Column

Column, Privacy

Under watchful eyes, by Roderick Thomas

Every day we share ourselves, our thoughts, our preferences knowingly and unknowingly across the web and elsewhere, leaving our digital footprints behind. But why should we care? The first decade of the 2000s saw the birth of several current-day digital marquees: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google. In 2006, I remember uploading pictures and posting status updates on Myspace, the most popular […]

Column, Covid

Things can get better, but they don’t have to

In the wake of manmade tragedies, natural disasters, and other local or global shocks to the system, people often begin, optimistically, to feel that, upon recovery, life surely cannot return to normal. We’ve seen and felt too much. The everyday, numb routine has fallen away, revealed its mutability, and given us space to rethink our choices and values. In these […]

Column

Trump is Right – repeal the filibuster tomorrow, by Michael Racioppo

(originally published August 1, 2017   2017 has felt like a collaboration between movie makers David Lynch, the Coen Brothers, and now, after McCain’s dramatic “no”— Frank Capra. Not too long after this vote the United States Antagonist-in-Chief, I mean President Trump, unleashed a series of tweets about the filibuster and how Senate rules should be changed to only require […]

Carlos Menchaca, Column

Commentary: Sunny’s, City Council and BQX, by George Fiala

Sunny’s raises $65,000 and is still looking for more According to their website, and a story that aired on WPIX-TV, Sunny’s much publicized campaign to raise $65,000 to help the bar purchase the building from Sunny’s family has succeeded. Tone Johannsen, who married to bar owner Sunny Balzano, has raised money from a number of events including an art auction. The […]

Bars, Column, Editorials, Estate Four, Transportation, Trucks

That crazy world of politics, by George Fiala

Red light district John McGettrick, co-president of the Red Hook Civic Association and longtime Red Hook leader, has been at the forefront of local traffic safety way before Vision Zero. When Fairway first opened, he led the fight for a stoplight on Van Brunt and Sullivan Street. That was achieved. Because of the imminent arrival of the new Red Hook […]

Column, Op Ed

MIKE DROP: New York State should take the lead in combating climate change, by Michael Racioppo

When I was first offered this column about a year ago, my intention was to focus on local politics as a member of the progressive Democratic Left, and to only occasionally, when appropriate, tie these issues in with national politics.  I, like most of those around me as well as the pundit class, believed that Hillary Clinton would be the […]

Column, Op Ed

MIC DROP: Organizing against monsters, by Mike Racioppo

After the 2008 election Paul Krugman wrote that it was “the end of the monster years.” Krugman’s reference was to the prior 14 years of GOP control of Congress starting in 1994.  During that time America’s political life had been largely dominated by, well, monsters. Monster in this case  defined as being abnormally cruel. Ugly and frightening creatures like Tom […]

Column

George’s column of potpourri, by George Fiala

Council Race Last month we reported on rumors that Felix Ortiz was considering a run against incumbent Carlos Menchaca for the 38th Council District in the upcoming September primary. That is likely not happening, but Menchaca does have at least two opponents. Delvis Valdes and Javier Nieves are both long time voices from Sunset Park and have begun running campaigns. […]