Archives › 2007 › December

NYC DEP manages to simultaneously cover up figuratively AND literally

Via the Bridge and Tunnel Club: Fact is, DEP seems to be hoarding its olfactory facts: From The Daily News of December 3rd, Matthew Lysiak reports in “DEP dumps pine deodorizer to cover smell from Brooklyn pipe project” that For more than a year, residents of one Brooklyn neighborhood have been complaining about a stomach-churning [...]

UrbanDecay.ca – terrible beauty

Urban Decay is a website – principally a gallery by an unnamed urban planner living in Toronto. He or she has been traveling North America for years observing – and taking beautiful photographs. We here reproduce sample just of a few of the New York City photographs, but plan to look again soon. Without meaning [...]

“Ideo Selects” at the Cooper-Hewitt

This bandage – in a shape designed to be useful in more than one configuration – was covered with language-free instructions for use. From the amazing (and amazingly wide-ranging) “Ideo Selects” exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt. [singlepic=219,320,240,,left] If you’re in or going to be visiting New York, the Cooper-Hewitt is at 2 East 91st Street – [...]

Brooklyn Man Is Killed in a Fast-Moving Fire – New York Times

Kareem Fahim and Nate Schweber report in today’s Times: A 56-year-old man who neighbors said had been a heavy smoker died in a fire at his apartment in Brooklyn that might have been started by a lighted cigarette, the authorities said.

Neighbors doing cool things: Joel Johnson

Joel Johnson, the gadget czar at BoingBoing parallel Gadgets site – we’d assumed he was ine Bay area.  But he lives up the hill – (in the lowest flood-risk zone – we’ll leave it at that), where he also has his own blog. His most recent post announces that his sister Rachel has  opened Lemons [...]

New York first state ever to oppose nuclear plant license renewal

New York appears to have become the first state to oppose renewal of a nuclear power plant license: Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo said on Monday that the state had asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to deny an application to extend the license of the Indian Point nuclear reactors, citing “a long and troubling history [...]

Trash cans missing from Church Avenue

We’ve noticed that there no longer seem to be any public trash cans on Church Avenue. Does anyone have any idea what’s become of them?

Scott Whittle – watch this space for more

We’re pleased to add our neighbor Scott Whittle to our blogroll – he’s an outstanding photographer in more than one context (the link here is only to his wedding photography -watch this space for more), and a serious birder. Caton Avenue  has it on good authority that Mr. Whittle will soon make an attempt to [...]

Peach Bottom nuclear power plant whistleblower fired

You’re asking – what’s he on about now? Where is this place? Answer: not far enough in case of an accident.  Peach Bottom is a nuclear power installation about 90 miles from Philadelphia, less than 100 miles from Washington, D.C., and less than 200 miles from New York City: [singlepic=12,320,240,,]“Parts of York County are within [...]

Rats attempt to climb social ladder; seek parity with squirrels, lobby City Hall

Thomas J. Lueck (copy) and Tyler Hicks (images) of my hometown paper have reported that in the most prominent, and well-kept, public park in New York City, rats play as though they were squirrels. Notwithstanding municipal efforts to persuade them to relocate. From November 10, 2007, “Where the Rats Come Out to Play”: The rat [...]

New York City homicide rate “lowest toll in decades” – Al Baker, The New York Times

Al Baker reports in November 23rd editions of the Times that the city’s homicide rate is the lowest in years: New York City is on track to have fewer than 500 homicides this year, by far the lowest number in a 12-month period since reliable Police Department statistics became available in 1963. But within the [...]


Bad Behavior has blocked 270 access attempts in the last 7 days.