Back when America was actually worth a darn. Unlike now.
Circa 1903. “Flatiron Building, New York.” Looking south down Broadway at this seminal skyscraper, with Fifth Avenue to the right. Also a nice view of the Albemarle Hotel and, at bottom, the obelisk of the Worth Memorial, resting place of Mexican-American War hero Major General William Jenkins Worth (and, incidentally, one of only two monuments serving as mausoleums in Manhattan). 8×10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company
A sweeping set of changes to the New York City Police Department’s controversial “stop-and-frisk” program has been put on hold. In August, U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin found the program unconstitutional, saying police had relied on a “policy of indirect racial profiling” that led officers to routinely stop “blacks and Hispanics who would not have been stopped if they were white.” While she did not halt the use of stop-and-frisk, Scheindlin appointed a federal court monitor to oversee a series of reforms. The city appealed Scheindlin’s ruling, saying it made officers “passive and scared” to frisk suspects. On Thursday, it got what it was hoping for, and much more. An appeals court stayed the changes, effectively postponing the operations of the monitor, while allowing police officers to continue using stop-and-frisk tactics. In a striking move, the court also took the unusual step of removing Scheindlin from the case, saying she had “ran afoul” of the judiciary’s code of conduct and compromised the “appearance of impartiality surrounding this litigation” by granting media interviews while the case was pending before her. All of this comes as stop-and-frisk has been a major issue in New York City’s mayoral election, which takes place this Tuesday. “The next mayor should consider withdrawing the appeal,” says Sunita Patel, co-counsel on the “stop-and-frisk” federal class action lawsuit and a staff attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights. “Any fair minded and neutral judge to look at the record … will come up with the same conclusion. There was a nine-week trial, there is 23,000 pages of evidence herel; 8,000 pages of trial transcript. No one could come to a different conclusion than Judge Scheindlin.”
Stop and frisk is nothing more than a police shakedown without probable cause. It is unconstitutional on it’s face.
NEW YORK (AP) — The fight for fuel after Superstorm Sandy is starting to get nasty.
New York City authorities say a motorist was arrested after he tried to cut in line at a gas station in Queens early Thursday and pointed a pistol at another motorist who complained.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown says 35-year-old Sean Bailey, of Queens, was arrested on charges of menacing and criminal possession of a weapon. It wasn’t clear whether he had a lawyer.
Damage from the storm has forced many gas stations to close and has disrupted fuel deliveries, causing long lines at the gas stations that remained open.
If convicted, Baily could face up to 15 years in prison.
I wonder if he had a gun permit or not? Either way, pointing a gun at someone, because they did not like it that you cut in front of them; is not considered standard operating procedure.
I’m all for guns; but for the legal use of them. Memo to everyone: That wasn’t legal.
The facade has fallen off the front of a four-story Manhattan building, leaving apartments visible from the street. There are no reported injuries. (Oct. 29)
A cop killed himself yesterday on his way home after finishing his shift in Queens — becoming the fourth NYPD officer to die by his own hand in less than a month, sources told The Post.
Matthew Schindler, 39, a 14-year veteran and married father of three kids, pulled his car over at about 4:30 p.m. on the eastbound side of the Long Island Expressway near Exit 40 in Jericho and shot himself under the chin, the sources said.
Minutes earlier, Schindler, a highway-safety officer, texted his sergeant to tell him he would not be seeing him anymore.
“He was one of the nicest people we ever met,” said a family friend, Ryan Proce, 38. “He’s just an all-around great guy.”
Fellow cops were called back to the 115th Precinct station house in Jackson Heights last night and told the tragic news.
Flags at the building were lowered to half-staff.
“Oh, God, not another one,” said Bill Genet, head of a volunteer group that counsels troubled cops.
It was the fourth suicide to hit the NYPD in 2012 and the second in eight days.
Awful. Just awful.…and I’m not being sarcastic either. This stuff happens when people lose all hope for living. Nothing is worth that man, nothing at all.
Prayers for the man’s family.
In the spirit of this posting; I have added the banner on the left side, under the first adsense ad. Because it is just the right thing to do.
I do not normally insert this blog into Local Politics, but this one was unavoidable.
I am probably the last person in the world; that would defend anyone from the Weekly Standard, because I just do not agree with their Wilsonian foreign policy. But this here is the epitome of lame:
Tonight, Dede Scozzafava, the Republican candidate for the November 3 special election in the 23rd congressional district, spoke to about 100 Republicans at the Lewis County GOP dinner at the Elks Lodge 1605. After a dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing,
Seriously, Who the hell would want to vote for an ugly woman like this anyhow?
Scozzafava fended off criticism that she wasn’t as conservative as third-party candidate Doug Hoffman and urged her supporters to vote for her in order to keep her Democratic opponent Bill Owens from serving as a rubber stamp for Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama’s agenda in Washington. It was a fairly typical evening–until the speech ended and someone with Scozzafava’s campaign called the police. On me.
Earlier today Lindsay Beyerstein reported that Scozzafava responded to an AFL-CIO questionnaire by saying she would support card-check legislation that eliminates the secret ballot requirement for organizing unions. As Beyerstein notes, this contradict statements made by a Scozzafava spokesman in September.
So after the dinner, I asked Assemblywoman Scozzafava if she supports card check. “Yes, yes I do,” she replied.
At that point someone from her campaign placed himself between Scozzafava and me and told me I should direct all my inquires to the campaign’s spokesman. I nonetheless asked Scozzafava if her signing of the Americans for Tax Reform pledge not to vote to raise taxes means she would oppose any health care bill that raises taxes. “What kind of taxes?” she replied. Then another couple of gentlemen interposed themselves between Scozzafava and me as Scozzafava headed for the door.
I spotted Scozzafava later as she was walking to the parking lot, and asked her: ” Assemblywoman, do you believe that the health-care bill should exclude coverage for abortion?” She didn’t reply. I asked her twice more. Silence.
After she got into her car, I went to my car and fired up my laptop to report the evening’s events.
Minutes later a police car drove into the parking lot with its lights flashing. Officer Grolman informed me that she was called because “there was a little bit of an uncomfortable situation” and then took down my name, date of birth, and address.
“Maybe we do things a little differently here, but you know, persistence in that area, you scared the candidate a little bit,” Officer Grolman told me.
“[Scozzafava] got startled, that’s all,” Officer Grolman added. “It’s not like you’re in any trouble.”
I am not a big fan of overly aggressive reporters either. But this is totally lame and shows that this woman knows that she is in trouble. She knows the truth; that she is nothing more than a liberal, who ran as a Republican; so she could get elected. I mean, I am all for personal protection; but calling the cops, because someone asked you some questions? Seriously?!?! I think Dede needs to either fess up, that she is really a liberal or she needs to drop out of this race. Because obviously, she is not ready for Prime-time.
Getting a little crazy up in the big apple….. 
Either way, pointing a gun at someone, because they did not like it that you cut in front of them; is not considered standard operating procedure. 
