highs will be in the high 30's all weekend. The temperature lows will be around 30 degrees all weekend. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday and Sunday, rising on Saturday to 15 - 20 mph. The humidity will rise from 45% on Friday, to 70% - 90% on Saturday, falling back a bit to 80% on Sunday. On Saturday, there will be an inch of rain [doubtfully snow in NYC] dropped between 3 pm and 2 am Sunday.

 

The photo at right was taken on New Years Day, at Coney Island in Brooklyn, as the Polar Bear Club took their annual plunge into the Atlantic Ocean. The weather was in the 40's and, as you can see, it was sunny. I used to think of the event as a bit of insanity, but on this New Years Day, it actually seemed like good fun.

 

CLICK here for NYC things to do in January - Events in NYC in January.



New Years Resolutions NYC: The Road Ahead

New Years Resolutions 2024: The Road Ahead

A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year

new years resolutions nyc nysJanuary 1, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year. It's an opportunity to start anew. And even if we don't fulfill our highest expectations, moving the needle in the right direction, is always a good thing.

The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally to make 2024 a better year for you.



NYC New Years Eve Parties - NYE Parties in NYC All 5 Boros Manhattan Brooklyn Queens Bronx & Staten Island

New Years Eve Parties NYC & NYE Parties & Events NYC 2023 / 2024

We're Looking Forward to an Uneventful & Enjoyable New Years Eve

December 29, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

nyc new years eve parties nyc new years eve restaurants new years eve NYE parties bronx manhattan brooklyn queens staten island nyc nyeWeather Forecast. NYE Sunrise in NYC - 7.20 am. NYE Sunset in NYC - 4.38 pm. The temperature highs will be in the mid 50's on Friday, dropping to the mid 40's for the rest of the three day holiday weekend including Monday. The temperature lows will be around 40 through Sunday, dropping into the low 30's on Monday. Humidity will be around 70% on Friday, descending into the 60's for the rest of the three day weekend. The winds will be about 8 to 10 mph on Friday & Saturday, dropping to about 5 to 7 mph on Sunday and Monday. No precipitation is in the forecast, although it will be cloudy all days except NYE Sunday. Have a safe and Happy New Year.

Historical Weather Forecast for New Years Eve. The typical weather since 1907 on New Years Eve in NYC at Times Square is about 34 degrees. Global warming is likely to alter that as a forecast, meaning it will likely be warmer as it has been the past couple of decades.

Here are links to some New Years Eve parties and events planned around the five boroughs. These pages are in the process of being updated and we expect to finish them sometime around December 18, 19 & 20, 2023. But you can browse the restaurants and see what they did last year and if you're interested we've included contact information as well.



NYC Things to do the last Week of December in NYC - End of Year Events NYC

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Christmas Weekend with Holiday Markets, Holiday Events & NYE Parties - are Some of the Top Things to do this Weekend & Next Weekend in NYC

things to do this weekend nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc weekend events

December 24, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. Sunrise 7.18 am. Sunset 4.33 pm. The temperature highs will rise from the low 40's on Friday, to the mid 40's on Saturday, to the high 40's on Sunday to the low 50's on Monday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 30's on Friday, to 40 on Saturday, to the mid 40's on Sunday and Monday. The winds will be below 5 mph all weekend, including Monday which is a national holiday. The humidity will rise from 60% on Friday, to 70% on Saturday, to 80% on Sunday and Monday. No precipitation is in the forecast. These temperature statistics are highly unusual for this time of year.

The photo at right, taken in Sunnyside Queens this week, shows an example of the holiday home decorations one can find in the five boroughs of NYC.

This weekend use the links below to find holiday events, holiday markets and look for things to do over the New Years Eve weekend. While all done for Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens and Brooklyn and mostly done for the Bronx, we'll be completing the NYE parties options sometime Sunday 12/24/23.



NYC Holiday Markets - Outdoor Holiday Markets in NY

NYC Holiday Markets in All Five Boros New York 2023

The Holiday Markets Seem Back to Normal This Year

November 17, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

nyc holiday markets shopping for the holidays november december nyc outdoor markets all 5 boroughs boros nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc christmas hanukkah kwanzaa holiday markets nycNYC Holiday Markets Forecast. I think the holiday markets should be good this year, as they are stocked with locally hand crafted goods as well as other items from around the world.

Here are links to some holiday markets planned around the five boroughs between now and the end of the year. We will begin updating these now and continue updating them throughout the holiday shopping season in NYC, allowing for a few late announcements between now and the end of the year.



NYC Holiday Events - Holiday Concerts Christmas Tree Lightings Hanukkah Kwanzaa Candle Lightings in NY

NYC Holiday Events in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx & Staten Island

Christmas Tree Lightings, Hanukkah Menorah Lightings, Kwanzaa Candle Lightings in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx & on Staten Island NYC

nyc things to do holidays nyc holiday events november december nyc christmas tree lighthings hanukkah menorah lightings kwanzaa candle lightings events all 5 boroughs boros manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc november december holiday events things to do nycDecember 12, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

NYC Holiday Events in All Five Boroughs of NYC

This section is intended to provide a compendium of a multitude of mostly free holiday communal events in all five boroughs of NYC. This is not an exhaustive list.

The photo at right was taken in the Dyker Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, which goes all out for the holidays.



NYC Things to do in December in NYC - December Weekly Events NYC

NYC Things to do in December in All 5 Boros of NYC

December Events in NYC by Week

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Holiday Markets, Holiday Events & Cultural things to do this Weekend in NYC

things to do this weekend nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc weekend eventsDecember 1, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 50's on Friday, rising to the high 50's on Saturday and settling into the mid 50's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the high 40's all weekend. The humidity will rise from 65% to 85% on Friday, and then stay in the 80% range the rest of the weekend. The winds will be about 5 mph on Friday and Saturday, rising to 5 - 10 mph on Sunday. Rain. About 1 - 2 tenths inch of rain is expected Friday, between 4 pm and 10 pm. Saturday is mostly dry, with a 40% chance of 1 - 2 tenths inch of rain after 8 pm. On Sunday about a quarter inch of rain is expected before 10 am and after 4 pm. Note the small amounts of rain currently forecast, and the timing of it, so that it doesn't have to get in the way of you spending an enjoyable weekend.

The photo at right shows a holiday dance performance at an NYC school.

 

CLICK here to view our reports of NYC things to do in December - Events NYC.



Thanksgiving Day - America's Communal Holiday NYC

Thanksgiving - America's Communal Holiday

The Pilgrims Legacy: Love, Sharing & Community Empowerment

thanksgiving day senitments nyc what thanksgiving day means to meNovember 20, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / Thanksgiving Holidays in NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

A couple of years ago, I happened upon a childhood book of fables and fairytales that I had saved since I was a first grader. I was young enough to still like fairytales and old enough to be learning and loving to read.

The book, A Gateway to Storyland, by Platt & Munk Co, was given to me around the holidays, and the book still gives me a warm, loved feeling when I periodically open it to browse through the fairytales and fables containing little nuggets of age old wisdom about how to conduct onesself [see photo at right / the book is still in print]. I read it numerous times immediately upon receiving it, as the illustrations fed my imagination, and lessons embedded in the words resonated with timeless sagacity.

 

Unselfish Parental Love Manifested by Empowering Progeny

Love comes in many forms, but the purest form is unselfish love. The love of truly giving something with no thought of anything in return. That love is oftentimes given intergenerationally - from grandparents to parents to children.

Perhaps the greatest gifts are those that cost us nothing but our time. Like the gift of teaching someone something that they will be able to put to good use throughout their lives. Parents do this all the time, when they help their children develop skills, and impart some knowledge and learning ... just as my parents did many years ago, by giving me a well illustrated fairytale book to encourage my interest in reading, while sharing the time tested insights of the ages, handed down through storytelling.

 

I. A Brief Thanksgiving History

The Pilgrims Shared Communal Resources to Actualize a Dream

At Thanksgiving time we commemorate one of America's first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims.

The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600's]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the 'old country'. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620. Think of it. It took about a month and a half to travel a distance we can now traverse in about five hours.

 

The Pilgrims Receive Help from the Native People of a Strange Land

Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their gratitude to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors.

Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America ... or did it?



The Eric Adams Story - Exclusive Interview

* Exclusive: One on One Interview with the Mayor

The Eric Adams Story - Part I

Mayor Adams is a Complicated Man, Who Rose from Poverty, to the Highest Office in NYC

November 6, 2023 / NYC Government & Polltics / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz. News Analysis & Opinion by Michael Wood.

the eric adams story nyc exclusive report about nyc mayor eric adams nycThis past summer, while working on another story in collaboration with the Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media [aka MOECM], I entered into discussions with the MOECM, about the possibility of an exclusive interview with the Mayor. The Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media was created a couple of years ago, to enhance local media access to the goings on at City Hall, in order to better inform the public. Under the Adams Administration, part of that program included providing greater government official availability to somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 local media outlets.

Famod Konneh, Associate Director for Outreach and Engagement collaborated with me to make arrangements for the interview, which took place on Friday, October 20, 2023. It's worth noting that every reporting story done live, is a collaboration of a sort, between the journalist and the subject(s) covered.

The photo at right shows Jose Bayona, the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media [aka MOECM], at the MOEDM operations cener which is in the basement of City Hall, while he was setting up the video conference.

 

Interview Preparation - Doing My Homework

I did a considerable amount of research into the Mayor's past, while preparing for the interview. I did all this prep work, even though Famod had told me I would be limited to 20 minutes via a Zoom video call, as I was pitching him for more time. When I first first started the research, I did it in preparation for the interview, but, as sometimes happens with the kind of reporting I do, the more I learned, the more I became interested in learning even more about the Mayor and his life story.

Initially I thought I would do a standard hard news interview about key topics of the day including immigration, crime, the public schools and the budget. But, as I journeyed into the Mayor's past, I became more intrigued with the idea of doing a different story.

The Adams Administration's Unheralded Herculean Effort Managing the Immigrant Influx

the eric adams story nyc exclusive report about nyc mayor eric adams nycAs I conducted my research, I decided that NOT to inquire about the Mayor's - seemingly unappreciated or underappreciated - Herculean effort to manage the huge influx of immigrants into NYC. This situation, turned crisis, began when Texas Governor Greg Abbott began bussing immigrants from Texas border towns, beginning in August 5, 2022, to NYC. Governor Abbott began transporting immigrants here without any communication nor coordination with NYS Governor Hochul or NYC Mayor Adams.

Nonetheless, Mayor Adams somehow found enough lodging for somewhere between 65,000 - 125,000 immigrants bussed in since then, who arrived in the city within the past year or so. The Mayor also managed to carve enough funding out of the NYC budget to provide security, food, healthcare and logistics for the newcomers, with what - until fairly recently [the past three months or so] - appeared somewhere between scant and lagging help from the likes of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and NYS Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY), respectively.

In spite of this gargantuan challenge, Mayor Adams made sure NYC didn't miss a step. His Administration kept the influx of immigrants mostly off the streets, and appeared to ensure they were't coopted into criminal activities by providing for them, in spite of laws which forbade them from earning a living. This nearly heroic effort has mostly gone unheralded by the corporate media.

The photo above right shows the Mayor pondering a question I posed to him, during our Zoom interview. He's in the Mayoral limo enroute to his next event.

CLICK here to read the rest of the story about my exclusive interview with Mayor Adams about his life - profile.



NYC Things to do in November in NYC - November Weekly Events NYC

NYC Things to do in November in All 5 Boros of NYC

November Events in NYC by Week

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

NYC Marathon & Daylight Savings Time Sunday, Dia de los Muertos in Times Square Thurs Nite, Comedy Festival, Park Avenue Art Show, Washington Heights Jazz Fest, NY Comedy Fest & Bryant Park Winter Village Shops & Baltic Film Fest [Nxt Wk] in Manhattan; Diwali Festival in Jackson Heights, Off the Wall Affordable Art Fair and International Food Expo Next Week in Queens; Brooklyn Folk Music Festival and FAD Holiday Market in Brooklyn; Veterans Memoral Event in Van Cortlant Park & Universoul Circus at Orchard Beach in the Bronx; Holiday Market, Cranberry Festival & Fall Retreat on Staten Island

things to do this weekend nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc weekend eventsNovember 3, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 50's on Thursday, rising to the low 60's for the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Thursday, rising to the high 40's for the rest of the weekend. The winds will be about 4 - 6 mph all weekend. The humidity will be 40% - 60% on Thursday, rising to 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, and rising again to 60% - 70% on Sunday. No rain is in the forecast this weekend ... finally.

Sunrise / Sunset Times. On Thursday 11/2/23 the sun rose at 7.27 am & the sun set at 5.51 pm. But note that because of Daylight Savings Time, this Sunday, 10/5/23 the sun will rise at 6.31 am and the sun will set at 4.48 pm.

The photo at right was taken at the 2011 NYC Marathon as the marathoners were coming across the Pulaski Bridge which connects Greenpoint in Brooklyn to Long Island City in Queens.

 

CLICK here for things to do in November in NYC - Events in November.



NYC Halloween Parties & Parades - Manhattan Brooklyn Queens Bronx Staten Island Halloween Parties & Events

Halloween Parties, Parades & Events in NYC 2023

Halloween Festivities in All Five Boros Begins Now & Runs thru Halloween Week

October 16, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

nyc halloween parties nyc halloween parades events bronx manhattan brooklyn queens staten island halloween nycWeather Forecast for Halloween Weekend. It's still a bit early to obtain a reliable weather forecast for Halloween Weekend, let alone Halloween itself, which is now two weeks away.

But the typical weather on Halloween night in NYC is about 65 degrees during the day and about 50 degrees at night. Global warming may alter these averages as a forecast. We'll post an updated weather forecast next weekend when a more specific weather forecast is possible.

Here are links to some Halloween parties, parades and events planned around the five boroughs. These pages are in the process of being updated and we expect to finish them today or tomorrow. But you can browse the pages and see what various places did last year, and if you're interested in digging further we've included contact information as well.



The LIC Summit at the Museum of the Moving Image

The One Things that was Clear, Amidst a Number of Rapidly Shifting Trends, was that the Times They are a Changing

things to do this weekend nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc weekend eventsOctober 23, 2023 / Queens Neighborhoods NYC / Queens Business NYC / Queens Buzz. 

Last Tuesday, on a fairly nice October day, I visited the Museum of the Moving Image, to attend the LIC Summit which was organized by the Long Island City Partnership [LICP].  According to their website - at https://www.longislandcityqueens.com - the description and mission of the Long Island City Partnership is as follows:

"... [The] Long Island City Partnership(LICP) is the neighborhood development organization for LIC [Long Island City]. Our mission is to advocate for economic development that benefits the area’s industrial, commercial, science and technology, cultural, tourism, and residential sectors. The goal is to attract new businesses to LIC, retain those already here, engage residents and visitors, and promote a vibrant and authentic mixed-use community. LICP also operates the LIC Business Improvement District and LIC Industrial Business Zone (LIC IBZ), providing business services and assistance...".

The photo at right shows that it was a packed house at the LIC Summit this year at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria / LIC in Queens.

I believe the first Long Island City Partnership Summit was held in 2014 [also at the Museum of the Moving Image], which we reported on at the time.  Based on their outreach this year, the purpose of the event remains largely intact, which is as follows, " ... to shape the future of the neighborhood, focusing discussions on LIC’s public spaces, sustainability and resiliency, as well as the challenges and opportunities of NYC’s fastest growing neighborhood ...".

So, while a lot has changed in Long Island City, Queens, NYC - and for that matter the world - their goals and efforts remain constant amidst this changing world.  Likewise, many of the key issues of nearly a decade ago, haven't gone away.  These include the scarcity of affordable housing, the need for public space and accessible transit, and the challenge of curating an environment where local small businesses can create and operate viable business models.  And ... to be sure ... we are also facing new challenges, which include the time sensitive need to transition to renewable energy, and build and sustain resilient infrastructure - particularly in low lying and waterfront neighborhoods. 

What follows are some excerpts from the participants of the Keynote panel at the LIC Summit.  The participants included Moderator Carl Weisbrod, Senior Adviser at HR&A; and panelists Justin Ginsburgh, Managing Director Infrastructure Jet Blue; Donovan Richards, Jr, Queens Borough President; and Maria Torres-Springer, NYC Deputy Mayor of Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce for the City of New York.


LaGuardia Community College Pioneers New Ground ... Again

Boyce Technologies Hosts LAGCC President's Society Ten Year Anniversary Celebration

laguardia community college presidents society boyce technologies lic queens nycOctober 9, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Queens Buzz NYC.

A week ago from last Thursday, I attended a celebration of the President's Society at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City Queens. The LAGCC President's Society is an innovative program designed to help high potential students reach their full potential. The event was held at Boyce Technologies, which is located nearby and designs and manufactures mass transit security and communications equipment.

The reason it was held at Boyce Technologies, is because they and LaGuardia Community College have developed a symbiotic relationship, whereby the school has become one of Boyce's leading suppliers of human talent [reportedly about 20% of their employees], while Boyce has become a significant employer of LaGuardia Community College graduates.

About 200 of the roughly 600 LaGuardia Community College President's Society members, who enrolled in the program over the past ten years, attended the event. This is a particularly remarkable number, when one considers that a number of the attendees came from other parts of the country just to attend this one evening event, and that LaGuardia is a two year public college, not a four year one.

The photo above was taken at the LaGuardia Community College President's Society tenth anniversary reunion at Boyce Technologies in Long Island City on Thursday, September 28, 2023.


Things To Do Presidents Day Weekend in NYC

Columbus Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC

Things To Do in NYC over the Columbus Day Weekend

nyc things to do columbus day weekend nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island columbus day weekend nycOctober 6, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The Columbus Day Weekend is this weekend. 

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 70 on Friday and Saturday, and around 60 on Sunday and Monday. The temperature lows will be around 65 on Friday and then around 50 for the rest of the weekend. The winds will be around 5 - 10 mph on Friday and Monday, and around 10 - 15 mph on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will be around 90% on Friday, dropping to 75% - 85% on Saturday, and then around 60% on Sunday and Monday. There's a 40% to 90% chance of about an inch and a half of rain between 9 pm Friday and 4 pm Saturday. The rest of the weekend looks dry right now. Friday Sunrise is 6.57 am and Sunset is 6.30 pm.



Mount Sinai - Living Donor Celebration - at the NY Academy of Medicine NYC

I was Almost Shocked by a Lot of What I Learned about Kidney & Liver Transplants

mt sinai human organ transplants nyc zweig family center for living donation nyc September 25, 2023 / Manhattan Neighborhoods NYC / Manhattan Healthcare NYC / Manhattan Buzz.

Nearly two weeks ago, on Wednesday, September 13th, I headed into the New York Academy of Medicine at 1215 5th Avenue on the Upper East Side to attend a ceremony - a celebration actually - honoring Living Donors of Mt. Sinai's kidney and liver transplant program. 

To be frank, when first approached to cover this event, I wasn't sure of what to expect.  But after mulling it over, and perhaps with a bit of deference to my Mother, who had signed away her organs on her driver's license [and likely elsewhere], I decided to go to see what I might learn.

 

New York Academy of Medicine on the UES

The ceremony was held at the New York Academy of Medicine, which is located along 5th Avenue at 103rd Street.  The NY Academy of Medicine was founded in 1847 by a number of NYC doctors, most notably the Presidents of the NYU School of Medicine, the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Medical Society of the City and County of New York.  The Academy has played an influential role in shaping public health policy in NYC, NYS and the U.S.

The building in which the New York Academy of Medicine is located, as well as the location of the Mt. Sinai Living Donor Ceremony, was built in 1926 and is also home to the NY Academy of Medicine's library of various aspects of medicine, which was first started in 1847, opened to the public in 1878, and continues to be accessible to the public to this day.  Generally it's dedicated to those wishing to do research and one has to make an appointment to use it.  For more information and to make an appointment see - https://www.nyam.org/library/connect/visit-library/

The Mt. Sinai Living Donor Ceremony event was held on the third floor of the building what seemed a library reading room turned into a theater.  The room had 20 foot high ceilings [possibly higher], nearly floor to ceiling windows overlooking Central Park, and I'm no expert, but I believe the bookcases in the front of the room were made of oak.  The Carnegie Foundation donated about one million to the NY Academy of Medicine to build this building back in the 1920's.

My point in telling you all of this, is to provide a feeling and sense of connection to the past, the early roots of scientific healthcare in this country, which I assume was part of the consideration in selecting this location for the event ... as well as its proximity to the Mt Sinai Hospital campus on the Upper East side, which is located along 5th Avenue between 98th Street and 103rd Street.

CLICK here to read the rest of our story about kidney and liver transplants by Mount Sinai at a presentation at the NY Academy of Medicine.


Oktoberfest Parties & Celebrations in NYC including in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx & Staten Island

Oktoberfest Begins Mid September in NYC and run thru October

oktoberfest in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island oktoberfest events celebrations in nycUPDATED October 7, 2023 from 9.19.23 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The official / unofficial kick off to the month and a half of Oktoberfest events in NYC begins in Manhattan with the Steuben Parade. This report identifies a number of Oktoberfest events around NYC beginning mid September and running through the end of October.

The photo at right shows one of the floats in the Steuben Parade celebrating the consumption of bier, which in tandem with consumption of bratwurst, is an integral part of Oktoberest. One thing the photo doesn't show is the music, that also goes hand in hand with Oktoberfest.

 

A Brief History of Oktoberfest in NYC

Coming with time. We've posted a number of Oktoberfests in this report, but a few more are coming. Also watch the front page, as this year [only] they are likely to be posted there first.

 


San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy Manhattan NYC

Manhattan's Signature Italian Festival Celebrates Little Italy in NYC

san gennaro festival nyc san gennaro parade manhattan san gennaro festival parade manhattan nycSeptember 13, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Fall is just around the corner, which means the San Gennaro Festival is about to begin in Little Italy in Manhattan. See the front page or the parades & festivals page or click into the story for details of the San Gennaro Festival of 2023.

 

A Very Brief History of Little Italy Manhattan

Little Italy is just north of Canal street, across from Chinatown, which lies to its south. SoHo lies to its west, across Lafayette Street. While the Bowery is just east of it along Mott and Bowery Streets, and Nolita [North of Little Italy] lies to the north of it, across Broome Street. This is something of a downsized area from the original Little Italy of a century ago.

Little Italy was an important destination for Italians arriving in New York City in the late 1800's and early 20th century. It was generally a poor, working class neighborhood at that time, filled with laborers, and shopkeepers who traded food, wine and clothing. And the community was fairly self-sufficient with its own doctors, lawyers and bankers accoding to a Wikipedia account of an NYT story in 1896.

Little Italy's size and population peaked in the early 20th century, aat about 10,000, as Italians left for greener pastures in other parts of the city, including East Harlem, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. Nonetheless, Little Italy remains somewhat intact, as a very popular tourist destination, the peak of which is celebrated in tandem with the San Gennaro Festival.


911 Memorial & Commemoration Events in NYC

911 Commemoration Events & Remembrances in NYC & Boros

911 Commemorations this Weekend and Monday

911 events nyc 911 memorial events nyc 911 commemoration things to do nyc manhattan queens brooklyn bronx staten island 911 events

Updated September 12, 2023 _ September 10, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This weekend, there are a number of events around the five boroughs commemorating the losses of 911. The following are a few of those events.

 

The collection of photos at right shows an cultural performance at Lincoln Center honoring the victims of 911. The performance returns Monday at 8.05 am.

 

911 Remembrances / Commemorations NYC

Ongoing _ Daffodil Project in NYC Parks. For details see - https://www.nycgovparks.org/highlights/sept-11-memorials

 



The West Indian American Day Parade(s) in Brooklyn NYC

A Deeper Dive into the Cultural Origins of the Carnival & Some Particulars About the Celebrations in Brooklyn

west indian american day parade & carnival in brooklyn nyc WIADCA parade on labor day bk nycSeptember 6, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / Brooklyn Parades & Festivals / Brooklyn BLVD NYC.

On a sultry Labor Day Monday morning, I set out for the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Prospect Lefferts Gardens and Crown Heights. The former, covers some of the area in Brooklyn known as Little Caribbean and it was to be the ending point for the Jouvert parade, which serves as the warm up for the larger West Indian American Day Parade.

Be advised that I was not aware of this distinction - two parades by the same group on the same day - until I had arrived and started making inquiries about when and where the actions was.

The Jouvert puportedly started at 11 am inside Prospect Park either at the entrance to the Kids Zoo [still not certain about this, but I'm getting closer to being precise] on Flatbush Avenue or based on a map I saw on the NYPD website, the Jouvert started at Grand Army Plaza, at the north end of Prospect Park. I'll be following up on this, and make the changes here when I get them.

The photo above right was taken at the West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn on Labor Day. Many different island cultures celebrate the carnival in unison. The flag in the lower right corner of the photo is Jamaican.

west indian american day parade & carnival in brooklyn nyc WIADCA parade on labor day bk nycThe Jouvert then marched east along Empire Boulevard before turning south on Nostrand Avenue and terminating at Winthrop. I arrived a bit before noon, at Empire Blvd and Nostrand, where the Jouvert Parade had already passed. The Jouvert Parade involves participants adorning themselves with paint and powder, sometimes sharing it with others in a style that reminded me of the Indian Holi celebration.

Speaking of Indians, the West Indies got their name after Columbus discovered them for the Spanish throne. They were called the West Indies, in order to differentiate them from the East Indies, with which the Portuguese had opened up trading routes in the 15th century just prior to Columbus's discovery. The East Indies comprises the islands that lie south of India, the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea and north and west of Australia.

CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn over the Labor Day Weekend.


Floyd Bennett Field Returns, for Encore, as Gateway to NYC

NYC Mayor Adams & NYS Governor Hochul Receive a Lease Agreement from the U.S. Government to Lease Floyd Bennett Field

things to do in queensAugust 29, 2023 / Brooklyn Neighborhoods / NYC Issues / Brooklyn BLVD.

Just over a week ago, Governor Hochul announced that she and NYC Mayor Adams had received a lease agreement from the Biden Administration, regarding the terms for leasing the Floyd Bennett Airfield for temporary use as a migrant center. The airfield is expected to be capable of providing temporary shelter for about 2,500 immigrants.

 

Floyd Bennett Field is a Part of the Gateway National Recreation Area

Floyd Bennett Airfield is located at the south eastern end of Brookyn and is part of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife sanctuary, as you can see from the map at right. The airport became a part of the National Park Service in 1972 when the Gateway National Recreation Area was established to protect important natural resources within / near NYC. Sandy Hook New Jersey is also a part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, while the rest of it is located in Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn, as previously implied.

 

Floyd Bennett Airfield - NYC's First Airport - Opened 1931

things to do in queensFour years ago, on August 31, 2019, I visited the Floyd Bennett Airfield with the intention of doing a story on it, which - until now - I had not had an opportunity to do. On that visit, I biked the airfield, took photos in both the museum and peeked through the dusty windows of the hangars and warehouses on the airfield, to photographed our recent past.

Given that the airfield is about to be transformed into a sprawling migrant center, I thought folks might want to take a look at it as it was four years ago, before it is repurposed into something quite new. Along with this story, I'll also take you through a brief history ...

... as the Floyd Bennett Airfield was NYC's first airport, predating LaGuardia which according to Wikipedia opened on December 2, 1939 and JFK which opened as New York International Airport [nicknamed Idlewild] in July 1, 1948. Floyd Bennett Airfield opened on May 23, 1931.


Labor Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC

Things To Do in NYC over the Labor Day Weekend

nyc things to do labor day weekend nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island August 30, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Labor Day Weekend is less than two weeks away.  So, I thought you might want a bit of  time to think about how you're going to spend the weekend.

Labor Day Weekend Forecast as of 8/21/23. It's too early as of this posting, to get an accurate weather forecast. We'll provide an update as we get closer to the Labor Day Weekend.

Click for an update on NYC Weather.

Things to do Labor Day & Weekend in the Bronx NYC

Things to do Labor Day & Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Things to do Labor Day & Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Things to do Labor Day & Weekend in Queens NYC

Things to do Labor Day & Weekend on Staten Island NYC

We'll also have an update with additional events next weekend. Enjoy.


NYC Mayor Adams & First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright Set out on Ambitious Plan to Stop Violent Crimes Before They Happen

Eric Adams, Sheena Wright & Persons of Interest

The NYC Mayor & First Deputy Mayor have Set Out on an Ambitious Effort to Prevent Crimes Before They Happen through the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force [GVPTF]

things to do in queensUPDATED _ August 19, 2023 vs 8.16.23 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Social Issues & Law Enforcement / News Reporting, Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Last Thursday I headed down to City Hall to hear a presentation by First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, and Andre T. Mitchell of Man Up! in Brooklyn, who are the Co-Chairs of the Mayor's Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. The Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media [MOECM] had organized the roundtable presentation at City Hall, and there were a bit more than a couple of dozen local media reporters in attendance.

The photo at right top shows two characters in the CBS TV series Person of Interest who spend their time trying to prevent crimes before they happen. The photo bottom right shows the Mayor & First Deputy Mayor, who are working to reduce and prevent crime in real life.

If one sets aside the drama, theatrics, rule bending & breaking, and the sensationalism of the TV series, there are some interesting parallels between what the folks in real life are trying to do, vis a vis what the imaginary characters of the TV series were trying to do. We'll have more on this later in the report.

 

Behind the Scenes at City Hall with Sheena Wright

nyc gun violence prevention task force nyc sheena wright first deputy mayor jose bayona executive director of moecm at wright of man up brooklyn nycThe First Deputy Mayor, Sheena Wright, provided an overview of what the Adams Administration has quietly been working on - mostly behind the scenes - in the neighborhoods in NYC most wracked by violent crime.

Since June of 2022, Wright, Mitchell and the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force have been laying the ground work to try to prevent crime in the high violence communties, before it starts. She described it as going upstream to root out the underlying causes of violent crime.

The Task Force has taken a holistic approach to the problem, rather than taking the historic / authoritarian approach to violent crime, which had further oppressed the people in the affected communities, by over policing them. For example during the Bloomberg Administration, the NYPD was instructed to stop and frisk people, seemingly at will.

This is not to say that the Adams Administration has reduced policing in these neighborhoods, because they have not. In fact they have increased policing in these neighborhoods, BUT they have concurrently begun reinvesting in these neighborhoods, which for decades, they told us, have experienced significant community disinvestment. I have not yet independently verified the disinvestment claim, but believe it is directionally correct.

The photo at right shows Jose Bayona, Executive Director of the MOECM; Sheena Wright, First Deputy Mayor and Andre T. Wright, Founder of Man Up! at a Round Table meeting at City Hall.



NYC Farmers Markets - Green Markets in NYC Manhattan Brooklyn Queens Bronx & Staten Island

NYC Farmers Markets 2023

Year Round Farmers Markets in NYC Continue & New Season Beckons

nyc farmers markets nyc farmers markets green markets manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycUPDATED August 9, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

During the pandemic many farmers markets remained open, as they were classified as essential businesses. And because they were held outdoors, they were also considered less of a potential breeding ground for CoVid. That said, while many remained open, they curtailed hours.  And some went on a long hiatus, or completely closed down.

To inform you as to which farmers markets are returning, and which are not, we've kept the closed farmers markets on our pages, so you'll know.

The rest is an update for the 2023 season of NYC farmers markets, including opening and closing dates / times, food selections, payment options and related services like composting and clothing collection for those who are trying to do their best to help save our planet.

We periodically update these pages as we work our way through the seasonal markets in May / June and again in July. And then we start updating again in the early part of the year.  Click here for links to our guide to farmers markets in all five boroughs of NYC, including those that are open year round. Enjoy your healthy food.




NYC Free Swimming Pools - Free Indoor Outdoor Swim Pools NYC Manhattan Brooklyn Queens Bronx Staten Island

NYC Swimming Pools - Free Outdoor Public Swimming Pools in NYC

nyc swimming pools nyc free public indoor outdoor swim pools nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycUPDATING August 2, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC / GB 485.

New York City offers easy access to a wide range of recreational indoor and outdoor swimming pools. The following provides you with a view of the range of public swimming pools available in the parks of the entire city. We encourage you to make use of these facilities because they provide healthy, fun, and frequently free or inexpensive entertainment for both individuals and families with children.

Be advised that as of this posting, the pools are scheduled to open in late June of 2023. You're advised to bring sunscreen, a padlock for a locker and a towel. Please be respectful of your fellow Bronxians, Brooklyners, Manhattanites, Queensians and Staten Islanders while using the pools.

Click these links to view a listing of swimming pools in each borough, complete with location and contact information, swimming pool sizes, hours and other details.




Mostly Free Summer Outdoor Concerts in NYC

There are a Number of Free Summer Outdoor Concerts being Performed in all Five Boros Again this Year, Showing that NYC Continues to Make its Journey Along the Path to Near Normalcy

tucker carlson fox fake news propaganda phoney flag waverUPDATED _ July 25, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / Paid & Free Things To Do NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC offers many free summer cultural programs that have been the hallmark of summers in the city in years past.  Last year they made their return mostly, and this year are back in full force. So kick back and enjoy some free live performances of music, dance and theater, as well as the free enjoyment of outdoor film and swimming at the pools in the NYC parks.

The following are links to the musical happenings / free concerts going on around the five boroughs of the city over the next couple of months.

We update weekly or as often as needed.

Enjoy.

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Bronx NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Brooklyn NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Manhattan NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Queens NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Staten Island NYC


Free Things To Do This Summer - Free Theater NYC

Free Theater in the Parks, Free Shakespeare in the Park NYC

manhattan free summer theater uws ues upper east side upper west side manhattan nyc free summer theater manhattan nycUPDATED _ July 21, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This year summer events appear to be back to normal, following the uncertainty associated with the two to three years of the CoVid pandemic.

We've now mostly completed updating into mid August 2023.  We expect to continue updating weekly, or so, into September, possibly beyond.

So here it is by borough.

Enjoy.


Why does NYC Care?

Why does NYC Care?

NYC Care is a Citywide Health Program Designed to Aid People Who Cannot Afford to Pay for their Entire Health Insurance Coverage

July 10, 2023 / NYC Healthcare / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz.

nyc care health insurance program nyc health & hospitals nyc care low cost no cost health insurance nycTwo weeks ago, on Monday, June 26, 2023 I attended a meeting in City Hall hosted by the Adams Administration.  It was raining fairly hard as I approached City Hall on this warm June afternoon.

The purpose of the meeting was to highlight the achievements being made in providing healthcare to New Yorkers.  The focus on this day, was the progress being made toward providing healthcare to those who cannot [fully] afford it, by enrolling them into the NYC Care insurance program. 

The meeting was arranged by the Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media. I arrived a bit early and spent time catching up with some of the other reporters while waiting for the meeting to begin.

The photo at right shows the NYC City Hall on a warm, rainy mid afternoon in late June.

 

What is NYC Care?

In the meeting we were told that, while the NYC Care program is a healthcare / insurance program that focuses on minorities, immigrants and those for whom English is a second language, it is available to everyone - including Whites - assuming all candidates for the insurance program meet the same preconditions.

Enrollees in the NYC Care healthcare insurance program need only meet three criteria to be eligible: 1) must be 21 years old, 2) they must have a valid government ID from the U.S. or a valid passport from their nation of origin, and 3) they may not be eligible for any other private or public health insurance program [such as Medicaid / Medicare].  There used to be a proof of six months of NYC residency requirement, but it was later rescinded.



NYC 4th of July Fireworks - July 4th Fireworks Displays in NYC

NYC 4th of July Fireworks 2023 - All 5 Boroughs of NYC

Best Viewing Places / Best Locations to Watch Fireworks in NYC

4th of july fireworks 2018 manhattan nyc july 4th 2018July 4, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / 4th of July Holiday NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather Update 7.4.23 - On July 4th the humidity will remain about 80%. Unfortunately the winds will have died down to 3 mph. The temperature high will be in the low 80's and the temperature low will be in the low 70's. There's a 1/3 inch of rain expected - mostly between the hours of 11 am - 7 pm - so by dusk, which is after 9 pm, the temperatures will be in the 70's, no rain but it will be humid.

Temperature highs will range from the low to high 80's through the July 4th holiday on Tuesday. The tempeature lows will range from the mid 60's to the mid 70's, rising a bit reach day. The winds will range from 5 - 10 mph from now through Tuesday. The humidity will range from 60% - 70% Friday, then rising up to 80% for Saturday, and then staying there for Sunday and Monday, before falling back to 60% - 70% on Tuesday. Rain. Between a quarter and half inch of rain is expected on Sunday, and a quarter inch on Monday. While there may be clouds on the other days, rain is not expected. Air Quality. We continue to experience some of the unhealthy conditions from the Canadian forest fires caused by climate change which is caused by carbon emissions from folks' gas guzzling autos & other carbon emitting machinery. To stay abreast of the air quality in NYC copy and paste this link into your browswer bar - https://www.airnow.gov.

 



Mostly Free Summer Outdoor Movies in NYC

There are a Number of Free Summer Outdoor Movies being Shown in all Five Boros Again this Year as We / NYC Continue to Make Our Journey Along the Path to Near Normalcy

tucker carlson fox fake news propaganda phoney flag waverJune 28, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / Paid & Free Things To Do NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Many of the free summer cultural programs, that have been the hallmark of summers in the city in years past, have made a full return this year. One can enjoy some free live concert performances, as well as of song, dance and theater, and outdoor movies in the parks.

The following are links to the film events / free movies going on around the five boroughs of the city over the next couple of months. 

We're starting the updates today and should have made good progress by the weekend, after which we'll update weekly for a while.

Enjoy.

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Bronx NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Brooklyn NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Manhattan NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Queens NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Staten Island NYC


NYC 4th of July Fireworks 2022 Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens & Staten Island

Best Viewing Places / Locations to Watch Fireworks in NYC

4th july fireworks nyc fireworks 4th julyJune 13, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The Macy's 4th of July fireworks will be shown along the East River again this year. They were shown along the East River in 2014, for the first time since 2008. Mayor de Blasio had lobbied the change, which now spans ten years.

But the Macy's July 4th fireworks isn't the only fireworks show in town. In the Bronx there's the Independence Day fireworks at Orchard Beach, in Queens there's the fireworks in Astoria Park, in Brooklyn there's the Coney Island fireworks and on Staten Island there's the Travis fireworks and the Raritan [NJ] Bay fireworks which may be seen from Staten Island.

All of these fireworks shows lie ahead of us, as well as the Long Beach fireworks on Long Island.

Click these links for details to July 4th fireworks viewable from each of the boroughs, including some suggestions on from where to best view them.  As of tonight, we're still updating them.  They should be done sometime this week of 6.13.23.


NYC Memorial Day Parades - All 5 Boros Memorial Day Parades Manhattan Brooklyn Queens Bronx Staten Island NYC

NYC Memorial Day Parades in All 5 Boroughs of NYC

Memorial Day Parades in All 5 Boroughs of NYC - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx & Staten Island

May 26, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Parades & Holidays / Gotham Buzz NYC.

memorial day parades all 5 boroughs nyc memorial day parades nycThis report details a number of upcoming Memorial Day Weekend parades in all five boroughs of NYC, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.

 

 

 



Memorial Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC

Things To Do in NYC over the Memorial Day Weekend

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycMay 26, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

Memorial Day weekend is here.

 

NYC Weather Memorial Day Weekend. The Temperature highs will be in the 70's all weekend, while the temperature lows will be around 60 all weekend. No Rain is in the forecast. Winds will range between 5 - 10 mph all weekend. The Humidity will be between 40% - 60% through the weekend.




We'll also have an update with additional events on the Friday the Memorial Weekend begins. Enjoy.


Things To Do This Weekend NYC May - 2nd Weekend Mothers Day Weekend Events

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Happy Mothers Day Weekend, TEFAF Show, Indian Film Fest & Japan Parade in Manhattan, Eight Tales of Pedro, Taste of Queens Tuesday & Jamaica Jazz Fest Friday in Queens; Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Open Stages & BAM Dance Africa Festival in Brooklyn, Bronx Week in the Bronx; Arts & Crafts Show at the Staten Island Mall & Updating Open Calls

 

May 12, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

things to do this weekend in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island things to do this weekend events nycNYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 90 on Friday, falling to 80 on Saturday and about 75 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the mid 60's on Friday, falling to about 60 on Saturday and possibly into the mid 50's on Sunday. Winds will be about 5 - 8 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from 50% on Friday to 40% on Saturday and between 30% - 40% on Sunday. No rain is in the forecast for this weekend

The photo at right shows a rainy day this past week. It was nice to see some moisture return to the area, as up until very recently, it had been lacking thus far this year.



Public Park Land Grab?

Billionaire Looking to Privatize Queens Parkland?

Bill Pending in Albany Would Enable it

May 10, 2023 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Real Estate / News Analysis & Opinion / Queens Buzz / QB 1068.

NYS Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubrey has sponsored a bill to allow a billionaire to build a casino on Queens parkland.  Why can't the billionaire buy his own land to build the casino?  And why has Aubrey supported this public park land grab?

Click here to read the OpEd by the President of a local non-profit explaining the situation. Billionaire Steve Cohen appears to be making bid to essentially privatize Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens.


NYC Mothers Day Restaurants - Moms Day Brunches Lunches Dinners in NYC Manhattan Brooklyn Queens Bronx & Staten Island

Mothers Day Restaurants in NYC 2023

New York City Restaurants are Ready to Return to Life ... Beginning w/ Mothers Day ... Is This Irony and / or Coincidence?

nyc mothers day restaurants nyc mothers day brunch all 5 boroughs boros nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc moms day places to eat nycMay 9, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Restaurants / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather.

We posted a number of different reports, one for each borough, each of which provides a wide range of Mothers Day restaurant suggestions. Given the pandemic took a bit of a toll on local businesses and restaurants this will steer you to the ones that will be open and ready to accommodate families on Mothers Day.




Things To Do This Weekend NYC May - 1st Weekend Events NYC

 

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Cinco de Mayo, Janes Walk and 5 Boro Bike Ride in all 5 Boros, Cannabis Parade & Festival in Manhattan, Eight Tales of Pedro in Queens; Luna Park in Brooklyn, Kentucky Derby at the Bartow Pell Mansion in the Bronx; Yankee Peddler Day on Staten Island & Moving Open Calls

 

May 5, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

things to do in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island things to do this weekend events nycNYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 60 on Friday, then rising to 70 on Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 50 on Friday rising slightly to the mid 50's by Sunday. Winds will be about 5 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from 60% to 70% on Friday, to about 50% on Saturday and Sunday. No rain is in the forecast for this weekend

The photo at right shows a rainy day this past week. It was nice to see some moisture return to the area, as up until very recently, it had been lacking thus far this year.



Things To Do This Weekend NYC April - 4th Weekend

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Sikh Day and Greek Independence Day Parades & Anitquarian Book Fair in Manhattan, Eight Tales of Pedro, Irish & West Ghanaian Concert & Queens Symphony in Queens; Prospect Park Tour, Street Naming for MTA Member in Midwood & Luna Park in Brooklyn, Bronx Arts Ensemble Concert at the NYBG in the Bronx; Staten Island Ferry Hawks Home Opener All Weekend & Outdoor Markets on Staten Island, Moving Open Calls & Met Gala Monday

 

April 28, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

things to do this weekend nyc manhattan events this weekend nycNYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 60 all weekend long, while the temperature lows will be around 50 all weekend long. Winds will be 10 - 15 mph all weekend. The humidity will rise from 60% to 70% on Friday, rising to the mid 70% to mid 80% on Saturday, and rising to 80% - 90% on Sunday. There's about 2/3 of an inch of rain expected Saturday and another inch between 11 am - 11 pm on Sunday.

The photo at right, of the Greek Independence Day Parade, was taken a number of years back. The cultural pageantry references the lore of the heroics and democracy of ancient Greece.



What Happened at the LIC Partnership Real Estate Breakfast?

LIC Real Estate Owners, Managers & Tenants Discussed the Current State of the Long Island City Real Estate Market

 

April 25, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Queens Buzz NYC / 1067.

nyc things to do this weekend nyc things to do this weekend manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten Island things to do this weekend nycNYC Weather. The temperature highs will be / Weather coming tomrorrow.

 

I never thought I would become one of the 'old timers' covering the LIC Partnership Real Estate Breakfast. But I think that perhaps I am. I hadn't covered one of these breakfasts since before the pandemic, so I found myself looking to regain my balance, vis a vis my Queens real estate sea legs.

But some things are like riding a bike, meaning they come back to you quickly, and covering the LIC Real Estate Breakfast seemed to fit that bill. As I sat there listening to the panel assembled to discuss the current state of affairs, I noticed a number of folks from prior gatherings, and while the issues were largely the same, the current state of them is constantly changing.

 

And I'll provide the update this weekend.


What's to Become of the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx?

Efforts Underway to Solicit Ideas for Repurposing the Century Old, Once Largest, Armory in the World [WWI] in the Bronx

 

April 25, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Bronx Buzz NYC / 185.

nyc things to do this weekend nyc things to do this weekend manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten Island things to do this weekend nycNYC Weather. The temperature highs will be / Weather coming tomrorrow.

 

The photo at right shows the inside of the Kingsbridge Armory in the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood of the Bronx. There's an effort underway to repurpose the ancient structure.

We'll provide a full report this weekend.

 


Things To Do This Weekend NYC April - 3rd Weekend

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Earth Day Weekend Events, Persian Day Parade in Manhattan; Ofrenda Fest in Queens; Invisible Dog Art Center & Luna Park in Brooklyn, 'Diamond' at Pregones & the Last Weekend for the NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; Jazz Concert & Jacques Tibetan Museum on Staten Island & Open Calls

 

April 21, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

nyc things to do this weekend nyc things to do this weekend manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten Island things to do this weekend nycNYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's all weekend long, while the temperature lows will be in the mid 50's on Friday and Saturday, falling to the high 40's on Sunday. Winds will be 10 - 15 mph all weekend. The humidity will rise from the mid 50% to mid 70% on Friday, rising to the mid 70% to mid 80% on Saturday, before falling back to around the mid 50% on Sunday. There's about 2/3 of an inch of rain expected Saturday after 6 pm and ending before 6 am Sunday. Otherwise, for the other parts of the weekend, no rain.

The photo at right captures some of the beauty and mystery of planet Earth. It was taken along an ancient Inca Trail in the Andes in Peru, not far from Macchu Picchu. We can learn a lot from the Incas, who were environmentally compatible engineers.



China Secret Police in NYC, Springtime Forest Fires in NYS & Climate Change & Murdoch's Mendacious Media

* NYC News Updates

China Operating a 'Secret Police' in Chinatown, Climate Change and NYS Springtime Forest Fires & Rupert Murdoch's Mendacious Media on Trial ... Again

 

April 18, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will rise from about 60 on Tuesday, to the mid 60's Wednesday and Thursday, to the low to mid 70's on Friday and Saturday. The temperature lows will be in the mid 40's on Tuesday and Wednesday, rising to the mid 50's on Thursday and Friday. The winds will be about 10 - 15 mph on Tuesday and Wednesday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph on Thursday and Friday. The humidity will be about 40% on Tuesday and Wednesday, rising to 60 - 70% on Thursday and Friday. No rain is in the forecast all week long.

 

PRC [People's Republic of China] Caught Operating a 'Secret Police' in Chinatown in Manhattan

In October of 2022, the FBI obtained a search warrant to investigate an office on Broadway in Chinatown believed to be a 'secret police' station set up by dictator President Xi Jin Ping's Peoples Republic of China in order to control the behaviors of Chinese people living in the U.S. Two men were charged in the case. According to the Department of Justice, the two men who were arrested yesterday, are "... “Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan ...".

The 'secret police' office was closed after the two men discovered that the FBI was watching them. When conducting the search, the FBI reported that the memories of the two men's communications devices [aka evidence] were erased. The men are presumed innocent in this country until proven guilty. This is very much unlike the process we've seen in China, where one is guilty of whatever dictator president Xi Jin Ping decides they're guilty of.

I always marvel at the dishonesty of dictators who attempt to control what everyone thinks, because the truth can be deadly to them and their regimes. For example calling China the PRC - People's Republic of China - when the people have no say in who their leaders are, can be imprisoned or even terminated for speaking their minds, and can only own or operate a significant business if it's given a blessing by the dictator president. The PRC should be called the XDC - Xi's Dictatorship of China. Where everything is designed to suit one man, and nobody, and nothing else, matters. As dictator president Xi seems to say by his actions, "... It's all about Me, Me, Me, Me or Xi, Xi, Xi, Xi ...".



Things To Do This Weekend NYC April - 2nd Weekend

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Orthodox Holy Friday & Easter Sunday in Queens, Brooklyn & Manhattan, International Auto Show, Tartan Day Parade in Manhattan; Lavender Laughs & Queens Night Market in Queens; Luna Park & BK Museum Pop Up Market in Brooklyn, Bronx Doc Film Editing Workshop Weekend, the Diamond at Pregones & NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; Staaten Eylandt Day, Cottage Curiosities, Iftar in the Park & Conference House Opens on Staten Island and , & Ramadan Ends Thursday

 

April 14, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

things to do this weekend nyc events this weekend nycNYC Weather. The temperature highs will fall from the high 80's Friday to the mid 60's Saturday and the temperature lows will fall from the mid 60's Friday to the mid 50's by Sunday. The humidity will rise from a very dry 30% - 50% on Friday into the 70% - 80% on Saturday and Sunday. Winds will be 5 mph all weekend. There's a below 50% chance of rain on Saturday and the amount of rain is forecast to be a quarter of an inch or less, and spread out over the entire day, so you might get a little damp while out, but not soaked by any means. And on Sunday the expectations are well below 25% probable and the amount is less than 1/20th of an inch.

The photo at right was taken a few years back of the Greek Orthodox Holy Friday Procession at St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria Queens. It's an interesting cultural event and, in my mind, is one of the many diverse cultural events that makes NYC so interesting. See details regarding the event tonight [Friday] in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan below.



Things To Do This Weekend NYC April - 1st Weekend

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Easter Bonnet Parade, Pickleball Court Opens at Wollman Rink, Auto Show at Javits, Final Week of Chain Theatre Performance, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit at FIT in Manhattan; Chocolate Factory, Climate Change & Easter Egg Hunt & Party in Queens; Brooklyn Cyclones Home Opener & Rachel Wren Exhibit in Brooklyn [also Easter Egg Hunt on Governors Island], Easter Egg Hunt at the Mansion & NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; Easter Egg Hunts and Bonnett Tea Party on Staten Island, Easter Sunday and Passover & Ramadan Continue

 

April 7, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

nyc things to do this weekend nyc events this weekend manhattan queens brooklyn bronx staten Island things to do events nycNYC Weather. The temperature highs will fall from the high 50's Friday to the mid 50's Saturday and into the low 50's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 40. The winds will fall from 10 - 15 mph on Friday, to 5 mph on Saturday and to 5 - 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will rise from about 35% on Friday, to 50% on Saturday, and ranging from 40% to 60% on Sunday. No precipitation is in the forecast.

The photo at right was taken at the Orchid Show at the NY Botanical Garden a few years ago.

Editor's Note. We're going to add more events that are happening this coming week on Monday, because NYC Public Schools are on Spring Break from Monday through Friday, April 10 - 14, 2023.



Easter & Passover Celebrations in NYC & Boros

Easter & Passover Celebrations in NYC & Boros

Next Sunday is Easter for Western Christians and the Following Week it's Easter for Orthodox Christians

 

April 3, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

Very Brief Introduction to Christian Easter Traditions

nyc easter events easter services orthodox easter holy friday processions easter brunch manhattan queens brooklyn bronx staten island nycOn Friday, April 7th, Christians observe Good Friday, which is when the Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross. On Sunday, April 9th, Christians celebrate the Biblical account of Jesus rising from the dead.

Emperor Constantine became the Roman Emperor in 306. In 324 Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Empire. In 1054, the Great Schism occurred, wherein Christianity split into two different sects - Roman Catholic Christians [primarily in Western Europe] and Orthodox Christians [primarily in Eastern Europe]. The traditions have much in common, but one of the differences is in how they calculate the time of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The Western European Christians [Protestants and Catholics] use the Gregorian Calendar which was created in the 16th century and made the official calendar by Pope Gregory, while the Orthodox Christians use the Julian Calendar which was made law in the Roman Empire in 45 B.C. by Julius Caesar.

Thus there are years where the Western European and Eastern Orthodox Easter events fall at the same time, and there years where they do not. This year [2023] the celebrations of the two traditions are separated by a week, with the Western European Christians celebrating next weekend and the Orthodox Christians celebrating a week later.



Things To Do This Weekend NYC March - 5th Weekend

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

AIPAD Photography Show, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit at FIT in Manhattan; Chocolate Factory & Armstrong at LeFrak, and Next Week Sculpture Center Gala & Mets Home Opener in Queens; Luna Amusement Park Opens & Rachel Wren Exhibit in Brooklyn, Pregones Music Fest Ends Friday, Bronx Art Space Exhibit Closing Reception Saturday, NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; 5K Run on Staten Island, Palm Sunday, Passover Wednesday & Ramadan Continues

 

March 31, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

nyc things to do this weekend nyc events this wekend manhattan queens brooklyn bronx staten Island things to do events nycNYC Weather. The temperature highs will rise from 50 on Friday, to 70 on Saturday, falling back to 50 on Sunday. The temperature lows will range between the mid and high 30's all weekend. The winds will range from 10 - 15 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from about 80% Friday, to 70% Saturday to 40% Sunday. There will be scattered thunder showers Saturday ending around noon and with a brief return between 7 and 9 pm Saturday night, otherwise lookin' good.

The photos in this report were taken at an AIPAD show in a prior year. See below for details.



NYC Street Fairs & Festivals - St Fairs & Festivals in Manhattan Brooklyn Queens Bronx & Staten Island

NYC Street Fairs to Begin This Weekend

nyc street fairs festivals manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island st fairs nycMarch 29, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Shopping / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This weekend street fairs begin.

We're in the process of getting organized to publish them, as well as to provide a bit more visibility on them than we did last year. We'll also be adding in a few maps.

We should have this weekend posted sometime Friday 3/31/23, and we should get better as the year progresses. Thanks for your patience.




Things To Do This Weekend NYC March - 4th Weekend

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Street Fairs Begin, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit at FIT in Manhattan; Bayside St Patrick's Day Parade & Rough Draft Festival continues at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Queens; Bay Ridge St Patrick's Day Parade, Rachel Wren Exhibit & Final Performance of Lorraine Hansberry Play Tonight in Brooklyn, March is Music Month at Pregones, Bronx Art Space Exhibit about Homosexuality in Nature, NYBG Orchid Show & Yankees Home Opener in the Bronx; on Staten Island & The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan Began Thursday

nyc things to do this weekend events manhattan queens brooklyn bronx staten Island things to do this weekend events nyc

March 24, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 50 on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 40's all weekend. The wind will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, rising to 10 - 15 on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will be 40% - 50% on Friday and Sunday, popping up to around 80% on Saturday. There will be about a half inch of rain on Saturday, spread out over the course of the day from around 9 am to 11 pm, so you can likely do whatever you plan to, without any serious rain interruption.

The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan began yesterday [Thursday 3/23/23] and will continue until Friday, April 21. Ramadan is a month where Muslims fast, pray and reflect on their lives. Not unlike the Christian Lent.



Things To Do This Weekend NYC March - 3rd Weekend

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

St Patrick's Day Parade, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit in Manhattan; 40 Shades of Irish Green & Rough Draft Festival at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Queens; a Half Marathon Race, Lorraine Hansberry Play Performances & Rachel Wren Opening Art Reception in Brooklyn, an Art Exhibit about Homosexuality in Nature & the Orchid Show in the Bronx; St Pat's Weekend Irish Stout Concert and St Pats Weekend Bar Crawl for All on Staten Island & the First Day of Spring Comes Monday

nyc things to do this weekend in march nyc events march weekends nycMarch 17, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the low 50's on Saturday and the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday, and the low 30's for the rest of the weekend. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, and then 10 - 15 mph the rest of the weekend. The humidity will drop from 50% - 70% on Friday, to 40% on Saturday and between 30% - 40% on Sunday. No precipitation is expected this weekend.

The first official day of Spring is Monday, March 20, 2023. In the yogic tradition, spring is considered a time of renewal and transformation.

The photos included with this report are from a Manhattan St Patrick's Day Parade in an earlier year. Erin go Bragh which means Ireland Forever. Have a good one, which means a safe one, which means being respectful of others.



Governor Hochul Scraps the Ill Conceived LGA - Willets Point Air Train

Former Governor Cuomo's Air Train Seemed More About Catering to the Whims of the Billionaire Class, than in Streamlining Public Transit

March 15, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Queens Buzz NYC / 1066.

CTA subway line from downtown chicago to O'Hare Airport nyc public transit air train lgaIn 2017 I attended a Community Board meeting in Astoria where our urban planners talked about new improvements coming to LaGuardia Airport. Since then a number of those plans have come to fruition. But one of them, what at the time was called the third phase, the Air Train to LGA, has not. Use the link to see the thinking nearly six years ago when the plans had been drafted and the construction was about to begin. I'm happy to say that we flagged and reported to you a number of the issues with the LGA Air Train early on, which we've included in the list below.

The photo at right shows the CTA [Chicago Transit Authority] subway that runs along the Kennedy Expressway from downtown Chicago to O'Hare Airport which vies with Atlanta for the title of the busiest airport in the U.S..

 

The Former Emperor [Governor Cuomo] had No Clothes [Sound Public Interest Rationale]

On Monday, Governor Hochul announced what was already well known and expected, which was that the Air Train shuttling between LaGuardia Airport and Flushing Meadows Corona Park, would not be built.

There were any number of good reasons why the LGA Air Train should not have been built, such as: 1) the costs of building the train would cost more than five times the original estimated cost of under $500 million to over $2.5 billion, 2) then, implicit in a number of alternatives, there was the idiocy of connecting the LGA Air Train, to the second most trafficked subway line [the #7] in NYC, which was already nearing peak capacity pre-pandemic, 3) the politically and billionaire preferred alternative destination, Willets Point on Flushing Bay, had just been cleaned up after decades of environmental pollution, and would again be threatened again, and to top it all off, 4) the politically and billionaire preferred Willets Point alternative required all of the people traveling to and from LaGuardia on public transit, to travel out to Flushing first, before circling back around to LaGuardia Airport. The billionaires who would have benefitted from this include billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross and [now minority interest] Mets Club billionaire owners Saul B. Katz and Fred Wilpon. The new Mets baseball team owner, Steve Cohen, is also a billionaire.

CLICK here to read our report on Governor Hochul scraps the LGA to Flushing Meadows Corona Park Air Train.


Things To Do This Weekend NYC March - 2nd Weekend

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Daylight Savings Time Sunday 2AM, Performance of a Lorraine Hansberry Play, a Pop Up Market & Poets Workshop in Brooklyn; Chain Theatre Opens Original Play, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit in Manhattan; Rough Draft Festival at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Workshop for Women About EmPowerment, MFTA Art Opening & 40 Shades of Irish Green in Queens; Two St Patrick's Day Parades, a Concert, a Queer Nature Art Exhibit & the Orchid Show in the Bronx; Two Concerts [one Folk & one Classical], a Pre-Oscar Screening, a Staged Reading & Glass House Tour on Staten Island

nyc things to do this weekend in march nyc events march weekends nycMarch 10, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's and the temperature lows will be in the low to high 30's all weekend. Winds will range from 5 - 13 mph on Friday and Saturday and fall to about 7 mph on Sunday. The humidity will range from 60% - 80% on Friday, and then settle into the 60% - 70% range for the rest of the weekend. There will be about an inch of precipitation between 4 pm Friday and 9 am Saturday, and the rest of the weekend should remain dry.

The photo at right was taken in McCarren Park in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn a while back.



Things To Do This Weekend NYC March - 1st Weekend

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Lorraine Hansberry's Play at the Brooklyn Academy of Music & Brooklyn Poets Readings in Brooklyn, the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit, Purim Celebration & the Harlem Blues in Manhattan, Cryptochrome at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center & Two St Patrick's Day Parades in Queens, Queer Nature Opens at Bronx Art Space & the Orchid Show in the Bronx, & Lisa & Lori at Historic Richmond Town and the last Remaining Homophobic St Patricks Day Parade in NYC on Staten Island

things to do this weekend nyc march events this weekend 2023 snowfall in queens nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx staten island only snowfall of 2023 nycMarch 3, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. There will be about an inch of rain on Friday beginning between 5 - 8 pm, ending by Saturday 8 am. The rest of the weekend will be dry. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's all weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the mid to high 30's. The winds will be 10 - 20 mph on Friday, 5 - 15 on Saturday and about 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 80% on Friday, 70% on Saturday and 60% on Sunday.

The photo at right was taken late Monday night. It seems someone made good use of their time, and built what is likely one of the few NYC snowmen of this entire winter.



Things To Do This Weekend NYC February - 3rd Weekend

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Black HerStory at Lincoln Center, African Poetry Society Film Festival in Queens, Lorraine Hansberry's Play at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Performance of the Play Insignificant at the Bartow Pell Mansion in the Bronx & African American Lighthouse Exhibit Opening on Staten Island

valentines day events queens nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx staten island v day eventsFebruary 24, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature high on Friday was 46 degrees, falling to 34 on Saturday, before rising to 51 on Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 20's on Friday, rising to the high 20's on Saturday, and the low 30's on Sunday. The winds will be between 10 - 20 mph Friday, dropping to 4 - 7 mph Saturday and then rising again to 8 - 12 mph. The humidity will be in the 40% to 50% range on Friday, 55% t0 65% on Saturday, and between 50% to 60% on Sunday. No precipitation is expected.

The photo at right was taken at a production of Black Wall Street at the York College Bassin Performing Arts Center in Jamaica Queens quite a while ago.



Black History Month NYC - Prior Events Coverage

* Black History Month in NYC

This is a Look at Some of the Black History Events We've Covered Over the Years

nyc black history month events things to do nyc langston hughes queens david mills york performing arts center queensFebruary 17, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature high hit 61 degrees on Monday, and will fall to the mid to high 40's for the rest of the week. The temperature lows will range from the mid 30's to the low 40's until Friday, when the temperature drops into the mid 20's. The winds will range from 5 - 10 mph until Friday, when we'll experience a gusty 15 - 20 mph. The humidity will range between 60% - 70% through the week, before dropping to 40% on Friday. Less than a quarter inch of rain is expected on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The image at right is of Langston Hughes, a writer in the 1920's and 1930's of the Harlem Renaissance. It seems like African Americans are continuing the process of asserting their influence in American culture, a process that began going mainstream in the 1920's / 1930's.

 

Highlighting Black History Month in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens & Staten Island NYC with Reports about African American History and Culture

We've covered a number of interesting theatrical performances and art exhibits exploring African American history and the African American experience in the five boroughs over the years. Some of them feature the African American experience front and center, while others include or reference the African American experience. This is a compendium of most of them, with links to the full stories. Think of this as a work in progress as it is far from complete, and in some measure, reflects how long each of our web magazines has been open / covering events in each of the boroughs. At this time I have not included many of the black and brown events reflecting immigrants' cultures, vis a vis the African American cultural experience.



Things To Do This Weekend NYC February - 2nd Weekend

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Valentines Day Weekend Cocktail Party NYC, Lunar New Year Parade Manhattan, Photo Exhibit Opening Reception & Comedy in the Bronx, Classical & Gregory Porter Concerts in Brooklyn, Play in Queens & Lighthouse for Lovers on Staten Island,

valentines day events queens nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx staten island v day eventsFebruary 11, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature high on Friday actually hit 61 degrees this morning, breaking a record. On Saturday and Sunday, the temperature high will be about 50 on both days, while the temperature lows will be in the mid to high 30's throughout the weekend. The winds will be between 5 - 13 mph all weekend. The humidity will be between 40% and 50% on Friday and Saturday, rising a bit to between 50% to 60% on Sunday. There's a small chance [30%] of a small amount of rain [1/10th of an inch] on Sunday night.

 



Black History and the Role of African Americans in Advocating for Civil Rights

* Black History Month in NYC

Scratching the Surface of Our Ancestoral African Roots

black history and the role of african americans in advocating for civil rights nycFebruary 7, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Over the past few years I've come to enjoy a number of PBS programs that delve into our collective African American ancestoral roots. One of the shows is hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. wherein he researches various celebrities' ancestoral roots, digging up photos, slave ownership records, and connections to other celebrities by tracing DNA trails. The journey can lead to any number of surprises, such as when Gates found that one of actress Carol Burnett's ancestors joined the Confederate Army, and then deserted a couple of years later. Or when Gates uncovered that TV Producer / Writer Larry David of Seinfeld is a distant cousin to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

But for my money, the treasure trove of programming on PBS may be found in its rich collection of documentaries - both old and new. And among those documentaries are a wide number of films exploring the contributions and history of African Americans.

 

PBS Documentaries During Black History Month in NYC

I'm only going to touch on one of them now, and at a later date will return to engage in a deeper conversation about others. The documentary I watched on PBS this month, was entitled, The Blinding of Isaac Woodard. It was about how an innocent African American veteran was attacked by a white southern police chief [Lynwood Shull] from South Carolina who beat out Woodard's eyes and permanently blinded him in February 1946, while Woodard was changing buses at a bus stop. That's a mighty nasty way to welcome a WWII veteran home and thank him for risking his life to defend us.

Nonetheless, eight years later, the search for justice was fulfilled ... in a way. Of course the all white South Carolina jury let off Police Chief Shull. But that action so enraged President Harry S. Truman, that he ordered a federal investigation into the case. And actor / radio host Orson Welles, took up the cause too, helping make it known what sorts of racial injustices were being perpetrated upon African Americans living and working in the south.



Things To Do This Weekend NYC February - 1st Week

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Chinese New Year Celebrations Continue & Artists Open Calls

things to do this weekend nyc february events this weekend nycFebruary 3, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. We're going to have wintry cold from about 6 pm Friday to about 1 pm Saturday, when the temperatures fall below 20 degrees. Then it's back to our dry, global warming non-winter.

The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 20's on Friday and Saturday, rising significantly on Sunday to about 50 degrees. The temperature lows will be about 8 degrees Friday, rising to the mid 20's on Saturday and the high 30's on Sunday. The humidity will be about 30% on Friday, 40% on Saturday, and 50% on Sunday. Winds will be 20 mph Friday, and then 5 - 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. No precipitation is expected this weekend.

The photo at right was taken inside of City Hall last month. It's a beautiful building, as you can see.



Things To Do This Weekend NYC January - 4th Weekend

 

* Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

New Play at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Boat Show at the Javits, Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, The Chinese New Year Celebrations Continue, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival Ending, 1st Irish Festival in LIC & Artists Open Call in the Bronx

things to do this weekend january nyc weekend events nyc januaryJanuary 27, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 40's on Friday and around 50 the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 30's on Friday, rising to about 40 the rest of the weekend. The humidity will be between 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60% - 70% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. No precipitation is expected this weekend.

In the photo at right is the NYC skyline in Midtown, looking west from Queens. We've gone 324 days without measureable snow, the second longest period on record. The longest was 332 days set in 2000. Based on the most recent forecast, we're going to break that record and may go the entire winter without measureable snow. This is not good news. We all need to do whatever we can to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. And, however small it may seem, if you multiply it by seven billion [people on the planet], it won't seem so small. Every little bit of carbon reduction counts.



Things To Do This Weekend NYC January - 3rd Weekend

 

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, The Chinese New Year of the Rabbit Begins, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival continue

things to do this weekend in nyc events this weekend january 3rd weekendJanuary 20, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's throughout the weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the mid 30's on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 40 degrees on Sunday. Winds will be about 5 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will be about 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 85% Sunday afternoon as the rain pours in. No rain is in the forecast until Sunday, when a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of rain is expected starting around 3 pm.

The photo at right shows folks walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, even amidst the dreary weather.

 

NYC Things To Do This Weekend

There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating



NYC Economic Outlook / Forecast 2023

Economic Outlook 2023

Employment Steady, Inflation Subsiding, Consumer Confidence Up, Government Stimulus Fading, Fed Tightening 'Should' Stop After .25% Increase at Next FOMC Meeting, Most Global Supply Side Issues have been Corrected, Oil Prices Below a Year Ago, and the Dollar is Strong

January 17, 2023 / NYC Business News / New Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's and the temperature lows will be around 40, dropping to 35 degrees on Friday. No rain is expected EXCEPT on Thursday, where up to an inch of rain will fall during the day. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Tuesday and Thursday and will be 10 - 15 mph on Wednesday and Friday. Humidity will rise from 45% to 80% on Tuesday, fall back into the 60% range on Wednesday, rise into the 80% range on Thursday with the rain, and fall back into the 60% range on Friday.

 

I. Economic Background - CoVid Disruptions of Global Supply Chains and U.S. Government Fiscal & Monetary Policy Responses

In recent months I have spent a fair amount of time catching up on what's happening in the economy overall, in an attempt to guage what lies ahead. It's important to realize where we are in the business cycle, in order to figure out what to expect going forward.

 

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc economic outlook forecast 2023 nyc* Since March of 2020, we've been in a bit of a pandemic spin. The 2020 pandemic essentially halted most hospitality businesses and softened demand for some services, but drove high demand for both durable and non-durable goods. This is on the demand side. Meanwhile on the supply side, businesses were closing down, or working at far less than capacity, because of the health impact of the pandemic. For example in China, they didn't just appear to shutter businesses, but almost entire cities, to curb the spread of CoVid. China is where much of our electronics are made so this impacted the availability / supply of electronics at a time when Americans were spending more on them, because they weren't traveling, vacationing or even eating out much, so they had extra cash to spend on items, most notably electronics.

The U.S. federal government [as did many governments throughout the world] kept many businesses afloat through expansive monetary policy and generous fiscal spending via CoVid Relief packages which put money in the hands of local businesses, governments and individuals. The fiscal stimulus / excess government spending began in 2020 during the Trump Administration, and ended in early 2021 under the Biden Administration.

The first chart above right shows the federal government excess fiscal spending during the pandemic. Both Trump and Biden temporarily increased government spending in order to keep the economy rolling through the pandemic.



This Weekend Things To Do NYC January - 2nd Weekend

** Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Friday the 13th, Many Martin Luther King Day Weekend Events, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival continue, Closing Reception, Play about Patriarchal Power & Skating

things to do this weekend in nycJanuary 13, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the high 30's on Saturday and the mid 40's on Sunday and Monday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. No precipitation is in the forecast. The humidity will be in the 60% range on Friday, the 50% range on Saturday, the 40% range on Sunday and Monday. The winds will be 12 - 17 mph on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph on Monday.

The photo at right was taken a week ago at City Hall, where Mayor Adams opened himself up to a wide range of questions from the local press. This week the Mayor released the Preliminary Budget for NYC for 2024.



The Nurses Strike at Mt Sinai & Montefiore Hospitals

One Nurse Told me She Felt Like Nurses had gone from Heroes to Zeroes

healthcare nyc manhattan bronx nurses strike nysna mt sinai montefiore bronx nurses strike nycJanuary 5, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Healthcare / Manhattan Buzz NYC / 387.

On Monday I made the trip to the Mount Sinai Medical Center between 5th and Madison Avenues and between 99th and 101st Street on the Upper East Side. Mt Sinai is the hold out in completing negotiations or even resuming them with the New York State Nurses Association union or NYSNA.

By last Friday, January 6, 2023, New York Presbyterian Hospital, the Maimonides Medical Center and Richmond University Medical Center had reached tentative agreements with the NYSNA union that included improvements in safe staffing and wages.

By Saturday, January 7, 2023 the NYSNA tweeted that BronxCare Health System and Flushing Hospital Medical Center had "reached tentative agreements that will improve safe staffing levels and enforcement, increase wages by 7%, 6%, and 5%, and save their healthcare benefits."

By Monday, January 9, 2023 about 7,100 pf the 42,000 nurses in the NYSNA union were set to go on strike at Mt Sinai in Manhattan and Montefiore in the Bronx. When I arrived around noon time at Mount Sinai in Manhattan on Monday, the NYSNA had a strong showing by their members. And the vehicular traffic appeared to be highly supportive of them, which you will see in the video I shot when I post it later today. The strikers were stationed primarily on Madison Avenue at about 99th Street, and there was a speaker there, but I really couldn't hear what she had to say with all the surrounding commotion, you'll see that too.

So I found a few nurses talking things over a bit away from the crowd, and I spoke with them. They told me that the strike is primarily about two issues: 1) staffing levels and 2) compensation. I learned a couple of things I didn't hear reported in the corporate media, which I'll share. But please note that I've not yet had a chance to confirm these findings with either of the hospitals still on strike.

The first thing they told me is that the staffing levels vis a vis patient loads are and remain the primary cause of the strike. They said that in the last union negotiation the hospitals agreed to put in recommended grids for staffing levels per patient for the various hospital units, which was a good first step. The problem is that the new staffing grids were not made enforceable.

Thus, because the staffing grids per patient remain unenforceable, I was told that they are exceeded too often. The trouble with this, they told me [and remember these are not the official spokespeople for the union, but rather rank and file union members, and I haven't yet cross referenced these findings with either hospital - see below] is that when you exceed the recommended staffing levels for prolonged periods of time, the probability of staff mistakes rise [dispensing meds and providing treatments], and hence this isn't just unsafe for patients, but it also puts the licenses of the nurses in jeopardy, should they make a mistake.

The second thing they told me was that the corporate media tells New Yorkers that the striking nurses are holding out for higher percentage pay increases vis a vis the nurses at the other hospitals who have reached tentative deals. They thought this characterization was incomplete - if not unfair - as the nurses at Mt Sinai and Montefiore have lower pay scales than the nurses at the other NYC hospitals.

By Wednesday morning, January 11th, Montefiore had resumed negotiations with the NYNSA.

This is the first major strike by New York nurses in decades. One of the nurses said during the pandemic healthcare professionals were hailed at Heroes, while today - just a few short years later - they're treated like Zeroes. I will post the video later today and if should Montefiore or Mt Sinai Hospitals decide to provide me with comments, I will post them here later today.

Lastly, please note that none of the people I spoke with are featured in any video or photos of the strike.


This Weekend Things To Do NYC January - 1st Week

* Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

First Full Weekend of the New Year - 2nd Anniversary of the Trump Insurrection, Three Kings Day Parade, Greek, Ukrainian & Russian Orthodox Christmas, Shabbat Dinner, January Under the Radar Festival Begins, Mulchfest Ending & Skating & a Couple of Holiday Market Sales

things to do this weekend nyc january events nyc 1st weekendJanuary 5, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday and Saturday, descending to the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. The humidity will be 70% on Friday, 60% on Saturday and between 50% and 70% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. A scant amount of precipitation is expected early Friday morning, as well as late Sunday night. It appears to be something one needn't worry too much about.

In the photo at right, taken last week in Manhattan, you can see Macy's in the background, in all of its holiday glory.



This Weekend Things To Do NYC December - 4th Weekend

* Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Christmas and Hanukkah Will Soon End, and Kwanzaa Will Soon Begin, Also New Years Eve Parties and Events

things to do this weekend in nyc december 4th weekendDecember 23, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs descend from the mid 50's Friday, to about 20 on Saturday, rising to about 30 on Sunday and Monday, which is a holiday. The temperature lows fall like a rock to about 10 degrees Friday night, before rising to 15 on Saturday, 20 on Sunday and 25 on Monday. The humidity drops from 70% on Friday to 50% by the end of the day, and then remains in the 40% - 50% range for the rest of the weekend, including Monday. As of the time of this post, there's a 70% chance around midday of about 1/10 inch of precipitation. The winds will fall from a blustery 20 mph + on Friday, to 15 mph on Saturday, to 10 - 15 mph on Sunday, down to 5 - 10 mph on Monday.

The photo at right was taken earlier this month at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan. The crowds are back, but there might not yet, be as many foreign tourists as in the past.



CoVid Update and the Threat of the Tripledemic NYC

* Home for the Holidays - CoVid Update & the 'Tripledemic'

A Three Virus Healthcare Threat may be Good for TV Ratings & Headlines, but is it Real?

An NYC Tripledemic Update - Analysis of Reporting of RSV, Flu & CoVid in NYC

As We Return to En Vivo Socializing Over the Holidays - Things to be Aware of

December 19, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / CoVid in NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

covid in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island covid update tripledemic dec 2022 nycNYC Weather. There's going to be some semi-serious precipitation [at present 2 plus inches] beginning Thursday afternoon around 4 pm, continuing until Friday about 4 pm. The temperatures are expected to rise to well above freezing, so it's almost certain to be rain in the city. As for the rest of the week, no rain Monday through Wednesday, and none is expected Saturday and Sunday, as folks head home for the holidays.

The temperature highs will be around 40 from Monday through Wednesday, rising into the low 50's on Thursday and possibly hit 60 on Friday, before descending into the mid 20's for the Christmas weekend, so Santa and his reindeer won't overheat as they make their appointed rounds. The temperature lows will be around 30 Monday through Wednesday, rising to 50 on Thursday, before falling to into the high teens on Friday, where the low will remain for the rest of the weekend. Monday thru Wednesday winds will be around 5 - 10 mph, rising to 15 - 20 on Thursday and then 25 - 30 on Friday, before falling back to 15 - 20 mph on Saturday and then 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 65% on Monday thru Wednesday, rising to 75% - 85% on Thursday, and then falling on Friday from 75% to 50% on Friday, before settling into the weekend at between 40% - 50% for a dry weekend.

 

I. The Tripledemic - RSV How Real & How Scary?

covid in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island covid updateAs you likely heard, we are in the midst of experiencing a 'tripledemic'. The triple refers to CoVid, flu and RSV. RSV is short for respiratory syncytial virus, which is a virus that causes symptoms like those associated with a cold, but which can cause serious negative health issues for infants and the elderly. As usual, the TV news teleprompter readers and their writers appear to report whatever they're told, without actually thinking about the information they're conveying. And since they're in the business of attracting viewers' and readers' attention, they seem to have a tendency to sensationalize almost everything they report, including the weather.

So, let's start with RSV [respiratory syncytial virus], which to date, appears to have peaked the week ending November 12, 2022 [see chart]. According to weekly reporting by NYC Health, an NYC government website, there were three RSV related infant deaths since the peak this season, and they all occurred on the same week. As of the NYC Health report on December 17, 2022, there were nearly 30,000 cases in NYC so far this fall. So three infant deaths is a 0.01% RSV death rate in NYC. Given the low death rate, one has to wonder whether there were other complicating factors also at play?

RSV prevention is certainly worth paying attention to in order to protect your loved ones - especially infants, the elderly and immuno compromised. But that said, it rarely appears to be fatal, as you can see by the statistics noted above. RSV cases have been on the decline since the November 12th peak, but as in reporting on all health issues, things can change without notice. So stay tuned, knowing that what we're dealing with generally isn't lethal.



This Weekend Things To Do NYC December - 3rd Weekend

* Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

This is the Peak Party Holiday Weekend, Holiday Concerts, Holiday Shopping & Menorah Lightings as Hanukkah Begins

things to do this weekend in nyc december 3rd weekendDecember 16, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs descend from the high 40's on Friday to about 40 on Saturday and then into the high 30's on Sunday. The temperature lows drop from the mid 30's on Friday, to about 30 on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity drops from between 70% and 80% on Friday, to about 60% on Saturday and then into the 50% range on Sunday. The winds will be 12 - 16 on Friday and then about 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. About a half inch of rain is due Friday, ending about 4 pm in the afternoon, and thereafter the weekend should be dry.

The photo at right was taken last week along 6th Avenue, near Bryant Park in Midtown. The city is again entertaining fair crowds of tourists and New Yorkers.



* Picketing for the One Day Strike at the New York Times didn't Last a Day

How Not to do a Strike?

December 13, 2022 / NYC Business News / Midtown Manhattan / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz NYC / 386. 

Early last week I caught wind that there was an impending strike coming to the New York Times.  It was a snippet of a news story, but seemed important, given the prominence and influence of the Times. The Times is one of the two most prestigious papers in the nation along with the Washington Post, and one of a small number of such influential newspapers in the world.

 

NYT Strike on Thursday, December 8, 2022

nyt strike in nycSo, when I heard that the strike was actually happening on Thursday late afternoon, I dropped everything and headed down to the New York Times office building in Midtown Manhattan.  I had a hunch that the strikers would be disbanding - if not gone - by the time the TV news ended at 7 pm. 

It turns out I was right, as I arrived right around 7 pm and there wasn't a striker in sight.  I walked completely around the block, covering all street exits of the Times office building, including 8th Avenue and 40th and 41st Streets. The strikers had been there, just not for a very long time.

I asked several people coming out of the building about the strike.  Most of them shrugged me off, in a surly sort of manner.  One of them responded telling me that the strikers were there in the afternoon, marching along 8th Avenue.  But, as mentioned, there wasn't a striker in sight, and no trace that they had been there.  Unless they had slipped into Wolfgang's Steakhouse for drinks and dinner [see photo below].

The photo above right was taken outside of the Times office building in Midtown Manhattan around 7 pm on December 8, 2022 - the day of the one day strike. The picketing appears not to have lasted the day.

A reported 1,100 members of the News Guild of New York gave up a days pay, to stage the one day walk out on Thursday, December 8th.  The union represents 1,450 NYT employees, of which 1270 are newsroom personnel, according to the Wall St. Journal.  Based on the coverage I saw by other news organizations of the strike, far fewer folks picketed on Thursday, than the number of those who didn't show up for work and gave up the day of pay. My guesstimate of the number who picketed was in the low hundred(s).


This Weekend Things To Do NYC December - 2nd Weekend

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Holidays Tree Lightings, Holiday Caroling, Holiday Community Gatherings & Holiday Markets

things to do this weekend in nyc december events nyc 2nd weekend events things to do nycDecember 10, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 40's, and the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's, all weekend. About 1/3 inch of precipitation is expected on Sunday between the hours of noon and midnight. Winds will be about 7 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will rise from 40% - 50% on Friday, to 50% - 65% on Saturday, to 70% - 80% on Sunday.

The photo at right was taken this week along 5th Avenue, which was fairly crowded Thursday evening with tourists and New Yorkers.



This Weekend Things To Do NYC December - 1st Week

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Holidays are Going Full Tilt This Week with Tree Lightings, Caroling, Community Gatherings and Holiday Markets

things to do this weekend nyc december events nyc 1st weekend in DecemberDecember 2, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday, the high 50's on Saturday and descending back to the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday, descending to the low 30's on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will climb from 50% to 60% on Friday, to 55% to 77% on Saturday before descending back to 50% to 60% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, rising to 10 - 15 mph on Saturday and then falling to 5 mph on Sunday. About a quarter inch of rain is expected between 7 am and 1 pm on Saturday, otherwise it's a dry weekend.

The photo at right was taken last week. What strikes me about this photo, and other scenes in the city like it, is the lingering foliage and color we're still seeing at this late date in the season.

This weekend we could top 60 degrees, which as you know, is unseasonably warm. Even the birds and insects are confused by this weather. For example at a Thanksgiving Day dinner in Connecticut I noticed there were insects hovering around the table, and in Queens - just yesterday - I walked past a bevy of trees which were alive with the noise of what seemed an entire flock of tweeting birds. It was fairly cold yesterday, so I thought perhaps their beaks were chattering, like we humans do when it's very cold.



This Weekend Things To Do NYC November - 4th Week

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Holidays are Warming up a bit this Weekend, Before going Full Tilt Next Week

things to do this weekend nyc november events nycNovember 25, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 50's all weekend, while the temperature lows will rise from around 40 on Friday and Saturday, to 50 on Sunday. The humidity drops from 60% - 70% on Friday, to 50% - 60% on Saturday, and then rises again to 70% - 80% on Sunday. The winds will be around 15 mph Friday, falling to 10 mph on Saturday and Sunday. There's a slight chance of a slight amount of rain before noon Friday, none on Saturday and then about a half to two thirds inch of rain on Sunday between 11 am and 9 pm.

The photo at right was taken at a Thanksgiving dinner I attended yesterday. I ate so much of the dinner, that I didn't dare have any dessert for fear of exploding ... a similar memory of which, I also have as a child.



This Weekend Things To Do NYC November

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Holidays have Arrived in NYC

things to do this weekend nyc november events nycNovember 18, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperatures will be in the mid to low 40's during the day and the mid to low 30's at night. Humidity will be fairly low ranging from 35% to 50%. No rain is in the forecast. The winds will range from 10 - 16 mph, so fairly windy.

As hard as it is to believe, the holidays have arrived. Last weekend the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrived. It's an 80 foot spruce which will be lit on Wednesday evening November 30th.

Following the lighting at Rockefeller Center, there's a new street program entitled Fifth Avenue for All. It starts Sunday, December 4th, continuing Sunday, December 11th and ending Sunday, December 18th whereby 5th Avenue will be closed to automobile traffic from 49th to 57th Street, from 12 noon - 6 pm. There will be food vendors, musicians, pedestrians and others, who will take over the street.

And of course the holiday events and holiday shopping seasons have begun as well. We're working on holiday markets as we speak, and we expect to continue updating through the weekend. But you can use the links below in the Holiday Markets report filed earlier this week, to see how far we've gotten in posting the holiday markets which have begun opening.



Things To Do This Weekend NYC November - 2nd Weekend Events NYC

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Announcement, Veterans Day Weekend, Art & Performance; some outdoor Farmers Markets & Street Fairs still open

things to do this weekend nyc november events nycNovember 11, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's Friday, dropping to the mid 50's Saturday and down to the mid 40's Sunday. The temperature lows will plummet from the low 50's Friday, to the low 330's Saturday and into the high 20's on Sunday. The humidity will fall from 90% Friday, to 80% Saturday, to 65% 80% on Sunday. Winds will be a blustery 7 - 15 mph all weekend. Rain is in the forecast, with about a quarter inch to fall tonight, and then 1/10th inch of rain early in the morning on Saturday and Sunday - so it shouldn't stop you from going out.



NYC Election Day Poll Finder & Early Voting Information NYC

NYS Politics & Election Day November 2022

NYS Elections are November 8th, Today

nyc poll site locator queens poll site locator manhattan polls locations

November 8, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. 

The NYS election is today, Tuesday November 8th.  On the ballot are the following races: U.S. Senate, Governor, Other state level positions such as Attorney General, State Assembly, State Senators and Ballot measures.



Things To Do This Weekend NYC November - 1st Weekend Events NYC

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

NYC Marathon Weekend, Veterans Day Commemorations Warm Ups, Upcoming Play; some outdoor Farmers Markets & Street Fairs still open

things to do this weekend nyc november events nycNovember 4, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 70's all weekend, while the low will be in the mid 60's all weekend. No rain is in the forecast, but it will be a very humid weekend for this time of year ranging from 70% to 85% all weekend. Winds will be about 10 mph all weekend.

The photo at right was taken at the Queens World Film Festival in a prior year. The festival returned to the Museum of the Moving Image this week and runs through the weekend.

The graphic below right shows the course of the NYC Marathon this Sunday.



Thanksgiving Food & Wine Shopping NYC

NYC Gourmet Shops & Thanksgiving Restaurants in NYC

Shops and Restaurants for Preparing or Eating Thanksgiving Day Dinner in NYC, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island

thanksgiving day shops and restaurants in manhattan thanksgiving day restaurants gourmet shops manhattan nycNovember 2, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The origins of Thanksgiving Day in the United States began with one of America’s first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600’s]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the ‘old country’. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620.

The Pilgrims Receive Help from the Native People of a Strange Land

Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their thanks to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors.

Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America. There's some dispute to this account, which we'll address in a future post, near Thanksgiving Day.





Things To Do in NYC in July - Weekends

Things To Do in NYC by Weekend in July

July 31, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the month of July 2022.


Things To Do This Weekend in NYC

1) Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, Greek Festival, Pow Wow & Jamaica Jerk Festival in Queens, 2) Shakespeare at Bronx Music Center, Bronx Night Market, Piazza di Belmont & the Bronx Dominican Parade returns to the Bronx; 3) Gallery Players, Piper Theater Performances, Burlesque at the Beach and BRIC Concert Series continues in Brooklyn; 4) Songwriters Showcase, Ailey Moves & St. Lukes Concert, Mame Opens at the Victory Theater, Much Ado about Nothing, Final Movie / Concert at the Lighthouse Museum on Staten Island; 5) SHENYC continues, Dance Intensive, Twelfth Night & NY Asian Film Fest ending, Movies and MacBeth Begins in Manhattan, and Free Outdoor Concerts, Movies & Theater, Farmers Markets, NYC Public Outdoor Swimming Pools, Street Fairs, Public Beaches

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycJuly 29, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weekend Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 80's and the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 70's. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from 50% - 70% on Friday, to 50% on Saturday, rising to 50% - 65% on Sunday. There's a chance of about a quarter inch of rain sometime between 10 pm Friday night and 4 am Saturday morning. All in all not a bad weather weekend.

The photo at right is of the dragon festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. The festival returns this weekend.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Thursday - Sunday, July 28 - July 31, 2022 - Thurs / Fri / Sat / Sun - 5 pm to 11 pm - St Irene Chrysovalantou Church - This Astoria street fair is along 23rd Avenue from 36th Street to the Amtrak trestle. Traditional Greek food, music, and folk dances every night, as well as rides for the kids and a marketplace. The feast day celebration starts with a mass on Wednesday at 7.30 pm inside and continues with various religious services through the end of the feast on Sunday.

On Friday, July 29, 2022 beginning at 7.30 pm / Hip to Hip Theater Free - Pericles - There's a performance of Shakespeare at The Voelker Orth Museum is located at 149-19 38th Avenue in Flushing.

On Sunday, July 31, 2022 from 2 - 5 pm - there's a performance by Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York Guelaguetza Festival at Socrates Sculpture Park which is located at 32-01 Vernon Blvd at Broadway in Astoria / LIC.

Friday through Sunday, July 29 - 31, 2022 - There's a Pow Wow at the Queens County Farm at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Bellerose Manor / Little Neck neighborhoods of Queens. Performances run from 7 - 10 pm Friday; 12 noon - 5 pm and 7 - 10 pm Saturday; and from 12 noon - 5 pm Sunday. The Grand Entry of tribes is at 7 pm Friday, 1 pm and 7 pm Saturday and 1 pm Sunday. Gates open at 6 pm Friday, and 10 am on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets run $15 / adult and $8 / kids 12 and under [discounted rates for full weekend passes].

Saturday & Sunday, July 30 & 31, 2022 - from 9 am - 5 pm - Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival at Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Live boat races, food, shopping and entertainment. Free admission. www.hkdbf-ny.org. Free admission.

Sunday, July 31, 2022 - Jamaica Jerk Festival - From 12 noon to 8 pm - Carribean Food Festival with music at Roy Wilkins Park 177-01 Baisley Blvd at Merrick in Jamaica. Admission $45 advance / likely more at door / Children under 10 Free. Tickets at www.jerkfestivalny.com.

Use the links below to see details about the concerts, theater and movie events above, as well as for details on the free summer concerts, theater and movies for the rest of this summer in Queens. For example next Monday free summer movies in Astoria Park, free performances of Shakespeare in Queens parks, a free movie in Rufus King Park on Friday 7/29 in Jamaica, a paid movie with workshop at the Queens Botanical Garden this Saturday 7/30, free concerts and dance performances in Athens Square Park on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Astoria, live music and dance in Travers Park in Jackson Heights on Sunday 7/31 and a free concert in Gantry State Park in Tuesdays.


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Easing into the Curve - Summer Nears Half Way Mark

NYC is in Full Summer Swing & While Not Back to Full Strength, We're Nearing it ...

July 26, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

We've mostly been trying to stay abreast of all the summer events this past month. Event schedules changed, some schedules have been reduced, and some venues have closed or remain on hiatus. But by and large, most venues are back up and running on some kind of level, while trying to protect the health and safety of their associates as well as the general public vis a vis CoVid.

So as we remained focused on staying abreast of the many summer events easily accessible to most of the denizens of NYC and NYS, we did not take our eye off of the more serious issues swirling around us. The following is a list of events we've been monitoring and researching along the way, which we intend to delve into in the coming weeks, and perhaps months.

 

Untimely Death: Two Russian Oligarchs Live on Ivana Trump's Block

I have a few unanswered questions regarding Ivana Trump's sudden, unexpected, accidental death.

Ivana Trump lived in a building in Manhattan on the Upper East Side in which Donald Trump reportedly still owns a total of five units. It just so happens that Ivana's residence is also on a block where two Russian Oligarchs own large residences, and for a time, where the divorced wife of a third Oligarch, lived. The wife of the third Oligarch is Dasha Zhukova who was married to Roman Abramovich. Zhukova became fast friends with Ivanka Trump, after being introduced by Wendi Deng, the former wife of Rupert Murdoch [Fox News / WSJ / NY Post] sometime around 2007.

The Russian Oligarchs who own residences on the same block where Ivana Trump lived, are Oleg Deripaska and Len Blavatnik. Deripaska's residence is just across the street from Ivana's residence, which if he were to be a spy, would be an ideal a location. Dasha Zhukova [the former wife of Abramovich] lived in Deripaska's residence in 2018, apparently departing from that residence sometime before September 2019.

Zhukova moved ten blocks north of Ivana's block into a large four townhouse development upon which Zhukova's former husband, Roman Abramovich was working. According to a March 12, 2022 report in the Mercury News, Abramovich transferred the real estate, valued at $92 million, to Zhukova in 2018. In 2022 the Russian Oligarch sanctions hit, and now there's a question of whether transferred wealth to relatives [like former wife Zhukova] should also be sanctioned.

According to a March 17, 2022 report in the New Yorker, "... [Russian Opposition Leader Alexei] Navalny has described Abramovich as “one of the key enablers and beneficiaries of Russian kleptocracy...”. Abramovich is considered one of Putin's most trusted Oligarchs, having survived Putin's Oligarch purge after Russian President Boris Yeltsin's fall.

Abramovich must be an incredibly skillful manipulator - not just of Putin - but Abramovich was also the only Russian Oligarch who Ukrainian President Zelensky asked the U.S. not to sanction. Zelensky claimed it was in order to unencumber Abramovich to broker a Russian / Ukrainian peace deal in Turkey [see link below for further details]. The pact never even came close to happening. Separately, the two nations recently cut a deal to allow free passage of food through the Black Sea and Bosporous Straits, which less than 24 hours later Putin 'honored' by bombing the Ukrainian port of Odessa, from which the Ukrainian food is to be shipped.

The deal providing two of the world's largest food producers [Russia & Ukraine] safe passage of food through the Black Sea and the Bosporous Straits was brokered - not by the Russian kleptocrat Abramovich - but by the UN and Turkey. The Bosporous Straits is a Black Sea bottleneck, which is controlled by NATO ally Turkey, per an international agreement made decades ago.

See the Russian Ukrainian War report series for more about how Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky invited Russian Oligarch Roman Abramovich to help broker a peace deal.

Back to Ivana's Trump's residence and her sudden, unexpected and accidental death. So Ivana's daughter, Ivanka Trump, became quite friendly with Abramovich's former wife, Dasha Zhukova. They became such good friends that they began interacting socially at very public events well over a decade ago. The first social event I found documented was in 2014 when Zhukova reportedly invited Ivanka and Jared to a fundraiser organized by her husband, Roman Abramovich, for a Jewish Museum he founded in Moscow. In 2016, as Donald Trump was running for President, Ivanka, Wendi Deng and Zhukova were also photographed at the the U.S. Open in Queens. And in 2017 Dasha Zhukova was reportedly invited to the Trump Inauguration weekend celebrations. Apparently there have been many other interactions, in between those public appearances and since, including some Abramovich investments placed in Jared Kushner's brother's [Josh] company.

My point in all of this, is that the Russians could have had social access to Ivana Trump's residence and / or were in a position to have access to Ivana Trump's residence via more nefarious means. Given Trump owned so many units in the building, and probably owns the building management company, a lot of the independent context surrounding Ivana's death would be hard to obtain by the authorities without strong cause. I heard nothing about any review of any building video footage on the property itself, nor from the surrounding buildings. After the funeral, Ivana's body was subsequently delivered to a Trump golf course in New Jersey, which is private property, owned by Donald Trump.

The details of Ivana Trump's autopsy were scant. The reporting of them had an uncertain quality to them. None of the reports indicated who called in the death. Not by name, not by association and not by any role. I find that odd. The first cited cause of death was "cardiac arrest" and then later the cause of death was said to be from 'blunt' injuries suffered in the fall. Ivana Trump was an athlete, and only 73 years old, so falling down the stairs, and dying from the fall, while believable, is also unbelievable.

It's worth noting here, that accidental deaths are reportedly a Putin specialty. A Russian media baron, Boris Berezovsky, who was on the outs with Putin, reportedly suddenly, unexpectedly and accidentally died in his own bathroom at the age of 67 in 2013. The police determined that the cause of death was "unexplained", but it was surmised that it could have been caused by chemical, biolgical or nuclear material.

The timing of Ivana's death, coincidentally worked in the Donald's favor, as the NYS Attorney General was about to follow through with depositions with the Trump children. Because of Ivana's death, all of the Trump children depositions were postponed by the NYS Attorney General. The Trump family funeral also provided an opportunity for Donald Trump to meet with his children without being asked any questions. I mention this because it's been suggested that Trump may have tried to tamper with a witness for the Congressional Hearings on the Trump Insurrection.

We know from Trump's campaigning in 2016, as well as from the January 6 Congressional Hearings of the Insurrection, that Donald Trump is not above encouraging others to do violence, when it serves his purposes. Ivana Trump reportedly kept contact with the Donald, even after their marriage ended, but the divorce was reportedly fairly hostile, although it also appeared that their relationship settled down, and might possibly have healed, over time.

Ivana and Ivanka Trump were reportedly close, as the only two women in that iteration of the Trump family. So, given the above as backdrop, what I found of particular interest, was the body language between the Donald, and Ivanka and Jared, at Ivana's funeral. They did not look each other in the eye, and Ivanka and Jared seemed to flee the rest of the family immediately after the funeral. Given the many funerals I've attended, that didn't strike me as normal.

These are just some unasked and unanswered questions that came to mind while I watched the Trumps mourn one of their own. I suspect neither Trump nor Putin will let up with their shenanigans, because right now both of them are losing, and by the time the 2024 election rolls around, both of them might become desperate. Stay tuned.


Things To Do in NYC in June - Weekends

Things To Do in NYC by Weekend in June

June 30, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the month of June 2022.


Things To Do in NYC This June Weekend

Gay Pride Parade & PrideFest in Manhattan, the Jamaica Dance Festival Continues and the Astoria Park Fireworks Returns to Queens, the Gowanus Art Festival, Funday Festival, Midwood Mardis Gras & Tastes of Crown Heights in Brooklyn; Bronx River Sounds Art Fest & Bronx Night Market in the Bronx; Polish Festival & Free Concert for Ukraine on Staten Island; NYC Public Outdoor Swimming Pools Open Next Week, Early Voting Ends Sunday & NYS Primary Election Tuesday

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycJune 24, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperatures will be about 90 degrees this weekend, and the lows about 70 degrees. The humidity will be between 50% - 60% all weekend. Winds will be about 12 mph Saturday and about 17 mph Sunday. No rain is expected over the weekend, but about a 1/2 inch to an inch is due to arrive on Monday.

The photo at right was taken at the Gay Pride Parade in the West Village in Manhattan prior to the pandemic.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan

Saturday, June 25, 2022 from 10 am - 6 pm - Little West 12th Street Block Party - Along Little West 12th Street between 9th Avenue and Washington Street in the West Village.

The Gay Pride Parade returns to the West Village on Sunday, June 26th beginning at 12 noon at Madison Square Park at 26th Street and 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The parade turns west toward the West Village at 8th Street, continues onto Christopher Street before turning north on 7th Avenue, ending at 15th Street.

Also on Sunday, June 26, 2022 there's also a Gay Pride street fair along 4th Avenue between 8th and 13th streets in the Village. It begins at 11 am and ends around 6 pm. The fair includes entertainment, food and wellness booths.


SHORT

NYC / NYS Politics - Primary Election Tuesday, June 28th

NYS Primaries are June 28th - Except for U.S. Congressional & NYS Senate Races

nyc poll site locator queens poll site locator manhattan polls locations

Updated June 27, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. 

The NYS primary election is on Tuesday, June 28th.  On the ballot are the following races: U.S. Senate, Governor, Other state executives, State Assembly, Special state legislative, School boards, Municipal government and Ballot measures.

Click on the image above to access the poll finder website, so you can easily find where to vote in your neighborhood.  Remember this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and many of our ancestors died for our right to vote. A similar struggle for freedom from oppression is going on in Ukraine right now.  So in as much as you can, do your homework before voting for those you choose to represent you / us. There's still time to do some research on candidates on the web.  

The New York City election is Tuesday June 28th, and polls are open from 6 am - 9 pm. Click on the graphic above, to find your poll site.

FYI - July 4th Fireworks celebrations coming later tonight.


NYC News Updates June 2022

CoVid Guidelines Issued by State & Federal Govt Sometimes at Cross Purposes, NYC Tourism Coming Back, Why There are Two NYS Primaries in 2022, Former Mayor de Blasio Running for Congress, Inflation & Wages are Up but Expected to Slow, Public Schools End School Year on 6/27/22, Will the Rangers take the Stanley Cup, Will the Celtics Win the Championship & Will the Mets & Yankees hold onto their Leads?

June 7, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This report is a catch up on some of the key local news items over the past couple of months. Our last news update was at the end of February [2/22/22]. 

CoVid Regulatory Guidelines Differ at Federal & State Levels

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycOn March 17, 2022 the NYS CoVid general restrictions under the H.E.R.O. Act expired.  The expiration did not include the masks mandate requirement on NYC & NYS public transit. 

On April 18, 2022 the CDC / Federal rescinded their mask mandates on federal transportation, while - as noted above - NYS has kept its mask mandate in effect.  As one might expect, this has led to some confusion.  So to be clear, when using the MTA, LIRR or Metro North trains, masks are still required.

Be advised that local businesses have the right to decide what rules apply to customers who enter their facilities.  For example, Broadway theaters and many other entertainment venues still request proof of vaccination and / or masks indoors.  Broadway theaters extended their mask mandate requirement of attendees at performances through June 2022.  Conversely, most NYC restaurateurs no longer check vaccination status, let their customers decide whether or not to wear masks, and most restaurateurs provide the option of indoor / outdoor dining, which was established as an economic response to CoVid, in support of local restaurants by the de Blasio Administration.

Vaccination rates for NYC and NYS continue to inch up quite slowly, but that's now a somewhat dated metric, because if one is not boosted, the CoVid immunity and protection fades over time.  The CoVid vaccination protection generally recedes significantly while approaching 6 months after the first two shots, so getting boosted is important, particularly if you are immuno-compromised, have an underlying condition, or fall into an elderly age group [over 50 years].

NYC Tourism Bouncing Back

NYC tourism is coming back and the city economy is picking up.  The past month or so, we've been inundated with notices of public events and entertainment venues coming back to life.  We've not yet gotten back into the full rhythm to accommodate as many as we'd like, but we're getting there.  Our monthly things to do calendars will be coming back to life bit by bit, starting this weekend.  The calendar is accessible from the top tool bar, by clicking the first button from the left.

Mayor Adams said yesterday [6/6/22] that NYC hotels are booking at 95% of pre-pandemic levels.  The NY Post stated in an April 20, 2022 report, that the NYC hotel business would be down 55%.  We'll see how this plays out by the end of the year.


Things To Do in NYC in May - Weekends

Things To Do in NYC by Weekend in May

May 31, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the month of May 2022.


Things To Do Memorial Day Weekend in NYC

The Unofficial Start of Summer Comes with Memorial Day Parades in Brooklyn, Queens & Staten Island; Fleet Week is Underway & the Intrepid is Hosting Events, Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, Losaida and LES Festival in Manhattan, BAM Dance Africa Festival in Brooklyn, Sunnyside Gardens Park Fair in Queens, National Puerto Rican Day Parade Festival at 152nd St in Bx & Bronx Arts Ensemble & Night Market, Staten Island Mall Carnival Began, Golf Courses have been Open & it's the Opening Weekend of NYC Beaches, Farmers Markets, Street Fairs & more

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycMay 29, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will be near 80 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, rising to the mid 80's or higher on Monday. The temperature lows will be in the 60's all weekend. Over a half inch of rain is expected between about 2 pm Friday and about 4 pm Saturday, and the rest of the weekend will be dry. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, Saturday and Monday, falling to 3 - 5 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 80% on Friday, 70% on Saturday, and 60% on Sunday and Monday. All in all a pretty fair weather for the three day weekend.

The photo at right was taken at Coney Island in Brooklyn in 2019 prior to the outbreak of the CoVid pandemic. While CoVid hasn't gone away [and may never], it seems the worst of it is behind us and folks are beginning to return to what used to be their normal lives. Coney Island opened in April this year.

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend NYC

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycIn the photo at right is just one of thousands of artworks for sale in a prior year at the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit which begins Saturday and runs through Monday.

On Monday, May 30, 2022 the Inwood Memorial Day Parade begins at 11.30 am at Dykman Street and marches up Broadway into Inwood Park where a short flag raising ceremony will be held.

The Lower East Side Festival runs Friday through Sunday from 6 pm to 1 am [and Saturday also from 12 noon - 6 pm] at the Theater for the New City at 155 East 10th Street in the East Village. The festival includes theater, music, dance, film and kids stuff. Free.

The Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit begins Saturday and runs through the weekend. The art fair runs from 12 noon to 6 pm daily along University Avenue from Washington Square Park South to 13th Street in the Village.

The Losaida Festival is on Sunday, May 29, 2022 from 12 noon - 5 pm - Along Avenue C and 8th Street [Losaida Street] in the East Village. The fair celebrates Puerto Rican food, music and culture. Free.

It's Fleet Week in NYC and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is hosting a number of activities, topped off on Monday at 10 am with a Memorial Day Closing Ceremony. See www.intrepidmuseum.org/fleet-week for details.

This is Fleet Week and a number of U.S. Navy ships are docked in Manhattan and Staten Island. A number of events are planned in both locations. For details see http://militarynews.com/app/fleetweeknewyork/events.html


Memorial Day With Chief Joseph

A Conversation in First Calvary Cemetery in Queens

May 30, 2022 / Woodside & Maspeth Neighborhoods / Queens Culture / Queens Fiction / Queens Buzz.

calvary cemetery photos queensOn Memorial Day, I decided to make a trip to the First Calvary Cemetery to visit the graves of those who gave their lives defending this nation because the founding charters promise all [wo]men the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They fought for a noble cause I thought as I made my way, on a beautiful day, to the Calvary cemetery in Queens.

The First Calvary cemetery opened in the late 1840’s [circa 1847 – 1848] and was located only a short ferry ride away from Manhattan, up Newtown Creek. A couple more cemeteries were opened as the 19th century wore on, as most of Queens was still rural farmlands and woodlands. Many of the burials of the first century of operation were of Catholic Irish, Italian and Polish immigrants - many of which were children who died because of poor living conditions and medical care. Many soldiers had been buried here as well, many of whom were from the Civil War era.

As I was viewing a collection of the tombstones, reflecting on the lives sacrificed in the war over slavery, as well as the more recent wars that pulled nearly the entire planet into battle, a figure in the distance caught my attention. They appeared to be making their way in my direction, in this lonely empty section of the cemetery. I pulled out of my musings, and began to focus on this emerging presence as they made their way up the hill.

photos first calvary cemetery maspeth queensAs they came closer, I could see that it was an old man, of medium height, with long black and grey hair and a weathered, leathery, tan skin. He was wearing an old brown work shirt and khaki trousers and beaten leather shoes. No, they were mocassins.

I'm not sure why I thought of this, but his countenance resembled that of a legendary American Indian: Chief Joseph. Chief Joseph was a tribal leader of the Nez Perce tribe in the Wallowa Valley in northeast Oregon. Chief Joseph was born in 1840, only years before this cemetery was founded. He had actually visited New York City in 1897, to march alongside Buffalo Bill in a Wild West Parade.

The man slowly raised his right arm, palm open and fingers standing straight up like the Boy Scout salute, and in a deep full voice he said,

“How.”

I stood a bit at attention, as I returned the greeting.

“Hi. How are you today?”

He spoke again, this time in a language I did not understand.

“Mumba goycha tay.”

I looked at him and shook my head back and forth indicating that I did not understand what he’d just said.

Click here to read the rest of our Memorial Day fiction in Calvary Cemetery in Queens.


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Pro Choice Rally in Manhattan NYC Last Weekend

I Heard a Number of Interesting Perspectives of Abortion Rights / Right to Choose Early Pregnancy Cessations or EPC's

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycMay 17, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Last Saturday there were a few Pro Choice rallies in NYC. Most notable among them were the one that started at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, marching across the Brooklyn Bridge to Foley Square. And there was another group that gathered in Union Square which also marched to Foley Square.

I have some video and photos, but possibly the most interesting part of this report are the perspectives I picked up along the way, which provided me with a deeper understanding of the issues, primarily from a women's point of view.

First there's the science ...

Hi. Following up on the conversations I had and overheard led me to a lot of new information that I'm still processing. I hope to return to finish this sometime in the summer.

CLICK here to read the update on the Pro Choice Rally in Manhattan, including a fairly deep dive into the science, social impact, legality and dishonest political distortions of the issue of abortion when we post 'Update' next to the date of May 17, 2022 above.


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Off the Red Carpet at the Met Gala's Gilded Age

I was on the Street During the Met Gala, with the Regular Folks of NYC

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycMay 3, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Last night I went to see the red carpet arrivals at the Met Gala. The Met Gala is considered to be one of the most fashionable events of the year. It's by invitation only, costs between $30,000 and $35,000 per ticket. The event is generally said to run from about 6 pm to about 9.30 or 10.30 pm.

This year the fashion theme was of the opulence, fame and excess that accompanied the Gilded Age. But you'd never have known there was a theme, because the rich and famous of today - as back then - pretty much do whatever they want. And many of their outfits said just that.

Many observers think that the red carpet arrivals are the height of the show ... but then many observers likely never make it inside the museum to see how the other half parties.

Since this was my first time covering this event, I arrived unfashionably on time, around 6 pm, taking the subway to 86th Street as my limosine driver had the night off, and it really didn't matter, because my limosine has been in the shop for repairs for pretty much my entire lifetime.


Things To Do in NYC in April - Weekends

Things To Do in NYC by Weekend April

April 30, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the month of April 2022.


Things To Do in NYC This Weekend

Nice Weather Weekend for the 5 Boro Bike Ride NYC, Yankee Peddler Day at Historic Richmond Town Staten Island, Night Food Market & Orchid Show in the Bronx, May Day Festival & BAM Queer Film Weekend in Brooklyn, International Cultural Festival Queens & Dance Fest at Wolman Rink & Met Gala Monday in Manhattan ... and more ...

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycApril 29, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather NYC. The temperature highs will rise from the low 60's on Friday to the high 60's on Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 40's on Friday, to the high 40's on Saturday to about 50 on Sunday. The humidity will be very low on Friday, ranging from 10% to 40%, rising to 30% - 45% on Saturday and then 35% to 55% on Sunday. The wind will finally settle down to 5 - 10 mph throughout the weekend. No rain is expected this weekend.

In the photo at right are cyclists participating in the 5 Boro Bike Ride as they make their way through Queens in a prior year. The cycling event returns Sunday. See details below.

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend NYC

There's a Coney Island Polar Bear Club event on Saturday & Sunday at Wolman Rink in Central Park from 2 pm - 10 pm. It's a charity event and tickets aren't cheap at $191 / person. See www.wolmanrinknyc.com for details.

The 5 Boro Bike Ride returns to all five boroughs of NYC on Sunday. Details in Manhattan street fairs.

The Met Gala returns to the Metropolitan Museum on Monday.

Click here for Manhattan Farmers Markets.




Russia Ukraine War Series

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The Yankees May Have Lost Sunday, but Not Because of Their Fans

I Encountered Yankees Fans on the #4 Train on Their Way to the Game

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycApril 13, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

In the photo at right you see a group of Yankees fans on their way to the game on Sunday, April 10th. While the game was scheduled to begin at 8 pm, these super fans were on their way to the ball park at 4 pm.

They were brimming with enthusiasm, as the Yankees' 2022 season was off to a good start, beating their arch nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, in the season opener on Friday and again on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Red Sox rallied late in the game and won 4 - 3.

The video shows a few scenes of this group's talent and enthusiasm for the Yankees.


* Ukraine VI: War Sustainability & Possible Outcomes

A Closer Look at the Probable and Possible Outcomes of the Russo-Ukrainian War

April 4, 2022 / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycIn Part VI, we're going to zoom into the current situation, looking at their wars are being financed, recent politics in both Russia and Ukraine, and popular support for the war in each nation.

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. IT IS EXPECTED TO BE FINISHED BY SOMETIME NEXT WEEK.

A Little More History

The Cossacks were legendary fighters. The name trouble w/ authority so headed to the steppes.

Russia Relations - include Catherine II and Potemkin Village -
Two premiers, Nikita Kruschev and Leonid Brezhnev, were Ukrainians. And both of them helped moved the Soviet Union toward a less autocratic repressive regime.

Industry & Natural Resources

Natural gas, wheat, corn, fertilizer and the Black Sea / Azov.
They are a country rich in natural resources including coal, iron and steel, natural gas and oil (?).
They have x number of nuke plants. They became a technology and weapons sector during Soviet times in the 1980's.

There's a natural gas pipeline that flows through the Ukraine that provides a good part of Europe with its energy. It's still flowing as it also provides Russia with a significant amount of its reserves.

Languages and ethnicity is mixed. Borders fluctuated with the Poles in the west and the Russians in the east.

Ukrainian, Russian and Polish. Ironically the eastern section of the nation is where Russian is based and they voted to go west toward Europe. The western, Ukrainian / Polish part leaned toward Russia. There's enough of an ethnic and language mix there to defy easy categorizations, so beware.
Lang map.

The cities are predominantly in the east along the Dnieper River, Black Sea, Sea of Azov and the Russian border. That's also. where the industries and technology are. The western half of the nation is largely agrarian.


How Mentally Ill is the Australian Born Oligarch Rupert Murdoch?

Murdoch & his Rubber Stamp 'WSJ Editorial Board' Continue to Push the Bounds of Indecency with this Image

A Former Prime Minister of Rupert Murdoch's Native Australia called Murdoch a 'Cancer on Democracy', Murdoch was Called 'Unfit to Run an International Company' by a Member(s) of British Parliament, Murdoch's Company was Alleged to have Hacked the Phones of the Victims of 911 for Headlines, as well as the Phone of a Mother Whose Daughter was Murdered [also for headlines], he's been Accused of Government Corruption Many Times, and for Inciting the U.S., Britain & Australia to Invade Iraq for [Oil and] Ratings

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycApril 4, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

You don't have to have a journalism degree to see what's wrong with this image.

You don't have to be a member of an Editorial Board of one of the nation's three daily newspapers to see what's wrong with this image.

You don't need to be an editor to see what's wrong with this image.

What you do need is some sense of decency.

Which is what is totally lacking in the character of the man who controls the Wall Street Journal and it's Editorial Board - Australian born Oligarch, Rupert Murdoch.

After researching and watching him since 2015, I have come to the conclusion that he is easily a sociopath [weak moral compass], and more likely a psychopath [unstable and aggressive personality disorder].

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisSee for yourself on these two WSJ pages before they hopefully have the decency or shame to take it down.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-told-the-truth-putin-has-to-go-russia-ukraine-invasion-leader-free-world-regime-change-11648998065?mod=hp_opin_pos_3

https://www.wsj.com/articles/strategic-defeat-putin-russia-blinken-biden-zelensky-bucha-war-crime-kyiv-mass-grave-atrocities-united-nations-un-human-rights-shelling-odessa-ukraine-11649016865?mod=hp_opin_pos_1

It's worth reminding people that this man, Rupert Murdoch, controls or wields incredible influence in about half of our daily national news media [Fox, NY Post, WSJ & ABC News], which is why things have become so messed up since he arrived on our shores. But the TV newspeople who do and don't work for him, fail to inform the nation, by calling him out.

I believe most Americans don't even know who he is [somebody needs to conduct a poll]. And he greatly influences - if not controls - the national conversation.

Part VI of the Ukraine series coming this week.


Ukraine Part V: Adding Context to the Shallow Reporting of TV News

In Part V We Delve into the Russian Politics Leading up to the War in Ukraine, the Role of the Russian Mob and Oligarchs and a Look at NATO Expansion & What's Happening at the Peace Negotiation Table in Turkey

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisMarch 28, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

To Understand Russia Today, a Little Background is in Order - Unfortunately the Incredibly Lame TV News is Failing Miserably at Providing it

In the graphic at right is the head of the Russian mob, Semion Mogilevich. Mogilevich, a Ukrainian, rose in the criminal world in Russia reportedly starting in the 1980's. In the early 1990's as the government of the Soviet Union was collapsing, Mogilevich and Vladimir Putin became fast friends.

At that time, the Russian mob began spreading like cancer to the nations of Eastern Europe, as well as to Britain and the U.S.. The spread of the Russian mob was fueled by disgruntled Russian veterans from the Afghanistan War, and by ill-gotten gains, some of which allegedly came from an incredibly corrupt Russian government which was first headed by Boris Yeltsin, and then his hand-picked successor, Vladimir Putin.

One of Mogilevich's under bosses met with Donald Trump as early as 1984. According to a January 12, 2019 report by Vox,

"... The very first episode that's been documented, to my knowledge, was in 1984 when David Bogatin -- who is a Russian mobster, convicted gasoline bootlegger, and close ally of Semion Mogilevich, a major Russian mob boss -- met with Trump in Trump Tower right after it opened. Bogatin came to that meeting prepared to spend $6 million, which is equivalent to about $15 million today ... Bogatin bought five condos from Trump at that meeting. Those condos were later seized by the government, which claimed they were used to launder money for the Russian mob ..."

 

The Primary Differences Between a Free Society & a Dictatorship - Truth & Transparency vs Deception & Corruption

Except for the most corrupt of people, most humans - given the choice - would like to live in a democracy: 1) in a society governed by laws, 2) where free speech doesn't get you 15 years in prison or a death sentence like it does in Russia today, 3) in a nation where you get to choose your leaders, and 4) can non-violently fire your leaders when they implement bad policies for the nation. That's what we have here in America, and that's what most of the other NATO countries offer their people.

At present Russia is the bizarro rendition of the free, democratic nations of NATO. Putin's changing of the Russian Federation Constitution in 2020 essentially enables him to hold government power for the rest of his life [until 2036, when he's age 83]. And the imprisonment and multi-year sentencing of Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny in 2021 / 2022, shows that Russian rule of law is merely a charade. Reportedly between 13,000 and 15,000 Russian peaceful protesters have been jalied since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine began in late February of 2022. Unfortunately, aspirations of becoming a free society, where the people are able to pick and choose their own leaders, continues to elude Russia, as the corruption in the Russian Federation electoral process, makes voting seem a useless waste of time.

For these and other reasons, Ukraine embarked on the path toward joining NATO since the collapse of the Soviet Union. And, as described in Part II of this report series, that's also why the Ukrainians have been seeking independence from Russia for at least a century - if not longer - prior to this most recent Russian invasion.

 

From Gorbachev to Yeltsin - Before, During & After the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Mikhail Gorbachev was the Secretary General of the Communist Party from 1985 to 1990. During his terms in office, he was a reformer who advocated for glasnost, which was the opening up of Russian society. Through glasnost, the government was more consultative with the people with respect to the policies it pursued, and there was wider dissemination of information. For the first time in about two thirds of a century [since the Russian Revolution] the Russian government loosened its restrictive control over the populace. Gorbachev also decided that Russia needed to withdraw from Afghanistan in 1989 [see our report on Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan which compares the two], since it was a winless war. In 1979, Secretary General Leonid Brezhnev had also expressed an openness to reforming the Russian government's role in society.

In November 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. Germany and Russia negotiated for East Germany's independence from the Soviet Union. In March of 1990, Mikhail Gorbachev became the first President of the Soviet Union. He continued trying to move Russia into the modern world via Perestroika, which at first was about automation, but grew to entail economic and social reforms. Some of the Eastern European nations, like Lithuania, began to push for greater autonomy from the Soviet Union. To continue on the reform path, Gorbachev needed money, and this is where the west failed Russia during this transition.

By failing to help Gorbachev, by keeping Russia frozen out of the G7 which would have given him access to the liquidity of global markets, things worsened in Russia. Eventually a group of eight leaders of the Communist Party held Gorbachev under house arrest while he was vacationing near the Black Sea, in an attempt to stage a coup. Gorbachev refused to make / legitimize the governmental changes they demanded.

Back in Moscow, Boris Yeltsin, President of the Soviet State [which if I understand this correctly that Soviet state is now Russia], stepped in with troops loyal to him and protesters to stop the storming of the Russian Parliament and to save the government of Gorbachev's Soviet Union [which included all other Soviet republics at the time as well as Yeltsin's Soviet State]. By beating back the coup initiated by the members of Gorbachev's own Communist Party, Yeltsin ascended to the top spot. But not until after some changes were made.


Ukraine IV: Adding Context to What You're Seeing on the TV Networks

In Part IV We Delve into the Weapons of War, Current Scorecard, Media & Morale

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisMarch 21, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I found the map at right on Al Jazeera, an Islamic news site founded in Qatar, which is located in the Persian Gulf, about 2150 miles south of Crimea. It provided more detail than most other maps I found, showing the status of the cities and nearby lands.

 

Recap of Parts I, II & III

We began this series immediately after the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, in order to better understand ourselves what was going on, because it was difficult to find anything on the American television networks that seemed to provide a solidly contextual view of the evolving situation.

 

Thus, in Part I, I looked at the size of the populations and economies, a brief look at recent history, the changing borders defining the Ukraine, and the warped, fascist-leaning coverage, of Australian-born, billionaire propagandist, Rupert Murdoch's Fox News.

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysis

In Part II, I looked at some of the geography and topography of the Ukraine, its strategic value to Russia because of the north / south Dnieper River which begins in Smolensk Russia and empties into the warm water Black, again provided a bit deeper dive into Ukrainian history and the role of the Cossacks in the Russian Revolution, WWI and WWII [some of which Putin has been trying to leverage in his propaganda campaign], stumbled upon and looked into Putin's incredible alleged corruption and his $1.4 billion grand palace overlooking a resort town of the Black Sea, how Putin's crony corruption and Russian army conscription of primarily poor people appears to help explain the Russian army's failures since the war began, and how Americans - who appear to be Putin enablers and apologists - have been disrupting our response to the crisis, and distorting the information the American people are getting.

Since before Putin's Russia invaded the Ukraine, Tucker Carlson has appeared to be a Putin toadie. This is no surprise as Tucker visited Viktor Orban in Hungary last year, because Joe Biden called Orban a thug. Again President Biden appears to know what he's talking about as according to Wikipedia,

"... Because of Orbán's curtailing of press freedom, erosion of judicial independence and undermining of ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysismultiparty democracy, many political scientists and watchdogs consider Hungary to have experienced democratic backsliding during Orbán's tenure. Orbán's attacks on the European Union, while accepting its money and funneling it to his allies and family have also led to characterizations of his government as a kleptocracy..."

In one of Carlson's broadcasts the Tucker rhetorically states that,

"... anything less than hating Putin is treason ...".

Tucker then goes on to attack those who don't think Putin is such a great guy, blaming "the elites or the liberals or the Democrats" for pushing us around. This is the same old tired narrative Carlson uses in show, after show, after show - and yet somehow all of those 'bright people' who watch him don't tire of it. Carlson's multi-billionaire, Australian born boss - global propagandist Rupert Murdoch - has been using that narrative [blame the elities] since at least the 1960's, to undermine English-speaking democracies around the globe, in order to enrich and empower himself, in a manner comparable to Putin - but more slowly and insidiously, and with fewer casualties.

 

Hey, You Dumb Tucker, Putin is a War Criminal - Women & Children Dead

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisSo, to answer the Tucker's question, why should we hate Putin, I've included a few photos of Putin's recent handiwork. At right and below is an man injured by Putin's goons, followed by another man that Putin's goons killed, and further down is one of many locations, housing some of the 3.5 million Ukrainian refuges fleeing the war. Another 6 million Ukrainians have been displaced within their own nation. And countless others have been murdered by Putin's unprovoked invasion and war.

It's worth noting that within the past two weeks, Putin's goons have bombed a maternity hospital, a theater housing children and a number of schools - all in Mariupol which is located in southern Ukraine along the Black Sea, as well as a shopping center in Kyiv. None of these targets were military, all of them housed women, and at least three of the four locations housed children. So, to answer Tucker's question, the reason we might not like Putin is because he's a murderous war criminal, who continues to be aided and abetted by Tuckers like you, and your billionaire boss, Rupert Murdoch, who controls Fox News ... because of your deceitful and distorted reporting of the news - including omissions of some of the information and photos provided here. The photos above right was shown on Amanpour & Company, a news hour that provides very informative interviews, and below right was shown on CBS Face the Nation, a Sunday News program.


Ukraine III: Adding Context to What You're Seeing on the TV Networks

In Part III We Delve into the Threat of WWIII, the Russia / China Pact of February 2022 to Keep Dictators Putin & Xi Jinping in Power is Reminiscent of '1939 Pact of Steel' by Mussolini & Hitler, Putin's Alleged Corruption & Yacht, and the Putin-Pleasing-Propaganda-Press in America

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisMarch 14, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

Recap of Part I

In Part I, two weeks ago, I looked at the relative sizes of the economy, population and industries of Russia vis a vis Ukraine. This was followed by a very short topline summary of some of the politics, culture and fluctuating borderlines of the Ukraine. And lastly, talked about how Fox News, the Wall St. Journal and the NY Post which are owned and controlled by a fascist-leaning billionaire from Australia [Rupert Murdoch], appears to be aiding and abetting Putin's War by continually bashing the Biden Administration, through his cadre of propagandists.

In the graphic at right, put together by the BBC in London, you can see that western Ukraine has largely been left alone, while the war rages in the East mostly along the Russian border. Western forces should be sure to provide Ukrainian forces with sea and river mines to thwart Russia's water borne assault capabilities along the Black Sea and the Dnieper River. They should also give consideration to bombing Putin's Palace at Gelendzhik on the Black Sea in order to publicize the alleged corruption of Putin and the Oligarchs as one of the reasons that the Russian forces have fared so poorly and why Putin - like Benito Mussolini - is reportedly asking [begging] Xi Jinping for financial and weaponry handouts. Both Putin and Xi deny the reports.

 

Recap of Part II - Putin's Alleged Palace & Corruption Impact on Russian Military, Morale of Russian Military - Half of Whom are Poor Peasant Conscripts - the Economic & Military Value of the Ukraine to Russia & the Fighting Heritage of the Cossacks

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisIn Part II, a week ago, I talked about how Australian born billionaire, mass media propagandist Rupert Murdoch and dictator Vladimir Putin's tactics share many similarities. They are differentiated in that Rupert Murdoch uses economic muscle and propaganda to get indirect control / influence over the corporations and governments he wants to plunder. While Vladimir Putin also uses economic muscle and propaganda - but enhances it with a Nazi tactic by adding violence and force to the mix - to obtain direct control over the corporations and governments he wants to plunder. All of these tactics were used by the Nazis to gain control - first of Germany and then a significant portion of Europe.

The graphic at right shows Rupert Murdoch and Vladimir Putin during happier times. Eventually Murdoch exited Russian media under duress, likely because Putin realized how Murdoch manipulated his audiences. A Russian Oligarch, Boris Berezovsky, was said to be a Murdoch friend who at one time controlled a lot of Russian media. Berezovsky was believed to have been murdered, but it could not be proven, so the coroner left the verdict open. So why does Murdoch media appear to favor Putin? Fear? Because both have fascist tendencies? Or both?

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisThen I delved into the importance of the Dnieper River, which flows south from Smolensk in Russia through the Ukraine and into the Black Sea. It's important because currently Russia has limited access to the world waterways via the Baltic Sea which is treacherous for much of the year, and the Black Sea which is a body of water shared by many nations, including many of the former Soviet Republics, including Ukraine.

Conquering Ukraine would give Russia a broader, more defensible / offensible presence on the Black Sea. This is likely of great concern to other Black Sea nations such as Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Georgia. All but the last two are NATO member nations. And the Ukraine was working toward becoming an eligible member.

I also talked about Putin's $1.4 billion mansion at Gelendzhik, which is a beachside tourist resort in Russia along the Black Sea. Putin denies he built the mansion with public funds, although a number of military observers believe that Putin and the Oligarchs looted the Russian Defense budget, which is why Russia has performed so poorly in this war. Also, about half of the Russians of their 600,000 fighting force were young men conscripted to die for Putin's War in a manner not unlike what happened to the poor Russians during WWI when the Czars sent them to fight for the Czar's throne.

In the graphic at right, an American cartoonist shares a worldwide point of view that Putin is a war criminal.




Ukraine II: Filling in Context Not Provided by Corporate Run American TV Networks

In Part II We Delve into the 20th Century History of Ukraine vis a vis its Relationship with Russia & Examine a Couple of Putin's Propaganda Narratives, One of Which Murdoch's Fox News Amplifies

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisMarch 7, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

The photo at right is currently on exhibit in 'The Storming of the Capitol' photo exhibit at the Bronx Documentary Film Center in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx. It shows how seemingly 'ordinary people' [like the man shown in the photo], can be incited by manipulative leaders, in concert with a faction of the press that manipulatively supports them, to destroy the very things for which they think they're fighting.

Some say there are parallels to what's happening in Putin's Russia, but the cultural differences and institutional complexities make such analogies cumbersome at best. One thing is clear, however, and that is that this saying - long attributed to Thomas Jefferson [and now uncertain] - remains true,

"Eternal vigilance is the price of democracy."

 

Last Week We Did Part I: A Ukrainian Overview

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisLast week I provided a look at some of the topline stats someone who wanted to know what was going on might ask. We researched the size of the two nations in terms of population, economies, industries and technology. Ukraine came in well ahead of what I had thought, while Russia came in behind what I had expected to find.

Then I started in on Ukrainian history and culture vis a vis Russia, but found it to lengthy and complex to discuss without further research, so again I gave a very brief topline report noting that Ukraine's borders have been in flux over the past century and beyond.

Then I provided another brief look into Ukrainian and Russian politics since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1991. This was followed by describing how the Biden Administration is balancing deterrence while trying to minimize escalation in the face of the military aggression brought on by the new Madman of Europe, and minimize the collateral economic impact on Americans' daily life.

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisLastly, I took a look at an Australian born Madman's, American-based mass media outlets' coverage, of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The billionaire's name is Rupert Murdoch, and his organizations' daily distorted coverage of people, places and events is - as a whole - appears to be manipulative propaganda. His propaganda techniques are not unlike - but far more sophisticated than - the propaganda Putin is spreading in Russia.

Unfortunately, Murdoch and Putin appear to be in goal alignment, which appears biased toward kleptocracy and fascism. The difference is that from within our borders Murdoch's Fox News, Wall St Journal and NY Post appear hellbent in undermining Biden [and thus our nation at a critical time for Western Democracy] through their distorted 'news' reporting, while pretending not to do so. While Putin's propaganda machine is located outside of our borders, is state run, and thus answers only to Putin.

The graphics at right illustrate the point, where Murdoch's Fox News uses Biden's worst poll numbers over the past month, in lieu of using the most recent poll numbers. The Murdoch goal appears to use their 'distorted' [and predominantly if not totally negative] news accounts to undermine Biden during the Ukranian crisis, in order to pave the way for the Murdoch chosen candidate for president in 2024, which at present appears to be Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who honored Murdoch by providing $570 million of the taxpayers money to Disney in a tax break.


New Yorkers, including Russians, Show Support for Ukrainian Freedom

On Sunday, in Multiple Public Spaces in NYC, I Found Rallies for Ukrainian Independence

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisMarch 1, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / / Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.  Report and photo by Michael Wood.

In the photo at right, you can see protesters in Washington Square in the Village on Sunday, February 27, 2022, voicing their opinions about Vladimir Putin's unprovoked aggression and invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The woman at the center of the photo asks,

"Why should you care?" and then she answers her question writing, "Putin Invasion = War on Democracy".

 

Russia & Ukraine - Putting the Conflict in Context - Date Rape

We're going to start a look into Putin's War on Ukraine. In doing so, we're going to report on it by providing a contextual framework to help you see things in a holistic manner, which is something the corporate run daily national news organizations seem to fail to do these days - while favoring sensationalistic, ratings-chasing, gossip-like, news reporting.

The gist of this story is that Ukraine is like a pretty woman who turned down Vladimir Putin's advances, so he decided to rape her.

 

The Basics - Ukraine's Population, Economy & Technology - Far Bigger & More Developed than I had Thought

Russia has a population of about 144 million as of 2020, while the Ukraine has a population of 44 million. This surprised me, perhaps in part because Russia has played such a visible role on the international stage, while the Ukraine has not.

Russia is also a much larger nation than Ukraine economically, as Russia has the sixth largest economy in the world measured in PPP, which is defined as 'purchasing power parity'. Ukraine, by contrast was the 40th largest economy in the world measured in PPP, and is the 44th [of 45] largest economy in Europe as measured nominally which includes the distortions made by currency exchange rates. Thus, when measured on comparable purchasing power [PPP], the Russian economy is only three times larger than Ukraine's, but because of currency trading, Russia does rates better on the global markets. The PPP numbers are measured based on a basket of currencies - not just the dollar - and thus PPP more effectively filters out currency exchange rate distortions.

The economies of Russia and the Ukraine also differ in terms of what they produce. The Russian economy is the second largest producer of oil and energy, including natural gas. Energy is Russia's largest single export and accounts for a significant portion of their government revenue. Russia is also rich in raw materials, commodities and minerals, which are used in its manufacturing sector. But the bulk of the Russian economy has been modernized and nearly two thirds of its economy is comprised of services.

The Ukraine has a large agricultural sector, as well as metals and coal sectors, which - as in Russia - facilitate manufacturing, and the Ukraine has the second largest natural gas reserves in Europe [but they still are a net importer of energy]. I couldn't find out what percent of the economy of the Ukraine was in services, but they have the fourth highest number of IT professionals in the world, and by 2015 over half of the nation had internet access [and in Kyiv it was 90%]. And their manufacturing base includes shipbuilding, aerospace and automotive.

So, to my suprise, the Ukraine is far bigger and is a far more technologically advanced than I had thought. And this helps explain why the little dictator, Vladimir Putin, is having trouble subjugating them.


NYC News Updates, Chinese New Year & Micaiah Carter @ SN37

MTA Ridership & Crime, NYC Vaccination Rates & Some NYS Mask Mandates End & is Biden Doing the Right Thing in Ukraine?

February 22, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This report is a catch up on some of the key local news items over the past couple of weeks.

MTA Ridership Slowly Inching Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels / Hochul Announces Fare Capping Program / MTA Crime not as Huge as the Corporate Broadcast Media Sensationalizes it

In the photo at right are a number of Chinese American women, who participated in the Chinese New Year Parade celebrating the year of the Tiger in Chinatown in Manhattan, were out to see and be seen last Sunday.

We've been tracking MTA ridership since the pandemic began. The subway ridership plummeted down 90% when the pandemic broke in the Spring of 2020. By the fall of 2020 MTA ridership had risen to a loss of 80%, rising to a loss of 50% - 66% in the Spring of 2021, and then a loss of 35% - 55% in the Fall of 2021. As of this week, the MTA subway ridership losses were in the range of 28% - 43% versus pre-pandemic.

On February 7, 2022, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new 'Fare Capping Program' whereby passengers would only have to pay for 12 full fare rides in a week [but using the same device / MetroCard] and after which the rides for the rest of the week would be free [Monday - Sunday]. The program begins Monday, February 28th and is expected to run for four months.

The corporate broadcast media seems to sensationalize everything these days in order to ratchet up their ratings, revenue and profit. MTA Ridership during the winter a year ago was about half the pre-pandemic level, and today it's about two thirds the pre-pandemic level meaning it has risen about 50% vs a year ago. According to NYPD Compustat, crime in the subway during the past 28 days is up 33%, so crime isn't rising as fast as ridership.

Nonetheless, crime in the subways is up by about the same percentage versus the pre-pandemic levels, so it's a bigger problem than it was before the pandemic started. It is believed, that the reason for the higher transit crime rate, is that as fewer people rode the rails during the pandemic, the homeless moved in and were able to use the subway as their shelter.

Late last week NYC Mayor Eric Adams and NYS Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the city and the state would collaborate to increase the NYPD presence in the subways to remove and / or assist the homeless from making the MTA their home by offering them an option to leave or an option to get medical, psychiatric and social services help. To that end it was noted that the NYPD upped the deployment of NYPD [about 1,000 officers] into the transit system, focusing - it seems - on the major hubs, and the Governor was working on multi-billion healthcare plans which would include provisions for helping the mentally ill and homeless.

 

NYC & NYS Vaccination Rates Well Ahead of National Rates

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycThe current NYC vaccination rate is 77%, with another 9% having received at least one dose [86%]. The current NYS vaccination rate is 75%, with another 12% having received at least one dose [87%]. The current U.S. vaccination rate is 65%, with another 12% having received at least one dose [77%].

As a result of the vaccination rates, and with the passing of the Omicron super spreader holiday season, CoVid Omicron new case growth, hospitalizations and deaths have been declining at the NYC, NYS and USA levels.

  • For New York City the weekly, daily average, test rate of 1.7% for new cases, with only a weekly, daily average new case rate of 707 reported, a weekly, daily average rate of 35 hospitalizations and a weekly, daily average rate of 17 deaths.
  • For New York State the same weekly, daily average rates are 2% positive new test cases, about 1,750 daily new cases, about 200 daily new hospitalizations and about 35 daily new deaths.
  • nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycFor the United States the same rates are 8% positive new cases [this is a week old number compared to the others herein], about 84,878 new cases, about 8,642 hospitalizations [this is a week old number compared to the others herein] and 1,964 daily deaths.
  • NYC and NYS are leading the rest of the U.S. in pulling out of the pandemic, as the southern and central states are lagging behind. If you look at a map showing vaccination rates versus a map showing infection rates, you can see that they are inversely related.
  • Are these maps indicative of the intelligence, or how well informed the people of each state are? Do the smart people live in the states with the higher vaccination rates, or are the people who got infected with CoVid at higher rates [because they didn't get vaccinated], living in states where they have fewer or less reliable information sources, like Fox News? Studies have shown that Fox News enhances people's ignorance of the facts. Look it up.

Honoring the Sacrifice Made by NYPD Officers Mora & Rivera

Mora & Rivera were Policemen, Civilians, Minorities, Immigrant and son of, Husband, Sons, Brothers and Real Heroes

What Can We do to Make Sure they didn't die in Vain?

nyc nypd officer mora's funeral manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island crime gun control bail reform community investments nycFebruary 7, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz NYC.

On Wednesday morning I made my way into Manhattan to observe the funeral of slain NYPD Officer Mora. To be sure, it was a solemn occasion. I got off the subway near 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Once above ground, I made my way to Fifth Avenue and 42nd where I came across the largest gathering of police officers I have ever seen in my life [see photo at right].

As I walked up Fifth Avenue, I could hear the eulogies over the loud speakers, echoing in the street. I took a few photos and some video of the gathering which spanned all the way up to 50th Street by St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Eventually I had to detour off of Fifth Avenue, make my way down to Sixth Avenue, and then cut back in at 50th Street to get close to the cathedral on Fifth Avenue.

 

A Communal Gathering of Policemen from the TriState Area and Beyond, at Officer Mora's Funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022

nyc nypd officer mora's funeral manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island crime gun control bail reform community investments nycAs I walked and listened I looked around at all of the policemen gathered in honor of a fellow member of the fraternal order of policemen – not just of New York City but of NYS - and for that matter - the U.S. All of the police men and women were standing, some standing silently listening to the speeches, while others made small talk with each other, between the speeches, about their kids, their families, their jobs, their departments [homicide / detectives / street patrolmen], cars and boats, as well as chatting about which police department or organization they represented.

It reminded me of other funerals I had attended, which it’s been said, are for the living – not the dead. Yes, we come to honor the dead, but they have since gone. And it is left to us who are left behind, to make sense of things. It is our job to figure out how to take the lessons their lives and make them work for us, so that they will not have died in vain.

The expansiveness of the showing of support was somewhere between impressive and overwhelming, as I walked silently through this sea of dark blue, which filled over 8 city blocks on a wide avenue - and which spilled well into the cross streets both east and west of the entire eight blocks. There were thousands of police, mostly men with some women, mostly white but also many minorities, who had come to pay their last respects for a member of their ranks who had made the ultimate sacrifice. A sacrifice that all of them know they must be ready to make each day as they don their dark coats to serve and protect the community. Us.

nyc nypd officer mora's funeral manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island crime gun control bail reform community investments nycI noticed the badges sewn to their coats, representing Trenton and Teaneck New Jersey, Suffolk and Nassau Counties, New York State, and of course the NYPD, as well as a smattering of policemen from more distant communities. They projected a sense of sadness and courtesy, as I made my way through the crowd. I sensed that they must also have felt some measure of comfort, standing there, side by side with others like themselves, knowing that they are supported by so many others who share their sense of duty, ready to face down danger.

This seemed a bit like a George Floyd like moment for the police in the city and perhaps the nation. These two young officers, were senselessly murdered, while responding to a domestic violence call within a few blocks of the 32nd precinct Harlem police station where the two police officers worked. Shortly after the policemen entered the apartment, the assailant shot them down with a barrage of bullets from a semi-automatic gun which the assailant had stolen in Maryland.

As I came upon St Patrick’s Cathedral, surrounded by the police, it seemed like a fortress with its big, thick church doors closed, to keep out the noise and cold air while the mass continued inside. A coterie of media people were on a platform across the street from the front of the cathedral, waiting for the doors to open. The Mayor, Police Commissioner Sewell and Wilbur Mora’s brother and sister gave speeches. Karina, Mora's sister, gave her speech in Spanish, as the Moras immigrated here from the Dominican Republic decades ago.


Some will Exploit & Distort Crime Stats & Events to Manipulatively Divide Us

They will Seek to Profit from our Divisions, Instead of Helping us to Find Common Ground in an Effort to Fix Things

nyc nypd officer mora's funeral manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island crime gun control bail reform community investments nycFebruary 7, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The graphic at right is a Vox headline that asks why the diverging trends in crime vs violent crime.

Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch controls about half of our daily national corporate news media, including Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and - along with two other Fox News investment funds - controls the largest share of ABC News stock.

For decades now, in English-speaking nations around the world, the propagandists posing as journalists who work for Murdoch, appear to distort the news so that Murdoch's favored politicans will get elected. Once elected, those pols seem to grant Murdoch huge tax breaks, regulatory changes and legislative favors in exchange for his propagandistic support of their candidacies.

nyc nypd officer mora's funeral manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island crime gun control bail reform community investments nycThe cost to us, the American people [the British and Australians as well] is that many critical issues are never properly addressed by the government officials selected by Murdoch, because his favored pols are generally chosen and supported based on what they will do for the totally self-serving billionaire - not the public. Hence Murdoch pols don't appear to reflect the people's will, but rather are chosen because Murdoch mass media outlets have manipulated the views of enough voters via their distorted daily Murdoch mass media 'news' intake, to enable Murdoch's favored pols to get elected. Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels employed these same kind of tactics, on an unsuspecting public, back in the early 1930's, in Germany.

At right is a graphic showing one of Murdoch's mini-Goebbels, pushing a false narrative that is designed to enrich himself and his billionaire boss by demonizing Democrats. The goal seems to use these issues promote false narratives that favor their pliant pols into powerful positions in government so that they can change policies to pump up the billionaire's propaganda profits. One such example is that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave ABC / Disney a half billion dollar tax break last summer and thereafter he appeared to have an open mic on Fox News with propagandists like the Tucker shown above.

 

To Rein in Guns & Violent Crime, We Must First Rein in Murdoch's Fox, WSJ, NY Post & Increasingly ABC News Distortions & Disinformation on the Subject

nyc nypd officer mora's funeral manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island crime gun control bail reform community investments nycReining in the guns used in violent crime in NYC, is one of many such issues that seem to be given Murdoch's special brand of propagandistic 'news' treatment. Murdoch's news outlets' reports appear to pander to gun owners and the NRA [5.5 million members], who are outspoken and generally against gun control. According to a November 13, 2020 report by Gallup, about 32% of Americans own a gun and about 44% live in a household where there is a gun owner. Hence, gun owners represent a fairly sizeable block of Murdoch's mass media audience, and his news reports pander to them, just as the pander to other voting blocks that Murdoch media seek to manipulate.

At right is a map showing which states have the highest homicide rates. Note that the states with the highest homicide mortality rates are governed by the Republicans - the ones who claim they stand for law and order. But what many of the Republicans in these states really seem to stand for, are the special interest groups like the gun-promoting NRA. Urban police forces, which are generally found in Democratically governed cities, are finding that the guns used in the murders in their cities, are coming from the Republican states. Republican governed states have the nation's highest murder rates [see graph above] and most lax guns laws. I don't think it is helpful to policize this issue by demonizing the other side, but given Rupert Murdoch's grip on our national discourse through his ownership, control and influence over half of our daily national corporate media, somebody has got to push back with the truth.


Do TV Newspeople Tend to Hype Weather to Keep Viewers Inside Watching TV?

Why Would They do that? Maybe because it Generates Higher Ratings, which Increases Revenue & Profits

nyc things to do this weekend nyc events manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island things to do events this weekend nycJanuary 28, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The TV newspeople appear to hype weather systems, to keep viewers inside all weekend, so they'll watch TV, and boost the corporate TV ratings to generate more revenue.

You can see an example of this in the graphic at right which shows a June 13, 2019 Washington Post report where a weatherman was fired by Sinclair Broadcasting, at a Murdoch ABC News station affiliate, because the weatherman wasn't going to use 'Code Red' to hype inclement weather systems, if he didn't think they merited such labeling.

This weekend the weather system coming in this evening is expected to end by about 3 pm Saturday, so while there may be an unknown number of inches of snow on the ground in NYC in January [what a concept], it shouldn't prevent New Yorkers from enjoying at least part of the weekend. But that said, be advised that while the snow should end by 3 pm, the winds die down more slowly, lasting the remainder of Saturday. And these comments apply to activities within NYC [not Long Island nor New Jersey] as public transit may be used in lieu of an auto, and as of this report, the MTA has no plans of shutting down.

The weatherman mentioned in the graphic above, was fired for not distorting the truth, in a manner not unlike what one would expect at a state-controlled media outlet in Russia or China. Hyping weather systems out of proportion, like distorting the proportions of other stories, appears to be one of the Murdoch mass media trademark ploys to deceive / fear monger the viewers in order to win higher rating$$$, take control the national conversation and tip the scales in favor of the pols he favors and against those he does not.

Rupert Murdoch is an Australian born billionaire press lord who controls about half of America's daily national news media including Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St. Journal and increasingly ABC News where he and two funds control about a quarter of that company's shares.

 

While Weather Sensationalism is Dishonest Truth Distortion, it's Relatively Harmless vis a vis Most Other News Distortions which can be Dangerous to Democracy

nyc things to do this weekend nyc events manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island things to do events this weekend nycIn Australia - where Murdoch has been operating all his life - former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described, "Murdoch's media empire as a cancer on democracy" because of Murdoch media news omissions and distortions.

And in Britain, a Spring 2012 Parliamentary Report stated that, [Murdoch] "was not a fit person" to exercise stewardship of a major international company] because his company broke the law by tapping British citizens' private phones to get racy stories and the details of their personal tragedies in order to generate higher ratings and sell more newspapers. Murdoch denied he knew anything, blamed his underlings and then reportedly Murdoch's [Fox] Newscorp spent $1.6 BILLION in legal fees and payouts - TO DEFEND THEIR INNOCENCE?

In the graphic at right is a July 28, 2011 Guardian report stating that people working for Murdoch's company were believed to have hacked the phone of Sara Payne to publish her anguish over her daughter's murder at the hands of a pedophile. Murdoch reportedly spent $1.6 billion in settlements and legal fees to extricate the company and its officers from the corruption and scandal. But money can't buy Murdoch out of what Newscorp's actions say about his and his companies' moral compass.


Was the Staten Island Ferry Sale a Joke?

Did You Hear the One about a Staten Island Ferry, Two Comedians, an Architect & a Night Club Owner?

nyc news briefs nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island news briefs nycUpdated January 26 from 1/24/2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC News / Staten Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will be within about 5 degrees of 30 throughout the week, except on Tuesday when it will be in the low 40's. The temperature lows will be between 20 and 30 degrees, except on Wednesday, when it will drop to 12 degrees. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph Monday & Tuesday, rising to 10 - 15 mph on Wednesday, before falling back to 5 - 10 mph Thursday & Friday. Humidity will be 50% - 70% on Monday, dropping to 50% - 60% on Tuesday, and then 40% - 50% on Wednesday & Thursday, before rising back to 50% - 70% on Friday. No precipitation is in the forecast until Friday afternoon / evening at which time it looks like we're going to get several or more inches of snow.

 

As the new year begins to unfold, we encounter a mixed bag of news that has already made it out onto the public stage. Let's start with the purchase of a de-commissioned Staten Island Ferry, the JFK. The photo above right was taken in January 2020, likely near the end of the JFK's life of ferrying passengers to and from Staten Island. You can see the 'JFK' in the upper right corner of the photo below the black circle and with a bit of glare obfuscating part of the 'F'.

 

They may be Laughing Now, but ...

SNL Comedians Pete Davidson & Colin Jost, Architect Developer & Contractor Ron Castellano and Night Club Owner Paul Italia Buy the JFK Staten Island Ferry Boat

nyc news briefs nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island news briefs nycLast week, after several rounds of bidding, a consortium of investors, including SNL Comedians Pete Davidson & Colin Jost; Architect, Developer & Contractor Ron Castellano; and Night Club Owner Paul Italia purchased a 2,100 ton de-commissioned Staten Island ferry boat - the JFK - for $280,100. The purchase prices was only $100 above the next nearest bid, after the price doubled during the bidding process - up from $125,000 - after the starting bid had to be lowered from $250,000 because of a lack of early interest.

At right are Pete Davidson [left] and Colin Jost [right] announcing their new acquisition on SNL's News update. This project is likely to get a fair amount of publicity given the fame of these two owners and Jost's famous wife and Davidson's famous girlfriend.


News Updates - De Blasio Announcement & NYC Crime Stats 2021

De Blasio Decides Not to Run for NYS Governor, Hochul's Fundraising Haul, NYC Violent Crime Up Slightly in 2021, but NYC Homicides Still Below the National Average & To Be or Not To Be - do we want to Politicize the Guns / Violent Crime Problem or Solve it?

government politics crime nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island government politics crime nycJanuary 18, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This morning, January 18, 2022, former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he will not seek the Governor's office on Twitter.

De Blasio mentioned some of his accomplishments during his eight years as Mayor including Universal Pre-K, building hundreds of thousands affordable housing units, implementing some police reforms at the NYPD to make policing fairer, and efforts to transition NYC to cleaner energy. He didn't say what his future plans were, only that he would be announcing them from his neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Governor Kathy Hochul is well positioned for the NYS Governors race this year. Hochul received the very early endorsement of the NYS Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs in October of 2021, and has raised $21.6 million since she announced her candidacy in August of 2021. It's a record for the five month period, and about the same amount of money that former Governor Andrew Cuomo had to ward off challengers in 2018. NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and 3rd District [Nassau County] Congressman Thomas Suozzi have announced their candidacies. In December of 2021, Attorney General Letitia James withdrew her candidacy, in favor of running for reelection in her current post.

On the Republican side of the race there's former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who is running against newcomer Andrew Giuliani, who's primary claim to fame is that he is the son of Rudy, the former NYC Mayor with the same surname and Lee Zeldin, a Congressman from Long Island.

In fundraising as well as in polling, Hochul seems to have all the advantages at this point in the campaign. Her nearest competitor in polling recently done by Siena would have been de Blasio, who had 12% of the vote versus Hochul's 46%. NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was next with 11% and Suozzi with 6%. The Suozzi campaign has about $5 million in campaign funding, $2 million of which was transferred from his congressional campaign. Republican Astorino has about $1.3 million, and none of the other contestants released their funding.

A number of snide comments were made in the wake of Hochul's record haul and competitive fundraising position for the upcoming June primary. She was compared to Cuomo with allusions to the possibility of corruption, but nothing specific was provided to support those insinuations.

De Blasio's announcement came as I was working on an update report on NYC crime. Unfortunately, the NYPD doesn't publish a December monthly report, like they do every other month, so it's more challenging to do a year end tally. Hence, this report won't be as comprehensive as some of the others I've done the past couple of years, and will instead focus mostly on shootings and the murder rate.

 

NYC Crime Statistics for 2021

Thefts Down Significantly / Murders Up Slightly & Still Below the National Average / Most Other Crimes up in Low to Mid Single Digits with Some Exceptions ...

government politics crime nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island government politics crime nycThe outlier in the year end crime stats, which were up slightly from 2020, was that thefts were down almost 19%. This may have something to do with the fact that fewer people are out and about, so thieves have fewer to prey upon and the victims have fewer distractions and events where thefts may occur.

As for other salient changes in the main categories, Grand Larceny was up about 12% while Grand Larceny Auto was up 14%, Other (than rape) Sex Crimes were up 30%, Misdemeanour Assault was up 10%, and Hate Crimes were up 93%. It's worth noting that only murders and hate crimes are counted in the hundreds - not thousands.

The murders in NYC were up slightly in 2021 versus 2020. Note that the graph at right is for the entire nation and in 2020 - not 2021. The purpose is so that you can have context in evaluating where we are and what's going on.

In 2021 the preliminary murder rate in the U.S. was about 6.6 per 100,000 people [21,750 / 330M], while the murder rate in NYC was 5.5 per 100,000 people [485 / 8.8M]. Prior to the pandemic, in 2018, the murder rate in the U.S. was 4.96 per 100,000 people [WorldPopulationReview.com], and the murder rate in NYC was 289 victims [8.4M population] or 3.4 per 100,000 people, which was the lowest on record. In 2012, during former Mayor Bloomberg's last year as NYC Mayor, the murder rate had fallen to 414 [8.2M] or about 5.0 per 100,000 people.

So with our larger population [8.8M vs 8.2M], NYC experienced a bit higher murder rate in former Mayor de Blasio's last year in office, versus former Mayor Bloomberg's last year in office. And for de Blasio this was in the midst of the pandemic amid record gun sales.


The Great Supply Chain Crisis 2021: Hype vs Reality

TV & Murdoch News Sensationalized the Great Supply Chain Crisis of 2021 - Telling us for Months on End No Pumpkins for Halloween, No Turkeys for Thanksgiving, No Trees for Christmas & No Cream Cheese in NYC

But How Much of that Hyping was a Murdoch Inspired Perspective in Pursuit of Political Profit & Fear Mongering Ratings at the Expense of Reporting What's Really Happening?

murdoch manipulative media wsj abc news ny post fox news murdoch manipulates by omission distortion outright liesJanuary 3, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The closer I pay attention to what's happening in our mass media, the more concerned I get. Nearly half of our daily nationally branded news media is controlled by one man, Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch - who strikes me as either a sociopath or psychopath. Based on the seven years I've been covering Murdoch, it appears as if he doesn't care about anything other than enriching and empowering himself, even at 90 years of age [his mother lived to 103 so he's likely going to be with us for a while].

 

What Those Who Know Murdoch Say About Him

In Australia - where Murdoch has been operating all his life - former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described,

"Murdoch's media empire as a cancer on democracy".

And in Britain, a Parliamentary Report stated that,

[Murdoch] "was not a fit person" to exercise stewardship of a major international company].

Keith Rupert Murdoch, controls the Wall St. Journal, Fox News, the NY Post, Harper Collins Publishing, MarketWatch, Barrons - and along with two of Fox News largest shareholders - Murdoch appears to have a controlling interest in Disney / ABC by virtue of what seems his proximity to their relatively new CEO. Murdoch's influence appears to be manifesting itself in personnel moves being made since he became one of their largest shareholders in March of 2019. The personnel moves are in their news and related programming areas, and ultimately impact what ABC News presents to the public. I just witnessed one of many subtle changes on Sunday, while watching This Week with George Stephanopolous. I'll say more about this at the end of this report.

Fox News Lyin' Laura Ingraham, earned that moniker, as you can see in the image above. Fox News has repeatedly used misleading photos and images to lend deceptive and misleading support to their news accounts, which appear designed to influence the unaware and low information voters, in order to get them to vote for billionaire Murdoch's favored pols and against the very government officials who are trying to help the manipulated victims.


New Years Resolutions 2022: The Road Ahead

A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year

new years resolutions nyc nys 202January 1, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / Gotham Buzz NYC.

For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.

If we stay the course with vaccinations, masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to make the transition from pandemic to endemic - at which point things begin to really change to a better normal, but likely not back to a pre-CoVid normal.

A year ago I thought by now we would have mostly normalized, but I had failed to take into consideration the significant resistance to vaccinations by the people who rely upon Rupert Murdoch's overwhelming share of nationally branded daily mass media 'news'.

Rupert Murdoch controls Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and he, along with the two largest investment groups owning Fox, control Disney / ABC News. So that's half of U.S. network news and two the largest daily newspapers in the nation. He controls other media outlets as well, like MarketWatch and Barron's and Harper Collins Publishing, but the first four mentioned above are instrumental in shaping Americans' view of things. And the unsuspecting members of Murdoch's audience aren't aware enough, nor paying attention enough, nor educated enough to detect the very sophisticated news manipulations that Murdoch and his minions seem to do every day to sculpt and present the reality they want their viewers to see - which is not reality at all, but a VoldeMurdoch version of it.

Other media outlets and moderate Republicans and pretty much all Democrats need to start calling Murdoch out into the public space so people can see who he is and what he does and what he takes in exchange for it. They need to do it, because regardless of whether they do or not, Murdoch's incessant media attacks will keep coming, so by not addressing him and it, they are only aiding and abetting it, like all those who let Goebbels do the same in Germany in the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's.

The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally - not politically - to make 2022 a better year for you.


Omicron, CoVid, Omicron, CoVid ... STOP

NYC News Update With as little CoVid Omicron Specific Info as Possible

This Report includes the Over Hyped 'Supply Chain Xmas Tree Shortage', Broadway Show Cancellations & Postponements & Economic Impact, MTA Subway Trains & Airline Flights Cancellations due to Staffing Outages, the Tug of War between Office Workers & their Companies, JFK getting New Terminals & Staten Island getting New Ferries

fox fake news disinformation about covid delta omicron fox manipulative media murdochDecember 27, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. Temperature highs are between 40 and 50 degrees each day, and the lows are about 40 each day. Humidity will be between 60% - 80% all week. And the wind will be fairly steady at 5 - 10 mph daily. There's a chance of showers around 8 pm tonight and a chance of a tenth inch of rain on each day - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Given the low amount of precipitation and that it's spread out over the entire day, each day, I'd say your chances of getting very wet are pretty slim.

 

CoVid, CoVid, CoVid ... How We Moved Beyond it as a Conversation Centerpiece at an Xmas Party

So I attended a Christmas party a couple of weekends ago, and at one point someone asked is there anything else to talk about besides CoVid? This was near the end of the party, so there were only about a dozen of us there. So, someone asked, how about those Nets? And of course, Kylie Irving soon came up, and his anti-vax stance on CoVid, and that the Nets had to postpone a number of games because of ... CoVid.

Someone else asked, whose traveling for the holidays? As you can imagine, it wasn't long before CoVid came up and how it was going to affect everyones' holiday travel plans. Another asked, whether people were going to see their kids over the holidays. And of course, the discussion about vaccinations, testing and masks ensued. And then someone asked about gifts being given this season, and eventually the impact of CoVid on shipping and supply chain ensued. How about going out to dinner ... and so forth.

Actually, it turned out to be kind of funny, in an ironic sort of way, as the pandemic was still touching most parts of people's lives.

But the good news is that we eventually did move on past CoVid. Onto what? Well that's personal and thus not going to be shared here publicly, but we did eventually make it past the CoVid goal line ... but it wasn't as easy as one would think it should have been.

So the rest of this report is going to be about other things affecting our life, but recognizing that the pandemic and our community health affects just about everything else.

 

How Real was the TV News Hyped Supply Chain & Xmas Tree Shortage?

Retail Sales Hit a Level Not seen in 17 Years in Spite of "No Supply"?

fox fake news disinformation about covid delta omicron fox manipulative media murdochHow is it that network TV news, still a primary source of information in this nation - and the only source by many of the uneducated - can get a story so wrong?

For months they've been hyping the SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE, SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE, SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE. I've seen little on TV news saying anything else to the contrary, and yet somehow, retailers magically had the best holiday sales season in 17 years, with department store sales up 21% [that's huge] and online sales up 8% [also very solid performance].

Did retailers MAGICALLY turn in their best performance in 17 years without any inventory? Come on.

People need to start questioning the information they get on TV, because too often, it's so distorted in order to generate an emotional or fearful response that's good for ratings and profit - but not in the public interest.

A December 26, 2021 report in Politico provided the following update on retail sales,

"... By category, clothing rose 47%, jewelry 32%, electronics 16%. Online sales were up 11% from a year ago and 61% from 2019. Department stores registered a 21% increase over 2020 ..."


Omicron Sweeps NYC & the Rest of the U.S.

NYS Hit its Highest Number of New Cases Friday 12.17.21, Omicron Now Dominant Strain in America [73%], Breakthrough Infections & Need for Boosters, Multiple Measures of Vaccine Effectiveness, NYS Governor Hochul Foreshadows Change to Definition of Fully Vaccinated Likely Coming Soon, NYC Mayor de Blasio Offers $100 to those who Boost Before Year End, False Positives Coming from Some Testing Kits, Hospitalizations Trending Toward Younger Age Groups & Kids Getting Infected at Higher Rates

It's Not the Omicron Virus that is Dividing Us. It's the Manipulative Murdoch Mass Media, that Continually Misinforms its Audiences. The Highly Paid Propagandists do This in Order Enrich Themselves & Empower the 90 Year Old Multi-Billionaire by Undermining the Government Officials who Won't Give Rupert what he wants out of the Public Purse & Domain

December 20, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

So the Omicron variant represents the third wave of Corona Virus sweeping the land. First it was the original CoVid 19, then the Delta variant and now Omicron.

The Omicon variant spreads far more easily and hence far faster than the prior two variants, which spread around the globe in a matter of months. Omicron is beating them hands down in terms of spreading, even in nations that have some good measure of vaccinations - but nowhere near the two thirds plus needed for 'herd immunity'. Reportedly, the Omicron is spreading 2x to 4x faster than the Delta variant which reportedly spread faster [by about 50%] than the original strain of CoVid. As of the last week of testing, Omicron represents 73% of all new cases in the U.S.

fox fake news disinformation about covid delta omicron fox manipulative media murdochIn the graphic at right you see a headline from FT, which is the Financial Times of London, noting how something that should be common sense has become a political hot potato. At the end of this update on the Omicron variant, we'll take a look at how science and the truth are being distorted by millionaires and billionaire(s) in what appears an attempt to manipulate voters perceptions. The goal is to change the perceptions of their viewers enough, so their viewers will vote for the candidates chosen by the propaganda billionaire and his friends. The end game is, of course, getting the billionaire / propaganda machine selected pols into office, so they can fill their pockets with the taxpayers' money, and obtain legislative changes that are anti-democratic.

Oftentimes reports like that found in the Financial Times fail miserably to call out media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who controls an overwhelming share of the daily national news media in the U.S., Britain and Australia. For my money, Murdoch [not Trump] is the root cause of so many of our current problems by virtue of the disinformation he spreads, which is inserted into many of the news reports that his organizations deliver to well over a hundred million people each day. Murdoch hides behind his media brands, propagandists and favored pols, while the other media and government officials seem either: 1) ignorant of his incredible influence on our daily news, and thus a huge swath of American people's views, or 2) are unwilling to do the right thing and call Murdoch out into the open so the public can get a closer look at who's dominating the national conversation.

The last point made is an important one for the Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems lawsuits [more on this below]. My advice to their attorneys, is to hire a great public relations firm to publicize the hell out of each case, making damned sure to include Keith Rupert Murdoch in EVERY news release / update as the slithery Murdoch - like Voldemort in Harry Potter - doesn't like the light of day. And then ride the case to the end, because you're in the right, and what you're fighting for is - in part - the heart and soul of America.

 

NYS Sees its Highest Number of Daily New CoVid Cases Since Pandemic Began

In NYC New Infections Double in 3 Days & in the U.S. Omicron is now 73% of New Cases

fox fake news disinformation about covid delta omicron fox manipulative media murdochA testament to the Omicron variants transmissibility is that on Friday, December 17, 2021 NYS saw its highest number of new CoVid cases [21,027] in a single day since the pandemic began according to an New York Times report. In NYC the infection rate nearly doubled in just three days, rising from 3.9% to 7.8% from Thursday, December 9 to December 12, 2021 according to a December 16, 2021 NBC report.

I checked the NYC website a couple of weeks ago and found the chart at right, which - to my surprise - showed Whites as the second slowest group to vaccinate. Hispanics were a full ten percentage points ahead of them, and African Americans were only three percentage points behind them. I interpret this as the power of Murdoch's media in NYC as he owns / controls Fox News on WNYW [channel 5], WWOR [channel 9], the NY Post, and the Wall Street Journal.


2ND HALF DECEMBER WEEKEND THINGS TO DO NYC

This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the second half of the month of December 2021. Click into this link to see second half of December 2021 weekend reports.


1st HALF DECEMBER WEEKEND THINGS TO DO NYC

This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the first half of the month of December 2021. Click into this link to see all November 2021 weekend reports.


CoVid Update – Omicron Variant, Vax Updates, Vax Boosters, Vax Kids & Manipulative NYC Based Disinformation Sources

December 6, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Social Issues Health News / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

omicron in nyc nys omicron variant of corona virus in nyc kids vaccinations booster vaccinations nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island nyc murdoch disinformation on covid vaccination mandates in nyc fox news ny postThe first Omicron virus case was first detected on November 8, 2021 in South Africa.  The first case detected in the U.S. was in San Francisco on November 22, 2021.  Four days later, on November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization [WHO] designated Omicron a CoVid variant [B1.1.529].  As of December 5, 2021 there were eight Omicron cases in NYS, most of which were found in NYC.

Early Precautions in the Face of Omicron’s Rapid Spread

On November 26, 2021, President Biden instituted a temporary travel ban on South Africa and neighboring countries including, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.  He also shortened the CoVid testing time from three to one days, for those traveling internationally. The passenger must test negative for CoVid. And he extended the mask mandate for those using public transit domestically to March 15, 2021.

The reason for taking these early immediate precautions is that the Omicron variant appears to be spreading at twice the rate of the Delta variant, which overwhelmed this nation within about 3 - 4 months [May - August 2021].

The Omicron variant was also detected in Belgium, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and Israel at the time the news broke regarding the rapid spread of the new variant at the beginning of the Thanksgiving holiday.  As of this writing the Omicron variant has been found in 15 states including, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin, according to a Reuters tally on December 5, 2021.

Vaccine Efficacy vis a vis Omicron Variant

The Omicron variant is known to be more transmissible, but it’s health impact is still being studied.  Most of those who contracted the Omicron variant had been vaccinated, and hence it is believed that most suffered fairly mild symptoms because they had CoVid antibodies in their systems. By the end of this week [12/10/21] or sometime the following week, early test results on vaccine efficacy vis a vis Omicron are expected.

One health official noted that efficacy isn’t measured as a simple yes or no, but rather in degrees.  The strongest efficacy prevents one from catching the virus, the medium measure of efficacy is how troublesome the symptoms - ranging from mild to hospitalization, and the weakest efficacy – meaning no efficacy is death.

CoVid prognosticators believe that the current vaccines will continue to offer some measure of protection / efficacy, but they caution that at some point it may be necessary to create a separate vaccine for new CoVid variants.


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Eric Adams Wins in Landslide Defeating Sliwa by More than 2:1

Republican Voter Turnout Was Strong on Long Island, but not in NYC

November 3, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Moderate Democrat Eric Adams sailed to victory Tuesday to become NYC's second African American Mayor. Democrat David Dinkins was the first. With 78% of the precincts reporting Adams won 676,481 votes to Sliwa's 293,127.

Democrat Jumaane Williams was re-elected Public Advocate, garnering 598,810 votes which was nearly 69% of the total, with 93% of the scanners reporting.

Progressive Democrat Brad Lander won the NYC Comptroller position, winning 604,000 of the votes, or 70% of the vote with 93% of the scanners counted.

And Democrat Alvin Bragg won the Manhattan District Attorney office, garnering 183,000 votes or 83% of the total.

Four of the five Borough Presidencies were won by Democrats. In Manhattan Mark Levine handily won the borough presidency with 181,000 votes or 85% of the total, with 93% of scanners counted. In Queens Donovan Richards handily won re-election, winning 160,000 votes or 66% of the total, with 79% of the precincts reporting. In Brooklyn Antonio Reynoso also won handily, winning 217,000 votes or 73% of the total, with 78% of the precincts reporting. In the Bronx Vanessa Gibson took in 80,000 votes which was 80% of the total, with 72% of the precincts reporting.

And on Staten Island, the only Republican to win a Borough Presidency, Vito Fossella, won 60,000 votes or 60% of the total, with 87% of the precincts reporting.


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The Nature of Democracy is Compromise

How Else Would a Majority of 330 Million People Get Agreement on Anything?

September 30, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

There are a couple of important legislative bills being debated in the House and Senate. On the one hand you have the Progressive Caucus threatening to hold, or even kill, the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in the Senate. And on the other you have a couple of Democratic Senators withholding their votes on passing the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better bill.

Trump left office leaving a multi-trillion dollar deficit in 2020, and the same is expected to occur this year, regardless of the votes on the pending bills. If both bills pass, these huge deficits could spell significant trouble for American business, the economy and the people employed by them by virtue of impacting the trading rate for our currency vis a vis other currencies around the world. The combination of these bills could significantly devalue the purchasing power of the dollar.

If neither bill passes, Biden along with EVERY OTHER Democrat, would be negatively impacted. By possibly failing to pass at least one of the measures, while holding majorities in both chambers, the Democrats would leave themselves wide open to the opposition labeling them "Do Nothing Democrats". And you can be sure that Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, NY Post, Wall St Journal and ABC News would not let that opportunity slip by unheralded, unhyped and unsensationalized by his plethora of putrid propagandists.

There comes a time when one must step back and see the bigger picture. And at present, the bigger picture is that the Democrats can score a BIG WIN, by passing the Infrastructure Bill - as that can be a rallying cry for them in the 2022 midterms and beyond. In passing the Infrastructure Bill, Biden and the Democrats would have accomplished something that President Trump and the Republicans failed to do, with even bigger majorities in both chambers.

It would be very sad, to see the Democrats let this opportunity slip away, because they fail to do what American legislators have done beginning with the inception of the republic - which is to compromise in order to get something done. We are at an important inflection point, voters, so pay heed to who votes which way, so that in 2022 and beyond, you'll know who is so uncompromising, that they will never get anything done.

Senator Bernie Sanders' legislative record is a case in point. In March of 2020, I did a story that, in part, focused on Sanders' legislative record, which was abysmal. Click here for our report on Senator Sanders' legislative record where no legislation of any significance was passed.

I like Bernie, and in 2016 found his candidacy to be of great interest. I think he's an important player in politics in our day, and continues to play an important role in the national conversation. But that said, the reason Biden won out for the presidency, is that Sanders has never achieved anything legislatively. Click here for our report on Senator Sanders' candidacy for president in 2016.


Economic Snapshot NYC & US

In spite of Non-Vaxers’ Negative Impact on the Recovery, Generally the Economy Appear to be Steadily Improving

things to do this weekend nycSeptember 21, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Business & Economy / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

It’s been a while since I have done an economic update, and as we head into the Fall, it seems a good time to look through the tea leaves to figure out where we are and what risks lie ahead between now and the New Year.

The graph at right, created by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, shows employment in the U.S. from 1940 to date. To the far right of the graph, you can see the huge dip in employment in the Spring of 2020, as the pandemic hit. Since then U.S. employment has recovered, but not yet completely.

Unemployment Back to Normal Levels & Stimulus Winding Down

Unemployment continues to decline, and the unemployment rate reflects a growing economy and a tight labor market. One debated theory about the tight labor market, is that it was fueled in part by some of the generous government spending programs, designed to cushion folks from the pandemic, which some believed kept workers out of the employment market. As of this posting, we’ve not seen any good study that proves or disproves that hypothesis. So for now, I recommend you consider that hearsay, at least until you or I find one or more reliable studies that proves or disproves that hypothesis.

In any event, a good measure of both the federal and states stimulus programs have begun to wind down. Beginning in late Spring / early Summer, both states and the federal government began reducing or withdrawing the funding for extra [federal] and extended [states] unemployment benefits.


NYC & NYS Continue to Have Lower Murder Rates Than the Rest of the Nation

The Past Couple of Months, NYC Murders have been Below 2019 Levels, and NYC Shootings are Down Double Digits versus 2020, While Gun Arrests Have Doubled vs 2020

nyc crime statistics nyc murders nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island violent crime in nycAugust 31, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Crime & Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This is news you're not likely to find in Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch's NY Post, Wall St. Journal nor Fox News because it doesn't fit with Murdoch's self-enriching, propagandistic narratives of blaming Democrats for the increase in violent / gun crimes. He appears to use such narratives to get the politicians who will give him tax breaks, and allow him to continue deregulating his industries, so he can make ever more money at the expense of American Democracy.

The NYPD has been working hard to rein in the out-of-control sales and trafficking of guns in the nation, because of the absence of an intelligent debate on national gun control legislation to combat the growing gun violence, and in particular the mass shootings, that started rising again during the Trump Administration and continued rising in the wake of the CoVid pandemic.

 

Year To Date Murders in NYC are Below the National Average & Have Begun Falling Versus 2020

nyc crime statistics nyc murders nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island violent crime in nycSo we're going to take a look at a number of the NYC crime statistics, and then follow up with an analytical look at some of the issues driving gun related violence, before closing with a look at the distorted, deceitful and destructive coverage provided by Murdoch's Fox News & Propaganda.

As you can see by the chart at right, with the exception of GLA or Grand Larceny Auto and YTD / Year To Date Shootings, all NYC crime is either in the single digits or down, versus last year. It's important to note however, that in July shootings dropped by 35% versus prior year [up 17% YTD], while gun arrests were up 134% versus the prior year [up 68% YTD], so the NYPD continues to make good progress in this regard. And murders were down 49% in July versus prior year and down 10% year to date.

The chart at right shows the NYPD Crime statistics for the month of July 2021 and Year To Date 2021. I have also included comparisons to 2019 as 2020 was an unusual year all the way around - including for NYC crime.

 

The Iron Pipeline - Interstate 95 - is used to Transport Guns from Primarily Red Republican States with Lax Gun Laws

nyc crime statistics nyc murders nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island violent crime in nycThe graphic at right shows what is called the 'Iron Pipeline' which is Interestate 95 which runs from New York to Florida. This interestate highway is used to transport guns / weapons across state lines from mostly red Republican controlled states with lax gun control laws to blue states that have passed stronger gun control laws.

Once the guns arrive here, they are illegally sold and are the root of the gun violence and murder problem in New York City and New York State. Thankfully, Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner Shea and the NYPD are on top of things, and have been working hard to rein in the problem, even in the absense of national legislative help.

I think President Biden should look into the possibility of using federal powers regulating interstate commerce, to curtail the transport and sale of guns into states that have tighter regulatory frameworks surrounding the sale of murder weapons. And perhaps the district attorneys in our city and state should consider naming the people who sell these guns, as accessories or even accomplices, to the crimes committed with them.


Next Gen & CoVid - Still the Talk of the Town

This Report Provides an Update on Why the Downward Trend in CoVid Infections Swung Back Up, the Science Behind the Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, the Lamda & Delta Variants, the Precautionary Wisdom of Continuing to Wear Masks & the Impact of Murdoch Controlled News Outlets Continuous Stream of Mass Media Disinformation

Is it the Patriotic Duty of Every Eligible American to Get Vaccinated?

covid pandemic nyc delta variant covid in nyc brooklyn bronx staten island queens manhattan covid nycAugust 9, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC during the CoVid Pandemic / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I reckon we all wish it weren't so, but CoVid 19 has been resurging with a vengeance these past couple of months, fueled largely by the Delta variant, which at the beginning of May 2021, accounted for less than 10% of U.S. new cases, while today it accounts for more than 90% of all new U.S. CoVid infections. What's most disturbing about this new trend is that even fully vaccinated people can catch the Delta variant, which was largely NOT the case with the original strain [alpha] of CoVid. The infections that are picked up by fully vaccinated people are called 'breakthrough' infections, because they have broken through the immunity protection provided by the vaccines.

In the graphic at right, note the large light blue at the right of the graphic, which denoted the Delta variant of CoVid which grew from almost nothing in May, to almost every new CoVid case in the U.S. in August.

 

The Delta Variant has Changed So Significantly, Hence the New CoVid Reign of Terror

covid pandemic nyc delta variant covid in nyc brooklyn bronx staten island queens manhattan covid nycI found a chart that I found of great interest in an August 5, 2021 story in the Gothamist, which was acquired by NPR in 2018. The chart shows how the original CoVid is almost non-existent in the U.S. today, while the Delta variant has risen to represent over 90% of all new cases.

 

The vaccines were developed to address the original CoVid stain, as the Delta variant - as noted above - didn't become a real factor until about May of this year. Thus, the vaccines efficacy in preventing CoVid has been significantly reduced, but thankfully the vaccines are still very effective in preventing the worst possible outcomes which are hospitalizations and death.


A Look Back at the NYC Municipal Primary Election Results of 2021

Females Won Big, But Because of Ranked Choice Voting, the Results Trickled in Over the Past Month, & Real Assessments of the Changed Landscape have yet to Follow

things to do this weekend in nyc things to do in manhattan brooklyn. queens bronx staten island nyc things to do over the weekend nycAugust 3, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The June 22nd election primary for NYC municipal offices has long passed, but a solid look at the overall results of the election has not yet followed. What I will attempt to do today, is to offer provide a top down summary of the results, along with some interpretation of what this means going forward.

 

Women Won Big in the New York City Council Democratic Primaries

One of the biggest changes to municipal government likely to occur following the November election is that the NYC Council will move from less than a third women, to over half women for the first time in NYC history. This assumes most or all of the Democrats win their seats in the general election. This usually happens in a heavily blue state like New York, just as Republican primary winners in Alabama become the likely winners of the general election in that heavily red state. Somewhere between 29 and 31 of the Democratic primary winners in the NYC Council races were women out of a 51 member municipal legislative body.


CoVid NYC Economic Update

NYC Hotels, Restaurants & Entertainment Continue to Feel the CoVid Pain, Also Real Estate & Construction but Less so, and Things Should Gradually Improve in 2021

things to do nyc things to do manhattan queens bronx brooklyn staten island things to do nycNovember 16, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / Business & Real Estate NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

CoVid & Donald Continue Raging

So the CoVid pandemic is raging wildly in the nation, while the Demento in the White House is raging with reckless false claims about the 'rigged election'. The Donald also made these same false claims four years ago, when he won the electoral college contest, but failed to win the popular vote.

This time America's biggest loser lost both the electoral college vote contest and popular vote [by nearly six million], but the fraudster President has found his false claims of a stolen election, is a great way to raise funds from our nation's morons, who somehow still believe his lies. As the saying goes,

"We're all born ignorant. But you have to try really, really hard to remain so."

I consider Donald Trump losing the White House, to be the one silver lining coming out of the CoVid pandemic.

Meanwhile back in NYC, we continue to fare far better than the rest of the nation vis a vis CoVid, perhaps having learned our lessons last Spring. When I look at the CoVid map of the United States, I'm beginning to interpret it as a sort of national I.Q. test. Those places where it's raging most - almost a year since the pandora came out of the box - are states with slow learning media, slow learning government officials and slow learning populations. Otherwise, why would CoVid be raging again, after all that we have learned in the past year?


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ART

Snug Harbor Fence Show on Staten Island

69th Annual Art Show Organized by the Staten Island Museum

October 1, 2019 / Randall Manor Neighborhood Staten Island / Things to do on Staten Island / Staten Buzz NYC.

I attended the 69th Annual Snug Harbor Fence Show on Staten Island on Saturday. The show included about 150 exhibiting artists, primarily from Staten Island, but also neighboring NYC boroughs and New Jersey. There were food and beverage vendors, an accomplished jazz group - the Musical Chairs Chamber Ensemble - as well as plenty of interesting artworks that ranged from ceramics, to clothing and jewelry, to all sorts of art on canvass and other materials. The crowd the show attracted was also an eclectic group of art lovers, art exhibitors and curious Staten Islanders [it's free admission]. See video to take in a couple of minutes of the ambiance of the show.


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SPORTS

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 RESTAURANTS




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SHOP

NYC Farmers Markets & Street Fairs NYC

Brooklyn, Staten Island Farmers Markets & Street Fairs as Well as Queens, Bronx & Manhattan

street fairs brooklyn nycMarch 23, 2019 / Staten Island Famers Markets / Brooklyn Farmers Markets / Brooklyn Street Fairs / Staten Island St Fairs / Gotham Buzz NYC.

A few Staten Island & Brooklyn farmers markets may be open year round, but most of them are seasonal. Some of the seasonal Staten Island & Brooklyn farmers markets usually begin opening in May, with the rest of them opening in June or no later than the first couple of weeks in July. Click here to view the schedules of many of the farmers markets in Brooklyn and here for the farmers markets in Staten Island.

Staten Island & Brooklyn street fairs, on the other hand, are entirely seasonal. Some of them hit the streets as early as April. The number of Staten Island & Brooklyn street fairs rises during the late spring and continues through the dog days of summer [July / August], including into the late part of the Fall. By late October / the end of November the Staten Island & Brooklyn street fairs go on hiatus, with a few returning as early as April. Click here to view a full schedule of the Brooklyn street fairs and also Staten Island street fairs.


NYC Farmers Markets 2021

Year Round Farmers Markets in NYC Continue & New Season Beckons

nyc farmers markets nyc farmers markets green markets 2021 nycMarch 5, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

We're only a week away from Daylight Savings Time, when we all spring ahead into longer days, where the sun doesn't depart until around 7 pm.

The J&J vaccine was approved last Saturday, February 27, 2021 and already millions of doses have been distributed. While the vaccine was proven to be somewhere between 72% - 85% effective in providing total protection, it was found to be 100% effective against hospitalizations and deaths.

As the J&J vaccine was tested after the stronger mutating CoVid variants started appearing, the effectiveness percent vis a vis the other vaccines might not be apples to apples. And what's more is that it requires only a single dose, no highly sophisticated storage requirements, and can be quickly manufactured.

So things are looking up. Last year farmers markets were classified as essential businesses and while many remained open, they curtailed hours and some went on hiatus. The following is an update for the 2021 season of NYC farmers markets dates / times and selections. We'll update again as we near the opening of the first wave of seasonal markets in May. In the meantime here's a guide to farmers markets, including those that are open year round, by NYC borough. Remember masks, social distancing and hands washing are required. Enjoy.

Bronx Farmers Markets NYC

Brooklyn Farmers Markets NYC

Manhattan Farmers Markets NYC

Queens Farmers Markets NYC

Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC


Click here for Brooklyn tile stores.


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HOLIDAYS PRDS HOTELS





Things To Do Presidents Day Weekend NYC

UPDATED FOR COVID 2021 - If Planning to Dine Out on Valentine's Day Better Get Moving

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycFebruary 9, 2021 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This weekend is Presidents Day Weekend. For many, not all, it's a three day weekend. This means the Post Office and most federal, state and oftentimes municipal offices are also closed.

As of this posting the Presidents Day Weekend Weather. The Temperature highs will be around 30 throughout the three day weekend beginning on Friday, dropping to the high teens nightly, except on Saturday when the low temperature will also be around 30. Precipitation - There's an 80% chance of about two inches of snow late Saturday / early Sunday morning as of this post. Winds will be relatively stable hovering around the 10 mph range throughout the long weekend. The Humidity will range between 60% - 75% throughout the weekend. Click for NYC Weather.

 

A Few Valentines Day / Presidents Day News Items - Indoor Dining Resumes, Folks with Co-Morbidities become Vaccine Eligible, Vaccine Production & 2nd Trump Impeachment Trial Begins Today

Governor Cuomo announced that indoor dining in NYC resumes on Friday, February 2, 2021 at 25% capacity. NYS positivity rate is about 4%, while the NYC positivity rate is about 8% - but both have been declining since the Thanksgiving / Christmas / New Year surge began in late November / early December of 2020.

This past weekend, Governor Cuomo announced that folks with CoVid comorbidities will be eligible to receive vaccinations effective Monday, February 15, 2021. According to the Governor's website, the CoVid co-morbidities [say that fast five times] include the following:

"... Cancer, Chronic Kidney Disease, Pulmonary Disease, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Heart Conditions, Immunocompromised State, Severe Obesity, Pregnancy, Sickle Cell Disease or Thalassemia, Type 1 or 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Cerebrovascular Disease, Neurologic Conditions and Liver Disease Will Be Eligible ..."

Vaccine production for the U.S. is nearing the 1.5 million doses daily required to meet Biden’s upwardly mobile 100 million vaccinations in the Biden Administration's first 100 days. As of this writing about 10% of all New Yorkers as well as 10% of all Americans have received at least one CoVid vaccination dose.

 

Trump's Failed Capitol Riot of 2021 Seems Not Unlike Hitler's Failed Beer Hall Putsch of 1923

trump's beer hall putsch hitlers capitol riot trumps capitol riot hitlers beer hall putschThe second Trump impeachment trial began today, Tuesday, February 9th, 2021. Generally I find the rushing of the trial to be an insult to the American people, and the U.S. Constitution philosophies of due process and rule of law. The government officials prosecuting and managing the trial should take all the time required to educate the American people about who Donald Trump really is - not who he says he is.

They need to use the Impeachment Trial to highlight how Trump has significantly battered our democratic processes, undermined Americans' faith in our democratic institutions, personalized the power of the presidency, breached the rule of law, and appears to have colluded with the Russians to undermine our government over the past five years. Oh, yeah, and it all culminated in that lame Capitol Riot Insurrection which was not unlike and had striking similarities to Hitlers' lame / failed Beer Hall Putsch in Germany in 1923.

things to do presidents day weekend manhattan nyc presidents day events ues uws midtown east village soho tribeca upper west side upper east side things to do presidents day weekend manhattan events presidents day weekend manhattan nyc

Ten years later Hitler rose to power as the Nazi Party leader and proceeded, like Trump did during his presidency, to usurp and personalize the power of the state thanks in part to the Goebbels / Murdoch/propaganda machines which misled the citizenry in each nation about who these two leaders were, and also victimized minorities in both nations. In the Beer Hall Putsch, 16 Nazis and four policemen died. In the Capitol Riot four Trumpsters and one policeman died.

 

Hitler was found guilty of treason following the Beer Hall Putsch, but still rose to power. Will the Senate take the precaution of sanctioning the Donald, or continue to enable the dysfunctional democracy damager - possibly destroyer?

 

Brief History of Presidents Day Holiday in NYC

bronx things to do presidents day weekend bronx presidents day weekend events bronx nycA day commemorating Lincoln's birthday was first passed in Buffalo, New York in the early 1870's. Presidents Day originated as Washington's Birthday which was a holiday narrowly prescribed for federal government offices in Washington, D.C. in 1879. The holiday was dedicated to honoring the memory of the first American president, George Washington who was born on February 22, 1732.

In 1885 the holiday was expanded to include all federal government offices around the nation. In 1951 there was a push to create a Presidents Day holiday [vs a George Washington's birthday holiday] to include President Lincoln whose birthday is February 12, 1809 and was also celebrated by localities, but it didn't pass.

In 1971 the holiday was moved off of George Washington's birth date to being the third Monday in February. Thus while it never falls upon Washington's birthday 2/22, the official name of the holiday remains Washington's Birthday. But today, most folks refer to it as Presidents Day and to recognize the presidents who honored the U.S. Constitution and served the interests of the people.

Please note that we've updated things to reflect current conditions related to the CoVid pandemic. Enjoy.


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SCHOOLS / ISSUES

The Trouble, Fear, Pain & Relief of My First CoVid Vaccination

As More New Yorkers are Vaccinated, the Pressure Grows on Those Who've Not Yet Received a Shot, Also the Role of Limiting Eligibility in Effecting a Smoothe Transition & Effective Tuesday 3/23/21 Folks Aged 50 plus Become Eligible for the CoVid Vaccination

andrew cuomo's troubles nursing homes harassment governor cuomo murdoch fox wsj ny postMarch 22, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Corona Virus / Gotham Buzz NYC.

So I've been putting off getting a CoVid vaccination ever since I became eligible earlier this year. At first I held off was because there were intermittent shortages of the vaccine, then rumors of long lines to get them, and finally I had to wrestle through the various websites offering a shot, at a time and place that 'easily' worked for me.

 

Finding a Vaccination Center Near You in NYC

But this past week I hit the proverbial CoVid vaccine jackpot, after spending what was probably a couple of hours online trying to navigate my way to an appointment. One of the issues are the numerous websites out there, offering vaccines. There's both NYC and NYS vaccinations centers and I waded through each looking for specific locations, specific vaccinations [J&J, Pfizer & Moderna] and specific times.

Let me make it simple for you, as I oftentimes ended up on this site.

https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov

 



Brooklyn Blvd


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911 / The War in Afghanistan is Over - but the War on the Truth that put us there - Continues

TV News People Provided Superficial, Dimwitted, Gossipy Accounts of the Withdrawal, & Unfortunately, Far too many of the Print Reports Weren’t Much Better

September 7, 2021 / Fox News Fakes the News / U.S. Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.

joe bidens afghanistan withdrawal was a success murdoch's fox news wsj ny post depicted it as a failure murdochs fake news afghanistan withdrawal murdoch's fox fake news about afghanistan was they told us to get intoSomehow amidst the din of Murdoch mass media hyped criticism, the real headline was buried.

"The War is Over. The Twenty Year War in Afghanistan is Over. "

 

This was one of two Murdoch Wars - So his Outlets Seemed to Disminish or Ignore the Human & Taxpayer Costs - Over 170,000 Human Lives & Over $2 Trillion and Counting - and so did the Knuckleheads at the Other News Outlets

Where are the parades? Where are the celebrations? Where are the Congressional and Senate committees and hearings to investigate how we got into the Afghanistan war in the first place? And then why we stayed so long? Who incited this war and then profited from the $2 trillion in spending that the U.S. taxpayer took out loans to pay?

About 2,461 American soldiers died in the Afghanistan War. According to an August 17, 2021 report by the Associated Press, another 3846 American contractors lost their lives, as well as 72 journalists. The Afghanis suffered significant fatalities as well, as 66,000 Afghani military and police died, 47,000 Afghani civilians and 51,000 Taliban fighters.

 

TV News Provided Scant Real Insight, Information or Understanding Surrounding America's Withdrawal from Afghanistand to the Viewer

joe bidens afghanistan withdrawal was a success murdoch's fox news wsj ny post depicted it as a failure murdochs fake news afghanistan withdrawal murdoch's fox fake news about afghanistan was they told us to get intoIn the reporting over the past month or so I DID NOT SEE EVEN ONE REFERENCE TO THE RUSSIAN WITHDRAWAL from Afghanistan in the 1980’s. NOT ONE! Why does that matter?

Because if you’re going to evaluate how effective the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was, you MUST look at prior history, and the Russian withdrawal is the closest, realistic assessment of what the costs of withdrawal from Afghanistan could, would or should be. I watched with something bordering between disgust and horror, as the gutted out nationally branded TV ‘news’ organizations ‘informed’ the American people as to what was happening as the American withdrawal from Afghanistan took place before our eyes in real time.

 

I. The Pied Piper Framed a Dishonest & Negative Narrative about President Biden's Handling of the Withdrawal via his WSJ, then Echoed it with the Nearly Half of the Nationally Branded U.S. Daily Media he Controls, which the Lazy and / or Incompetent Competition then Parrotted

joe bidens afghanistan withdrawal was a success murdoch's fox news wsj ny post depicted it as a failure murdochs fake news afghanistan withdrawal murdoch's fox fake news about afghanistan was they told us to get intoAustralian born billionaire, Rupert Murdoch - as is too often the case - led the rest of the mindless mass media, like the Pied Piper. On August 15, 2021, the Wall St. Journal published an OpEd by the ‘Editorial Board’. The ‘Editorial Board’ appears to be the pen name of billionaire Rupert Murdoch who owns and controls the paper. The ‘Editorial Board’ said published the narrative that Biden was incompetent and had messed things up, with scant reference to history or a holistic presentation of the facts.

Ever since that narrative was published, it has been used by many of the rest of the mass media, to contextualize or frame presentations made by the corporate press in discussing the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Not everyone in the mass media was so incompetent or so lazy that they used the mendacious Murdoch’s narrative – thankfully. But eyeballing things, I’d estimate that more than half of them did. I suppose the good news is that there are still a few real, independent-minded journalists operating in our midst.

Murdoch used his Wall St. Journal brand to lead the narrative, because it has a history as a respected publication. Even though respect for the brand seems to have been diminishing ever since Murdoch’s took control of the paper in August of 2007. After the announcement many of the real journalists who could leave, did. Barron’s was included in the acquisition and remains a Murdoch brand today.


How Would a Mayor Eric Adams Govern?

He Seems to Favor Charter Schools & They Seem to Favor Him, He's Pulled in the Most Real Estate Cash & He has Indicated He'll Reverse Course a bit on Police Reform

Included in this Report is a Look at the Impact of Gun Sales on NYC Violent Crime

nyc violent crime shootings gun arrests murders nyc manhattan queens brooklyn bronx staten island gun arrests shootings murders nyc crime stats 2020May 17, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

Eric Adams isn't Scott Stringer

We recently did a report showing how Scott Stringer has repeatedly appeared to have traded the community interest for his personal interest and career ambitions.

In that report we showed how Stringer takes big public stands, on what I would call generic Democratic issues over which he has little influence, such as gender equality, race and climate change. And yet on issues over which he has considerable influence that significantly impact the local communities, neighborhoods and unions - like real estate developments, local education, public libraries and the pension fund investments - he has taken big public stands in one direction, while appearing to do just the opposite with his actions.

In that report I also noted how Stringer seems opportunistic in compromising his stances [for example in education and the public library system] in order to capitalize on what he seems to think are self enhancing career opportunities. Stringer also seems to have used the power and authority of government positions entrusted to him by the people, to aid those who fund his campaigns, possibly trading what's good for the people, in exchange for what's good for Scott Stringer.

Stringer hit my radar nearly a decade ago, while Eric Adams only hit my radar a couple of years ago. So I'm less familiar with Adams' career than Stringer's. But in doing the research, I found that Eric Adams appears to be a slow steady hand, whose positions have evolved over time ... and I would add that generally they appear to have evolved carefully.

 

1. Eric Adams - Public Schools & Education

Pro Charter Schools & What that Means

In my reporting I have found that FOR PROFIT Charter Schools, don't seem to solve the failing schools problem, but rather split and shift the problem burdens, while privatizing and gutting a significant portion of the public school system.

I began reporting on education during the Bloomberg era, wherein Bloomberg's Administration seemed to split public schools into two smaller entities, and then parcel out the achieving students / families via charter recruitment to the privately run for profit charters, while leaving the lower performing students / families in the care of unions and the general public. It seemed to me they didn't really solve anything, and sucked needed capital out of the public school system, putting it in the hands of the venture capitalists who were funding the for profit charter schools.

This situation appeared to me not unlike what the insurance industry had done prior to Obamacare - whereby the insurance companies recruited healthy people for health insurance, and avoided signing those who weren't healthy in order to enhance their economic performance. To me this goes against the grain of what America is all about - which is equal opportunity for all. The privatization of the public schools by the predatory for profit charters would turn the public education system into the haves and have nots.

*** It's worth noting that NON-PROFIT CHARTERS evolved for different reasons and provided a healthy challenge to the union run public education system and thus non-profit charters appear to have a more more beneficial impact than the for-profit charters.

 

The Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Cuomo

The Sheer Number of Allegations Appears to Indicate Something is Not Right

But This Report is Not About Judging Cuomo, Either Way, but Urging People to Let Due Process Play Out

andrew cuomo's troubles nursing homes harassment governor cuomo murdoch fox wsj ny postMarch 15, 2021 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. Part II.

I'm going to explore each accuser's allegations while providing a bit of background on each of them. I have found some of Cuomo's accusers more credible than others, in what I would call the integrity of the whole situation. That said, the sheer number of allegations certainly lends credence to the notion that something is not right in how Cuomo is managing his staff at the Capitol and in the Governor's mansion.

One's attractiveness to the opposite sex, can cut both ways. It can be used: 1) as a powerful tool to obtain special favors, wage increases and promotions one didn't earn, or 2) it can attract unwanted advances that feel threatening to one's person and livelihood. In the former case (#1), one's co-workers or competitors are often the victims by being passed over for promotions, travel and other opportunities. In the latter case (#2), one is a victim / target of unwanted sexual advances by virtue of their god given beauty.

While in Business School, one of my very best friends - who coincidentally was named Murdoch [but no relation to Rupert] - told me that his father had told him that

"... it was more important to be respected, than liked ..."

We both had to seriously contemplate this advice, as this friend was immensely popular. He had asked me to help him unravel what seemed his father's riddle. Ultimately In due time I concluded that my friend's father was right - it is more important to be respected than liked.

I think that is also good advice for women in the workforce, and provides a compass for how one should conduct oneself. Not every man out there is a gentleman, and oftentimes successful men are also the badly behaved men, some can even be assholes like - let's say - Donald Trump. And as we've seen over the past four year presidency, both the men and women who reported into him were certainly psychologically abused. And I won't even begin to contemplate Melania's situation.

So with that in mind, let's take a brief look at each of Cuomo's accusers and their allegations regarding the Governor.

 

I. Lindsey Boylan (36) - Deputy Secretary for Economic Development & Special Advisor to the Governor

Lindsay Boylan was the first woman to come forward and charge Andrew Cuomo with sexual harrassment in a tweet in December of 2020. She worked for Cuomo from 2015 - 2018 as the Governor's Deputy Secretary and Advisor, during which time she alleges she was continually harassed. Boylan is now running for Manhattan Borough President.

In the accounts of Boylan's claims I've seen published she indicated Cuomo would touch or brush against her arm or leg, compare her to an ex-girlfriend, make unwanted sexually charged statements or inquiries, and on one occasion kissed her on the lips without her permission following the award of a promotion.

Boylan first went public with her claims in December 2020, telling the world that she was speaking out now, because she felt that the public should know this, as Andrew Cuomo was up for consideration for the position of the U.S. Attorney General. This seemed reminiscent of Christine Blasey Ford stepping forth in 2018 with allegations of attempted rape by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. But attempted rape is a far more serious allegation than harassment / inappropriate workplace behavior.

At the time Boylan said she didn't want to speak to any journalists about the explosive claims. This set off my spidey sense, because it seems unfair to think that you can make such explosive, career busting allegations without expecting reporters to want to dig deeper for the full context of the story.

Cuomo denied the allegations.

Last year [2020] Boylan was beaten in the Democratic congressional primary. It would seem to be a fair question to ask whether she is angry / blames Cuomo for her loss, believing that perhaps he did not help her enough? One might also ponder whether she is she using the explosive claims of sexual harassment against Cuomo to gain publicity for her current campaign for Manhattan Borough President, while simultaniously by capitalizing on / reaching out to the #MeToo movement?

In what appeared Cuomo pushback, some of Boylan's personnel files were disclosed to the press, indicating there may have been some issues surrounding to her departure from the Cuomo Administration, regarding her management of employees working for her. Boylan says this is part of a Cuomo intimidation / smear campaign.

Boylan said she was harrassed most or many of the nearly four years she worked for Cuomo [2015 - 2018]. Like many women, she hesitated and waited until [two] years after her departure before going public.

The #MeToo movement advocates that all women's sexual harassment claims should be believed, as for centuries women's sexual harrassment claims have been discredited and ignored.

Yet not long after she went public, she threatened to start a women's PAC to torch Schumer and other New York politicians who did not come out to support her in her allegations sooner. The gap in her announcement and in Schumer and other politicians' speaking out in her favor, was about two and a half months [late Dec 2020 to early Mar 2021]. Boylan also published a threatening tweet castigating both President Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris for withholding judgment as well, before she deleted it.

Boylan's vehement 'PAC fundraising' response, caused me to stop to ponder the full nature of Boylan's nearly four relationship with Cuomo, which seems to have greatly benefitted her with promotions and travel, until it did not. I was also reminded of how Donald Trump and Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz opportunistically used 'Stop the Steal' to fundraise PAC money for themselves off of an emotional, voter 'patriotism' hot button issue.

As with Janice Dean's allegations / crusade / soft gubernatiorial campaign launch, where Shakespeare's quote in Hamlet "The lady doth protest too much me thinks" seemed to resonate, as I again found myself asking if this quote also has some relevance to Boylan's case. See prior report for full explanation regarding Janice Dean.

Boylan's allegations would be given due consideration in an investigation. And we may learn much more about hers and Cuomo's relationship ... and it's possible that it could be highly toxic to both of them.

 


How the President, a Former NYC Mayor and Murdoch's Fox News Seemed to Incite the Capitol Insurrectionists

Rudy Giuliani, Nicknamed America's Mayor by Murdoch's Fox News, Appears to have Helped Incite the Band of Simpleminded Trumpsters to Insurrection

Updated January 11, 2021 from 1.8.21 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. 

Rising Film Star [Barat2] and Former NYC Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, appears to have devolved into something of a national freak show or farce over the past five years. Perhaps longer. But in the past few months, he's become something of a national disgrace.

ted cruz election objections seem a fundraising scamFox News seems to use nicknames for their propaganda assets, like referring to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as the 'Iron Lady' and President Ronald Reagan as the 'Gipper'. Rudy Giuliani seems to be yet another Fox propaganda asset and, as such, is oftentimes referred to as America's Mayor by Fox pundits.

This is not unlike how Murdoch's Fox News nicknames themselves America's Newsroom. This was a trick used by Hitler and Goebbels, using words and images to create the illusion that they, the Nazi Party [in this cae the Fox Nation with red, white and blue colors] was the same as the state - and thus represented all that was right and just. But remember - just because Murdoch's Fox News says it's so - doesn't make it so [like they used to call themselves 'Fair & Balanced' before they started fearing a lawsuit for false advertising]. But, the Australian born billionaire's overwhelming control and / or ownership of America's television media [see our special section on Murdoch and the 21st Propaganda Press on Gotham Buzz] does give him a leg up in attaching and making both good and bad labels stick to people, places and things.

ted cruz election objections seem a fundraising scamOn Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Rudy Giuliani joined Donald Trump and Donny junior at a Trump rally in Washington, D.C. near the White House. The Donald had promoted this gathering as something 'wild' and related to his seemingly phony stop the steal / election fraud fundraising claims. At the rally Trump told his supporters, numbering about 5,000 [per the park permit] to march down to the Capitol and that he'd be there with them.

I think it's safe to say that the Trump supporters who came to this event came prepared to continue to be misinformed and misled by the con men standing on the stage in front of them. After the speeches the audience mindlessly did as Trump had instructed them, and began marching toward the Capitol - but without their fearful leader [bonespurs acting up again?]. The Trumps and Giuliani were not to be found when the group arrived at the Capitol. What a surprise!

When the Trumpsters reached the barricades in front of the Capitol, the police in charge of protecting it, seemed to give way. What exactly transpired at this juncture we'll find out eventually, but one thing we do know for certain is that Trump didn't deploy as many of the National Guardsmen as he did for his tear gassing photo op with the Bible last summer. So Vice President Mike Pence had to step in to call up more National Guardsmen who eventually secured the Capitol - but not until after it had been ransacked [including one report of defecation].



Kentucky Insanity: Voting Repeatedly for Mitch McConnell & Expecting Things to Change

Kentucky Has the 6th Highest Poverty Rate, Ranks 46th in Healthcare, 44th in Education & 45th in Income While

McConnell’s Leadership Enriches Him & his Taiwanese Born Wife, so that Mitch is Now in the Top Ten Wealthiest Senators Club

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceOctober 26, 2020 Updated from 10/13 & 10/21/20 / NYC Neighborhoods / U.S. Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Monday night Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell squared off against challenger former Lieutenant Colonel Amy McGrath. She, along with another woman, were the first females assigned to the Marine All Weather Attack Squadron.

Televised debates these days, seem to shed little light on the candidates or issues. This may be in part due to the format of them, as well as the failure of the debate moderators to hold the candidates' feet to the fire by pressing them on tough questions, and the current climate of conversational corruption where politicians pretty much say whatever the hell they want to say ... regardless of the truth.

So I did some of my own digging to learn more about Mitch McConnell. What I found surprised me, given how deep the rabbit hole goes and yet how little attention has been given to one of the most powerful men in Washington. So it may surprise you too.

 

DEFINITION OF INSANITY - Repeatedly Doing the Same Thing Expecting a Different Result

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceThe definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. 

The image at right was found in a web magazine, Forward Kentucky earlier this year. Donald Trump fired FIVE inspectors and among them was one investigating McConnell's wife.

What are they afraid of ... the truth?

And that is exactly what Kentuckians appear to have been doing for decades, having reportedly voted for Mitch in various elections approximately THIRTY TIMES in a row. 

Let’s take a look.

 

RICH MITCH - McConnell is the Longest [Self?] Serving Republican Leader in Senate History

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceIn June 2018, Mitch McConnell became the longest ‘serving’ Senate Republican Leader in the history of the Senate. 

McConnell has been a Kentucky Senator for nearly 36 years, having first taken office in January 1985. 

He’s been the Republican Senate Majority Leader for nearly six years - since January 2015, and the Republican Senate Minority Leader since January 2007 – another eight years and Republican Senate Majority Whip from 2003 - 2007. 

And he’s been ‘serving’ Kentucky as a senator since 1985.

 

POOR KENTUCKY - Kentucky Ranks Near the Bottom in Education, Healthcare and Income

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceAnd yet Kentucky has little to show for Mitch's length of service – even though Mitch McConnell keeps telling them how good is for them, as he’s been a member of the elite Republican Leadership for decades.

But McConnell he likes to tell Kentuckians - he's the only top federal political leader who is not from one of the big urban centers on the coasts, even though he’s been living in Washington, D.C. for one helluva lot longer than he ever lived in Kentucky. And he’s married to a Taiwanese born millionairess who has never lived in Kentucky, per se, during the nearly three decades of their blissful married life. 

So what difference does it make where Mitch McConnell claims he is from, if he’s not representing the people of Kentucky?  But rather … representing the big corporate and foreign interests that appear to fund his campaigns and enrich – not the state of Kentucky – but their chosen one, their ‘representative’ Senate Majority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell.

 

NOT A NATIVE KENTUCKIAN - Why Alabama Born McConnell May not Care About Kentucky

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceI suspect part of the reason that Mitch McConnell doesn’t care that much about Kentucky, is because he wasn’t born there, and he mostly did not grow up there.  McConnell was born in ALABAMA in 1942, and then – by way of GEORGIA – arrived in KENTUCKY in 1956 at age 14. I think it's worth mentioning that McConnell's great, great grandparents – on both sides - were Alabama slave owners, which we’ll get to shortly.

In 1968 McConnell left Kentucky for the big city, Washington, D.C., for a couple of years.  He returned to Kentucky to run for office in 1971, but failed to meet the Kentucky residency requirement.  In 1974 McConnell left Kentucky again for Washington, D.C. to work in the Ford Administration.  Gerald Ford lost the election in 1976, so McConnell returned to Kentucky to run for office again. This time Kentuckians cut him a break and elected him the Jefferson County Executive, an office he held until he was elected in 1984 to ‘represent’ them as a senator, at which time he departed Kentucky for Washington, D.C. where he's been ever since. 

So all tolled, McConnell only spent about 24 years in Kentucky [1984-1956=28-2-2=24], which is not even a third of his 78 years of life.  And McConnell has spent 36 years ‘representing’ Kentuckians in the big city of Washington, D.C. – where he has lived half again as much time, as he has lived in Kentucky.  So while Mitch doesn’t appear to represent Kentuckians – one has to ask how could he - given he has spent so little time there and it was what seems a lifetime ago?

 

McConnell Received Educational Deferment from Military, Followed by Medical Exemption for Optic Neuritis – Not Polio

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceAccording to Wikipedia, after McConnell’s educational deferment from the military expired in 1967, McConnell ‘served’ about a month.  The same report tells us McConnell was diagnosed with optic neuritis – a temporary inflammation in the eye that can cause temporary blindness.  According to a few Google searches, optic neuritis is a common eye problem that self resolves in about four to 12 weeks.  There are severe cases of it, but given McConnell is 78 years old and we’ve heard nary a word of it since his getting out of military service, I suspect his case was 'mild’, not unlike Trump's CoVid case.  McConnell is also said to have contracted polio, but apparently escaped any significant long term impairment, as we see him walking up and down the halls of the Capitol without a problem.

 

MONEY BAGS MITCH - McConnell Supported by Chinese, Russian & Australian Immigrants

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceIn 1984 McConnell became a Kentucky Senator.  And while most Kentuckians don’t like him and neither do most Americans – Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch’s soon to be media executive, Roger Ailes, ran McConnell's first campaign. Murdoch seems to have been influential in rolling back media regulations beginning around that time, so it wouldn't be a big leap to assume that McConnell helped Murdoch feather his nest through regulatory rollbacks, while Murdoch helped keep McConnell in place as an enabler in hacking through the regulatory environment which had previously held large media corporations in check. Murdoch controls Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and in 2019 became the largest shareholder of Disney / ABC in an inverted takeover. 

We'll zoom in on why the rich Chinese and Russian born immigrants started backing Mitch McConnell a little further in the story.

 

McConnell Sells Out or Trades in his Old Kentucky Home?

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceMcConnell was married to a Kentucky woman, Sherrill Redmon, from 1968 [around the time of his military deferment] to 1980 [around the time he was re-elected but a few years before he hit the big time as a senator beginning in 1984].  In the early years in Kentucky McConnell was considered a liberal leaning moderate [his ex-wife and one or more of his daughters still seem to lean more toward the middle, having oppposed the Brett Kavanaugh SCOTUS confirmation]. 

But McConnell's views seemed to quickly change after he hired Roger Ailes, [who later became Fox News CEO], to run his 1984 Senate campaign. This was followed by McConnell 's social climbing upward mobility when he met and married his new Chinese American wife, who connected his campaign to a multi-million dollar money train. Taiwanese born Elaine Chao's mega millionaire father is well connected to the Chinese Communist Party Leadership, owns a Chinese American Shipping Company, and he and her family have donated millions to McConnell, as well as his and Republican PACs.

 

The Decade McConnell Went From Kentucky Mitch to Shanghai Mitch

Following the 1984 election Rolling Stone story reports McConnell,

“As I always say,” McConnell wrote in his book, “the three most important words in politics are ‘cash on hand.’ ”


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Casa Belvedere and the Festa & Motori D'Italia

9th Annual Festa & Motori D'Italia Keeps the Engine Running on All Cylinders

September 23, 2019 / Grymes Hill Neighborhood Staten Island / Things to do on Staten Island / Staten Buzz NYC.

I attended the Festa & Motori D'Italia at the Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere on Staten Island. The following video captures most of what I experienced - save for the delicious aromas floating in the air.


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Greta Thunberg at Climate Strike in Battery Park NYC 2019

Tens of Thousands Showed for the Climate Strike - NBC Estimated 60,000

September 20, 2019 / Downtown NYC / Manhattan Buzz NYC.

I attended the Climate Strike in Battery Park Friday late afternoon. It was a beautiful day and thousands had shown up to rally support for changing how we live in order to avert the disaster of irreparably destroying the ecosystem which supports life on the planet. Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg was there and spoke at the rally. The video below provides views of the crowd, some of their signs, a poetry performance, a musical performance and some of Greta's remarks. Stay tuned next week as the United Nations meets and Greta visits the U.N. to implore them to take action.


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Only in Queens: The U.S. Open & the USTA

Intergenerational Tennis Wins: Nadal Defeats Medvedev & Andreescu Defeats Williams

renovated usta flushing renovated usta billie jean king national tennis center queens nycSeptember 10, 2019 / Flushing Neighborhood / Sports in Queens / Queens Buzz NYC.

In the week leading up to the U.S. Open the USTA opens its doors to the Flushing, Queens and NYC community. They host a number of tennis related events, and provide opportunities for those who visit to watch the pros practice on the courts. The week culminated in Arthur Ashe Kid Day at the end of the week and families from the NYC metro area, most notably Queens come in droves to take in the rich atmosphere of the newly renovated USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

I had the opportunity to visit this year, which was enhanced by being able to photograph and video a shirtless Rafael Nadal - who won the men’s title this year, complete with ripped abs - while practicing. See video later in the story.


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Closure of Rikers Island Moves Another Step Forward

In Oct 2019 NYC Council Designated Neighborhood Jail Locations in Four Boroughs

Community Board One in Astoria Only Approved the Closure of Rikers Island

rikers island closing rikers island correctional facility history rikers island development astoria queens rikers island hunts point bronxJanuary 26, 2020 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Politics / Bronx Politics & Government / Queens Buzz NYC & Bronx Buzz NYC.

A week ago, on Tuesday, January 21st I attended the Community Board One meeting at the Astoria World Manor where the board was asked to approve the closing of the Rikers Island Detention Facility effective sometime before the end of the year 2026.

The photo at right was taken from an airplane while landing at LaGuardia in a prior year. Rikers Island Correctional Facility is a stone's throw away from LGA.

 

Queens Community Board One in Astoria Votes on Rikers Closure

The presentation consisted of two slides. One highlighted the social / moral blight that Rikers Island had become. The second slide simply proposed the request in very limited terms - the closing of Rikers Island and the conversion of it to a ‘public place’. The presentation to the Committee was done by a team lead by Dana Kaplan, Deputy Director of the NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice.

So please note that the Community Board had no role in the placement of neighborhood jails, nor did they sign off on anything that may become of Rikers Island going forward. They only approved the closing of the Correctional Facility and the allowance of use for it as a "public place".

I spoke with CB1 District Manager Florence Kolouris after the meeting about what exactly that meant. She told me that there isn’t any definition, per se, given for public place – but a couple of examples of prior public places include Lincoln Center, Fort Totten and Queens Borough Hall.

The Community Board approved the measure with a recommendation that CB1 be kept in the loop throughout the closing process, including any demolition. Plenty of questions followed regarding what would become of the 400 acre island. Nothing concrete was proposed at this time, but the audience was assured that any changes would have to come through the Community Board via the ULURP process [Uniform Land Use Review Procedure].

 

The Bronx & Queens - Rikers Island Community Jurisdiction & Prison Population

rikers island closing rikers island correctional facility history rikers island development astoria queens rikers island hunts point bronxIt’s worth noting that technically Rikers Island is a part of the Bronx – not Queens – even though the only road traveling onto the island originates in the Astoria / East Elmhurst neighborhoods of Queens. In addition to Queens Community Board One, Bronx Community Board Two, representing the Hunts Point neighborhood, also has influence over the island. Since the Dinkins Administration in the 1990's, there's been a floating barge facility that's docked in Hunts Point, that is considered a part of the Rikers Island Correctional Facility.

Currently there are an estimated 7,000 plus inmates on Rikers Island. At its height, in 1991, Rikers Island held an estimated overcapacity inmate population of nearly 22,000. By the time the facility is to be closed in 2026, the inmate population is expected to have declined to between 3,000 and 4,000.

The photo at right shows the Rikers Island Correctional Facility which will be closed by the end of 2026.


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NEIGHBORHOODS


Things To Do in NYC This Weekend July 30 - August 1st, 2021

Food, Music, Art Festivals & Movies in NYC this Weekend

July 30, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

things to do this weekend in nyc things to do in manhattan brooklyn. queens bronx staten island nyc things to do over the weekend nycWeather. There's a 60% probability of about a third inch of rain beginning sometime between 3 and 6 pm Sunday. The rest of the weekend should be clear. The temperature highs will be around 80 and the lows in the mid 60's all weekend. Humidity will range from 50% - 60% all weekend, except Sunday night when it rises to near 80% due to the rain. The winds will vary throughout the weekend from about 15 mph Friday, to 5 mph Saturday and 10 mph Sunday. All in all, not a bad weather weekend.

 

FYI - On the Great Lawn - NYC Homecoming Concert 2021

  • CENTRAL PARK _ Tuesday August 24, 2021 from 10 am - 6 pm - We Love NYC - A big Free HomeComing Concert - On the Great Lawn in Central Park, but must be ticketed, and meet CoVid guidelines. Tickets go on 'sale' on August 2nd and are expected to go quickly at www.ticketmaster.com. Free Manhattan concerts NYC.

 

All Five Boros are Back Online with Live Cultural Programs & Events

But please remain CoVid cautious for your own health and that of those around you by getting vaccinated, wearing masks when indoors or in close proximity to others and by washing your hands regularly.

Here are links to things going on in each borough this weekend.

Things to do this weekend in the Bronx

Things to do this weekend in Brooklyn

Things to do this weekend in Manhattan

Things to do this weekend in Queens

Things to do this weekend on Staten Island

Also see links below, posted on July 16, 2021, to farmers markets, street fairs and free theater, movies, concerts and swimming pools.

Enjoy.




nyc real estate nyc business nyc


REAL ESTATE & BUSINESS

NYC Landlord Harassments Continue

NYCCM Helen Rosenthal Hosts Housing Clinic to Inform Renters of Their Rights

manhattan things to do nycMay 29, 2018 / Upper West Side Neighborhood / Manhattan Real Estate / Manhattan Neighborhoods / Manhattan Buzz NYC.

MB - S.

On Wednesday, May 25th I went to the Goddard Riverside Community Center on Columbus Avenue at 88th Street to attend a housing clinic designed to inform renters of their rights.

***The following introduction is based on prior research done by me, and was not information provided at the housing clinic. I'll let you know when I segue out of my preamble and into the housing clinic.***

Over the past decade landlords appear to have become increasingly aggressive in trying to wriggle out of NYC and NYS rent stabilization regulations, that govern the rental payments under which about two million New Yorkers live.

It is my understanding that the government contributed land and / or financing to build or repair the buildings governed by NYC / NYS rent stabilization laws in exchange for the pricing rights on rent stabilized units. Many of the new landlords who have acquired rent stablized buildings, may possibly be in violation of approaching their business contract(s) in good faith, as the definition of good faith according to Wikipedia is:

"In contract law, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is a general presumption that the parties to a contract will deal with each other honestly, fairly, and in good faith, so as to not destroy the right of the other party or parties to receive the benefits of the contract. It is implied in every contract in order to reinforce the express covenants or promises of the contract. A lawsuit (or a cause of action) based upon the breach of the covenant may arise when one party to the contract attempts to claim the benefit of a technical excuse for breaching the contract, or when he or she uses specific contractual terms in isolation in order to refuse to perform his or her contractual obligations, despite the general circumstances and understandings between the parties. When a court or triar or fact interprets a contract, there is always an "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing" in every written agreement."

What is at stake, throughout the city, is literally hundreds of millions and more likely billions of dollars in - rental benefits or rental income streams - depending on which side of the struggle you're on. The landlords appear to be trying - using the torturtous side effects of construction including noise, health risk dust [inhalation], privacy loss and apartment functional loss - to wrest away the billions of dollars of rental pricing rights benefits from tenants to be pocketed by the landlords themselves. Given the high dollar value of what's at stake - including people's homes - this seems like attempted grand larceny, especially in cases where landlords are breaking the law to achieve their goals.

This will be continued at a later date. Including the segue into the information provided by the Housing Clinic to inform tenants of their rights.

Tenants' Rights March & Rally - June 14th Midtown at 4.30 pm

P.S. There's a March & Rally scheduled for June 14th, beginning at 4.30 pm, at the NY Public Library at 5th Avenue and 40th Street. They plan to march to Governor Cuomo's office at 3rd Avenue and East 41st Street. For details contact info@realrentreform.org or call 212.979.6958. All but one of the No IDC NY senatorial candidates have been invited to participate, and there's a possibility that NYS gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon will be there too - as this seems to coincide with her reasons for challenging Governor Cuomo.


NY Real Estate Expo

NYC Professionals Discuss Manhattan & NYC Metro Real Estate

April 23, 2018 / NYC Neighborhoods / Manhattan Real Estate NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

manhattan real estate manhattan nyc real estateI attended the 10th annual NY Real Estate Expo at the New York Hilton last week. The event was well attended by hundreds of real estate, development and financial professionals from the NYC and metro area. Anthony Kazazis, Director of the event, had organized a series of panels to discuss key aspects affecting the real estate market ranging from software platforms, to financing, to NYC real estate market assessments.

Generally the mood was upbeat, but not without some concern about the future, given changes in the tax laws, foreign interest in NYC investment, interest rates forecasts and technological challenges facing the industry. But, I thought, that is why everyone is here. To find out what's going on so they can navigate the market changes - rather than be surprised by them.

While I had intended to stay only a short while, I found the topics and panelists too interesting to leave, so I stayed most of the day. I started with a discussion of a new information technology platform called Blockchain, which is intended to serve as an information clearing house, and it includes some artificial intelligence capability. I then found my way into a discussion about New York City versus Silicon Valley with respect to attracting large technology companies like Amazon, Facebook and Google. And I ended my visit after listening in on a discussion by NYC and metro area realtors discuss the residential real estate market in Manhattan and outer boroughs.

Sound like an interesting NYC real estate conference? It was. In the photo above you can see the audience at the well attended panel discussions at the NY Real Estate Expo this year.

I'll have more on this later in the week.


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Rupert Murdoch's NY Post uses Midtown NYC Power Outage to Attack Mayor de Blasio Call for Dismissal
ny post fake news ny post distorted news ny post propaganda rupert murdoch orders nyc to fire mayor de blasio midtown power outage 2019

Billionaire Rupert Murdoch & his NY Post Order Us to Fire the Mayor

Murdoch & his NY Post Seem to Want a Puppet NANNY not a Mayor

ny post propaganda ny post fake news ny post murdoch de blasioJuly 14, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / New Analysis, Opinion & Satire / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Multi-Billionaire Rupert Murdoch, the puppet master of the world's three largest English-speaking democracies, has dictated that we must remove Mayor de Blasio NOW.

Murdoch's NY Post headline was almost predictable. Mayor de Blasio was campaigning in Iowa over the weekend, and while he was away, there was a 25 hour power outage in west midtown [Saturday]. MURDOCH & his minions on the NY POST Editorial Board want the Mayor fired - like he is their nanny who left town - without tucking them in that night.

In the photo at right is multi-billionaire Rupert Murdoch who controls two [Newscorp & Fox Corp] of the six largest U.S. media companies which control about 80% of U.S. media. Murdoch also became the largest shareholder of Disney / ABC in the Spring of 2019 [which brings Murdoch's control / influence to three of the six largest media companies in the U.S.]. This huge media merger was made possible thanks to a waive through by the 'Trump Department of Justice'. Murdoch appears to have turned Australia and Britain into Murdoch-controlled banana republics, and seems well on his way to doing the same here in the United States.

I'm nearly certain the Donald, Murdoch's current nanny president, would remove Mayor de Blasio - were it in the Donald's power to do so. Since the Donald appears to have carried out so many of Murdoch's instructions since coming to office just two and a half years ago.


Billionaire Rupert Murdoch & his NY Post Order Us to Fire the Mayor

Murdoch & his NY Post Seem to Want a Puppet NANNY not a Mayor

ny post propaganda ny post fake news ny post murdoch de blasioJuly 14, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / New Analysis, Opinion & Satire / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Continued.

Trump's Corrupt Quid Pro Quo Gifts to Murdoch for Propaganda?

Trump fired all of the U.S. Attorneys in the spring of 2017, less than 24 hours after being told to do so, by Murdoch's Pinocchio Pundit Sean Hannity. The NY U.S. Attorney, Preet Bahara, was investigating charges that Murdoch's company was engaged in an illegal hacking scandal again [the first one was in Britian], along with allegations of sexual misconduct at Murdoch's company [these have plagued Murdoch's company for many years].

That same year [2017], Trump's FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed waiving the ownership limits on U.S. television stations, in advance of Murdoch's Fox News deal to acquire numerous TV stations from Sinclair Broadcasting in early 2018 [deal fell through].

And Trump's Department of Justice waived through Murdoch's inverted takeover of Disney / ABC whereby Murdoch became Disney / ABC's largest shareholder. Murdoch appears to be using Disney / ABC Chairman, Bob Iger, like he uses Prime Ministers and Presidents ... to do his dirty work, in exchange for funding and [media] support.

Lastly, but not insignificantly, Murdoch's 'fake news' President recognized the Syrian Golan Heights as Israeli territory. It seems no coincidence that multi-billionaire Rupert Murdoch and former Vice President Dick Cheney [were these two co-conspirators in producing the Iraqi fake weapons of mass destruction in the early 2000's?] are major stakeholders in Genie Energy, which has significant 'holdings' in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights. The United Nations and the rest of the world still consider the Golan Heights to be Syrian territory occupied by the Israelis.

Murdoch seems to use his media to discredit, displace and replace Australian Prime Ministers [five prime ministers in a little more than five years] and British Prime Ministers [three prime ministers in a little more than three years] so he can get those nation's leaders to do what he wants.

ny post propaganda ny post fake news ny post murdoch de blasioMurdoch has a monopoly share of newspapers and the majority share of TV stations in Australia - where after decades of dictating to Australians - most of them are still ignorant of the fact that Murdoch has near monopoly control of their media, even though he is neither a resident nor citizen. And Murdoch controls two of the three most dominant newspapers in Britain and an oligarch's share of the British TV market [Murdoch would have had a majority share of the British TV market had not Comcast outbid him in 2018 - and again he is neither a resident nor citizen of Britain].

The result is that the government officials in both Australia and Britain pretty much seem to say piss off to the public good, and do what Murdoch tells them to do. And if they don't, Murdoch seems ready, willing and able to use his overwhelming share of the nation's mass media outlets to propagandistically discredit and replace them. It is in this manner that Murdoch appears to control these nations.

One has to ask how much of a democracy Australia and Britain really are, when one man has so much control over the information used by voters to make their decisions prior to casting their votes?

If Mayor de Blasio becomes the next president - Murdoch and his NY Propaganda Post would lose the coddling by their current nanny president - the Donald. This seems to explain why Murdoch appears to have used his NY Post, in a what seems a Goebbels-inspired effort, to discredit the Mayor. It appears Murdoch is hellbent on pre-emptively eliminating Mayor de Blasio as a presidential candidate even before de Blasio begins gaining traction with the American electorate.



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November 7, 2018 Midterm Election Results: Trump & Republicans Lose Badly in Midterms
trump republicans thrashed in midterms trump huge losses midterm elections trump electoral losses midterms nov 2018

Trump Suffers Huge Losses in Midterms

Americans Sharply Reprimand the Un-Reality TV President

November 7, 2018 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / New Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

trump trashed in midterms trump republicans lose big republicans & trump lose badly in midterms 2018 trump loses badly nov 2018 midterm election republicans lose badly elections 2018

The American people have spoken.

Now what the voters have said, by virtue of their votes, is already being spun by Donald Trump's and Rupert Murdoch's propaganda spin machines in order to further their self-serving agendas.

But before we look at the spin, let's look at the facts, as the electoral outcome is a measure of the American people's endorsement - or lack thereof - of the presidency of Donald J. Trump and by association, Rupert Murdoch, the multi-billionaire, global propagandist who was instrumental in helping Trump take the White House.

 

Republicans Gain 2 Senate Seats - One from Pence's Home State of Indiana & one from Donald's 2nd Home State of Florida

The Republican Party strengthened its already firm grip on the Senate by picking up three [North Dakota, Missouri & Indiana] maybe four [Florida] Democratic Senate seats, while losing two Republican seats [Nevada and Arizona], leaving them with a net gain of two seats.

  • Update - Republicans won Florida, so they gained four Senate seats and lost two. The tally now stands at 47 Democrats to 53 Republicans, meaning the Republican party continues to control the Senate.

So, assuming that the follow on election in Mississippi goes to Republicans, and the current tiny lead in Florida is not overwhelmed with absentee ballots, the Senate tally will change from the current 49 Democrats - 51 Republicans to 47 Democrats - 53 Republicans. Of note is that Republicans had only six seats to defend, while Democrats had 27 seats up for grabs.

At the moment there are two unresolved Senate races, one of which has been Republican [Mississippi] and the second of which is Florida [Democratic incumbent], so this tally could change.

Home States Advantage. It's worth mentioning that one of the seats picked up by the Republicans came from Indiana, the home state of Vice President Mike Pence, and the possibility of another comes from Florida, which I categorize as the second home state of President Donald Trump, given how much property he owns / manages there and how often he golfs there.

 

Republicans Lose Control of the House & Lose Control of 7 State Capitals

As of this report the Republican Party lost 27 and likely more seats in the House, thus relinquishing their majority in that body for the first time in eight years. And for the first time during the Trump presidency, the opposition Democrats have an opportunity to play a real role in governing again. The Democrats now have subpoena power, they have the power to impeach, and no legislation can be passed without Democratic signatures. At present count the Democrats have won 222 seats [218 provides majority rule] to the Republicans 194 seats, and there are 17 races that have not yet been officially announced, so the net loss / gain tallies will change, as the remaining 19 contests are settled. There are 435 congressional representatives.

  • Update - Democrats won 235 Congressional seats, while Republicans won 200 Congressional seats meaning there was a HUGE flip from strong Republican control of Congress to strong Democratic control of Congress.

 


Trump Suffers Huge Losses in Midterms

Americans Sharply Reprimand the Un-Reality TV President

November 7, 2018 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / New Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

trump trashed in midterms trump republicans lose big republicans & trump lose badly in midterms 2018

The American people have spoken.

Continued.

 

Republican Party Loses 7 State Houses

But perhaps most importantly, as of this report the Republican Party lost control of at least seven state capitals to the Democrats. And all of those new Democratic governors are going to have the final say on congressional seat redistricting for the next decade, beginning in 2020. At the beginning of this election Democrats controlled just 16 State Houses, while the present tally shows them likely to control 23 or more, an increase of seven states, and a near doubling of those up for election [7 Democratic and 7 Republican governors were not facing re-election this year].

It's worth mentioning that voters said Donald J. Trump was one of the two top issues of the campaign - along with healthcare. So there's no dodging that in the eyes of the electorate, the Trump group has failed the American people. But that's not likely to stop the Trump, Hannity & Murdoch propaganda machine from spinning their tales to the weak minded in their audiences who wish to believe. INSERT CHART.

 

Murdoch's Propaganda WSJ & Fox 'News' Hyper Spin the Electoral Losses into a Trump 'Triumph of the Will'

The Murdoch's Wall Street Journal read that "Democrats Retake the House after 8 years of GOP Rule", and then pretty much ignored the headline, diving straight into the Murdoch spin of the results of the night. There were four stories following the headline.

The WSJ Editorial Board, presumably overseen by the Wall St. Journal Editorial Page Manager Paul Gigot [who decided to hold a story about Trump's mob ties just prior to the 2016 general election], blamed the loss on 'America's deep political divisions'. Murdoch's WSJ, NY Post and Fox News really should take a bow for their contributions to inflaming these divisions, because many of them appear made possible in part by three decades of the Murdoch media machine feeding and exacerbating those divisions. The WSJ said the Democrats retaking of the House and huge gains at the State House level, was less than a "blue wave".

The next Wall St Journal propaganda spin went on to promote the idea that Trump is a billionaire celebrity, who rode his populism to the Oval Office. They then went on to congratulate Trump for not fizzling out like other populists before him, and seemed to encourage Trump's combative style.

The third WSJ propaganda piece boldly states that Trump "Did What He Needed To Do In The Midterms", which presumably was to hang onto the Senate. Given the Democrats had 27 Senate seats at stake and the Republicans had only six, keeping the Senate Republican shouldn't have been a daunting task for any president.

And then Murdoch's WSJ completed the head-spinning narrative with a fourth story about how the Republicans have built upon their Senate Majority. It's amazing how Murdoch's Wall St Journal managed to ignore the truth of what really happened Tuesday night. And what's even more amazing is that likely most in the Wall St Journal audience likely won't realize they are being manipulated by the narrative spin on the election results, as the WSJ focused on the the Trump wins and nearly completely ignored the game changing Trump losses.

Bear in mind that this is not your father's Wall Street Journal. It's now Rupert Murdoch's Wall St. Journal - which means it's Fox Fake 'News' disguised as a once reputable national newspaper.

The Fox Fake News Network was even more entertaining to observe. Rupert Murdoch's multi-billionaire spin machine washed the reality out of the election results like cleaning dirty laundry, first ridding it clean of negative facts, and then delivering it disguised as 'news' to an audience that appears to collaborate with Fox Fake News to deceive themselves by consuming Murdoch's nationally branded propagandist media. Many 'good' Germans did this in 1930's Germany.

My favorite headlines on the Fox 'News' site were 'Trump Gains Allies in Senate' but the winning headline was 'Thank You President Trump. You've got the GOP in Great Shape for 2020 and Left the Liberals Speechless'. Fox News, the WSJ and the NY Post provided their audience with scant recognition of the reality of what just happened because it doesn't fit into their mass manipulation narrative and they appear to be trying to keep up Trump Republicans' morale. This reminds me of accounts of how the Allied victories in WWII were treated in Joseph Goebbels' propagandistic narratives about Adolph Hitler as a military genius.

That said, the GOP may be in good shape for 2020, but not for the reasons proffered by Fox in their report. Rather, because sometime in 2019 Murdoch will complete the takeover of Disney / ABC and he will control more than half of America's broadcast media.

 

Goebbels & Murdoch's Phony Trump 'Triumph of the Will'

There are people who are completely ignorant, like the Florida pipe bomber who was an avid Trump supporter, and there are people who are disinformed, like the Pittsburgh synogogue mass murderer who used the same language to describe the immigrant caravan as used on Murdoch's Fox 'News' in his last tweet [invaders]. These people, and others like them, might permit themselves to believe the 180 degree narrative spin of the Murdoch propaganda machine. They might walk away from a Murdoch newspaper, news site or TV broadcast thinking that Trump and the Republicans didn't really have their MAGA hats handed to them on Tuesday, but actually won - thanks to the brilliance of the great leader, Donald. Sieg Heil?

A little more than 90 years ago, Joseph Goebbels used to publicize these same kind of adulatory reports about Adolph Hitler as Hitler ascended to power. Goebbels told the German people how everything Adolph did was really a brilliant win - even many years later when the facts started indicating otherwise. Far too many of the German people allowed themselves to believe Goebbels propagandistic fake news reports through to the end of the war, as in Goebbels' last report in April 1945, he told his ignorant and disinformed German audience that the American invaders would rape their women and murder their children. Sound familiar? See why below.

 

Will Trump & Murdoch Continue Mass Deceit & Manipulation?

Murdoch's Fox Fake News treachery was on display again during the midterm election. There were numerous journalistic transgressions by Fox 'News' including the running of one of Trump's fake news ads which simplistically and inaccurately blamed the Democrats for releasing a lone immigrant killer, who the two billionaires appeared to use to smear and depict as all immigrants.

The irony of the Trump advertisement on Fox 'News' is that the killer they picked was reportedly [by the Sacramento Bee] freed by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the recipient of one of Trump's executive pardons. Murdoch's Fox 'News' ran the ad until they found they were the only network running it [other networks refused it or pulled it]. Murdoch's Fox 'News' finally pulled it with only two days remaining before the election. Murdoch's investors need not worry, as he did not turn away much of the revenue.

Murdoch's Fox 'News' breached other journalistic protocols too numerous to mention. But it is worth noting that they recklessly hyped an immigrant caravan of several thousand people, including children, marching on foot as 'invaders'. The reality of the 'invading' caravan of poor destitute people, was that it was smaller than most parades in New York City. Trump added to the deceit by calling on thousands of U.S. Military troops to "defend our borders". Most pundits saw this as an election fear mongering ploy.

We'll soon find out - like we did with Hillary's emails - which Fox 'News' hyped nearly daily / making so much fuss about them prior to the 2016 election - and about which we've heard virtually nothing ever since.

As mentioned above, it's worth mentioning that the murderer who attacked a synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday, October 27th, 2018 tweeted that he was "going in" to kill the Jews who he believed were assisting the caravan of "invaders".

 

Murdoch Taking Control of Disney / ABC - Let the 2020 Mayhem Begin

Few government officials and corporate media outlets appear to be paying much attention to the fact that the world's most dangerous, free-world propagandist is about to take control of Disney / ABC. Disney / ABC is one of the top six news / content producing news organizations in America. This merger, combined with Murdoch's control of 21st Century Fox and Newscorp - also two of America's top six news / content producing organizations - will give billionaire, global propagandist Rupert Murdoch control of over half of America's airwaves.

When you see how much disinformation Murdoch fake news outlets can spread with the media assets he currently controls, think the havoc he will create once he nearly doubles the media assets under his control.

Some Australians already know how oppressive it feels like to have one man, unanswerable to anyone, making all the decisions about who is promoted into positions of power. The rest of the Australians remain completely unaware that their government has been taken over, even as Australians appear to have lost control of their government decade(s) ago to Rupert Murdoch's near monopoly of Australian media.

Australia has become what I call a Media Controlled State [as opposed to state controlled media]. Since siezing control, Murdoch appears to have promoted a former employee [Tony Abbott] to be Australian Prime Minister [2013 - 2015], and Abbott's Administration subsequently failed to file a follow on court motion in a court case between Murdoch and the Australian government, which resulted in the Australian taxpayers giving Murdoch a nearly $1 billion tax break / gift. Australia's national budget was in the neighborhood of $400 billion, so that's a significant budget item - especially to give to one corporation because of one man.

Murdoch also appears to have had his minion Australian Prime Ministers re-write Australia's broadcast regulations over the years. The seemingly Murdoch inspired deregulation enables Murdoch, a foreigner, to control a monopoly share of the Australian media market and by association the national conversation - even though he is not a citizen or resident of that nation. Ever since Murdoch gained the upper hand in Australian media, it appears that nobody becomes Prime Minister without Rupert Murdoch's approval. And Murdoch appears to get his way on national policies that matter to him, or his cronies, as well. Pay heed, because Rupert Murdoch is approaching a nation-controlling share of America's media. And he, like Goebbels before him, appears to use the media to manipulate the vast number of uninformed and / or ignorant voters [like the two referenced above] in pursuit of his own self-serving greed and lust for ever more power. There is, in my mind, something inherently wrong with such people. Bad code.

Donald Trump isn't the only threat facing our democracy. If most Americans are relying on media outlets like Fox 'News', the Wall St Journal and the NY Post - media outlets that fail to include key facts and / or provide distorted narratives of the news - real democracy cannot work. It will not work under such conditions, because we'll never have an intelligent, informed discussion about the issues confronting us, but rather constantly struggle to clean up a Murdoch media manufactured fictional narrative, fostered by fear mongering phonies like Trump and Hannity, to stir the mindless masses into a frenzy, while they steal away our precious liberties, that so many of our American ancestors have risked or given their lives to defend. Sometime next year [2019], you can begin adding Disney / ABC as a Murdoch media outlet, as he is expected to complete his clever Fox inverted takeover of them by early / mid year.

 

Republicans Suffer Bloodbath in NYS State Elections

On the local level the New York Times reports that NYS Governor Democrat Andrew Cuomo sailed to victory winning 3.350 million votes [59%] to Republican Marc Molinaro's 2.088 million votes [36.8%] to retain his position. For NYS Attorney General Democrat Letitia James bested Cuomo, winning 3.444 million votes [61.9%] to Republican Keith Wofford's 1.985 million votes [35.7%]. NYS Comptroller Democrat Thomas Di Napoli won re-election handily, besting both Cuomo and James with 3.715 million votes [66.6%] to Republican Jonathan Trichter's 1.766 million votes [31.7%]. NYS Senator Democrat Kirsten Gillebrand received 3.699 million votes [66.6%] to Republican Chele Farley's 1.855 million votes [33.4%]. Ballotopedia reports that Democrat Kathy Hochul retained the Lieutenant Governor position with 3.352 million votes [57%] versus Julie Killian who received 2.088 million votes [36.1%].

Republicans also lost all real power in the NYS Legislature, as Democrats won the Senate for the first time in quite a while, while retaining control of the Assembly. While all of the races are not yet final, it looks like in the NYS Senate Democrats will have about 40 seats vs Republicans 23, and in the NYS Assembly Democrats will have 107 seats vs 43. So at the state level, it was a Republican bloodbath.

Having one party in complete control, as we have seen at the national level, is rarely optimal.

In NYS Congressional races there was a surprise win for the Democrats with Max Rose defeating incumbent Republican Dan Donovan in Staten Island's Congressional District 11. And in the 14th District in the Bronx / Queens Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, aged 29, set a record by becoming the youngest female congresswoman in American history.

On the Ballot Issues - all three were passed [Yes] with winning margins ranging with 4x, just under 2x and just under 3x Yes's to No's respectively. The numbered ballot issues are explained below.


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NYC Congestion Pricing Bill Under Consideration in Albany NYS
albany congestion pricing bill nyc nys legislature congestion pricing bill nyc march 2019

Congestion Pricing & the Lobbying Apparatus that Won't Take No For an Answer

Congestion Pricing Legislation was being Pushed in Albany over a Decade Ago ... so Who's Really in Charge?

congestion pricing legislation albany nysMarch 26, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Last week I attended a Congestion Pricing Town Hall organized by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. Earlier in the week City Council Member Helen Rosenthal had organized one along the same lines because legislation is percolating in Albany.

Governor Cuomo appears to be itching to pass the Congestion Pricing legislation, likely so he can get his hands on more taxpayer money, while satisfying a whole host of private industry consultants and corporations. These consultants and corporations would then rake in hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars thanks to Albany. So then would they recycle a small portion of the funds into the campaigns of the folks who supported it?

These days that seems to be the campaign funding cycle - where the voters get left out because they aren't minding the store. A government of the people, by the people and for the people doesn't work if the people aren't paying attention. Jefferson said, "Those who believe they can be ignorant and free, believe in something that never was and never shall be."

 

I. Congestion Pricing is a Very Expensive Taxation Plan

congestion pricing legislation albany nysLet me start by outlining what the Congestion Pricing legislation really is, versus the myriad of narratives they've used to sell this pig. While they have said it will reduce congestion, reduce carbons, increase cycling, increase safety - note that all of these claims are highly debatable. Based on the research I've done, the Congestion Pricing Plan seems quite simply to be a very, very expensive means of taxation.

In London, where they implemented Congestion Pricing over a decade ago, as of a few years ago, only about half of the revenue made its way into public transit development. The other half was used to install and operate [and god knows what else] the new infrastructure. Click here to read a prior report we did which includes lots of facts, figures and the history and effects of congestion pricing in the U.S. and Europe.

It's worth noting that London decided NOT to go forward with the second proposed phase of Congestion Pricing. And it's worth mentioning that I found a lot of 'authoritative looking' disinformation out there regarding the London results, which one can surmise was encouraged - if not funded - by those who so handsomely profit from this sort of legislation.

If the government officials in Albany are going to increase our taxes, the least they could do is make it such that the taxation revenue that is collected is 100% usable, not 50% usable.

When you take away the incremental revenue generated by the Congestion Pricing Plan, you will clearly see that it DOES NOTHING TO SOLVE THE NYC MASS TRANSIT PROBLEM and there are far less expensive / more efficient / more beneficial means of taxation.


Congestion Pricing & the Lobbying Apparatus that Won't Take No For an Answer

Congestion Pricing Legislation was being Pushed in Albany over a Decade Ago ... so Who's Really in Charge?

March 26, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Continued.

 

II. Congestion Pricing is Burden Shifting Legislation that Aids the Rich and the Pols, While Punishing the Middle & Working Classes

congestion pricing legislation albany nysThe Congestion Pricing Plan is essentially a burden-shifting plan, whereby the burden of traffic congestion during rush hour, is shifted from being all car commuters' problem, to easing the burden on those who can afford to pay the new tolls, while making life more difficult for those who cannot.

So essentially Congrestion Pricing makes life harder / more expensive / more time consuming for people who are middle and working class - while making life easier for the rich folks by asking them to pay a few more dollars to get back more of their high dollar time. It's like the Trump Tax plan which shifted about $1.5 trillion from America's children and unborns, to the richest people on the planet. Life is made easier for those who already have so much, while being made more difficult for those who don't.

That seems simply un-American.

Remember, as stated above, a government of the people, by the people and for the people doesn't work if the people don't pay attention. Voters need only blame themselves if they allow the representatives they elected, to betray them, in favor of the rich consultants and corporate campaign donors, who will profit at the voters' expense.

 

III. Congestion Pricing Doesn't Solve Anything - Carbon

In one of the spin cycles, the Congestion Pricing proponents claimed that Congestion Pricing would reduce carbon emissions. And yet in a study done on time shifting pricing done in the NYC metro area showed that Congestion Pricing did little to reduce the influx of vehicular traffic. The study found that the pricing formula only shifted the volume of traffic at a given time, but did not significantly reduce traffic over the span of the day. I'll get more into some of the Congestion Pricing particulars when I post the report on Gale Brewer's Town Hall, where other / more efficient means of taxing / limiting vehicles coming into Manhattan were discussed.

 

IV. Follow the Money: Why is Congestion Pricing Still Around & Why Aren't There Any Other Alternatives Under Discussion?

congestion pricing legislation albany nysCongestion Pricing has been floating around the halls of Albany, dating back to the Bloomberg Administration's push for it in 2007 and 2008. The legislation has been killed at least twice previously. Perhaps Albany will do the right thing and kill it again.

But then again, the NYT indicated that maybe the Democrats in Albany will pass Congestion Pricing this time around, because Mayor de Blasio isn't opposing it. Did the corporate lobbyists and consultants finally win de Blasio over, because it's still a bad plan.

The fact that a bad plan - Congestion Pricing - is back again, is yet another symptom of what's wrong with our society and government. What do I mean by this? I mean that this is the ONLY NYC public transit plan I've seen floating around the halls of Albany over the past decade, since I began reporting on NYC social and political issues. And the state of NYC's mass transit system is one of the biggest single issues of the time.

Congestion Pricing is one bad plan, that keeps coming back at the initiative of the private industrialists who will profit from it, while it appears that NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE at the State level to come up with a plan of their own. A plan that would have at its core serving the public good - not serving the good of a few private interests. This is what broken, inept government looks like.

Quite frankly, I could come up with a better plan to solve NYC's traffic problem than Congestion Pricing, on the back of an envelope, in an hours time.

 

The Real Solution to Traffic Congestion is Expanding Mass Transit Infrastructure

The real problem, which I pointed out in the report I first did on NYC Congestion Pricing Plan, is that the city is operating its mass transit using a system designed and built between 80 and 100 years ago. Things have changed and the system hasn't.

Building and maintaining infrastructure costs money, and unfortunately Albany with its cast of political characters, is going about addressing the problem backwards.

Albany wants to raise money first - and then figure out how it's going to spend the money later.

As any savvy investor knows, that's almost always a bad deal.

I'll post more at a later date on Gale Brewer's Town Hall on Congestion Pricing.

What's expressed above may reflect the overall sentiment [it was generally negative] expressed at the Town Hall - but the particulars above are mine.


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Senator Susan Collins Votes to Confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court
brett kavanaugh donald trump adolph hitler trump destroying american democracy supreme court justice nominee brett kavanaugh maine senator susan collins votes to confirm brett kavanaugh trump nominee supreme court justice

Kavanaugh Epilogue: Onto the Midterms?

Collins' Speech, McConnell Cash & What will the Donald do if Republicans win the Senate?

Update October 7, 2018 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Susan Collins Speech - Honest ... but?

Susan Collins gave a speech explaining to the American people why she was going to vote to approve Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. She reaffirmed what I have stated below, which that it was not a court proceeding, but rather a confirmation hearing which does not require a standard of being beyond reasonable doubt.

Collins went on to say that none of the people Christine Blasey Ford named as attendees at the party, could remember or verify their attendance at the party. And that she thought that to be fair to Brett she would vote for him, since the allegations of sexual assault were not confirmed. BUT she did not talk about any of the other allegations noted above, nor did the 'limited' investigation attempt to get at the root of those, including whether Kavanaugh had lied under oath.

Mitch McConnell's Gloating & Telling the Big Ones?

Mitch McConnell told Fox News that he was proud he and his fellow Republicans had stood up to the mob. The mob he was talking about was comprised of the American people that he often times uses as cover to justify the work he does for the people he is really serving. McConnell's campaign, or indirectly the McConnell's personally, accept oodles of cash from the super rich corporate donors, the Chinese with which his father-in-law does business, and the Russian oligarchs who are newcomers to the Mitch McConnell selling out of America program. Russian Oligarch companies donated $2.5 million to McConnell campaigns, $7.5 million to Republicans in general including Senator Lindsay Graham, and allegedly $30 million to the NRA, which is believed to have used that money in support of the Trump Campaign.

Thus, contrary to Mitch McConnell's claims to the contrary, in reality he stood up AGAINST the American people IN FAVOR the rich and powerful, including the Chinese and Russian Oligarchs, because Kavanaugh reportedly rules in favor of the corporate establishment over 80% of the time - against the American consumer, against American's health aka the environment and against American small business.


Kavanaugh Epilogue: Onto the Midterms?

Collins' Speech, McConnell Cash & What will the Donald do if Republicans win the Senate?

Update October 7, 2018 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Continued.

 

How Ineffective the Leaders of the Democratic Party?

Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, whose speeches sound like an undertaker at a funeral, told America they should vote. Grandma Nancy Pelosi continues telling the press she doesn't plan to impeach Trump. Some pundits say that if ever there were a president that the Founding Fathers had in mind for impeachment - Trump would be it.

These two remind me of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in 1939. Chamberlain ceded the Czech Sudetenland in order to appease Hitler. Appeasing narcissistic leaders never works. It only emboldens them. These two Democratic leaders seem to speak without any conviction in what they are saying. There's never any passion. Contrast that with Lindsay Graham's Oscar winning performance on Thursday, September 27th, 2018 when he lashed out at Democrats, and spun the conversation completely around from Kavanaugh's alleged sexual assault, to portraying Kavanaugh as the victim.

Neither of these two leaders seem to get much press because they are simply uncharismatic speakers. The reason these two bi-coastal pols are in the top leadership positions is because they are accomplished fundraisers, and they live and work with those who have access to large sums of cash. I've come to think of Schumer and Pelosi as accountants, because oftentimes that's what they sound like. And the Democrats missed what was going on in the heartland in 2016, because nobody from the nation's heartland holds any of the top Democratic party leadership posts.

Both of the major parties are owned by big money. The American voter will only be listened to when they stop getting their information from the multi-million dollar ad campaigns and skewed [or in Fox News case, propagandistic] reporting that feeds voters' decision-making process. The American voters must free themselves from the corporate broadcast press by using the internet to inform themselves, in the same fashion as Trump used Twitter to bypass them. There are reliable information sources out there that are doing real journalism designed to inform about what's really going on in this country, not 'journalism' designed to get ratings. But you need to look for them.

If the Democrats want to win the Senate they need to change the conversation to how Trump has failed the American people on healthcare insurance, how he has stolen $ trillion(s) from America's children through his tax plan that makes the rich richer by borrowing on their backs, how Trump has weakened America by ramping up the national deficit through his tax cuts and runaway spending on a bloated military designed for a prior age, and how Trump has weakened America's position in the world by his reckless trade disputes with our economic and military allies, [Trump appears to essentially be rebranding the American trade agreements so he can claim them as his own]. All the while befriending dictators, hostile foreign powers and weakening the position of democracies around the world. Trump has also appointed more justices into the court system than any modern president, and this trend will continue if the Democrats don't win back the Senate. The Democrats could also make a plea to the American people to reinstate some decency into what is now the Washington cesspool swirling around the Donald.

 

Best Argument for a Democratic Senate

The last and perhaps most important argument for urging voters to support Democratic Senate candidates is that if the Republicans win the Senate in November, Trump will likely fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions, as well as Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller.

Trump is also reportedly preparing to shuffle around the top generals in the U.S. Military. And without a Democratic Senate, the checks and balances regarding Trump's personnel changes will only function in the most limited manner.

And then things could get really weird. Like they got weird in 1933 in Germany?

 

Fox News & Trump Republicans: Portrayed Alleged Sex Offender as a Victim

Murdoch's Fox News, Trump and the Republicans have shown they are not respectful of women, as we saw in the Kavanaugh hearings.

Trump, Murdoch's Fox News and the Republicans spun the discussion about Kavanaugh completely around. They took it from a serious look at the alleged character failings of a nominee to a lifetime position on the Supreme Court, and made the alleged sex offender look like he was the one being victimized.

But Trump, Murdoch's Fox News and the Republicans didn't provide support for those claims - as Kavanaugh didn't submit to a lie detector test while the three alleged sexual offense victims did, he didn't agree to an FBI investigation which the three sex offense victims did, and in the end the Trump FBI 'limited' investigation seemed designed to give the Republicans cover when attacked for managing an unfair process that didn't seek to unearth the truth about the character of a man who now holds a lifetime position on the Supreme Court.

As noted by Susan Collins' comments above, Kavanaugh may be innocent as the claims are unsubstantiated. But that said, there were certainly many, far better candidates who did not have what appear to be the possibility of so many character flaws, and Kavanaugh's almost certain lack of impartiality.

The Donald & Adolph: Historic Parallels of Mass Manipulation

I am reminded of an Adolph Hitler quote here,

"I shall give a propagandist reason for starting the war [or whatever - like limiting an investigation], no matter whether it is plausible or not. The victor will not be asked afterwards, whether he told the truth or not. When starting and waging war it is not right that matters but victory. Close your hearts to pity. Act brutally ... The strongest man is right."

Hitler was the first and most effective user of modern media as a propaganda machine designed to mass manipulate people's perceptions, so he could enlist their support to do whatever he wanted.

How Hitler came to power is an under examined process, and this lack of awareness regarding how Hitler undermined the German democracy through the use of lies, deceits and mass media manipulation, is why the Democrats and corporate media are failing us now.

For more detail on how Rupert Murdoch uses his media properties as a propaganda machine - see our report series on Fox Fake News. Click here to learn more about Trump corruption



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