Results tagged “animalnewyork”

Yow. Reaction to graffiti artist-vandal-user-whathaveyou Kiko's sentence (6 months and a $25,000 fine) for tagging various Queens locations was pretty straightforward - graffiti hating City Councilman Peter Vallone was upset Kiko didn't get more time with street art enthusiasts were sorry about it. ANIMAL New York wrote a post noting that Vallone's used graffiti as a "personal soapbox":

Although we do think KIKO should be punished in some form or another, specifically public service, we don’t think that any graffiti writer should ever have to serve jail time. In the long run this hurts the community more than any tag could. If anybody wants to do any peaceful renovations demonstrations, we suggest they travel to the belly of the beast. Here is Peter Vallone's home address, 21-46 19th St. as provided by his own district office and press hack, Andrew something or other. So stop by, check out the lovely views of the Triborough Bridge and the massive Con Ed power plant, plus exercise your 1st Amendment writes.

Well, that freaked out Vallone who let the press know. The Daily News reported that Vallone called the police, since his address is printed and probably because he doesn't get the strikethrough'd "renovations" part." The City Councilman said, "This is the latest in a long line of threats against me by these punks. This is a new level, because it's my home and I'm a dad." Well, Vallone's aide did give the home address out.

-- Speaking of colleges, according to the NYU paper, NYU has achieved "psuedo-ivy" status. Fresh, because we've been telling people we "pseudo-got-into" Harvard for years.

- When you go tagging, don't bring your camera - or don't keep pictures of your other illegal graffiti on it

A year ago, CBS 2 reporter Arthur Chi'en was fired for swearing on camera after an Opie & Anthony fan used an "obscene gesture" while Chi'en was reporting on Metrocards, and Chi'en, not realizing he was on air, yelled, "What the fuck's your problem, man?" And CBS 2, reeling from various FCC snafus, pulled the trigger and fired the Chi'en, leading to outrage, Save Arthur Chi'en petition and Chi'en Revolution shirts on Cafe Press. Chi'en, for his part, moved on to a new job with the Channel 11 News at Ten. But, yesterday, an arbitrator found that WCBS's acted wrongly by firing Chi'en. Arbitrator Richard Adelman felt that Chi'en should have been reprimanded, but not terminated for his actions. Here's an excerpt of the ruling:

...the evidence reveals that Mr. Chi'en did not intend for his words to be heard on-air, that this was a singular incident in which the word "fuck" was used outside any sexual context, that the Station did not receive a single complaint about the incident... Furthermore, the applicable Company policy, which, among other prohibitions, prohibited the word "fuck" on the air, does not require the termination of employees for a violation of the policy, and Howard Stern was not terminated for far more egregious on-air conduct. In short, the Company did not have cause to discharge Mr. Chi'en.

The NY Times reports that the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists had "urged him to challenge the firing," in order to avoid unfair firings like this. Here, here - while swearing is clearly not a part of the job, are idiot bystanders supposed to unduly harrass reporters? We are still amazed that WCBS fired Chi'en for standing up for himself.

Animal New York takes issue with Matthew Long, the firefighter hospitalized for almost six months after being injured during the transit strike and finally went home with much fanfare last week. Long was injured while biking to his stationhouse and a private bus (chartered by Bear Stearns for its employees) hit him; he is now suing the Transport Workers Union as well as Bear Stearns, and the van company. Animal New York says Long should be "discussing just how dangerous the streets of NYC are when it comes to cycling" instead, noting that Long admitted he doesn't usually bike in the city. Animal New York has photographs of the road where Long was hit - a stretch of East 52nd Street riddled with potholes. Hmm, maybe Long will have a case against the City of New York and the Department of Transportation as well?

- Strange murder at 14th Street and 10th Avenue - man was shot in his car, and a passenger drove all the way to Brooklyn for a hospital, even though there's St. Vincent's right on 7th Avenue and 12th Street, not to mention other Manhattan hospitals, on the way