Results tagged “unitedarabemirates”

The NYPD will have police officers stationed in Abu Dhabi to, per WNBC, "help in crime fighting as well as share intelligence in the war on terror. " Calling the United Arab Emirates the "crossroads of the Middle East," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said information will be exchanged between the NYPD and Abu Dhabi officials and that the NYPD will help train their personnel. Having NYPD officials overseas is nothing new, as they are in Montreal, Toronto, London, Madrid, Paris, Tel Aviv and other cities. A few years ago, the New Yorker had a great feature on the NYPD's anti-terror work.

The art world is breathing a sigh of relief today as the announcement of The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation's director stepping down was announced. For many, Thomas Krens has been more of a dictator than director; with a focus on franchising a "McGuggenheim" business over exhibiting modern art or focusing on the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building itself.

The Guggenheim flagship -- one of New York's top tourist attractions -- was falling apart. (Its crumbling facade is currently undergoing renovation.) Krens wasted considerable time and money trying to get the city to accept a second Gehry Guggenheim in Manhattan when he failed in his attempt to attract either steady streams of visitors or compelling exhibitions to a SoHo branch. (The space is now a Prada store.)

While in charge, Krens did oversee many important exhibits, but for the most part he brought in blockbuster crowd-pleasers (tossing the museum's identity to the wayside). Consensus is that he simply overstayed his welcome (the Village Voice asked that he leave back in 2002). Last year when museum director Lisa Dennison left her position it became clear a suitable candidate wouldn't step in until Krens stepped down. The NY Times reports that "candidates who were informally approached were not shy about communicating that they would not work under Mr. Krens, who is known as a difficult personality."

Another reassuring tale of airport security. At JFK Airport yesterday, an airport security screener was able to board a plane - without a ticket. Apparently the man wanted to go the United Arab Emirates to see off his parents, so somehow he managed to board an Etihad Airways flights without a ticket or boarding pass. And, according to the AP, "when the plane's doors shut, [he] told a flight attendant what he had done." We...

This week NY Mag has a scathing analysis of Thomas Krens' tenure at the Guggenheim, calling the air around the museum during his 17-year reign "distorted and toxic." Writer Jerry Saltz says the museum is beginning to recover only now, two years after Lisa Dennison, who is now leaving to become executive vice president for Sotheby's North America, replaced him when he left to run the Guggenheim Foundation.

A look at some noteworthy television this week:

The storm brewing around allowing a United Arab Emirates-owned company manage ports in major US cities, including New York, Miami and Baltimore, is reaching a fever pitch, with President Bush saying he'll veto any attempts to block the deal. This after even his own party's leaders in the Senate and House are dubious (dare we say, dubai-ous?) about whether or not the deal would allow for national security. In a slick, Karl Rove move, Bush claims that politicians opposing him are biased and ignoring the fact that the UAE is now an ally in fighting the war against terror; the opponent do keep brining up the pesky fact that much of the money that funded September 11 terror came from UAE banks. The big question is, will the President veto a law drawn up in the interest of national security?

- Lawyers for Paramount and Columbia Pictures are suing a 63-year-old teacher's aide for allegedly downloading a copy of "The Longest Yard." Yes, the Adam Sandler movie.

Murtaza Vali, Graduate Student