We started the morning with some Giuliani-9/11 news, so here's some end-of-the-day Giuliani-9/11 musings. There's an awesome update to one of our favorite Rudy Giuliani stories - the story, or mystery, of why was the Office of Emergency Management's emergency center placed at 7 World Trade Center. Here's how it goes: more ›

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). In David Carr's NY Times column, Grove does admit, "New York is not Washington, obviously. There are about 20 different major industries that are headquartered here, and I am still on a New York learning curve." And he says he will be doing something multimedia-ish. Now, we imagine the Daily News will get to really usher in the era of Ben Widdicombe, "New York's hottest young gossip columnist." more ›

The testimony for the NYCLU's lawsuit agains the NYPD for the subway bag searches has ended, and after reading the NY Times article, it seems that both sides pull out the stops for crazy quotes. NYPD did admit that the bag searches occur very rarely, but tried to scare Judge Richard M. Berman. Deputy Commissioner for counterterrorism Michael Sheehan said, "There is no doubt in my mind that the introduction of bag searches - even though it's random, even though it's not 100 percent - dramatically improves the security posture of this huge, sprawling subway system, which I believe is a top-tier target of Al Qaeda right now, even as we speak. " Gene Russianoff, whom we know and love for repping the Straphangers, used various subway rider polls as evidence, to show rider skepticism about the worthiness of bag checks. Judge Berman responded, "I have a high regard for democratic input, but do you think that's the way to design a counterterrorism program?" and that does bring up a good point: While the straphangers can point out flaws with subway surveillance, we're probably not that qualified. But this makes Gothamist wonder if possible roles for a Citzen Patrol Person (something we've seriously contemplated if only for a bright orange jacket) would be to work with the NYPD to design New Yorker-friendly martial law tactics. Closing arguments for the lawsuit are on December 2, and Judge Berman may issue a decision before the end of the year, possibly in time for the tourist influx known as New Year's. [Related: The NYCLU's updates on the trial] more ›

Jason Eaton, Children's Book Author more ›

Gawker has a report of the celebrity filled Downtown Seder that included a depressing Lou Reed. Lloyd Grove says that there was a Perry Farrell video of him performing "Dayenu," which someone needs to put online. more ›

Lloyd Grove gets political and examines Wesley Clark's recent subway journey. And it's official: The Democratic presidential hopeful is a Metrotard (TM The Morning News). After claiming he was riding the subway "Simply because it's the best way to get around the city," Clark tried to swipe his Metrocard at the turnstile, only to get "PLEASE SWIPE AGAIN." Then his aide tried a few times to work the Metrocard. Grove asked if the general had ever taken the subway before, and Clark replied, "I've taken it lots of times. My wife [Gertrude] is from Brooklyn. She's from Park Slope. Then, her family lived in Flatbush for a while. And so we used to ride the IRT all the time. But I haven't been on since they got the new ticket machines. I'm used to the old tokens." Okay, but still, if he gets elected, Gothamist wants a check on his motor skills. more ›

Paris: Um - I'm really not that desperate. more ›

Does someone have a photo of this: Mike Tyson was spotting riding a Segway Human Transporter in Miami Beach by an NBC producer, as reported by Lloyd Grove. A small crowd surrounded the bipolar boxer and when someone asked if he was Mike Tyson, he replied in his famously high voice, "Nah - people say I look like him, but I'm not." A Segway spokeswoman tells Grove, "Some people have questioned the safety of our product, but at least it doesn't bite back." The NBC producer apparently took pictures, so if anyone has seen them, let us know or, better yet, send them to us, because that'd be a nice middle-of-the-work day chuckle.
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Media watchers, mark your calendars: Katie Couric will interview Jayson Blair for a special (Dateline, probably) and Today show appearance next year, timed with the March 9 release of Blair's book about his, ahem, escapades/downward spiral at the Times, according to Lloyd Grove. Couric tells Grove, "Hopefully, it will be a full account. I'm especially interested in this because I came of age during the whole Janet Cooke controversy, and this seemed to have echoes of that." more ›

Media boo-boos: more ›

The Washington Post's Beltway gossip Lloyd Grove gets ready for his new gig at the Daily News by going heavy on the D.C. screening circuit today. First, he leads with a screening of The Passion, with director Mel Gibson present, for insiders to quell rumors. The invitees skewed to the conservative: Matt Drudge, Peggy Noonan, Cal Thomas and Kate O'Beirne; conservative essayist Michael Novak; President Bush's abortive nominee for labor secretary, Linda Chavez; staff director Mark Rodgers of the Senate Republican conference chaired by Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.); former Republican House member Mark Siljander of Michigan; and White House staffer David Kuo. Jack Valenti seemed to be the only liberal, but as he's the head of the annoying MPAA and kiss up to Mel, Gothamist is not surprised that he told audience members, "I don't see what the controversy is all about. This is a compelling piece of art. I just called Kirk Douglas and told him that this is the movie to beat." Gothamist dies a little as another spin machine starts. [Via nw] more ›

From both the "hee-hee" and "ew!" lobes of the brain, Gothamist brings you Lloyd Grove's piece about the mis-captioning on ABC News: more ›

God, what I would give to see one of these postcards from the C.I.A. to the homes near its Langley headquarters. They say: more ›