Liberals vs. Conservatives: Here's one important difference between liberals and conservatives. Liberals don't give a damn who you marry. Conservatives think it is a crime against humanity if your conception of marriage isn't exactly the same as theirs.

"When the Supreme Court struck down a Texas law against sodomy a month ago, religious conservatives viewed the decision as a terrible defeat. But now, they increasingly think it has handed them a winning political issue: opposition to gay marriage."

"'Marriage is a place to fight the battle not just because of the polling data, but also because it's the right place to draw the line, because it's the most important thing to preserve,' said Diane Knippers, an Episcopalian who is president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a think tank in Washington. 'It's a pre-Christian institution written into the human psyche. And one of the reasons God made it that way is that it's the healthiest environment to rear children.'" (via Washington Post)

It's About Time: Looks like the NYT is going to get an ombudsman -- and not a minute too soon.

"Seeking to mend the damage to the credibility and staff morale of The New York Times following a reporter's extensive fabrications, the newspaper's new executive editor today accepted the major recommendations of an internal committee, including the appointment of a 'public editor' to serve as a representative for readers." (via NYT)

Talk about being on the hot seat. I just hope he/she will be given the independence they need to do their job.

According to The Times, Executive Editor Bill Keller said "...that the public editor, whom he intended to appoint by early fall, would be given a one-year contract and would report directly to him, with 'a guarantee' of access to the publisher."

Here's the full report from the newsroom committee and outside journalists who recommended the ombudsman, among other things.

If the Jayson Blair affair proves anything, it's that the NYT was virtually impenetrable to most of its readers. Word of Blair's fabrications never got to the people who could have put a stop to the charade since Blair's victims either didn't know where to go to voice their complaints or -- even worse -- didn't think raising concerns would make any difference. Maybe that will start to change.

Full Disclosure: I used to work at NYT Digital.

Sightseeing In Dublin: I'll make sure not to miss this sight when my wife and I visit Dublin in September.

"A pair of boxer shorts belonging to former U.S. President John F. Kennedy went on display in the window of a Dublin menswear shop Tuesday." (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Jack Kerouac Bobblehead Doll: "The Lowell Spinners (minor leage baseball team), in conjunction with the UMass Lowell English department, are declaring Thursday, Aug. 21, Jack Kerouac Night at LeLacheur Park. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Kerouac bobblehead doll." (Lowell Sun via Gothamist)

I'd like to commission the creation of another literary bobblehead doll -- Norman Mailer -- just so I can cut its head off.

Yikes -- I shouldn't blog before I've finished my morning tea.



Lowell Sun via Gothamist

Honor System: I was using the cash machine in the deserted lobby of a southern Vermont bank last weekend when I spotted a collection of books on a nearby cart. Atop the mobile library was a basket with a few bucks in it donated by people who had taken one of the books to read. Would you ever expect to see something like this in NYC? Not only would the money and books be gone but so would the cart.

Maybe I've just got to develop more faith in mankind. Afterall, there's a spot in Brooklyn called the Free Store that gives away donated items like clothing and computer equipment.

"Because the store is free, there is no salesperson or attendant. (Store founder Jessica) Baldwin said that out of respect and a sense of responsibility, the shoppers have become the shopkeepers." (NY1 via Kottke).

You Thought Your Day Sucked?: "A terrified bank manager - handcuffed to a briefcase that a sicko robber warned him contained a bomb - ran out of his Midtown branch yesterday, screaming, 'I've only got 30 seconds!' as he hit the ground waiting for cops to disarm it." (via NYP)

The "bomb" turned out to be a dud and the faux bomber was captured nearby.

NYC Grand Prix: Anyone who has ever been stuck in a car on the West Side Highway trying to get out of NYC on a Friday at 5 pm understands the pain that can cause. It can take as long as two hours to get to the Henry Hudson Parkway from Midtown.

My brother, however, may have found a way around the mess. He took my wife and I on a zig-zag tour of upper Manhattan recently and although trip is still a blur, I think I've been able to piece together the route.

Disclaimer: Please do not come looking for me if you get a lost. I can't guarantee this is full-proof. I plan to drive the route again in the next few weeks to make sure I've got it right. I'll let you know if I've made any mistakes. Double check the route at MapQuest. Shortcuts are welcome.

Directions:

-6th Avenue to Central Park's Center Drive
-Center Drive to CPW Drive
-CPW Drive to Cathedral Parkway/W 110th Street
-Left on Cathedral Parkway/W 110th Street to Amsterdam Avenue
-Right on Amsterdam Avenue to 181st Street
-Left on 181st Street to Cabrini Boulevard
-Right on Cabrini Boulevard to Margaret Corbin Drive (Cabrini turns into Margaret Corbin Drive)
-Margaret Corbin Drive through Fort Tryon Park
-If you have a few minutes, stop off and visit the Cloisters. The medieval gardens are tranquil and inviting.
-Road from within Fort Tryon Park leads to Henry Hudson Parkway
-Henry Hudson Parkway leads through the Bronx and out of the city heading North.

Good luck.

"Hope Springs Eternal": Bob Hope is gone but the quips will live on. Roger Ebert said tonight on TV that Hope practically invented the snarky Academy Awards show host. Hope delivered this line after walking out on the stage to open the Oscar telecast:

"Welcome to the Academy Awards or as it's know at my house -- Passover."

A Hair-Raising Tale: If you followed the travails of Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci Jr. -- the former Providence, R.I. mayor now in prison on a racketeering conspiracy charge -- you might want to get tickets for a new musical opening in August as part of the New York International Fringe Festival.

"Buddy" Cianci The Musical is described as; "A modern gangster musical in neo-swing style about the man who turned Providence from The Armpit of New England into The Renaissance City."

I just hope it's more convincing than Buddy's hairpiece. (via 601am)



4Panel Productions

"Two Buck Chuck": New Yorkers will have to wait a bit longer to sample the $1.99 California wine that's sweeping the nation. Charles Shaw wine, lovingly referred to as "Two Buck Chuck," is sold by Trader Joe's, a grocery store chain with plans to open a store in Hartsdale, NY.

The wine is even the subject of an Urban Legend. Call me a wine snob but how good could a bottle of wine be for $1.99?



© 2003 Trader Joe's Company, Inc.

"The Running Of The Brides": For generations women have been trampling over each other to get that dream wedding gown for a song at the Boston Filene's Basement annual wedding gown sale. The combatants line up before store hours and stampede the racks when the doors are opened .

Now, what is being called "The Running of the Brides," is coming to NYC's Filene's Basement Chelsea store on August 1. You can find out more information at the Filene's site. (via Philly.com)

As a public service to NYC's brides-to-be, Nuggets is suggesting you stop here first to purchase your kevlar vest.

Rough & Tumble Politics: "Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) tearfully apologized on the House floor yesterday for asking Capitol Police officers to evict Democrats from a committee room Friday, as Republicans worked to quell bad publicity stemming from the fracas." (via Washington Post)

If relations between Democrats and Republicans get much worse, we're liable to start seeing this kind of behavior in Washington:

"In Jordan in May, a parliamentary deputy bit off part of a colleague's ear after the two had exchanged punches." (via CNN)

Top Blogging Languages: Here's what one study says are the top blogging languages after English:

Portuguese
Polish
Farsi
French
Spanish
German
Italian
Dutch
Icelandic

(via Jupitermedia)

Career Disaster: "Frederick McDowell, 32, was in federal custody Tuesday, arrested on charges of robbing a Wells Fargo Bank branch July 15 -- using the back of his résumé to neatly print a robbery note." (via Austin American-Statesman)

Book Swapping By Neighborhood: Joshua Schachter's latest creation allows people to list their book collections and then find neighbors to swap volumes with. Once the database fills up, this could be a great service.

Ass Backwards: "In fact, dieting is a predictor of fatness. Among girls who diet their risk for obesity is 3.24 times greater than for nondieters. Dieting among adults is similarly associated with an increased risk of long-term weight gain, according to studies by Allison Daee, R.D., and colleagues at the University of Missouri." (via TCS)

Music To His Ears: "Prime Minister Tony Blair had just endured a tough grilling from Chinese university students over the case for the war in Iraq when the request from one young student came in -- sing a song by the Beatles." (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Blair's wife did the honors even though the Prime Minister was a singer in a rock band while in college. The group was appropriately named "Ugly Rumours."



Rockin Tony Blair
Picture Manipuplated
© 2001-2003 British Broadcasting Corporation

Retrievers Of The Rich And Famous: You'll never guess who owns Golden Retrievers. (via Popbitch)

Remember Us?: You shouldn't worry that all the attention Daniel and Nina Libeskind have been getting for the redesign of the WTC site is throwing a shadow over another self-aggrandizing culture couple.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude are here to tell us that work on their Central Park masterpiece is coming along just fine.

The Emerald City: I'm just back from some time off in and around Seattle. I promise not to bore you with vacation photos. Rather, here are some observations about "The Emerald City" (Despite my best efforts, I can't figure out why Seattle was dubbed "The Emerald City.").

*Strange Brew: It's not easy being a tea drinker in Seattle. By my count, there is one Starbucks for every 7,222 Seattle residents compared to one Starbucks for every 11,645 Manhattan residents.(1) That's not to mention all the other Seattle coffee chains like Seattle's Best and Torrefazione Italia as well as any number of mom and pop joints.

With all that caffeine coursing through their veins, you'd think Seattle residents would be as hyperactive as New Yorkers. Quite the contrary. They put the "slow" in slow talker.

(1) Based on 2000 Census data from NYC and Seattle

*Tit For Tat: Tattoos are a fine art in Seattle. Seems like almost everybody has one. You can even purchase "permanent cosmetics", whatever that is.

*A Foul Wind: If the havoc wreaked at the 1999 WTO meeting in Seattle was any indication, Seattle must be the epicenter of the U.S. anarchist movement (such as it is). I visited the intellectual hotbed of Seattle radicalism with a trip to Left Bank Books. One question for the trustafarians behind the counter: Does giving up on organized government require giving up on showering?

*Fresh Air: If you're into hiking, there's a wonderful trail just 45 minutes by car from downtown Seattle. When you reach the top of Granite Mountain you're treated to a spellbinding view of snowcapped Mt. Rainier.

*Good Eating: They do great things with salmon in Seattle. Two places my wife and I really enjoyed -- Matt's in the Market and Flying Fish.

Sleeping In Seattle: I'm taking some vacation time in and around Seattle so I won't be posting to Nuggets until the week of July 21st. I'm looking forward to doing some hiking, exploring the city and paying tribute to grunge and Jimi Hendrix.



© Frank Laubach via Komo TV


Feel free to do some browsing while you're here. I've included a few links to past posts in case you'd like to poke around.

-Language Update
-Countering Counterculture Couture
-World's Largest Weblog
-Smart Mobs Help Keep The Peace
-Drag Queen Makes Good
-In Your Dreams
-Air Guitar Star
-Cutting Edge Commerce
-A Horse Race For Dessert
-Take A Hike
-Found

Corvette At 50: Ever seen one of those confusing General Motors television commercials that feature a dead pitchman pushing cars? His name is/was Harley J. Earl.

Earl actually designed a bunch of GM cars from the mid 1900s -- including the Corvette, which celebrates 50 years on the road this year. (via About.com: Vintage Cars)

Many Manhattan residents (well at least this Manhattan resident) don't fixate as much about cars as people with driveways or auto insurance policies that don't require a second mortage. Yet I can't help but appreciate the look of this car.


From About.com: 1953 Corvette,
©Chevrolet

Kiddie Tatoos: If you thought junior's first haircut or trip to the doctor was traumatic, get a load of this. Tatoos for toddlers. (via Popbitch)

This is crazy.

Update: Amy Langfield reports that this site is just a hoax. Thanks Amy. I'll triple check info from Popbitch in the future. When I start accepting stuff like this as fact, I know it's time for a vacation.

High Times For High Line: "Gifford Miller, the City Council speaker, said yesterday that New York was committed to spending $15.75 million over the next four years to turn the High Line, an abandoned railroad viaduct that runs for 1.5 miles through the far West Side of Manhattan, into a park or public space." (via NYT)

Winners of a competition to redesign and redevelop the High Line are on display at Grand Central Terminal through July 26th.

Breadth Of Fresh Air: It may be counterintuitive but NYC trees grow faster then their out-of-town counterparts since there's less ozone pollution in NYC than in some rural areas of NYS.

I can see the PR campaign now -- Save a tree. Get smokers off the sidewalk and back into the bars where they belong.

"In today's issue of the journal Nature, Jillian W. Gregg, a research ecologist, and colleagues report that Eastern cottonwood cuttings grown over several seasons in New York City and in rural areas of the state showed a consistent pattern. Each September, when the researchers measured the trees, the city saplings were twice as big."

"The explanation, it turns out, has to do with ozone. It is known to harm plants and animals, and it can be worse in rural areas than in the city. In general, Dr. Gregg writes, rural areas in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have higher concentrations of ozone near the ground than cities do." (via NYT)

Hot Dog Origami: The art of marketing meat (aka -- having fun with your food). (via GMSV)



© 2003 Nippon Meat Packers, Inc.

The Case Against Car Alarms: Aaron Friedman, founder of Silent Majority makes a convincing case for banning car alarms.

As if I needed one.

Friedman points out that stifling the annoying alarms doesn't mean cars will go unprotected.

"How to get New York car owners to switch over to effective -- and quiet -- anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizers, tracking systems and silent pagers, which do not cost any more than noisy car alarms?"

"...two (City Council) bills under consideration would, in fact, help everyone here: local installers, who will be hired to change cars over to silent security devices; car owners, who will benefit from better security and bigger insurance discounts; and the millions of New Yorkers who wish, once in a while, to get some sleep." (via Gotham Gazette)

Ann Landers' Replacement: Amy Dickinson. (via Romenesko)

NYC Drag Queen Makes Good: With Martha Stewart's career on the ropes, it may be time to introduce a new domestic diva -- at least that's what E! Networks' Style cable channel seems to think.

This fall, E! is launching "The Brini Maxwell Show" staring NYC drag queen and cabaret performer Brini Maxwell (aka Ben Sander).

I remember watching Ms. Maxwell's cable access show a few years ago. I found it to be an empowering escape from my disheveled world.

The NYT described Ms. Maxwell as "Part Martha Stewart, Part RuPaul" and goes on to say on nytimes.com:

"Dressed in a meticulously coiffured blond wig, patent leather pumps and an array of vintage dresses, she gushes over obscure household tips, etiquette and recipes on her weekly television show."

I'm curious to see how Brini plays in the heartland. Who knows, Kmart may be looking for a spokesperson for their line of household goods in a year or so.

NYC Name Game: Yesterday's NYT Magazine article about baby names got me wondering whether kids in Manhattan get drastically different names depending on where they live. According to Urban Baby (New York), they do.

If you believe this list compiled by the Web site, there is clearly an Upper East and Upper West Side divide.

Upper East: Boys - Bailey, Blair, Brewster, Carson, Cooper, Dustin, Harry, Quentin, Sebastin, Shane, Simon, Troy and Walker

Upper West: Boys - Ash, Caleb, Darren, Drake, Fox, Gabriel, Gareth, Julian, Max, Miles, Oliver, Simeon and Zachary

Upper East: Girls - Alice, Amity, Bailey, Blair, Catherine, Elizabeth, Eve, Grace, Gwenyth, Kendall, Louisa, Nell and Victoria

Upper West: Girls - Althea, Cade, Faith, Hannah, Isabel, Lila, Lucy, Nora, Sadie, Scout, Sophia, Stella and Tess

My name (Howard) is far less urbane and ranked a measly 85th in names given boys nationwide during the 1950's. I've sort of gotten used to it though.

What was the number one name given boys during the 1950s? As if we didn't have enough cause for sibling rivalry in those days, it's my brother's name -- Michael.

Smart Mobs Help Keep The Peace: A group of former combatants from Northern Ireland have traded in their guns for cell phones which they're using to help quell the violence between Catholics and Protestants.

"Large and Gorman are two of the organizers of the Springfield Inter-Community Development Project's 'mobile phone network,' in which 24 activists, so-called phone holders, on both sides of the divide try to put out the fire of wild rumors before they ignite full-scale rioting. Their network -- and many months of planning sessions involving police, nationalists, and unionists -- succeeded last weekend in keeping the Orange Order's Whiterock parade peaceful.

'''It was powerful. It was by far the most successful day we have had on the Springfield Road,' said Roisin McGlone, director of the Springfield project, which is funded by the European Union through the Good Friday agreement." (via Boston Globe)

I keep thinking that there's even more we can learn and apply to the Middle East from the peace -- albeit a fragile peace -- that now exists in Northern Ireland, five years after the Good Friday agreement.

A Manly Meal: We were sitting in the main dinning room of "The Lobster Claw" (know to the Cape Cod cognoscenti simply as "The Claw") when my wife scanned the room and made an interesting observation -- especially if you're a food sociologist.

All the people eating lobster happened to be men. Women stuck with lobster rolls, fish or other entrees. But the men, myself included, tied plastic bibs around our necks and began crushing hard red shells with stainless steel nut crackers -- spewing salty juice on our pants and having a grand old time as we dipped rubbery chunks of lobster meat into vats of melted butter.

Maybe it was the thrill of the hunt for pieces of hidden lobster meat or maybe it was an outlet for our misplaced aggression. Regardless, it was good eating.

If you're not near the sea shore, check out what the NYT and Citysearch have picked as some of NYC's best seafood joints.



©2003 Cape Cod Travel

"Soft Walls" Could Protect Cities: If this technology winds up being feasible, it sure sounds better than letting airline pilots pack a pistol.

"Surrounding city centres and likely terrorist targets with "soft walls" will make it impossible for hijacked planes to get anywhere near them. So say the inventors of an avionics system that creates no-fly zones that pilots cannot breach." (New Scientist via Slashdot)

In Search Of Tourists: Countries will stop at nothing to attract tourists. Two examples:

Underwater Post Office - "The small Pacific island state of Vanuatu has opened what it says is the world's first underwater post office."

"'Marine life and water are very important to Vanuatu and tourism is pretty important so we just thought we'd see what we could do to boost tourism, do something different and have a bit of fun,'" Ian Hollins of Vanuatu Post told Reuters on Friday. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

The Smile Offensive - "Not satisfied with being dubbed the 'land of smiles,' Thailand's culture ministry is launching a campaign to encourage Thais to smile even more, the Bangkok Post reported on Thursday."

"'People who smile three times a day should make it six. This doesn't mean smiling has disappeared, but it would be better if people smiled more,'" a ministry spokeswoman said. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Canada In NYC: Missing the north country? Here's a little bit of Canada in NYC. (via MUG)

Odd Todd's TV Adventures Each day Odd Todd shares a new fact he's picked up while watching television.

Odd Todd watches the tube so you won't have to. (via GMSV)

Belgian Hilarity Belgians do have a sense of humor about themselves. Here's proof -- a selection of Belgian jokes from a Belgian site where frites seem to be an obsession. A sample:

"What sign do they put on the bottom of Belgian swimming pools? - 'No smoking'".

The site also has what may be the world's largest photo collection of Belgian Fritkots -- stalls from which frites are sold. (via Popbitch)

Chinese American Demographics: "Among the three largest Chinese American neighborhoods in New York City, residents of Flushing, especially the Bay Side area, have the highest income and most education. This contrasts with the largely low income and less educated Chinese American populations in Chinatown and Sunset Park."

"Regardless of their income, 40 percent of Chinese Americans buy their home, a rate surpassing that of average New Yorkers." (via Gotham Gazette)

Update (7/3/2003): The other side of the story.

"Nearly one in four Asian-American children (24 percent) live in poverty in New York City. This is higher than the average poverty rate for all children across the country (17 percent), as well as higher than the average for all Asian American children nationally (14 percent). Based on an analysis of new census data by the Asian American Federation of New York (AAFNY), this news may finally dash the misconception that all Asian American families are affluent and self-sufficient." (via Gotham Gazette)

Up Against It: This may be the toughest job a defense attorney has ever had.

"The Air Force officer named as chief defense counsel for terrorism suspects tried by U.S. military commissions says he disagrees with some rules set by the Pentagon, including the government's ability to monitor all conversations between defendants and their lawyers." (via Reuters)

Air Force Col. Will Gunn discusses the challenges he'll face in an interview on NPR.

The World's Largest Weblog: Full disclosure: I used to be SVP of Content for About.com and have been talking to my former colleagues over the last few months about this project.

About.com, a network of more than 400 sites and one of the largest producers of original content on the Web, just relaunched those sites as Weblogs. Here's an example.

This development is significant for a few reasons:

*It's probably the single largest addition of content to the blogosphere to date.

*All of these sites are advertiser supported so it should help give credence to blogs as a viable business model.

*The sites are using Moveable Type software which is a vote of confidence in Moveable Type's technology.

*Another large media company -- in this case Primedia which owns About.com -- has adopted blogs as a publishing and communications tool.

The About sites are run by independent contractors -- know as Guides -- who are experts in their fields or enthusiasts with a passion for the topic. Blogs are a natural format for these Web publishers, many of who have a strong editorial voice and personality that attracts a loyal online community of users.

I'm guessing that many bloggers will see this as a positive step in the evolution of weblogs. There will be some, undoubtedly, who will look upon it as another attempt by big media to co-opt the best form of individual expression on the Web. To them, I say (to quote Martha Stewart): "It’s a good thing."

Make Way For Ducklings: "Robert McCloskey, whose storytelling and drawing talents made him a cherished guest at bedtime stories for generations of families, died yesterday at his home in Deer Isle, Maine." (via Boston Globe)

McCloskey wrote "Make Way For Ducklings," which was my favorite book as a kid. A friend of mine works for his publisher so I was lucky enough to get a copy of the book with a little note from McCloskey to me and my wife.

There are some things that make an impression on you in those formative years. This book was one of them.



©1998-2003
Penguin Group
(USA) Inc.

Being Blind In NYC: "New York was named one of the top four cities to live in by the American Foundation for the Blind the other day, and, in honor of the official bestowal of an A.F.B. Livable Community Award, there was a re-creation of the very first time a guide dog led a blind man across a street, in New York City seventy-five years ago."

"Livability-wise, New York ranked just behind Charlotte, Berkeley, and Kalamazoo, but it beat out La Crosse, Wisconsin, which is more impressive than it sounds: even though most non-blind New Yorkers can’t imagine living anywhere else, they tend not to think of New York as being livable, exactly." (via The New Yorker)

Language Update: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) has a bunch of new words designed to better reflect our changing language. Here's a sampling.

One of my favorites: comb-over (1980, noun).

"An arrangement of hair on a balding man in which hair from the side of the head is combed over the bald spot."

See photo below. BTW, did you know that the comb-over is actually patented?



© 2003 Combovers.co.uk/Flackcaptain, Tex

Countering Counterculture Couture: What's a fashion forward yet modest woman to do when a godless horde controls the women's fashion industry from NYC? Fortunately, there is a place where ladies can find help looking good while acting proper.

Liberty University, founded by Jerry Falwell, is just such a place.

Here are some guidelines issued by the school:

"Hair and clothing styles related to counterculture (as determined by the Deans' Review Committee) are not acceptable. Dresses and skirts should be no shorter than the top of the knee (sitting or standing). Skirt slits should be modest; open slits should be no higher than the top of the knee, closed slits should be no higher than two inches from the top of the knee. Shoulder straps should be no less than two inches wide. Anything tight, scant, backless, see-through, low in the neckline or revealing the midriff (in any position) is immodest and unacceptable. Slips should be worn under thin material. Body piercing is not permitted. Earrings and plugs are permitted in ears only."

Don't forget to check out the photo gallery of approved and forbidden styles. (via Collision Detection).