When you think of New York City our subway system is probably one of the first things that comes to mind. If you've been here for a visits in the past 10 years or so you probably noticed that the subway is in a lot better shape, trains are frequent and they run all night. (Not even London has trains that run all night) There is more to NYC's public transportation network than the subway, we also have busses, and a huge commuter rail system. So, one needs to ask why is such a great service that is so important to the city economically is constantly struggling with funding? The answer? No one wants to pay In the end, that's what it all comes down to. So, now we're facing another fare hike, and the usual news cycle that follows fare hikes where every politician in the city pretends that the MTA has a "bloated" budget and that they could somehow magically do everything they do now (AND MORE!) without any extra funding. (It's magic!)
With gas prices on the rise more people are walking. Too bad they encounter bad intersection planning like this!
(See the man in the red shirt? He is going to risk his life! The sidewalk ends suddenly and you're dumped in to a painted median strip with nothing more than skimpy metal poles to protect you from the onslaught of cars on both sides!)
This is one of the worst places to cross the street in the Bronx. There is no "yield" sign... just a "merge" sign. To cross one must stand in the street between some metal poles that give you a faint amount of security-- then, when you don't see a lot of cars, DASH for the other side! It's a good idea to try waving you hands in the air to become more visible. This intersection needs a crosswalk and a "yield" sign. Drivers only yield to other cars, not to people. You could get killed here.
With gas at $4 or higher some people are starting to ask:
Why on earth did we buy a car like this?
Well, a lot of people once did. In fact, until late 2004, a lot of people went out of their way to buy precisely these monsters because -– if you can believe it -– the government actually offered a tax break for buying a car that weighed over 6,000 pounds if you were self-employed and needed it to transport heavy work machinery. Like farm equipment. Or a laptop.
Futility Vehicle, New York Times Blog, July 10, 2008
People are praying for lower gas prices. Huh? What about finding some other way to get around without driving? Also: God is not a pez dispenser, not in my faith at least, you can't just pray for stuff for yourself... right? Unless it's for health, or something like that. So is gas right up there with hoping ones children are safe and wanting grandma to survive cancer?
In part because Obama is black he can't really address certain issues with as much force or as openly because he would become the stereotypical "black candidate" These are issues that tend to impact black people more, because of poverty, but they are also issues for people of all races.
You see this happening for example with the mini flap about the Muslim women in traditional dress not being able to sit behind Obama. You also see it in the way he questions affirmative action more than other democrats. And although I agree with what he says, he's had to say it more often and make something a of a bigger deal about it, in part to win voters trust and convince them he's not too black. On MLK day he choose not to go to a historic site or really make a big deal about it, both Clinton and McCain did, I could go on and on with this list, but it's easy to see that, pragmatically, Obama has had to avoid being seen as too black.
Every single time I'd ride with my brother on a road trip we'd get stopped by the cops, especially when he got his new shiny car. I don't drive since, I'm concerned about the environment, but I can tell you first hand that "driving while black" is still something of a hazard. I mean, it's improving, but still.
The thing that gets to me most is not, being stopped with my brother, or the time I was told I was biking "too fast" on a street for cars in the park in Pittsburgh (huh?) --I mean, I really do want to cooperate and help make things run smoothly. No, what makes me angry is that cars, mostly very expensive cars, speed through my neighborhood all of the time and not a thing is done about it. I've even stood next to a cop watching a person run a red-light and I'll say, "did you see that! They just ran that light!" And the officer will look at me with these blank placid eyes and say "What about it?"
I'm getting more than a little sick of the way black folks get talked about like we're exotic foreigners in our own country-- like there are all of these strange secret customs we have or something-- oh, and anything one prominent black person does is suddenly a "black thing." You see, I don't know anything about "fist bumps" but, I could could tell it was just some cute little thing Obama and his wife do. Is it just me, or is the over analysis of "the bump" as something exotic and foreign something that we would never see for a similar moment between white people?
I was a high school math teacher for 4 years, now I'm working on my masters since I want to teach at university. These are my thoughts on how to fix schools. Frankly, I think "fixing" schools is a far less mystifying task than some people make it out to be. Many of the solutions we've tried have been based on gimmicks. Why do kids in poor neighborhoods get all of the gimmicky solutions? In thinking about this question I thought about my excellent public school education in a wealthy suburb and tried to apply the things that worked about my high school to the city school. How would you fix schools in your area? Or do you have great public schools?
I just bought a new refrigerator for my co-op here in the south Bronx. At first I thought "I've got to get that Energy Star, so I can use less power and help the environment!" But, I ended up getting a fridge without energy star and here is why:
Over the years refrigerators have gotten larger, a lot larger. I was hard pressed to find a small model at all. I knew that simply reducing the size of the unit could be a better way to cut energy costs. After visiting three vendors I still could not find a 10 cubic feet or smaller sized unit with the energy star. So, I compared the smallest "full sized" unit I could find with the larger units with "energy star" the result? It beat every singe one in the area of energy use.
Suburban living embodies the compartmentalized, modernist understanding of man and nature. When we consider a suburban dwelling, we often see it in isolation from its social, physical, and environmental surroundings. Each house is a world unto itself complete with the symbolic markers of "nature" and the creature comforts of "civilization." Suburban living minimizes random encounters with other people and with nature. All aspects of life occur in private whenever possible (including transportation.) Despite the superficial trappings of greenery, the suburban environment is sealed of from nature, both in its wild and urban incarnations.
If you care about mass transit and Amtrak here is something that you can do TODAY that will help Amtrak. Call, email, FAX or go see your representative to tell them to be a cosponsor for H.R. 6003!
Oh no. I'm so concerned! This gas tax "holiday" issue is going to make Barry O. look even more elitist! On one side we have Obama, Every Single Economist, Rich Liberals, Environmentalists, People Who Live in Cities, Civil Engineers, Major Newspapers and Pundits. On the other side we have Clinton, McCain, and Real Hardworking Americans(TM).
How dare these elitists say that Real Hardworking Americans don't want half a tank of free gas!
There is a lot of concern that the so-called "low-information voters" (and insulting euphemism for "stupid prols" if there ever was one) just won't get it. But come on people! The only "elitism" going around is the elitism that say that people are too dumb to understand why this is a bad idea.
I think people and will understand, but I think that if all of the experts and the politically obsessed start saying things like "most people won't understand this" or "the average American can't see..." or, god help me, "low-information voters...." it will work like s self fulfilling prophecy. Because when you break the issue down in that way you're just insulting people--
I'm sort of mad at Obama for giving them their litte "Now THAT is too black!" response, but the truly sad part is so many people are just slap-happy that he did this. People openly cheer him on to "throw Wright under the bus." it made me so SICK. Wright is not Obama's responsibility, and Wright has done NOTHING to deserve the hate he gets even from so-called librals.
Now, I don't agree with Wright in so many ways, but I guess becuse I'm black I ought to toss him out too-- people might think I'm too radical right--
This whole thing made me sick sick sick.
Wright should have no power to "ruin it for Obama" -- the fact that he could is just a sign of racism-- the kind of racism that:
Makes Wright seem like is SO SCARY, when, in fact, he's just sort of sweet and a little grumpy.
Makes people think that what wright says is what Obama says-- cus' we all think alike, right?
A woman in a modest car pulls up to the pump. She's about to get out and pump her gas when suddenly McCain and Clinton pop up in her car window! (McCain and Clinton could be played by actors with rubber masks.)
WOMAN: Ahh!
MCCAIN: Hi! Vote for me! I'll give you... um ... 18 cents!
CLINTON: Me too! Me too!
Annoyed, the woman pushes them aside and get out of her car to fill it up.
MCCAIN: Gas is so expensive. Vote for me! I'll give you cash, (quickly, under breath) but only for 3 months...
(McCain offers 3 dirty 10 dollar bills)
CLINTON: (fists full of one and five dollar bills, dancing) I'll do it too! Me too! Me too!
WOMAN: Hey...where did you guys get all that cash anyways?
MCCAIN: Oh. Easy! We took it from those guys!
(Pan over to out-of-work construction workers looking gum, and a half-paved road in bad repair. Steam juts from a hole in the ground, orange traffic cones are all over and a concrete divider slides into a muddy ditch.)
WOMAN: Ooooo. Not a good idea. My vote is not for sale! What's next free donuts?!
MCCAIN: Sure! (holding donuts) If you'll vote for me! (offers one to the camera, with a bite missing)
Text on screen: Gas tax "holiday" --we're not buying it!
I mean, we all love welfare right? We wouldn't bite the hand that feeds us... right? Black people will vote for the Democrat no matter what right? I mean... even if it's a woman who has insulted the black church and used racist dog whistles in her campaign...right? I mean, even if she's pitted poor blacks against poor whites in a culture war in parts of PA by hyping up the "bitter" comments... right?
Even if she ends up as the nominee, despite the fact that the numbers are in favor of a black man-- and if this happens because she convinces the supers that America isn't "ready" for a black president... we'll forgive her, right... we need those welfare checks! Blacks loooove democrats and we know where our bread gets buttered. Yesiree.
Yeah, black folks will still line up on election day and vote for democrats because democrats take such good care of us. It's all about the social welfare. Right?
Todays exit polls had great news for Obama. Obama is improving his standing with white voters, older voters and Jewish voters. It's important for any democratic nominee to work to appeal to all Americans, so when a candidate lags behind with one demographic group we naturally ask "what can they do to catch up?" Since Obama has not done as well with these groups in states like Ohio it's reasonable to have that conversation. And it looks like Obama has been working to fix this gap --and he's making progress.
It has become clear to most people that Obama will be the Democratic nominee. Ever since his chances went from merely "good" to "almost certain" attacks from both Clinton and the Republican party have become more desperate and disturbing. Most recently, by emphasizing his ties to the "Weathermen" and his radical-sounding pastor, the new thrust of the attack has taken on this form:
"Obama is a Marxist Communist and his supporters are out-of-touch elitist atheist un-American radicals."
