text:
Talk: The Bionicle Wiki
Welcome to the Main Page discussion.
Archive I
Archive III
BPedia Link Edit
Is it just me or is anybody else getting a broken server connection apology when they click on the Hyperlink that should lead to BPedia?
BobTheDoctor27 We saved the O-Zone Layer, now let's save Bionicle Reviews Wiki!!!!
Theres a problem in BPedias Mediawiki software and The Oracle (the webmaster) is trying to fix it. -Monasti(Talk)
Signed out Edit
Wel, this doesn't really have much to do with the front page, but I set myself on 'Keep me signed in on this computer' But if I leave my computer on, or leave it on standby then it signs me out.... Uhh, why?
FIREWORKS!!!!!! 01:15, July 7, 2011 (UTC)
That function doesn't work properly. - Mata Nui Talk 09:41, July 7, 2011 (UTC)
Um, yes it does. I use it. (: --TDG (Talk) 07:35, July 18, 2011 (UTC)
I use it as well. And I assure you that it does work. Toa Roden 14:46, July 18, 2011 (UTC)
It just me? Edit
Or did the main page suddenly change a little? Or am I losing it?Blahmarrow 23:23, September 27, 2011 (UTC)
!!IMPORTANT!! - site rename Edit
Herofactopedia has been renamed to HeroPedia. Please update the main page and all other links. Our url is the same. Please change all links. :) -- (Talk) 09:14, November 8, 2011 (UTC) I'll take care of it. Tell me if I missed any. - Mata Nui Talk 15:38, November 8, 2011 (UTC)
Hero factory (perhaps) ending--start bugging lego about Bionicle. Edit
Hey, any Bionicle fan to see this page; ther are rumours that hero factory is ending!!!!!!! Isn't this great? Hopfully Lego will come to their senses & bring back Bionicle! I mean, we all know ending Bionicle was the worst decision in the history of buisness--if not the worst in history in general!!!
How about we start pestering Lego (the more letters a day, the better) to bring back Bionicle, pointing out their bad sales, their dropped popularity, & Bionicle's undying legacy. Please support this view with comments, & have fun bugging Lego!
74.248.254.21 17:23, November 19, 2011 (UTC)Unanimous
Can u confirm this?Blahmarrow 19:46, November 19, 2011 (UTC)
Sure, it's moved out of "most popular" with Lego's home page, & I think V. 4.0 is just fizzling out, because of the lack of information about it.
74.248.253.200 19:53, November 19, 2011 (UTC)Unanimous
Sweet.Blahmarrow 22:25, November 19, 2011 (UTC)
DO IT!! They coulld make Tuyet, Miserix, Helyrex, Artahka, And SOOO many others!! This is a great idea!
That is the best idea of the century, in my opinion. For years I've been putting off admitting my severe Bionicle withdrawal, and now I find others think the same thing! There's so much potential in Bionicle yet to be realised, and Lego was horrendously stupid for scrapping it. They'd make a lot of profit from bringing Bioncle back, I'm sure, as my mates at school are annoyed about there being no proper toys anymore-which Bionicles are, beyond a doubt. Come on Lego, get your act together!Toa-of-Banjos (talk) 16:37, May 18, 2013 (UTC)
I go to the official site alot and the most popular section only has three different themes a weak, accept the first weak of Chima, there, there wasn't aaaaaaanything but Chima. One reason why I think that HF is ending is how little sets each wave. There were only 7 this time, and the pattern seems to get rid of two each time and probably won't have a special edition set next time. It will go down to 4, and then 2, and then it will just fizzle. It will have even more unanswered questions than BIONICLE because, they never answer ANY questions from this god d*(^&^med theme.| Just Simply, BZ. 19:24, May 18, 2013 (UTC)
Chat Edit
Why do we not have the chat feature?Blahmarrow 21:57, November 20, 2011 (UTC)
Because I tried adding it, and people didn't like it, so I removed it. If you really think that it would help, I'll consider adding it again. - Mata Nui Talk 22:04, November 23, 2011 (UTC)
I'm just thinking of a way to send private messages to each member, rather then the main talking style, to improve security during this matter. That way links and messages would be safe from others.Blahmarrow 22:25, November 23, 2011 (UTC)
OK, I have enabled the chat. - Mata Nui Talk 21:10, November 25, 2011 (UTC)
Thanks.User: Blahmarrow 00:16, November 26, 2011 (UTC)
Join wiki?.... Edit
Here's a question for admins; how can I join this wiki and others like it? I mean, I'm sick being "user", or "unanimous". After all, I added the bit about Hero Craptery - factory, - ending. And, if you want my other internet account, just go to, "Flipnote Hatena.com", type into the search box "Matoro", and then go to my account from the result.
It's simple, see the top right of the screen? There's two options on it. "Sign up" and "Log in" Click sign up, and you'll be given a screen that asks for your wanted user name, email, etc. hope it helps! Blahmarrow has just told you that 23:48, November 29, 2011 (UTC)
No problem. Blahmarrow has just told you that 20:27, December 1, 2011 (UTC)
It didn't work!?!
What happened? Were you able to click on the "Sign Up" link in the corner? If so, were you able to fill out the information? Did it give you an error message? -Daiku{Whine Here} {Look what I did!} 01:52, December 2, 2011 (UTC)
Well, after I started an account, it told me to sign in. When I did, it said either my password/username was wrong, then it said My account, Toa Oneek, didn't exist! and when I tried to re-sign up, it said "Oneek" was already in use!! Any ideas? Perhaps vandlism???
Did you sign in as Toa Oneek or Oneek? There definitely seems to be an account named Oneek that was just made here, but there is no account named Toa Oneek. If you tried to put Toa Oneek as your username, it would not log in. Otherwise, I would say just try again - you might have typed your password wrong. -Daiku{Whine Here} {Look what I did!} 16:02, December 2, 2011 (UTC)
$#@&*! It says my password is wrong, but refuses to e-mail me a new one! Now what???
Not much you can do apart from making another account, and making sure you have the right password. -Daiku{Whine Here} {Look what I did!} 18:46, December 3, 2011 (UTC)
Ok, I,ve joined under the username Haidron. Thx!
Awesome! Now that you're a user, don't forget to leave your signature at the end of your messages, using four tildes (~~~~, or by pressing the signature button at the top of the page. I'm glad you were finally able to get your account sorted out. -Daiku{Whine Here} {Look what I did!} 22:18, December 6, 2011 (UTC)
Got it!22:59, December 6, 2011 (UTC)Haidron
Congrats man! Welcome to TBW! Blahmarrow is on a one man charge towards his enemies. 23:31, December 6, 2011 (UTC)
Templates Edit
May I inquire as to why the Wiki Staff and QuickNav templates are squashed into the lower right-hand corner of the page? Toa Roden 18:38, December 7, 2011 (UTC)
Beats me - I guess that's where they just ended up. Where would you suggest we put them? -Daiku{Whine Here} {Look what I did!} 22:48, December 8, 2011 (UTC)
Where they used to be: at the bottom of the page, where all templates go. Toa Roden 18:53, December 12, 2011 (UTC)
How do I... Edit
How do I add to the "did you know" section? I have some quite interesting trivia facts, but I can't figure out how to add them.Haidron 18:16, December 11, 2011 (UTC)Haidron
Drop them here and an admin will take care of them. -Daiku{Whine Here} {Look what I did!} 18:18, December 11, 2011 (UTC)
Thanks!!-Haidron 17:42, December 12, 2011 (UTC)-Haidron
Is it even possible?.... Edit
Say, can we incorperate a Matoran text translator into the wiki?? Ya know, so we can type in matoran? After all, I can read and write it fluently, so I personally would realy enjoy such a feature.
Haidron 17:51, December 12, 2011 (UTC)
Manual of Style Edit
Aren't we supposed to have one of those? I can't find it anywhere. Unless the Tutorial page does the same job. Blahmarrow 20:43, January 9, 2012 (UTC)
There is one, located here.
95 Says: BOTH OF MY ARMS ARE GUNS!
That's what it's called. Okay got it, thanks. Blahmarrow 23:45, January 9, 2012 (UTC)
A Few Comments Edit
Yeah, a few comments. I'll be brief:
Would someone with admin access please change the external Wiki Metru link to an internal link leading here?
Also, why is the Did You Know...? section up at the top of the page, instead of at the bottom where it's supposed to be?
Toa Roden 22:52, February 17, 2012 (UTC)
Uudaatee thee neews seectiioon! Edit
Really guys? it's like a monkey has done it. It has question marks and is neglected.-- (Talk) 08:45, March 20, 2012 (UTC)
IMPORTANT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Edit
As of yesterday, the Great Being has been revealed on BZPOWER. I will allowed the certain Matoran's page to be edited. I am also sooooo excited about it too!!! Kazi22 (talk) 07:45, August 27, 2012 (UTC)
The skin is boring me to death. Can we do another skin since it isn't the barah magna story line, nor any. So, every month we should do a different skinBioniclezilla76 (talk) 00:11, March 14, 2013 (UTC)
I'll talk with MG and see what we can do to change the skin. Knowledge can be anything or something you know about. (talk) 02:12, March 14, 2013 (UTC)
Brickipedia Edit
As of Thursday, Brickipedia has moved off of wikia to http://en.brickimedia.org. It's still called Brickipedia, though, as Brickimedia's just the host site. Anyway, do you think you could change the link to reflect this? BrickfilmNut (talk) 14:56, April 27, 2013 (UTC)
LEGO is closing Bionicle.com: Don't let them! Edit
Save Our Site! Edit
I have been informed by a friend that the LEGO Group intends to close the Bionicle website- for good! Here's the e-mail they sent him:
Dear, Name Removed
Name Removed, I am sorry but are closing down the BIONICLE website completely. We have left the pages running without updates for the last several years. However, they are no longer supported by more recent Internet software. I know that this is disappointing news to hear.
Some of the updates on LEGO.com mean the BIONICLE® web sites and games on them aren't going to function properly in the future. Our company motto is "Only the best is good enough", so we closed the website instead of offering a poor online experience. The decision wasn't easy, so we did what the tales of the Toa had taught us: to succeed in any mission we need imagination, new ways of thinking and the willingness to take some risks.
I apologize for any disappointment and I will pass along your comments to our web team.
Thanks again for getting in touch. We're always pleased to receive feedback from LEGO fans! If you could take a moment to complete a four question survey by going to the link below, it will help us make sure we are providing the best customer service to you.
http://www.econsumeraffairs.com/lsi/ensurvey.html?F1=033444954A
Please let us know if you need anything else.
Happy building!
LEGO Consumer Services
Please, I have sent them an e-mail asking them to keep our beloved site, and I ask all real fans of Bionicle to do the same. Don't let them close our site! Edit
Captaiin Price (talk) 18:00, June 9, 2013 (UTC)Captaiin_Price, Bionicle fan
Removal of the Custom Slizer Wiki Edit
The Custom Slizer Wiki is no longer part of Wiki Metru. Kindly remove all mention of them being part of Wiki Metru. Thanks, -- (Talk) 07:12, June 19, 2013 (UTC)
On June 19th, 2013, LEGO officially closed down bionicle.lego.com. There is no longer a way to access it, it is shut for good. Edit
Captaiin Price (talk) 17:11, June 19, 2013 (UTC)Captaiin_Price
Thogurus (talk) 15:40, June 30, 2013 (UTC)Even if it is shut down.That doesnt mean that it is shut down for good,hopefully one day they wiil bring our beloved lego theme back in buisiness,but just because they stopped selling bionicles and removed the website,doesnt mean that Bionicle is over,as long as we still care about bionicle and people still hold on to it Bionicle will live.Because on the end of Bionicle it marked a new begining for us to begin our own stories of legends!Bionicle will live on as long as we all care about Bionicle and still hold on to the old ones! Long live Bionicle!Thogurus (talk) 15:40, June 30, 2013 (UTC)
BIONICLE RETURNS 2015!!! Edit
Hi I'm MAZEKA (talk) 10:17, September 14, 2014 (UTC) I'm sure you'll all want to know this very important fact. Next year, 2015, is the return of BIONICLE!!! sadly they are made with the hero factory parts but still look pretty cool. Not only that but it is a reboot and the storyline is almost identical to the start of the original one. Makuta gets jealous of his brother, his brother falls into a deep slumber, the Toa go on a quest for masks, why can't it just be a continuation? Sets include Lord of Skull Spiders, Tahu, Gali, the Protector of ice and more. A color image of the display stand has been put up onto the internet so I don't see how this can be a fake. The top of the stand shows Tahu reaching for a mysterious mask while the Lord of Skull Spiders comes from the other. And in the top right corner is what could be the head of Makuta Teridax.
BREAKING NEWS- LEGO has finally released full color pictures of the sets! They feature Tahu, Gali, Lewa, Kopaka and Phohatu, but I don't see an Onua! There is also a Lord of Skull Spiders, which seems interesting! Each set comes with a golden version of the "guardian's" mask, and is guarded by a tiny simple spider, with a mask for its back-piece(kinda like the Fikou Spider). They are made with improved Hero Factory joints and armor, and some wicked looking weapons. Can't wait to hear more! - BenjiZane12
Yes that's exactly what Matoroavak2006 said (well thought of, just click on the link below). MAZEKA (talk) 15:57, October 11, 2014 (UTC)MAZEKA
Well, this user IS indeed correct, as we have more proof of Bionicle 2015. What is it you ask? http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=289265
Nuff said. Matoroavak2006 (talk) 19:37, September 17, 2014 (UTC)
And as if we haven't given enough evidence already, there is now a Bioncle page on the lego website at the bottom of the products page. MAZEKA (talk) 10:35, September 27, 2014 (UTC)MAZEKA
LEGO literally announced it a week ago. It's not even a matter of debate anymore. Shadowmaster (Contribs) 21:09, September 27, 2014 (UTC)
Well it looks like we've convinced you! MAZEKA (talk) 15:59, October 11, 2014 (UTC) MAZEKA
Bionicle storyline continuation Edit
Ok here's the deal. The Bionicle story line is over. The 2015 series is a reboot. So in my blog I have started writing my own continuation of the story. I currently have the first to chapters of "Rise of the Toa Spherus" and will make new chapters at least once a week. But I will not make any more stories unless I get some comments. Also I am making the new characters and putting pictures in so you could even send me pics of your made up models so I can use them as characters. I am hoping to become this wiki's Greg Farshtey but this will not work without support. If you want you could send in ideas for story plots or get in touch and we could write joint ideas (I'm only available at weekends). I can also tell you how to build each character if you're really keen.
MAZEKA (talk) 17:58, October 11, 2014 (UTC)MAZEKA
I don't like to be one to shamelessly advertise, but this is really something that belongs on the Custom BIONICLE Wiki. A fan-made continuation of the original BIONICLE continuity really has no place on a fully canon-based wiki. Shadowmaster (Contribs) 19:39, October 11, 2014 (UTC)
Seconding SM's suggestion here. CBW is a great wiki and your continuation of the story would fit well there. There's nothing wrong with posting fanfic in your blog (unless that's ALL you're doing rather than editing and helping out the wiki), but there's a whole wiki for Bionicle fan fiction, where your project is likely to get a lot more attention. ToaAuserv? 20:41, October 11, 2014 (UTC)
Ok thanks! MAZEKA (talk) 09:03, October 12, 2014 (UTC)MAZEKA
Skin Edit
Ok with the new wave we definitely need to change this place's skin. Bara Magna saga is no longer the most recent wave of bionicle so let's remove this brown and baise colorscheme with the arena on the title image should probably go.
The Master of both Kaiju and BIONICLEs will return the call! 20:47, October 12, 2014 (UTC)
Tahu 2015 review Edit
Ok, I've just watched a video made by somebody who has actually got there hands on the 2015 Tahu set and done a review on it. So, I'm assuming you all know what it looks like by now but do you know what it does? So first there's the head piece which is similar to the old Bionicle head piece, with a translucent piece held in by a red pin for the eyes. The Kanohi seem to have been designed to go on similarly to the original. Instead of having a pin holding them on, they clip onto the sides of the head, however this does mean they can fall of pretty easily. Also the eye-piece, like the ones first used with the Toa Metru, has a bit sticking out at the back. This is used as a kind of lever, when pushed down the mask flicks of, making it easier to remove them. Down to the torso, this made of two pieces, your standard Hero Factory torso and a new gear box. That's right, they've brought back swinging arms. Another thing, I for one was disappointed about them being built out of Hero Factory parts. The Bionilce pieces were more complex and looked better. But these new Bionicles are built with some new pieces as well, making them more complex, like a cross between the two products. Lego seem to have gone to a lot of trouble to make the new models like the original, with the masks, gears and they've included some of the old pieces such as Rahkshi staff tips. Also there's the Skull spiders. the bodies of which are Kanohi and can attach to the new head pieces, just like the Krana in the original series. Oh wait, this has just come to me, if the Skull spiders are Krana, that makes the Lord of Skull Spiders the Bahrag. MAZEKA (talk) 16:40, October 18, 2014 (UTC)MAZEKA
Retrieved from "https://bionicle.fandom.com/wiki/Talk:The_Bionicle_Wiki?oldid=177463"


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Everyday is a fight and some days I wanna die but my savior is mighty to save so he's in battle with me all day and all night.
My God is patient and faithful he saves me in every way you see, but he has mercy on me as I struggle not to sin again and again. But he saves me daily.


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Case Study • Retail
The Curious Case of Luckin Coffee and Its $570 Million IPO
sdblogs2011@gmail.com | | Published on: May-22-2019 04:42 AM
Many people start a typical workday with a cup of coffee. China is no different.
The coffee market in China is worth about 100 billion Yuan, whereas freshly brewed coffee grows 40% in sales annually.
Driven by the market's huge growth potential, The Coffee Giant Starbucks was expanding across the country after entering China in 1999. There were 2,800 Starbucks shops in China last year and its goal was to achieve 5,000 outlets by 2021, completely breaking down any domestic counterparts.
However, since the end of 2017, things started changing. In Beijing and Shanghai, people started seeing a new coffee brand, Luckin Coffee. Luckin Coffee targeted the young generation of white-collar people and Internet savvy millennials, offering cheaper coffee with the taste optimized for Chinese consumers.
Qian Zhiya, the founder, pointed out two weak spots of the coffee shop industry in China: High prices and Inconvenience.
Image Source – pandaily.com
In western countries, the price of a cup of coffee consists only 1/1,000 of people's monthly income. In contrast, it was almost 1/100 for people living in China. Also, the number of coffee shops in China was very limited. As opposed to Taiwan, where a population of 23.5 million enjoys over 5,000 CITY CAFE shops (a brand launched by 7-Eleven that offers affordable freshly brewed coffee), there were only 300 Starbucks stores in Beijing, a city populated with 29 million people.
To solve these two problems, firstly Luckin Coffee started providing a cheaper price than average Starbucks or Branded coffee. For example, a cup of latte costs 24 yuan (INR 240) at Luckin coffee store, whereas generally, it is 36 yuan.
Beside, Luckin Coffee got featured with delivery service and concentrated store network, covering as many commercial hubs as possible. Cooperating with SF Express for the delivery service, every store promised to compensate consumers if the delivery costs more than 30 minutes. Just like Domino's and many other QSRs operate in India.
The $570 Million IPO and its Impact on the Coffee Market
Since its inception 18 months back, Luckin Coffee has sold millions of cups of coffee to Chinese consumers. Now it wants to sell its business model to U.S. investors.
The Chinese coffee chain made its debut on the Nasdaq Friday and saw its shares open at $25 a share, up 47% from its IPO price of $17. It later got as high as $25.96 before settling at $20.38 for the day, a respectable gain of 20%.
The coffee chain, which has become very popular due to its more affordable drink menu, was valued at more than $4 billion after it went public. The company managed to raise more than $570 million during its IPO.
The 22-month-old company has achieved rapid growth through building out physical stores, launching widespread marketing campaigns and offering generous subsidies.
While being relatively unknown in the United States, Luckin Coffee has taken China by storm. The coffee chain, which was originally founded in October 2017, managed to creep up to its main competitor with the opening of more than 2,400 stores in 28 major Chinese cities.
While it is seen as a rival to Starbucks, the company has a different strategy in appealing to young consumers in China and bears major profitability issues beneath all of its exponential growth.
Here is what you need to know about Luckin.
Image Source – bloomberg.com
Luckin opens a new store every five hours
Starbucks, the Seattle-based coffee chain, announced its plan to expand in China in 2017 — to open 6,000 stores in China by 2023. Now it has over 3,700 locations.
But the speed of Luckin overshadows the giant's efforts to capture the Chinese market. Since October 2017, Luckin opened 2,370 locations within 18 months, that means it set up a new store every five hours.
There are also some key differences between a typical Starbucks store and a Luckin store. Starbucks aims to provide a "Third Place" experience in which people sit down and chat while sipping coffee. Luckin stores, however, usually act as pickup points and delivery hubs. These stores range from 20 to 60 square meters, which means it's much cheaper for Luckin to build new storefronts and the format is easy to copy in different locations.
Image Source – yahoo.com
Focus is on delivery and pickup
Pickup stores with limited seating account for over 90% for Luckin's total stores. These stores are in office buildings, commercial areas, and university campuses. Its network of stores highlights the other focus of Luckin — fast delivery.
Thanks to high population density and cheap labor cost, China's millennial shoppers, especially in major cities, live on delivery, from food to groceries, and of course, the afternoon coffee. Meanwhile, busy work schedules keep employees in the office, instead of hanging out in a coffee shop.
Luckin offers an app from which you can order and get coffee delivered to the office within an average of 17 minutes, according to the company.
Profitability is questionable, Just Like Zomato and Swiggy in India
Luckin has reported total revenue of $125.3 million for 2018 by serving 16.8 million customers. But that growth came at a cost— a net loss of $241.3 million for 2018. Users have been attracted to Luckin for its aggressive marketing campaign on WeChat, the prevalent social media in China, and promotions like "Buy 5 and Get 5" and 92%-off coupons. Luckin relies on third-party companies to ensure ultra-fast delivery.
This also poses the question of, if the discounts and Offers are gone, will the revenues stay? While Luckin says the cost of acquiring each new customer, including marketing and promotions, has fallen by nearly 85% since the start of 2018, its new customers also dropped to 4.3 million this year from 6.5 million in the final three months of 2018
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Netflix- The Story of The Storyteller
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Case Study • Media
Star Sports may lose about 15 crores after...
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7-Eleven to enter India thanks to Kishore...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Swift Color space different on iPhone 5 compared to iPhone 5s or 5se I click on an image to return a pixel colour. This works fine but I have found out that it doesn't work on iPhone 5. It works on iPhone 5s, 5SE and all other sizes. I do not understand why.
The following code give red and blue as nan on iPhone 5.
//  returns the color data of the pixel at the currently selected point

func getPixelColorAtPoint(_ point:CGPoint)-> UIColor{
 let pixel = UnsafeMutablePointer<CGFloat>.allocate(capacity: 4)
 let colorSpace = CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB()
 let bitmapInfo = CGBitmapInfo(rawValue: CGImageAlphaInfo.premultipliedLast.rawValue)
 if let context = CGContext(data: pixel, width: 1, height: 1, bitsPerComponent: 8, bytesPerRow: 4, space: colorSpace, bitmapInfo: bitmapInfo.rawValue){
   context.translateBy(x: -point.x, y: -point.y)
   torsoImage.layer.render(in: context)
 }
 let pColor:UIColor = UIColor(red: CGFloat(pixel[0])/255.0, green: CGFloat(pixel[1])/255.0, blue: CGFloat(pixel[2])/255.0, alpha: CGFloat(pixel[3])/255.0)

 pixel.deallocate(capacity: 4)
 print("Colour touch is \(pColor)")
 return pColor
}

//Colour touch is UIExtendedSRGBColorSpace nan 1.94443e+12 nan 1.48678e-42

A: CGContext(data: pixel, width: 1, height: 1, bitsPerComponent: 8, bytesPerRow: 4, ...)

creates a graphics context which is backed up by four bytes (one for each color component), therefore you have to pass an array of UInt8:
let pixel = UnsafeMutablePointer<UInt8>.allocate(capacity: 4)

What happens in your case is that only the first 4 bytes of the first CGFloat will be set, all remaining data is undefined (and might result in nan or some arbitrary value). Even if you don't get
nan, the values will be wrong.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
campaign / International / Nuclear Industry
South Texas Project Nuclear Power Plant: International Letter and Petition to Japanese Government Nuke Info Tokyo No. 141
by CNIC_english_admin · February 16, 2011
In The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) posted a notice on its web site on January 7 saying that it had officially commenced the environmental and social screening process for two new nuclear power plants at the South Texas Project Nuclear Power Station. If approved it will be the first time JBIC has financed a major nuclear construction project.
Responding to JBIC's announcement, on February 24 more than 170 organizations from the U.S., Japan and across the world sent a letter (see below) to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and key members of his Cabinet urging them to reject a multi-billion dollar loan for construction of the two nuclear reactors.
The following week, on March 11, a petition signed by some 6,000 people from around the world was delivered to the Japanese government. The petition noted, "Investing in dangerous, dirty and expensive nuclear reactor projects in another country — and leaving the citizens of that country to cope with the lethal radioactive waste and constant threat of nuclear meltdown — is certainly not an example of 'international cooperation'."
This warning was confirmed that very day. I was in the Diet Offices delivering the petition to Government Ministers and other Diet Members when the Tohoku Pacific Offshore Earthquake hit the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
When asked about the NGO letter at a press conference on February 25, government spokesperson Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said that nothing has been decided, that financial risks will be duly considered and that the NGO letter will be taken into account. Common sense would suggest that the nuclear earthquake disaster effectively ended the chances of JBIC funding nuclear exports. Toshiba might have other ideas, but certainly TEPCO is in no position to participate in the construction of new nuclear power plants at South Texas Project.
Mr Naoto Kan
Honorable Prime Minister,
We are writing to urge you to prevent a loan guarantee from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for the proposed atomic reactor project at the South Texas site in the U.S. state of Texas. Such a loan would entail extraordinary financial and social risk for the JBIC and the Japanese people.
All currently proposed reactor projects in the United States face a challenging economic environment caused by unfavorable market conditions; escalating projected construction costs; decreased electricity demand growth; low natural gas prices and increased competition from safe, clean renewable energy sources. With a deregulated, competitive power market and some of the lowest wholesale electricity prices in the country, Texas is a particularly risky U.S. state in which to invest in expensive new reactors.
The projected cost for the two South Texas reactors has increased from $5.6 billion in 2006 to as much as $18 billion today.1 Last year, the City of San Antonio reduced its investment in the project by 85 percent because of the rising cost estimates. San Antonio's municipal utility, CPS Energy, sued their partner NRG Energy (the loan guarantee applicant) for $32 billion, alleging fraud, illegal conduct, and conspiracy over cost estimates and citing NRG's deals with outside partners. NRG has been desperately pursuing other municipal utilities to commit to purchase electricity from the proposed reactors by promising fixed priced energy and other incentives that would further undermine the economic viability of the project.
New nuclear reactors in Texas would produce energy at far higher costs than the market price of power in the state. An independent assessment conducted for Texas' main grid operator ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) found that the cost of the South Texas reactors would exceed the revenue they would generate in the market by 33 to 52 percent.2
Texas has a host of lower-cost alternatives, especially wind and natural gas, that will continue to meet the need for electricity. Texas is the number one wind market in the United States with more than 10,000MW in service. Natural gas reserves are adequate for 100 years, thus assuring low-cost energy for a long time. A 2010 analysis done for ERCOT projects per kilowatt capital costs for solar power to already be cheaper than nuclear power in Texas-a cost advantage that is projected to grow wider under every possible scenario envisioned.3 Currently, the average wholesale cost for electricity in Texas is 3.7 cents per kilowatt-hour, while electricity from new reactors with capital costs in South Texas' range is estimated to cost between 12 cents to 20 cents per kilowatt-hour. Moreover, the large projected increases in electricity demand made just a few years ago – which served as the basis for many new reactor proposals – are now highly unlikely to be reached for another decade or more. This is partly due to the U.S. recession, of course, but also due to increasing energy efficiency throughout the U.S. economy.
Due to Japanese corporate involvement in the proposed South Texas reactor project, it might appear that it would make a good investment. The reality, however, is that the projects involving Japanese companies will suffer the same delays, design problems, financial difficulties and determined public opposition as other proposed nuclear projects.
Moreover, the history of U.S. nuclear reactor construction does not provide room for optimism. According to a 1986 study from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average cost overrun of the first 75 U.S. nuclear reactor projects was 207 percent – or more than triple the original estimated cost.4 The cost overruns of the last 50 reactors built in the U.S. were even higher, reaching as much as 800% over-budget. Such extraordinary cost overruns led to multi-billion-dollar bond defaults, utility bankruptcy, and significant financial losses by utilities. Nothing in the U.S. experience suggests that new reactor projects will be any more successful at containing costs than past projects.
Just as we have warned American taxpayers and elected officials about these very serious financial risks, we also urge you to very carefully consider these risks before deciding to invest in new reactors in the United States. We respectfully suggest that Japanese taxpayers would not want to lose money on a U.S. reactor project. Nor would U.S. taxpayers want to bail out JBIC when the predictable losses occur. Such outcomes would obviously be uncomfortable on both sides of the Pacific.
Mr Banri Kaieda
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
Mr Yoshihiko Noda
Mr Koichiro Gemba
Minister for National Policy
1. Nuclear Expansion could cost $18.2 billon, San Antonio Express-News, December 23, 2009
2. Potomac Economics, LTD., Independent Market Monitor for the ERCOT Wholesale Market, 2009 State of the Market Report for the ERCOT Wholesale Electricity Markets, July 2010, www.puc.state.tx.us/wmo/documents/annual_reports/2009annualreport.pdf.
3. ERCOT Scenario Development Working Group, Scenario Assumptions Spreadsheet, September 2010. www.ercot.com/calendar/2010/09/20100910-SDWG
4. An Analysis of Nuclear Power Plant Construction Costs, January 1, 1986, Energy Information Administration, Technical Report DOE/EIA-0485
Conference Report "Climate and Energy Forum: Towards Energy Efficiency & Safe Options" Nuke Info Tokyo No. 145
The 2010 No Nukes Asia Forum Joint Statement Nuke Info Tokyo No. 139
Petition Concerning Feasibility Study for Construction of Nuclear Power Plant in Viet Nam
Next story Japanese Finance for South Texas Project Nuclear Power Plant International Letter to Japanese Government
Previous story News Watch 140 January/February 2011 Nuke Info Tokyo No. 140


American film and TV actress, producer, and children's novelist who is almost completely deaf. For her performance in Children of a Lesser God, her film debut, she was awarded a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama and an Academy Award for Best Actress. She appeared in many television series and won two Emmy Awards. In 20, she published her first novel for children, Deaf Child Crossing, and in 20 co-authored a second, Nobody's Perfect.


Sri Lanka has one of the most diversified array of hotels, bungalows, guest houses and Bnbs to choose from. From mainstream hotels to boutique hotels to Bnbs- you name it.
I had a rollicking time staying at a variety of places, some you can only dream of, and some you can taunt me for.
Interestingly enough, almost all the places I stayed at turned out to be good places, sometimes even great. The reason you need to stay at these places is because they are tailor-made for the budget traveler [except two] with the right amount of comfort and customer service to make your stay a memorable one.
So without further ado, here is my list of places to stay in Sri Lanka.
If you're looking for a low cost dwelling in Colombo that is squeaky clean and in a good neighborhood, Geethani's house in Battarmulla is your best bet. At $25 for a non-AC room and $35 for an AC room, you can't get cheaper than that in the costly Colombo. You could, but then it would be a shady dwelling or something even worse. The rate includes breakfast of your choice. And may I add she's an excellent cook in addition to being a hostess par excellence. The walnut banana muffins she made were the best I've ever had, and I've had quite a few.
The room has an electric kettle equipped with coffee, tea and milk.
The room does not have Wifi connection or TV but both are available in the lounge which is accessible to you throughout the day.
Theva Residency is an awesome boutique hotel on the zenith of Kandy from where you get a spectacular view of the entire city and more.
But that view doesn't come cheap. Expect to pay somewhere in the range of $100 to $400 per night depending on the type of room you get and the time of the year.
But the price is not just for the view. Expect to be pampered by some awesome customer service led by their manager Robin. Not only that, the food is heavenly sumptuous as well.
You can read a review of Theva Residency here.
Manor House is not exactly in Kandy but about 10 km outside of Kandy. This place is in sharp contrast to Theva Residency in terms of ambience but a force to be reckoned with. It is a UNO preserved Heritage Site – a sprawling mansion dating from the colonial era. Its garden itself boasts of a number of unique species of birds.
If you are looking for something old and majestic which reeks of history, this is the place to be. But again all this history doesn't come cheap. Expect to pay the same rates as Theva – $100 to $400 per night depending on the type of room and the time of the year – for a chance to walk down the memory lane.
Olde Empire is yet another colonial era hotel located smack in the middle of the Kandy city. It's a very small and cozy hotel owned by an old and friendly couple that lives in Colombo and visits the hotel off and on.
Surprisingly, it's also one of the cheapest hotels – $25 to $40 depending on….. you know what. So expect to not being able to secure a room here because of the huge demand. Everyone wants to be within walking distance of the city centre.
The upkeep and the conditions of the rooms is understandably not up to the mark, as you would expect at such low rates. But definitely worth checking out if you want to be able to explore the city on foot. What's more the Temple of Tooth Relic is right beside this hotel. So expect to get woken up from your slumber at the crack of dawn by a booming voice as the Pooja session kicks off.
Guest houses like this one are a dime a dozen in Sigriya. I stayed at this one because my driver recommended it. And although I stayed here just overnight, it was a squeaky clean place with rooms scattered all over the woods. If you want to be around nature, you can't have it better than this – an isolated room in the middle of the woods.
It didn't have TV understandably, but amazingly it had WiFi! Can you imagine that? Wifi in the middle of the woods. What's more, my 3G connection was going strong as well. That's how advanced Sri Lanka really is.
It cost a mere $25 and that included an appetizing breakfast as well. The place has started recently so everything was spanking new.
The room was extra spacious, amazingly clean, and had a mosquito net over the bed although I couldn't find any mosquitoes. This was the non-AC room. The AC one costs $35 per night.
No.183, Thalkote Road, Ehelagala, Sigriya, Sri Lanka.
This Bnb sans breakfast costs about $20 per night and the biggest advantage it has is its location. Just like Olde Empire hotel, the centre of Nuwara Eliya is located hardly five minutes walk from the place. What's more, you have a lot of tea stall situated in the vicinity with something to eat so you don't have to worry about the lack of breakfast at the place.
Again the New Tour Inn a no-frills room without TV. Wifi is available on the upper floors so if you don't get a room on the upper deck, better make use of the lounge upstairs.
You don't need an AC here because its friggin cold all the year round. Thankfully the room had hot water available otherwise expect to go without a shower. You just can't take a bath with cold water. The place is that cold.
This was the second last place I stayed at, and I had the good fortune to find yet another great bargain, this time courtesy my new friend Jo Saunders. Mr. Naido is the owner of this guesthouse, and just like in Sigriya, the rooms are constructed, not exactly in the middle of the woods, but in a natural setting.
The rooms are big, mosquito netting, Wifi connection, no TV and no AC. And you don't need an AC in any case because Ella is located relatively high up where the weather is pleasant throughout the year.
The room costs about $30 and includes breakfast. Don't forget to ask Mr. Naidu for the rice dish I forgot the name of which. He's an awesome cook, and while I'm no fan of vegetarian stuff, this was one of the most sumptuous meal I had in Sri Lanka.
Now this is my least favorite hotel of all the ones mentioned above, and I wouldn't really recommend it. Bad customer service, poor Wifi connection, somewhat dirty rooms, no breakfast, are some of the highlights of this hotel.
But the fact remains that Shalimar hotel is cheap -$25 for a non-AC room, and located in downtown Colombo very near to the Colombo Railway station. You would be hard pressed to find a cheaper hotel than this downtown.
As such, if you've got nowhere else to go, this is your best bet.
Also a bonus for the Muslim travelers, the hotel is located in a Muslim dominated part of Colombo with a number of Halal restaurants in the vicinity. In fact there are two mosques as well within a walking distance from the hotel.
Ancient Lanka Hotel in Kandy is another hotel I didn't have a very good time at. In fact I moved out of the place after just one night. But it wasn't because the place was so awful, in fact it's a nice BnB with some really good breakfast with pancakes and all.
Trouble is, the place is located awfully far from the city centre. On top of that, it is located on top of a hill in a residential area, so even if you get your hands on a tuk tuk, he will charge you a fortune because climbing steep hills really strains the tiny engine of that vehicle, and it is a damn steep climb.
Otherwise Ancient Lanka is not bad at all. Fairly new with good maintenance of stuff, Wifi but no TV. And yes hot water. At a cost of Rs.3000 per night for the non-AC room.
The meals, however, are damn expensive and I don't know why. I had one night meal of rice and different curries at a whopping cost of Rs.750 and a simple bottle of Coke for Rs.160. If that wasn't enough, they put an additional charge of 10% service charge for a staggering total bill of Rs.1000. That made me run away from the place as soon as I could.
So how did it go for you? Did you stay at any of these places? What was your experience like? Or did you stay at some other places far more cheaper and comfortable than these?
Please do share your experience with me.
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Brooklyn Express Drumline In Cadman Plaza Park
Did you hear that drumming in Cadman Plaza Park in Downtown Brooklyn yesterday?
Members of the Brooklyn Express Drumline took advantage of the sunny weather to practice their routine in the park before competing in Sunday's "The Battle of the Drumlines" at St. Francis College.
Folks hanging out in the park applauded the free show of precisely-coordinated drumming.
Drumlines from across the country traveled to Brooklyn to compete in the event, which benefits the Brooklyn Steppers Marching Band.
at 7:00 AM Labels: Brooklyn, Cadman Plaza Park, microbrooklyn, music, schools
Mourning Tamon Robinson; Hooters Loves the Nets; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- More than 400 mourners packed an East New York funeral home to celebrate the life — and protest the mysterious death — of Tamon Robinson, the beloved Connecticut Muffin counterman who died after being run over by an NYPD squad car. The Local
- A for-profit education firm is soaking taxpayers by subleasing buildings to the Brooklyn public charter schools it runs at astronomical rates. NY Post
- NYPD is in training to beat the crap out of Occupy protesters on May Day. Gothamist
- Brooklyn holds the dubious honor of being the county in the U.S. where completing a foreclosure takes the longest. TRD
- Packs of adolescents are throwing emergency kill switches on MTA buses, bringing commutes to a halt and making riders nervous. Gothamist
- Brooklyn home returned to owners after Occupy squatters removed. NY Magazine
- Hooters "desperate" to move in near Barclays Arena. Gothamist
- New bill would make kindergarten mandatory. Brooklyn Eagle
- Brownstoner gives us the dope on the Brooklyn Fire Headquarters building in Downtown Brooklyn.
- A corporation will donate millions to revitalize several cherished Brooklyn landmarks — if enough history buffs vote for them. Brooklyn Paper
at 6:59 AM Labels: Atlantic Yards, Brooklyn, crime, Downtown Brooklyn, East New York, mass transit, money, real estate, restaurants, schools
Explosion, Fire at Con-Ed Plant in DUMBO, Brooklyn
About 5:19 p.m. an explosion rocked the Con Edison plant (at the John Street substation) in the Brooklyn neighborhood of DUMBO and thick black clouds of smoke filled the sky.
The Hazmat Battalion was called to Front and Bridge Streets along with a number of Fire Companies including Ladder 175, Engine 231, 58 and acting 229. UPDATE: There were as many as 40 units, says a commenter (see below) including some from Manhattan.
UPDATE: The Fire Dept. reported at 6:38 p.m. that the fire has been extinguished and the situation is under control.
In September 2011, a transformer fire erupted at the substation but was quickly extinguished.
Con Ed has plans to tear down the plant. Brooklyn Bridge Park leadership has discussed expanding into part or all of the site. More about that here.
Top two photos copyright MK Metz, bottom photo courtesy of Google Streetview
at 6:02 PM Labels: Brooklyn, Dumbo, microbrooklyn, unnatural disasters, Vinegar Hill
Grand WWII Wall at 370 Jay to Be Relocated; Kruger 'Broken;' and More Brooklyn Briefs
A grand wall at 370 Jay, by MK Metz
- The grand relief map highlighting WWII theaters of action, located on a wall at 370 Jay Street, the decrepit MTA headquarters that may become a Center for Urban Science and Progress, will be relocated -- but a decision has not been reached yet on where it will go, according to the NY Times.
- Local mini crime wave in Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens. South Brooklyn Post
- The City Council says DOE is breaking the law by not informing parents about the toxic PCBs in their kids' school. Brooklyn Eagle
- How can you get a (part-time) job at the Barclays Center stadium in Brooklyn? About.com
- Kruger's lawyer says he is "broken and unemployable" and "sadness overwhelms his life." He was sentenced to seven years anyway. Brooklyn Eagle
- Everything you probably need to know about CISPA, the cybersecurity bill the internet is freaking over. Gawker
at 7:05 AM Labels: arts, Atlantic Yards, Brooklyn, crime, Downtown Brooklyn, macrobrooklyn, mass transit, real estate, schools, tech
Botched Sidewalk Widths Could Mean Crowd-Control Nightmare for Barclays Center
Atlantic Yards Watch has published a report showing that the sidewalks in the vicinity of Atlantic Yards have significantly less capacity for pedestrians than the project's environmental analysis anticipates.
A critical measurement used in the formula to assess sidewalk capacity was regularly used incorrectly in the FEIS, according to AYW. As a result, the capacity of more than 86 percent of the sidewalks in the 2006 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) are overstated.
For example: The sidewalk on Dean Street that will be used by arena patrons to walk from the arena parking lot to the arena has an effective width of 3.2 feet instead of the 11.5 feet disclosed in the FEIS. This margin of error is typical, not the exception.
If these figures are correct, a crowd-control nightmare could be brewing: Sidewalks created to accommodate local residents and small scale retail businesses "will now have to handle the surging crowds of an 18,000-seat arena."
See ATW for full details, including a chart of sidewalk widths and a map showing the misrepresented sidewalks.
at 7:00 AM Labels: Atlantic Yards, Brooklyn, macrobrooklyn, Ratner Curse, traffic, unnatural disasters
Union: Halt 370 Jay St. Sale; New Nets Logo; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- Transit workers union asks MTA to halt sale of former MTA headquarters at 370 Jay Street. NY1
- This is probably the new Brooklyn Nets logo. Deadspin
- Asbestos protests continue at P.S. 29 in Cobble Hill. Brooklyn Eagle
- Brooklyn bodega clerk claims NYPD framed him -- and video backs him up. WPIX
- A $625 fine for using an antique cash register in a century-old barber shop. A $250 fine for a 14-cent mistake on the price of ChapStick at a pharmacy. Is Bloomberg harassing small business owners? Brooklyn Eagle
- 'Aggressive' TSA pat down of 7-year-old with cerebral palsy forces family to miss flight. Gawker
at 6:58 AM Labels: Brooklyn, business, crime, kids, mass transit, real estate, school politics, sports
Popular Brooklyn Restaurants With Weirdly Low Health Inspection Grades
Some restaurants have that "C" feel to them and some don't.
Listed below are a few Brooklyn restaurants that have managed to rack up a surprisingly large number of violation points on their Dept. of Health inspections.
Violation points are given for filth, food held at the wrong temperature, flies and mice, etc. Restaurants with 0 - 13 violation points receive a grade of A; those with 14 - 27 receive a B; and with 28 or more a C.
All of the restaurants below have received a C or an equivalent "Grade Pending," meaning they will be reinspected until they score below 28 or are closed by the Health Department. (There are many more C restaurants in Brooklyn, but their scores probably don't surprise anybody.)
The Dirty Not-Quite Dozen:
- Grimaldi's (1 Front Street): Grade Pending, 30 violation points.
- Jack the Horse Tavern (66 Hicks Street): Grade Pending, 29 violation points
- Ozu Japanese Restaurant ( 78 Clark Street): C, 44 violation points
- Andy's (128 Montague Street): C, 51 violation points
- Rice (81 Washington Street): C, 28 violation points
- St. Ann's Warehouse (38 Water Street): C, 38 violation points
- Habana Outpost (757 Fulton Street): C, 35 violation points
- Tenda Asian Fusian (1734 Sheepshead Bay Road): Grade Pending, 67 violation points!!
- Patricia's Restaurant (35 Broadway): Grade Pending, 42 violation points
Anybody want to add to this list?
Photo by Gravityx9, Creative Commons license
at 6:57 AM Labels: Brooklyn, food, microbrooklyn, restaurants
NY1's Pat Kiernan Buys Stately Manse in Williamsburg
NY1 anchor Pat Kiernan just paid paid more than $2 million for 135 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg -- the highest price ever paid for a single family home in Williamsburg, according to Brownstoner.
More details and photo at Brownstoner.
Photo by UserLiftarm at Wikipedia, Creative Commons license
Eyesore Heights Police Precinct Can Finally Move Forward
The planned residential conversion of the decrepit former police precinct building at 72 Poplar St. in Brooklyn Heights can finally move forward, with last week's approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
According to the Brooklyn Eagle, the application by the Daten Group is to construct rooftop additions, alter the rear facade, alter window openings at the side facades, and install doors and infill.
More at the Eagle.
Photo courtesy of Google Streetview
Business Week: Keith Haring Exhibition 'Bla'; Pesto Competition; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- Business Week doesn't really care for the Keith Haring exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. Business Week
- Scenes from an empty Brooklyn polling station on GOP primary day. NY Magazine
- Lost and Found: Investigative attorneys specialize in finding the missing. Brooklyn Eagle
- San Francisco's legendary LitQuake is bringing its booze-meets-Byron revelry to Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill. Carroll Gardens Patch
- Spring Fling Pesto Competition, a benefit for Chefs for the Marcellus, protecting food from fracking. This Sunday in Gowanus. Eventbrite
- Here's a picture of the perv that takes pictures up wpmen's skirts on the subway. Gothamist
- TSA forces terrified four-year old to undergo full body pat down for illegally hugging her grandma. Gawker
- Why you many lose the Internet in July. Seattle Times
Booze at Brooklyn's Barclays
Brownstoner is reporting that the appropriate Community Board 6 committee approved a liquor license for Barclays Center and then gave a thumbs-down to Kemistry Lounge, a nearby bar.
The "hot-button issue of the night" was Kemistry Lounge's second appearance before the board requesting approval for a license that would involve constructing a block long nightclub on Flatbush and Prospect Place. More...
SUNY Delays Vote On Fee Increase for Success Charter Schools
Success Academy Charter School network head Eva Moskowitz blamed "the unions" today when SUNY's Charter School Institute postponed a vote on allowing higher management fees at some of the chain's charter schools.
"We are disappointed that union opposition has once again made it difficult to do the right thing for children," she told the Brooklyn Eagle. More here.
Previous Posts On This Subject:
- Success Academy Builds Own 'Law Firm' as Cobble Hill Brooklyn Parents Sue
- Success Academy Gets Prime Brooklyn School Buildings; NYC Parents Becoming Increasingly Radicalized
- Explosive Cobble Hill Success Academy Hearing
- Quite a Brew-Ha-Ha at Cobble Hill Success Academy Charter School Meeting
- Too Bad Chumps: Red Hook, Gowanus Parents Won't Be Able to Attend DOE's Ed Panel Vote On Success Academy Charter School
- Rally Against Cobble Hill Charter School Saturday - 'Success Academy Cobble Hill'
Photo from contentious Cobble Hill Success Academy meeting by MK Metz
Hall & Oates Play GoogaMooga; Downtown Brooklyn's 'New Livability;' and More Brooklyn Briefs
- This Brooklyn school saves lives -- so now it must die. NY Times
- Hall & Oates, The Roots, Holy Ghost! Preservation Hall Jazz Band to play at Brooklyn's GoogaMooga Festival. Carroll Gardens Patch
- More than a dozen Brooklyn walks are planned for May 5 and 6, as part of a series commemorating urbanist Jane Jacobs -- including one called "Downtown Brooklyn's New Livability." Brooklyn Eagle
- New Jersey Gov. Christie to the Nets: "My message to them is, goodbye. "You don't want to stay, we don't want you." AP/Google
- Artist paints picture that says, "Steal This Art.' Gets mad when someone steals it. Brooklyn Paper
- You might want to reconsider drinking tea from China. The Diplomat
- Jack Black transforms two Kiwi kids into rock gods for a night. (video) Gawker
at 7:03 AM Labels: arts, Brooklyn, music, school politics, schools, sports
New Engineering, Science Campus Coming to 370 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn
The city has agreed to sponsor a new engineering and applied sciences campus -- the "NYU Center for Urban Science and Progress" (CUSP) -- at the deteriorating MTA building at 370 Jay St. in Downtown Brooklyn.
According to the Brooklyn Eagle, this would be a partnership between NYU and several other universities worldwide — City University of New York, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Toronto, University of Warwick and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay – as well as IBM and Cisco.
The school would accommodate approximately 530 graduate and doctoral students, as well as 50 full-time faculty and about 30 post-doctoral researchers. While the renovated building is not expected to be ready for use until 2017, classes are scheduled to begin next year at Metrotech.
BP Marty Markowitz said Downtown Brooklyn is transforming into a "24-7 city" — and a college town to boot.
See Brooklyn Eagle for more.
Photo NYU via The Real Deal
at 11:06 PM Labels: Brooklyn, Downtown Brooklyn, macrobrooklyn, mass transit, money, politics, schools
Father of Autistic Boy Plants Wire, Hears Teachers Bullying His Son
The father of a ten-year-old autistic boy in New Jersey attending a special needs school was told that his normally cheerful son had started having violent outbursts at school, including hitting his teacher.
After a series of emails, conversations and meetings with school staff the father remained mystified -- so he hid a wire on his son.
That night he was shaken to hear his son's teachers and teachers aides verbally abuse and humiliate the boy. From the moment he walked off the school bus they shouted at him in rough voices: "Put your hands down! You gotta walk with your eyes open!"
They mocked him for the little autistic noises he made: "Who are you talking to, nobody?" And when he wanted reassurance that he would see his dad again after a weekend with his non-custodial mom, his teacher cruelly said "No!" When he started to whimper, she followed with, "Shut your mouth!"
The staff also spoke in front of the class about totally inappropriate subjects: how drunk they were last night, how much they hated their husbands, how fat another woman was. They also colluded to cover up their behavior during a meeting the father requested about his son's difficulties.
Here's a webpage the father started about this disgusting behavior, and here's a link to a petition to the NJ legislature demanding that teachers who bully kids be fired.
This video was originally posted on Reddit.
at 11:00 PM Labels: crime, kids, schools, USA
'Prayer March' Over Brooklyn Bridge: Churches Want Right to Rent Space In Public Schools
Rally In Cadman Plaza Park, Brooklyn
Hundreds of church-goers from across New York City gathered in Cadman Plaza Park in Downtown Brooklyn in the pouring rain Sunday to rally for the right for religious groups to continue to rent space from public schools during off hours.
The purpose of the gathering was to put pressure on state legislators to vote for State Assembly bill A8800, which would allow churches to hold services in public schools. Other organizations are allowed to rent space in schools, and churches say they should not be discriminated against.
About 68 churches across the city face expulsion from the spaces they rent. Supporters say that the churches are an asset to their communities, especially in boroughs like the Bronx and Brooklyn.The rent they pay to public schools helps the schools with their budget problems as well.
Rev. Dimas Salaberrios of the Infinity New York Church said at the rally, "Churches need to be able to worship and rent space in schools just like any other organization. The Mayor is discriminating against the faith community and it's harmful to the city." Salaberrios said that poor neighborhoods with church activities in facilities rented from schools showed a decrease in crime.
"The Mayor wanted everybody out February 12; now we have till the end of the school year," he said.
Following the march over the bridge, participants marched to City Hall Park for a concert.
UPDATE: More at the Brooklyn Eagle.
- More on topic from a similar march in January.
- The church groups have set up a webpage at righttoworship.com
- Earlier article about the issue in the New York Times
Brooklyn Rabbi 'Outs' Romney; Noise Torture at Brooklyn Bridge; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- Brooklyn's Rabbi Yehuda Levin: 'Mitt Romney is a dangerous homosexualist.' Joe. My. God.
- Brooklyn's Chinatown has finally beaten out Manhattan's. Brooklyn Eagle
- The "insane night drilling" at the Brooklyn Bridge rehab project is a form of "noise torture" that prevents at least one local from sleeping. Gothamist
- Judge issues stay on Williamsburg charter school closing. NY Times
- DUMBO is really becoming a tech hotbed. Crain's New York
- The Nets are finally leaving the Garden State for Brooklyn. Fan reaction: "Whoop-de-damn-do." NY Times
- A diagram shows how the two-way bike lane on Plaza Street will work. Brooklyn Eagle
- How to buy a Facebook girlfriend for $5. Gizmodo
Flood Watch in Effect in Brooklyn, New York City
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for Brooklyn and the surrounding areas, warning of heavy rain Sunday night into Monday morning. Heavy rainfall bands of up to an inch of rain per hour remains possible tonight. The rain will taper off to showers by Monday afternoon.
CBS reports that the rain is part of a massive nor-Easter chugging its way up the Eastern coast -- a "huge storm that could impact at least one-third of the nation, from Florida to Maine, and potentially as far west as Michigan." The same storm battered Orlando, Fl., with "golf ball-sized hail" and heavy winds which knocked down trees and power.
According to MTA, "The MTA and its operating agencies are closely monitoring today's storm, and have additional staff on duty and on call to respond to any weather related incident that impacts service."
The storm forced the Mets to cancel their match against San Francisco Sunday, according to NY1.
Wind Map by Hint.fm
UPDATE: The above image is a windmap taken at 10 p.m. Sunday night as wind gusts were rattling windows and blowing stuff off balconies. The white lines show wind starting in the north and swirling south, then east.
Who IS This Guy Who Donated $40 Million To Brooklyn Bridge Park? UPDATED
Josh Rechnitz, from the Hub Blog
As it slowly sinks in that someone has donated $40 million to build a year-round indoor recreation facility near Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park -- the biggest gift ever donated to a park in New York City -- many folks are asking: who is philanthropist Joshua Rechnitz?
Here's what we know so far:
* According to the Brooklyn Eagle, Rechnitz is the founder and chairman of the nonprofit group New York City Fieldhouse Inc.
* According to A Walk In the Park, Rechnitz's family has had a long philanthropic history of giving in the city.
* According to the Cobble Hill Association, Rechnitz is a competitive amateur cyclist, track cycling enthusiast and philanthropist "who is committed to establishing a world-class sports, cycling and recreation center in New York City."
* Rechnitz declined to be interviewed by the New York Times*. His spokeswoman, Maureen Connelly, described Mr. Rechnitz, a 46-year-old resident of the Upper West Side, as a "very private person who keeps a low profile." Ms. Connelly told the Times that Rechnitz had researched sites for a field house for three years, looking in New York City and New Jersey.
* He is a partner of Hudson Urban Bicycles (HUB), a Manhattan bike store, and a longtime bicycle rider and racer, with a collection of bikes, according to the Wall Street Journal.
* According to a video posted by the HUB Blog, Rechnitz had dreamed of building a Velodrome for bike racing in Harlem back in 2009. That dream apparently fell through. Watch the video to hear Rechnitz describe his goals.
* Amazon posts his wish list. (Hint: He likes books about cycling.) UPDATE: He seems to have removed his wish list.)
* Here he explains how to ride a fixed-gear bike in a velodrome.
* IMBd lists his film credits. His work (he is an animator / director) has been in the Brooklyn Film festival.
Thanks for the donation, Joshua!
*UPDATE: The New York Times on Nov. 23, 2012 profiled Rechnitz here after speaking to his friends; Rechnitz himself declined to be interviewed.
Fireworks Tonight: Liberty Island, Brooklyn, New York City (April 20, 2012)
If you live in Brooklyn, New York or New Jersey, you can expect to hear the booms from a fireworks display tonight (April 20), launched at 10:30 p.m. from a barge near Liberty Island in New York Harbor. (NYC.gov). The display is sponsored by event-planning company AlliedPRA.
In Brooklyn, the rockets red glare will be visible from waterfront areas from DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill and south to parts of Red Hook. (The photo to the left shows an earlier Liberty Island fireworks display, taken from a tall building in Brooklyn Heights.)
at 7:00 AM Labels: Brooklyn, event, fireworks, microbrooklyn
Pope to Punish U.S. Nuns for Focusing On Poverty Instead of Abortion
According to the New York Times, the Pope has appointed an American bishop to "rein in" the largest group of Catholic nuns in the United States.
Members of the group, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious -- which represents 80 percent of nuns in the U.S. -- had challenged church teaching on homosexuality and the male-only priesthood. The sisters also dared to "disagree with or challenge the bishops, who are the church's authentic teachers of faith and morals."
The nuns were blamed for focusing "too much on poverty and economic injustice, while keeping silent on abortion and same-sex marriage."
The bishop appointed to rein in the nuns, Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartrain, stirred controversy in 2010 after his diocese knowingly ordained a priest who later pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a young boy over a five-year period.
In related news, a man testified yesterday that he was raped at a home owned by the current West Virginia bishop.
Also yesterday, a Boston College trustee resigned after criticism of his supervision of a priest convicted of child sexual abuse.
In California yesterday, a judge ruled that two victims can seek punitive damages in a clergy sex abuse and cover up case. Also in California, in L.A., a young man said he was coerced into appearing in a series of pornographic videos produced by his teacher at a Catholic high school while church officials tried to cover up.
Meanwhile in Kansas yesterday, a priest at the Sacred Heart Cathedral was arrested for sexual battery.
Priest assault charges continue to pour in on a daily basis around the world:
A priest in Australia (called a "violent bully") was sentenced to nine years yesterday for a series of sexual assaults on young girls. Also in Australia, the government announced it is going to hold a year-long inquiry into the Catholic Church and its handling of criminal abuse cases against children.
In the Netherlands yesterday, politicians called for an inquiry into Church-ordered castrations in the 50s and 60s and asked for research into allegations of abuse coverups, while in England survivors of widespread childhood abuse by the clergy have called for a full government inquiry.
Church Opposes Child-Protection Law
Last week, the California Catholic Conference (the lobbyist for the California bishops) opposed AB1628, a bill that contains a short extension of the child-sex-abuse statutes of limitations, and requires more rigorous background checks for employees and volunteers who work closely with children.
Photo: Blessed Mother and St. Elizabeth Visitation statue at Brooklyn Visitation Monastery
at 6:59 AM Labels: crime, religion, USA
Squadron Applauds Brooklyn Bridge Park Funding Approval
Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation board approved $66.5 million in funding from the City, which includes the (fully-restored) funding commitment secured in Senator Daniel Squadron's and Assemblymember Millman's agreement with the City last summer, and a $40 million donation for recreation in the park.
Today, Squadron issued the following statement:
Today, there were two pieces of great news for Brooklyn residents and the entire city regarding Brooklyn Bridge Park.
The BBPC board voted to approve $66.5 million in funding from the City. By including the funding in this year's budget, the City will officially restore its full $55 million commitment to the park -- which was a major win for the community under the agreement Assemblymember Millman and I reached with the City last summer to move the park forward. The funding means real progress on the path to complete Brooklyn Bridge Park and is great news for all of us who have been fighting to make a real world-class park a reality.
The community has also long fought to bring year-round active recreation with real community access to the park. The news that the park has been offered an incredibly generous $40 million donation to achieve this goal is a welcome step forward. We look forward to participating in a robust and open community conversation about how this donation can make such year-round, active, accessible recreation a reality in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
at 2:17 PM Labels: Brooklyn, Brooklyn Bridge Park, macrobrooklyn, money, politics
Brooklyn Ramen Event! Gowanus Cleanup Meeting; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- CB6 meeting tonight (Wednesday) about the EPA's Superfund Site investigation and sewer overflows into the Gowanus Canal. Carroll Gardens Patch
- Brooklyn state Sen. Eric Adams wants transit workers to be armed with Tasers. NY Daily News
- The city will open 54 new schools next September -- but wants to close another 23 this year, bringing the total closed this year to 49. Brooklyn Eagle
- Hot ramen pop-up Yuji and Japanese restaurant Chuko will team up for the Brooklyn Ramen Event. Eater
- The MTA has ordered 328 more buses equipped with three doors. Not as popular as you would think. NY Magazine
- Guys on trial in Brooklyn came disturbingly close to bombing innocent subway riders in Manhattan. Brooklyn Eagle
- History of a Brooklyn character and the church community that he founded here in Brownstone Brooklyn. Brownstoner
- The deadline for registering for this year's Dumbo / Vinegar Hill CSA is April 28. DumboNYC
- The same vandal(s) who defaced the Avenue Z Jewish Center in Brooklyn before may have struck again. Forward
- Every New Yorker has wondered how television characters can afford their spacious homes. And now Barbara Corcoran explains it all. TRD
at 7:00 AM Labels: Brooklyn, crime, Dumbo, food, Gowanus, mass transit, Midwood, politics, real estate, religion, restaurants, schools
iCrave Yogurt shop 'Opening Soon' In Downtown Brooklyn
The little Greek diner Z-7 Cafe at 115 Court Street between Schermerhorn and State (where Yogo Monster used to be) closed a while back, and now an iCrave yogurt shop says it will open soon with "Self Serve" frozen yogurt and dozens of toppings.
at 6:59 AM Labels: Brooklyn, Downtown Brooklyn, food, microbrooklyn, restaurants
Unconfirmed: Man Shot On Herkimer Street and Eastern Parkway
Unconfirmed report that a man was shot on Herkimer Street and Eastern Parkway (between Fulton and Atlantic), in Brooklyn.
A Level 1 Mobilization has just been called.
at 10:39 PM Labels: Brooklyn, crime, microbrooklyn, unnatural disasters
Body Removed from Hudson River Near Edgewater, NJ UPDATE: Maybe Two
Just heard on the scanner that a body has been removed from the Hudson River off the shore of Edgewater, NJ.
Police reported that there were no other victims UPDATE: there might be another victim in the water.
UPDATE2: 10:18 p.m. Edgewater police say a second victim is on the shore.
at 10:09 PM Labels: unnatural disasters, USA
Didn't Finish Your Taxes? Here's How To Get an Extension
Taxes are due today -- Tuesday, April 17.
But if you aren't ready to file, don't freak -- you can get an easy, automatic six-month extension, courtesy of the IRS. You just pay what you guestimate you owe, and avoid all late-filing and late-payment penalties. Then you get till October 15 to find all that missing paperwork and do it right.
Anyone and everyone can get an extension. Even Mitt Romney filed an extension!
One way to get the extra time is through the Free File link on IRS.gov. (Select "browse the list" from Step 2 and look for "free extensions.") This connects you to private company that will allow you to file an extension online. (There is an $57,000 income limit for free service.)
Or you can just print out Form 4868, fill it in (it takes 30 seconds tops to fill in) and mail it in today with at least $1 (check or money order). The form tells you where to mail it. Filing this form gives you until Oct. 15 to file an actual return.
By filing this tiny form, you will avoid the late-filing penalty, normally five percent per month based on the unpaid balance. In addition, any payment made with an extension request will reduce or eliminate interest and late-payment penalties.
Some taxpayers get more time to file without having to ask for it. These include:
* Taxpayers abroad. U.S. citizens and resident aliens who live and work abroad, as well as members of the military on duty outside the U.S., have until June 15 to file and pay. However, interest is still due on any tax payment made after April 17.
* Members of the military and others serving in Iraq, Afghanistan or other combat zone localities. Typically, taxpayers can wait until at least 180 days after they leave the combat zone to file returns and pay any taxes due.
* People affected by certain tornadoes, severe storms, floods and other recent natural disasters. Currently, parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia are covered by federal disaster declarations, and affected individuals and businesses in these areas have until May 31 to file and pay.
More at IRS.gov
Photo by John Morgan, Creative Commons license
at 7:02 AM Labels: economy, money, USA
Brooklyn Poet's B-Day Surprise; Stealing Food from Babies; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- From the mouths of babes: Couple admit to stealing $2.7 million in funds meant to feed toddlers at Red Apple day care centers. Brooklyn Eagle
- The real reason Ed Towns hung it up: golf. And the wife. The Local
- Brooklyn poet Tracy K. Smith wins Pulitzer on her birthday. NY Daily News
- GZA, one of the founders of the Wu-Tang Clan, will perform in this year's Northside Festival in Brooklyn, along with more than 350 other bands. NY Times
- Parents left son in institutions to die, then tried to take settlement money. Brooklyn Eagle
- Is artisanal Brooklyn a step forward for food or a sign of the apocalypse? NY Magazine (Naturally, DieHipster is having an obscenity-laden fit about this.)
- A veteran fire lieutenant died Monday after battling a blaze at a warehouse in Brooklyn. NY Times
- The Atlantic Yards project is already tarting up the neighborhood. NY Times
- Western wages have plummeted so low that a two-income family is now (on average) 15% poorer than a one-income family of 40 years ago. The Street
at 7:01 AM Labels: arts, Atlantic Yards, Brooklyn, crime, economy, food, kids, music, politics
Pier 6 Playground Design Criticized; Reaper Drones; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- Controversy about Brooklyn Bridge Park's design -- including the "isolated" sections of the Pier 6 playgrounds. WSJ
- Reaper drones hover around Brooklyn Courts; MTA bus driver wants one on his bus. Brooklyn Eagle
- Rep. Ed Towns will not seek 16th term. Politico via The Local
- Vacationing deaf boy mowed down by cab in Cobble Hill is brain dead. NY Daily News
- A 13-year-old Brooklyn boy killed after falling from his bicycle and being hit by a car. NY Times
- Two 'Parades of Ships' coming to Brooklyn. Brooklyn Eagle
- Nets players will probably end up living in Jersey City. NY Daily News
- Beware spicy tuna rolls. Gawker
- How to make ice cubes shaped like tiny baby heads. Gizmodo
at 7:01 AM Labels: Brooklyn, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Cobble Hill, food, politics, sports, unnatural disasters
Orthodox Holy Friday Procession, Court Street, Downtown Brooklyn
Believers at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral carried a flower-bedecked bier late Friday night along Court Street and down Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn Heights / Downtown Brooklyn.
The event was the Great and Holy Friday Procession, part of the Greek Orthodox Holy Week services.
While most Christian celebrated Easter last week, Eastern Orthodox churches follow the older, Julian calendar, and celebrated Easter yesterday.
Today is Easter Monday, also known as "Bright Monday," part of Bright Week, which lasts through Saturday. According to Wikipedia, the entire week is considered to be one continuous day.
at 7:00 AM Labels: Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, event, microbrooklyn, religion
Prospect Park Lurker; Teen Catatonic After Electric Shocks; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- Jarring video of Brooklyn teen receiving electric shocks at a Boston clinic stuns courtroom. NY Daily News
- CB2 board recommends approval of City Point II, Fowler Square designs. Brooklyn Eagle
- Brooklyn father and son called deadbeat slumlords, blamed for Philadelphia fire that killed two firefighters. Failed Messiah
- Police in Brooklyn are looking to speak with a man who's been lurking around Prospect Park, taking photos of young children. MSNBC
- This is what fishermen pull out of the water off Owl Head Pier, next to the sewage plant. WYDNKBYANM
- Brooklyn couple came up with "Hunger Games" logo. NY Daily News
- Williamsburg charter school founder charged with tax fraud. Brooklyn Eagle
at 7:02 AM Labels: animals, arts, Brooklyn, crime, Downtown Brooklyn, film, health, kids, Prospect Park, real estate, schools
Brooklyn Heights' Powertrusion Disappears, As Mysteriously As the Day It Came
Right there -- where the red cone is stuffed upside-down inside a hole in the sidewalk -- there used to be a Verizon Powertrusion. That's right, a Class 5, 25-foot model, installed right outside Plymouth Church's playground on Cranberry Street.
It showed up one day in 2010 out of the blue, straighter than one of them Saturn V rocket boosters.
The folks at Powertrusion 2000 International Inc. said it was made "from the same synthetic materials that make the military's Apache attack helicopters virtually bulletproof."
They said the dang thing would be there longer than the trees, the cars, and almost everybody alive today.
But now it's up and disappeared.
Brooklyn Heights' bulletproof, Class 5, 25-foot Verizon Powertrusion is just plumb gone, as mysterious as the day it arrived.
- We Got Us a Verizon Powertrusion Right Here in Brooklyn Heights
at 7:01 AM Labels: Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, microbrooklyn, tech, Weird Brooklyn
Jamaica Bay Pipeline; Nervous Wallabies; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- Residents faced off with officials at a Jamaica Bay Task Force meeting, saying the government is quietly pushing through major projects like an ecologically troubling natural gas pipeline. Sheepshead Bites
- Details of the Barclays Arena liquor license meeting, where community members expressed their feelings about the drunken aftermath of games and concerts. Brooklyn Eagle
- Eight properties are set to be sold today at Brooklyn Supreme Court's weekly foreclosure sale. Village Voice
- A car jumped the curb and slammed into the front of Fatoosh Deli in Brooklyn Heights. Driver injured. DNAinfo
- New dingoes at Prospect Park Zoo: their natural prey, the wallabies, are spending more time up on their rock, silently observing . . . WSJ
- The new Hotel BPM Brooklyn features music streaming throughout its public areas, guest rooms and bathrooms. Guests can make song requests when they make their reservations. Brooklyn Eagle
- Why didn't we think of this? Brooklyn woman uses Kickstarter to raise $1,500 for her birthday parade over the Brooklyn Bridge, including a 20-piece marching band, balloons, streamers, bubbles, etc. Brokelyn
at 7:01 AM Labels: animals, Atlantic Yards, business, courts, real estate, restaurants, Sheepshead Bay, Sunset Park
'Lost' Man at Cobble Hill Nursing Home Reawakened Through Music
An old man named Henry, living at the Cobble Hill Health Center in Brooklyn for more than 10 years, habitually sits in his wheelchair with his head hanging, appearing to be barely alive.
In the emotional video above (which has more than two million views on YouTube) we see reception therapist Yvonne Russell fitting him into an iPod loaded with music from his own era. Like flipping a switch, Henry comes back to life.
Famous neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks comments in the video, "His face assumes expression, his eyes open wide, he starts to sing."
The clip is from a new film called Alive Inside, by by Michael Rossato-Bennett. The film follows the reawakening of 'lost' patients through music.
Alive Inside is premiering on April 18 at the Rubin Museum in New York.
at 7:00 AM Labels: Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, event, film, health, microbrooklyn, music
Bus-Jumping College Students; St. Ann's New Digs; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- St. Ann's Warehouse, moving soon, seeks approval to alter the facade and install signs and lighting at their new building on Jay Street. Brooklyn Eagle
- College students leap out of emergency exits onto Brooklyn streets. NY1
- Wiseguy's Brooklyn basement got makeover after 2 gangland hits, mob rat says at trial. NY Daily News
- Introducing Court Street's newest soon-to-open Middle Eastern eatery. PMFA
- The much-maligned Kensington Post Office can't even spell "Brooklyn" right. Brooklyn Paper
- Guy steals food stamps meant for 26 food-stamp recipients. Brooklyn Eagle
- A vaccine that targets 90 percent of cancers has been tested on humans with promising results. Medical Daily
- How to delete your Instagram account but keep your photos. Mashable
at 7:00 AM Labels: arts, Brooklyn, crime, food, health, restaurants, tech
That Rumbling Sound You Hear Is Cherry Blossoms Opening at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The CherryWatch Blossom Map provided by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden shows that the majority of cherry trees at the garden are in "first bloom!" Seems like this weekend would be a great time to visit.
In any case, the Sakura Matsuri Festival takes place April 28–29.
at 7:02 AM Labels: Brooklyn, event, microbrooklyn, nature
Snack Man Breaks Up Fight on Number 6 Train, Becomes National Hero
They call him Snack Man.
A lone chip eater breaks up a kick-fight on the Number 6 train without pausing in his snacking, or even looking at the fighters.
So cool, so uncaring. He's being called the Snack Boss; the Nacho Man; the Brad Pitt of subway snacking.
He is described on Reddit as, "Not the hero they wanted, but the one they deserved."
He is Snack Man, and he has gone viral.
at 7:01 AM Labels: mass transit, New York City, video
Puking, Pissing Nets Fans; Brooklyn Law Professor Dies; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- Locals fight Barclay's Center liquor license, fearing puking, peeing Nets fans. Gothamist
- Carroll Gardens eatery Prime Meats is hosting a 10-course Titanic dinner on April 17. It will be "the very same menu served on the Titanic in First Class." Eater via Gothamist
- Beloved professor at Brooklyn Law School dies. Brooklyn Eagle
- Brooklyn Industries unveils the seed-bomb bracelet, made in DUMBO. ecouterre
- Thousands of kids are waitlisted for kindergarten again, many in Brooklyn. Brooklyn Eagle
- Why does this 102-year-old Bronx parking valet look like 80? How come his sisters (aged 93 and 98) still go bowling? NY Post
- Brace yourself: A number of people using Twitter never realized the Titanic was real, not just a movie. Gothamist
- The five funniest Google Glasses parodies. Gizmodo
at 6:59 AM Labels: Atlantic Yards, Brooklyn, kids, legal, nature, restaurants, schools, stupid, tech
Blow-Out Crowd at Brooklyn Heights' Pierrepont Egg Hunt
A perfect storm of good weather, publicity and holiday spirits led to an ENORMOUS crowd at Pierrepont Playground's Spring Egg Hunt Saturday morning in Brooklyn Heights.
The line led from the the playground, along Pierrepont Place, past Montague Street, and all the way to Remsen Street.
The candy-filled eggs were quickly snatched up by the first wave of kids and parents, long before the second and third wave even got through the gates.
The grass section was reserved for younger children, where there was less competition.
The three-egg limit was not strictly adhered to -- though some parents did make their kids share.
Luckily, the cavalry -- in the form of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz -- arrived, armed with hundreds of cute stuffed bunnies.
Kids were thrilled and parents thankful.
And there were plenty of other fun activities to enjoy, like face painting and a bake sale put on by members of the Brooklyn Heights Playground Committee.
Families lined up for face painting.
Monkey Monkey Music entertained the crowd with upbeat, kid-oriented rock.
Heights Kids decorated the playground with colorful balloons, and Lassen & Hennigs provided coffee.
Because of the beautiful weather the Pierrepont egg hunt drew a bigger crowd than last week's soggy Spring Fling at Brooklyn Bridge Park, which has a lot more room for these crowds. The egg hunt at BBP in 2008 drew more than 10,000 people!
A similar huge crowd packed Pierrepont in 2010, when there was no egg hunt at all in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Karl Junkersfeld's created a video of the scene, posted at the Brooklyn Heights Blog.
- Brooklyn Heights Spring Egg Hunt 2011
- Egg Hunt at Plymouth Church, 2011
- Brooklyn Heights Sprint Egg Hunt 2010
- Egg Hunt at BBP, 2008
at 7:00 AM Labels: Brooklyn, event, holiday, kids, microbrooklyn, video
Sheepshead Bay Shootout; NJ Fans Over the Nets; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- Wild shootout in Sheepshead Bay leaves four cops injured. CBS
- Die-hard Jersey fans ready to divorce Nets. WSJ
- Gowanus property across from Whole Foods site on market for $5.8 million. Brooklyn Eagle
- New York's disgusting pay phones will be replaced with touch-screen Internet kiosks capable of being cleaned with a jet hose. NY Magazine
- The new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, the Mets' new Citifield in Queens, and the emerging Barclays Center arena (for the Brooklyn Nets) are all financed via a clever scheme, fully tax-exempt. Atlantic Yards Report
- Brooklyn woman claims ex-boyfriend posted her photos and address on hardcore porn website. NY Post
- Your olive oil is probably fake. Gothamist
at 6:59 AM Labels: Atlantic Yards, Brooklyn, crime, Gowanus, Sheepshead Bay, sports, tech
Brooklyn IKEA Not As Much Fun As It Used to Be
The lines at Brooklyn's IKEA have turned the shopping experience into a nightmare. This past Friday afternoon we really need some storage units. The shopping itself took maybe 20 minutes. The line, however, took 40 minutes, possibly longer. There were only five check out counters running and the lines extended past several aisles of the packaged tables and chairs.
Making it worse, the lines were unsupervised, with desperate people jumping ahead by cutting around displays, out of sight of the people in the line behind them.
Another pain: While the shuttles are supposed to run every half hour on weekdays to Brooklyn Borough Hall, we waited a full half hour and there were many people who had been waiting before us.
On the way back, several passengers sat in the shuttle bus for more than a half hour waiting for a driver. We got the last seats, and after us people had to stand (with all of their bulky purchases). One of the passengers left the bus to tell the driver (chatting on the sidewalk) that the bus was full, let's go. (He said he had to wait 10 more minutes but we took off after 5.)
As we got off at Borough Hall, we both agreed it was no longer fun to shop at IKEA. Much of what we buy there can be purchased online from other vendors without the hassle.
at 6:55 AM Labels: Brooklyn, IKEA, microbrooklyn, Red Hook
3 Days, 7 Film Projects In DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights
Wednesday, Tommy; Thursday, Fiat, DUMBO
It used to be maybe a film or two a week would take over DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights. This week, seven projects in three days have filled the narrow streets with film trucks and production equipment.
On Wednesday, Tommy was filmed on Front and Washington Streets.(Two years ago another Tommy was filmed in DUMBO.)
On Thursday, a company called Supply and Demand filmed a commercial for Fiat in DUMBO.
A commercial for Tiffany's filmed in Brooklyn Heights Wednesday.
Thursday, Now You See Me, DUMBO
A feature film called "Now You See Me" -- a thriller about "FBI agents tracking a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances -- filmed in DUMBO Thursday. (Starring Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman.)
Wednesday, Cablevision project; Friday, Golden Boy, Brooklyn Heights
A Cablevision project filmed in Brooklyn Heights Wednesday.
CBS's Golden Boy cop drama will be filming or parking film trucks and equipment on Cadman Plaza West and many other streets in Brooklyn Heights, including Remsen Street and Montague Terrace today.
Friday, Golden Boy, DUMBO
Golden Boy is also filming in DUMBO today.
Friday, People Kissing, DUMBO
French indie film "People Kissing" will be filming in DUMBO today, and in Brooklyn Heights today as well (along Clinton Street and on Montague Street). They may trip over the crews filming Golden Boy.
We didn't count the promotional piece being filmed by the Jehovah's Witnesses on Jay Street in DUMBO this week because they took over their own parking lot, not a city street.
at 7:00 AM Labels: Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo
Bizarre Bus Blaze; Stoners Get Free Pass; and More Brooklyn Briefs
- A mattress caught under an MTA bus is being blamed for sparking a bizarre Brooklyn blaze that left the bus and six parked cars torched last night. NY Daily News
- Huge rooftop farm -- possibly the largest in the world -- will open in Sunset Park. NY Times
- Cargo inspections at Red Hook pier will continue, to the relief of local residents. Brooklyn Eagle
- DA offers Brooklyn stoners -- and those guilty of a dozen other crimes -- a Get Out of Jail free Card. Today only! Village Voice
- Judge to determine fate of Domino Sugar factory within a month. TRD
- The 10 creepiest apps for phone, Facebook, etc. Gizmodo
at 6:59 AM Labels: Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, crime, nature, Red Hook, Sunset Park, tech, Williamsburg
Fireworks Over Brooklyn, Liberty Island, Friday, April 20
The Brooklyn Heights Association sends word that we can expect a fireworks display, sponsored by event-planning company AlliedPRA, near Liberty Island in New York Harbor on Friday, April 20 at 9:30 PM. (NYC.gov claims it will take place at 10:30 p.m.)
In Brooklyn, the display will be visible from waterfront areas from DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill and south to parts of Red Hook. (The photo to the left shows an earlier Liberty Island fireworks display, taken in Brooklyn Heights.)
at 6:55 AM Labels: Brooklyn, fireworks, microbrooklyn, new jersey, New York City
$9 Million to Fix P.S. 29, After $5 Million Repair a Decade Ago
After a years-long renovation project that cost about $5 million (completed a decade ago), P.S. 29 in Cobble Hill is again being repaired, this time to the tune of $9 million.
According to the Brooklyn Eagle, the work includes exterior masonry, roof and parapet replacement, flood elimination, and may also require asbestos abatement.
$9 million seems a bit much, considering the extent of the previous job.
Two Trees Management plans to spend about $9 million building a middle school in DUMBO.
at 7:05 AM Labels: Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Dumbo, microbrooklyn, money, schools
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Body Removed from Hudson River Near Edgewater, NJ ...
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Xcel 4/3 Drylock TDC. Size Medium. Brand new with tags. Located in San Diego.
Last edited by hal5786; 11/06/18 12:05 AM.
What year is the suit? W hood or no?
No hood. Not sure of the year. It's the newer model with the red inside so probably 2017 model.