Real Journalism written by people
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 […]
Watching the President speak about China and the tariff/trade war he initiated against China is exhausting. One day he says a deal is in the works and the stock market soars. The next day he tweets something offensive to Chinese sensibilities, adds a threat of new tariffs on more Chinese goods, and the market tanks. Scary headlines follow. A […]
(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 […]
Buffalo, New York and New York City (specifically 31st Street between 7th and 8th Avenue) are separated by more than 350 miles. Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, is about ten miles from 31st Street between 7th and 8th Avenue, and Buffalo is still over 350 miles away. Let’s take a quiz: if a sports team […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
It is cliché to say that there is more to learn from failure then there is from success, but there are truths in such familiar sayings. The latest flare up between the neighborhood and the developer, FORTIS, is over the timing and amount of construction noise that has begun as early as 5 am. There has been some successful community […]
City Council Race Carlos Menchaca pulled off a stunning upset in 2013 – a political novice beating a seasoned incumbent in the 38 Congressional District (Red Hook, Sunset Park). At the time, we thought he was just trying to cash in on the goodwill he made in the neighborhood during Hurricane Sandy. He was sent here by his boss Christine […]
With the incessant swirl of insanity expressed through “alternative facts,” it’s hard to maintain focus before the next horror of the Trump regime reveals itself. Wasn’t it just the other day we were asking if the President was being blackmailed by a Russian sex tape? Ah, simpler times they were. Even given the wide range of things people can focus […]
I’m a devout agnostic, and as we brace for the Trump era my inner atheist has been gaining confidence. However, I admit I’ve got a soft spot for Christmas. Maybe it’s the idea of Christmas, or having been fortunate enough to receive some great presents over the years (Nintendo64 comes to mind). Or, when it all boils down, it […]
