November 2010
17 posts
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Bloomberg waning?
Mayor Bloomberg’s struggle to get Cathie Black approved as the new schools chancellor is raising questions about the mayor’s political clout.
A Hunter College professor quoted in the NYT says Bloomberg had more influence when he got into office than he does today.
“[A] newly elected mayor who had just gotten mayoral control had a much broader mandate than he enjoys now,”...
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Cabby Fashion
“[S]ince 1996, the taxi commission has issued only 42 dress code violations.”
UPDATE: A cabby historian quoted in the NYT story says, “It would be nice to see cabdrivers expressing their opinions again.”
“I just tweet; that’s just the way I roll,” Palin... →
In other eras, distractibility wasn’t considered... →
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“I was diagnosed with a New York accent."
From the New York Times:
Those who seek professional help to conquer their accents make similar complaints, like, “ ‘People don’t understand what I’m saying,’ ” said Sam Chwat, who is considered the dean of speech therapists. “ ‘I’m stigmatized by the way I speak.’ ‘I’m tired of people imitating or ridiculing the way I speak, or saying I sound “cute.” ’ ‘My accent seems to imply negative...
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Friday morning email from my mom
Azi: We saw the Elliot Spitzer movie and your friends: Fred Dicker and Wayne Barrett were in it. We half expected to see you , too. Tomorrow’s Friday: have a pressed shirt in your book bag.Mom
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What sound would you require digital cameras to...
GOP Rep. Peter King of NY-3, is likely to be the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee when congress reconvenes in January. He’s addressed public safety issues big and small. Among the pieces of legislation he’s sponsored is a bill “To require mobile phones containing digital cameras to make a sound when a photograph is taken.”
The sound digital cameras often make...
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where food is really from
Next to the bottle of Poland Spring water (which is bottled in Maine), is a can of Mandarin Oranges, produced by Geisha. A colleague notes geishas are from Japan, and Mandarin usually conotes some connection to China.
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Tiny Furniture
Gets one heck of a cerebral movie review, and we get a chunky philosophy refresher:
One of the knots that Ms. [Lena] Dunham requires you to untie while you’re watching “Tiny Furniture” is the extent to which she is playing with ideas about fiction and the real, originals and copies. Is the character Aura actually Ms. Dunham (the unique woman who lived in that loft) or is the director playing...
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