Times Square Has Changed

4 Dec

Thirty years ago pimps, prostitutes, criminals and other seedy characters roamed the Times Square area in New York City. Now, following years of redevelopment of the area and patience, the metamorphosis is complete.

Included in The New York Times article are some amazing statistics. In just over 20 years, tourism has increased 74 percent, attendance of Broadway shows reached 12 million people last year, advertising space now retails at more than $4 million annually and corporate giants have relocated to Times Square.

Even more amazing is the interactive display that The Times created along with the article (that top image is from 1989!). Times Square is back!

Best Thing of the Year

3 Dec

Easily. Have you ever wondered what happened to such memorable celebrities as Ricki Lake, Huey Lewis (singer), The Rednex (“Cotton Eyed Joe”), Roger Moore (“James Bond”), Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton on “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”), Tonya Harding (Skater known for ordering the beating of Nancy Kerrigan), George Wendt (Norm Peterson on “Cheers”), Right Said Fred (“I’m Too Sexy”), Fabrice Morvan (1/2 of Milli Vanilli), Steve Guttenberg (movie star), Glenn Close (movie star) and MANY others? Well, apparently they’ve all come together to film a promo for an upcoming Norwegian talk show.  You really couldn’t get more random than this crew, if you tried. Oh… and it’s set to “Let it Be” by the Beatles. With a green screen of a tropical beach. You may ask, “why?” Great question.

Scenes From Rio

1 Dec

You won’t find these pictures in any advertising for the 2014 World Cup or 2016 Summer Olympics. However, Brazilian police officers have begun to clean out the slums of Rio De Janeiro, in an effort to reduce crime and the drug trade. The Boston Globe published a stunning gallery of images from that police offensive.

Long Articles Worth Reading

1 Dec

1) Inside Sarah Palin’s Inner Circle: This article, which first appeared in The New York Times Magazine, offers the latest glimpse into the mysterious world of the ex-governor of Alaska.

2) The Waiting: A look at the 20 hours spent waiting by survivors of the August crash that claimed the lives of ex-Senator Ted Stevens and four others in Alaska.

3) The Dark Lord of Coal Country: Rolling Stone profiles Don Blankenship, the head of one of the country’s biggest coal companies. The article is in-depth and thorough, but can only be found in the hard copy of the magazine or for subscribers online.

4) Precedent and Prologue: The New Yorker published an article by Jeffrey Toobin in honor of the ten-year anniversary of Bush v. Gore. Also worth reading: Toobin’s book on the 2000 recount.

 

Only in New York

1 Dec

Two pretty memorable stories came from the Big Apple this weekend alone.

1) Man Saves Fellow Passenger Who Fell Onto the Subway Tracks: Unassuming Carlos Flores was on his way to work over the work when he saw a fellow man fall onto the tracks because of a medical emergency. Flores jumped down below and helped haul the much larger man to safety. What a hero…well until you hear why he decided to save the man. Following the rescue, Flores took that same train to work.

“I was thinking, if he gets hit I can’t go to work. It’s Sunday. I can’t miss out. It’s a time-and-a-half day. Christmas is around the corner. You need these time-and-a-half days”

2. Beauty Queen Wants One Last Moment in the Sun: Well, she was only going to be Miss New York for a couple more days. Davina Reeves decided to make the most of them. At the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the beauty queen decided to jump into Miss USA Rima Fakih’s float uninvited. Wearing her sash and crown, she rode in the parade for several blocks before security ordered her off.

“It’s the biggest parade in the world, and my sister and I were like, ‘Hey, this is my last weekend as Miss New York — let’s go out with a bang.’ At first, it was just fantastic, but then there was this woman who said, ‘Miss New York, I need you to leave. I don’t care how you leave, just go.’ We had a blast. This title is about growing, about being courageous and fearless. That’s what life’s about.”