There’s another taxi strike on today, as the Taxi Workers Alliance protests the mandate by the city to add credit card readers and GPS systems to all taxis. Fortunately, while taxis are convenient, they really aren’t mandatory for moving around the city. And unlike the last strike, it’s not happening during an event like Fashion Week, so we won’t see a sharp uptick in fashion-industry types having to refill their prescriptions of Xanax early because they had to share a cab with an unfashionable person.

According to good ol’ NY1, the taxi riders they’ve talked to have said they haven’t had problems hailing cabs today. Even so, the city’s zone plan is in effect, so keep that in mind if you do hop into a taxi – it’s $10 just to get in the cab and another $5 for each zone on top of that. And that’s per person. So the taxi ride that my manfriend and I might have taken this evening that would normally cost me under $10 will cost $20, since there are two of us and we’re staying within the same zone. I’ll walk, thanks.

The city’s press release is here and contains some good information, including the definitions of the zones, which you’ll want to know. The last time I tried to hop in a cab during a strike, the driver tried to claim that the zones were MUCH smaller than the city said they were. So if you do take a cab, know the info so you don’t get ripped off.

Taxi passengers, how was it today?

A good blog is a unique social phenomenon, one that can take on a life and identity far beyond what it’s original creators intended. I think this is what happened with a blog called PaintersNYC. The blogs creators, who are artists didn’t seem to realise what they were starting when they started posting an image and leaving the comment box open.

The image posted is almost always by a contemporary artist having a current show at a NY gallery. (often a major one)The comment threads that have developed are an amazing snarky public crit session as MFA’s try to show you the art speak and insider trivia, they spent $100,000 getting into their heads.

One interesting thing, is that the threads are often so long and involved the the blogs owners no longer can keep up with them. One thing to remember is that these comments are really relevant only if you have seen the show in question or are pretty familiar with an artists work.

In spaces where there were 5 families will now be 100. I am talking about the trend in my Rego Park/Forest Hills neighborhood where parking lots and private single- and two-family homes are being knocked down for large residential buildings. Right across the street from where I live, there used to be a row of six one-family homes. Several months ago I noticed the houses were all empty. A couple of months ago, the houses came down. Now, there is a sign indicating that “luxury condos” are going up in that space. Just a few years ago, someone built a monstrosity of a condo building ON TOP OF a row of stores.

Around the corner, another group of private homes gave way to a new mid-rise. And a few blocks from there, an Associated supermarket lost half of its parking lot to the construction of a super-luxe amenities-laden complex. By the artist’s rendering on the sign [mind you they have a separate sales office in a store-front on Austin Street, Forest Hills' main shopping street]. This last one has me scratching my head, because I can’t imagine who would buy into a building like this in a neighborhood dominated by Russian-language signs, Orthodox synagogues, and older women pushing shopping carts, and wearing house-dresses, head-scarves, and bedroom slippers.

But what really concerns me is 100 families in a space previously inhabited by 5 or 6. I am only hoping that the wiring and the plumbing will accommodate it all, without a major calamity. I am also picturing the supermarket aisles swelling with people, and the fights for parking spots, and battles between the Fresh Direct and FEDEX trucks, the Access-a-Ride vans and the old-timers with the Florida license plates.

I spent a week in Barcelona in September, where I fell in love with late dinners of tapas and sangria. I’ve been craving tapas ever since. So I happily accepted when some friends asked us to dinner at a tapas place called La Paella.

Located in the East Village, La Paella is a fun and festive establishment. We dined in the downstairs, which has ample room for larger gatherings. I was happily surprised to find the menu had a fair number of vegetarian options (something lacking in Barcelona). We ordered three platters: vegetarian, meat, and seafood, along with a pitcher of Sangria. The platters provided a little something for everyone and the reasonably-priced sangria was delicious.

I felt a bit like I was back in Barcelona, except this time a host of friends were there, too. I’ll definitely return for more tasty tapas. This restaurant would suit a birthday soiree or maybe a blogger meet-up…

Here’s another thing your missing by not being in Pittsburgh. Art here, has merged with sports to create–Art Olympic Theater a smack down almost as mean as Painters NYC.

This is a video of the second incarnation of this event, which involves teams of artists competing to create installation pieces.

“The overly accessorized, rainbow Spandex costumed members of Team Self-es-Team began a victory dance through the audience a bit too soon. Out of nowhere Loewen’s team, which included artists Emily Walley, David Hale and Evan Thomas, completed the final element of a complex kinetic art sculpture involving a lighted inflatable attachment and all four members of the team whirling on miniature revolving sculptures. As the four team members twirled, pulleys connected to a large central inflatable piece began to move as well. The clever combination of engineering and artistry incited cheers of excitement from the crowd and high scores from the event judges.”

I was a judge for the first one of these, which was at The Mattress Factory. It’s been fun and hasn’t exploded into a drug scandal yet.

I hate to say it but New York probably has some of the stupidest f***ing film watchers & writers. New York Magazine (one of my favorite publications of all time) usually is on point with their stuff. I have to admit though I have never read any of their movie reviews completely.

But their new blog on television and film, Vulture, has proven itself just today to be one of the least knowledgeable and callous film blogs ever; by naming Braveheart one of the worst movies directed by actors of all time.

Do they not realize that every period war drama including this past year’s atrocious 300 borrowed from Braveheart its only bearable moments. Some others that copied Braveheart include Gladiator, (the other atrocious) Troy, haven’t watched Kingdom of Heaven but I’m sure they did too.

Anyway, Vulture does not have a comment back section so this was my rant to them.

Photo from Wikipages.com

We tried out a new place after work tonight called Killarney Rose. Located near Stone Street in the Financial District, this place is much more quiet and spacious than its neighbor establishments.

With cheap drinks and comfy couches, this bar provided a great spot for relaxing with co-workers after a long week. It may lack the liveliness of Stone Street, but it also lacks the rather high prices. And it’s a great place for groups since there’s ample room for everyone.

This morning I was listening to an NPR story about Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto planning a return to Pakistan after a self-imposed 8-year exile. The story talked about Bhutto’s history and some controversies that had surrounded her, but focused on some of her loyal supporters and party members, some of whom had traveled hundreds of miles on foot to be there to welcome her back. This makes the news that two explosions were reported near Bhutto’s motorcade near Karachi even more sad – though Bhutto wasn’t hurt, most of the injured and dead are the people who supported her, and I can only imagine that some may be the very people who traveled so far to support the person they believed in.

Metroblogging Lahore and Metroblogging Karachi are both reporting live:

Lahore – Breaking news
Lahore – Bomb blast a suicide hit

Karachi – Breaking news
Karachi – Bomb blast hits “the” procession

Our thoughts are with those who are affected.

Today, I read an article about a guy who was killed while attempting to subway surf. Coincidentally, on my commute home, I heard a few people discussing this story, talking about how sad they feel for this kid. I say, let’s stop having sympathy for assholes. This fucking moron actually thought that riding atop a subway car was a good idea??? Loss of life is always a shame, but people need to be responsible enough to not do things that put them in harm’s way.

Miraculously, I hear comments like that around the city fairly regularly, but when a pregnant woman gets on a crowded train, I don’t see that many people offer up their seat… Our priorities are fucked.

[photo courtesy MSN.com]

A million trees planted in NYC over the next decade… Sounds pretty good, right? And pretty impossible?

Well, that’s the goal of the aptly named MillionTreesNYC project. And if you read through their website, it seems like they’ve got a pretty sound plan in place to make it happen.

There are also ways of getting involved, if you feel so inclined–including a form where you can suggest a location for a tree to be planted. And hey, if you have the means, go out and plant a tree of your own, and then let them know!