Results tagged “allgothamist”

Could travelers out of LaGuardia Airport soon see some new airlines or increased service from smaller airlines? If the Bush Administration has its way, there may be some changes ahead for the airport in northern Queens. A law passed by Congress in 2000 attempted to change how landing (and departure) slots were allocated to airlines in airports around the country. Taking advantage of the rules passed in 2000, airlines added an additional 300 flights a day at LaGuardia, causing delays to double and delays across the nation. In an attempt to remedy the situation, the government placed some limits on flights into LGA and now wants to cap the flights into the airport and auction the landing rights to airlines.

Yesterday, MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow revealed the 2007 $10 billion MTA budget, confirming that there will be no fare hikes in 2007 and 2009. But some transit advocates think that Kalikow's strategy of implementing hikes every other year (one is expected in 2008) is just delaying the inevitable given the crippling deficits expected. Beverly Dolinsky of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA told the Post, "[Kalikow is] putting it in the lap of the next administration. I don't know how they can say there aren't going to be any fare increases." All Gothamist wants for the holidays is a cage match between Kalikow and Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer over the state of the MTA.

Car Alarms on summer nights from the Gothamist Contribute stream-- mails yours to photos (at) gothamist.

Politicians whose states and cities were cut out of Homeland Security funding found more fuel for their anger after the release of the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's report. The report criticized the DHS for having petting zoos, ice cream parlors, tackle shops, donut shops and flea markets on the list of terrorist targets. Senator Charles Schumer foamed at the mouth, "It's the most idiotic procedure. A sheriff in a small town in the Rockies shouldn't be deciding how homeland security funding is spent. It's just ridiculous ... they don't have the experience. Chertoff assured us that this money would be distributed in a smart way, and it was done in a dumb and probably political way." Politics at the Department of Homeland Security? No! The DHS says that the list is only one of the tools they use to determine funding, but come on, the fact that this list exists is not very encouraging.

If you've ever wanted to see Britney Spears naked, now's your chance (at least until a tape of her having sex comes out) and all in the name of art. One minor detail, it's a sculpture and she's birthing. On the plus side, it's life size. The artwork is coming to Williamsburg for a two week show at Capla Kestin Fine Art. The piece, titled "Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston," supposedly celebrates Spears' "decision of placing family before career" and "honors Britney for the rarity of her choice and bravery of her decision." Gallery organizers and pro-life activists claim that the sculpture is the first pro-life "monument to birth."

When you're 20 years old and on the hook for killing a woman while trying to rob her, it seems the only thing to do is to play crazy. Or that what a psychiatrist says Rudy Fleming, who at 19 shot Nicole duFresne on a Lower East Side corner last year during a botched robbery, is doing. Fleming had been claiming that he saw a "Marshmallow Man", a black-and-white cat, and a red-colored man, as well as hearing voices. Bellevue's Dr. Steven Ciric said, given the facts that Fleming has changed what the marshmallow man looks like, that he's gained eight pounds while in custody, and since he gives "grossly exaggerated" answers to questions, Fleming is faking it. Fleming's lawyer is claiming that his client suffers from borderline mental retardation. All Gothamist knows is that when this goes to trial, it's going to be brutal.

Johnny Damon arrived in New York for his physical but the real story was his haircut. And where? Well, at Salon Ishi, which New York magazine said had the best hair straightening treatment in 2004. All Gothamist can say is that Damon has a looker of a wife. It's amazing though not surprising that George Steinbrenner's money can do what the Queer Eye guys can't, as in metrosexualize baseball players. The next question is, where will Damon live? Manhattan, or Westchester or Long Island? Perhaps, even, New Jersey? Curbed, you may be a Red Sox fan, but get on this!

The NY Times has a detailed article about the dilemma of some of the city's Democrats who are Bloomberg Democrats (because, if you will remember, the Mayor was originally a Democrat before he switched parties so he could actually run and win - he's a Democrat in Republican's clothing some say): What do they do on September 13, Primary Day? Do they vote for a candidate to sandbag Fernando Ferrer into a run-off? Do they vote to someone they (gasp!) might actually like? Or do they stay at home? The city's Democratic party is definitely at the nadir, if it's pretty much a game of rock, paper, scissors to figure out what to do at the polls. What's funny in that funny-sad way is many Bloomberg Democrats may make Anthony Weiner a beneficiary of their eh-ness about their own partiy's candidates, probably because Weiner hasn't had as many head-to-head clashes with the mayor as the other candidates who are city fixtures.

First the D'Agostino shutters, set to become a CVS. Next, two independent Montague restaurants close their doors. Now, word has it, that another chain is coming to the Heights - not as nefarious sounding as a Quiznos or Chili's, but a chain/franchise operation nonetheless: Ben & Jerry's.

Michael Jackson was found not guilty on all counts brought against him. This means defense attorney Thomas Mesereau is 1-for-2 in getting seemingly guilty celebrities off (we were mistaken in thinking he was Robert Blake's attorney during the acquittal; Gothamist guesses Mesereau won't be getting that "Lawyer to Stars Who Can't Pay So Good" plaque) and/or that the California legal system sucks. All Gothamist has to say is that no other parent can consider themselves ignorant of the accusations against Michael Jackson. Something freaky deeky is going on at Neverland Ranch, and why anyone would want their child involved in it, we don't know.

The Coney Island Development Corp. is the city organization charged with the new plan. Here's a UCLA site about the old Coney Island. And our recent post on some current Coney tenants being quietly edged out.

All Gothamist has to say about the Jets suing Cablevision for being a monopoly is that it took them long enough. With all the blah public relations blah MTA auction blah battle, we figured it would just be a matter of time until they decided to direct their money into various law firms. Now, while Gothamist waits for these two billionaire backed organizations to waste some money in money-siphoning ventures like, says, weblogs, we would like a special edition of Monopoly to have special tracts of land that the MTA owns up for grabs, and the player figures be a football helmet, basketball hoop, and a gas company thingy, and then instead of building apartments and hotels, players will build stadiums and restaurants and raze neighborhoods.

There was a stabbing rampage near Herald Square last May.

South Park is back tonight with new episode called "Douche and Turd":

When PETA demonstrates against the use of a cow as South Park Elementary’s mascot, the student body is forced to choose a new one. As the election approaches, Kyle tries to convince everyone that his candidate, a giant douche, is better than Cartman’s nominee, a turd sandwich.

Hot! Partly cloudy, high of 87. Gothamist enjoyed yesterday's evening blast of rain as it dripped through the ceiling of the theater she was in onto her lap--a sort of breaking down of the fifth wall, if you will.

Some players that have taken practice rounds at Shinnecock are saying the wind will be the "X-factor", while the rough has played spotty at times. The last player to win the Open at Shinnecock, Corey Pavin, won by shooting an even par 280. Pavin believes scores on the course could "be decent" if the winds remain calm, but he also said that winds generally blow at 15-20 miles per hour from any direction.

A doctor claims that reading Harry Potter has made a few of his patients sick. George Washington University Medical Center's Dr. Howard Bennett wrote to the New England Journal of Medicine that three children, ages 8 to 10, had "a dull headache for two or three days." A commonality among the three? Reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for hours. Dr. Bennett wrote, "The obvious cure for this malady -- that is, taking a break from reading -- was rejected by two of the patients." So they took acetaminophen instead. And then the headaches disappeared when the kids finished the books. Dr. Bennett predicts many Harry Potter headaches in the future. All Gothamist wants to know is where was this dude when we had headaches from studying?