I totally understand that the rest of the country is going to have its McCain supporters. And I know that, these days, Hofstra University attracts many students from outside Long Island and New York. But I was still surprised at the sampling of students that Eyewitness News [NYC ABC channel 7] interviewed before and after the last presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama.

Am I naive to think that more students at Hofstra would have been pro-Obama? Or did Eyewitness News purposely handpick their sampling beforehand, so as to have an equal divide? I have even been surprised lately to hear the college kids of the 21st century leaning so against abortion, even at Hofstra. Can you weigh in on this? Because I remember when I attended SUNY Stony Brook in the 70s, our student body was a Democratic [even radical] island in the middle of a conservative Republican territory. Why does it seem so different today?

Water. Agua. Life source. The conduit of existence along with air. This very essential part of our lives has now become a commodity; something we purchase instead of something we intake for free. A lot of that has to do with the idiotic bottling companies, who use more than 47 billion fossil fuels annually to create these environmental disasters.

But it’s not only about the environment. Bottled water is contaminated. Here’s an excerpt from the latest study on the topic:

The study’s lab tests on 10 brands of bottled water detected 38 chemicals including bacteria, caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium. Though some probably came from tap water that some companies use for their bottled water, other contaminants probably leached from plastic bottles, the researchers said.

“In some cases, it appears bottled water is no less polluted than tap water and, at 1,900 times the cost, consumers should expect better,” said Jane Houlihan, an environmental engineer who co-authored the study.

What we forget is that water is essential. The kind of water we use needs to be clean and according to the latest reports, bottled water has no less contaminants.The process of the way the water comes to us is also cleaner than any bottling plant or source.

And according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2007, NYC has some of the finest drinking water not just in the United States but anywhere in the world.

Each day, more than 1.1 billion gallons of fresh, clean water is delivered from large upstate reservoirs – some more than 125 miles from the city – to the taps of 9 million customers throughout New York State.

The system responsible for this feat is an engineering marvel. It consists of 19 reservoirs and
more than 6,000 miles of pipes, aqueducts and tunnels. The Delaware Aqueduct, at 85-miles
long, is the longest continuous tunnel in the world, and runs at depths of more than 1,500 feet
in some places. Even more impressive, the system is almost entirely gravity driven, delivering
high-quality water to you without emitting climate-changing greenhouse gases.

Drinking two liters of NYC water each day will cost just $0.50 a year, whereas drinking two liters of bottled water a day will cost more than $1400 a year.

Bloomberg has already banned bottled water in city offices due to the cleanliness of what we get here in NYC. Shouldn’t you be next?

It all starts this Saturday noon, with my craving for some grilled pork Banh-Mi from one of my favorite (not any more) vietnamese sandwich shops Paris Sandwich.

I go into Paris Sandwich at 113 Mott St. (Betn. Hester and Canal) and order a sandwich and other stuff for a takeaway. My total comes to 14$. I give my card to the cashier and she tells me there is a minimum of $15 dollars for using a card. Thats a first for me from this store, which I have been to in the past.

Having a minimum is against the merchant policy laid out by Mastercard and Visa and I tell the cashier the same. She does not understand what I say, so I ask to speak to the manager. She goes to call the manager and comes back and says something to the extent that manager says sorry. I ask to speak to the manager at which time a lady comes out and asks me what the problem is. I tell her that it is unfair of her establishment to have a minimum policy on credit card transactions. While I am telling her this, the real manager, a guy in his early 30’s walks up and tells me to either follow the policy or leave.

Well, I tell him that I am leaving and that it still does not make his policy correct. I also inform him that I will file a complaint with MC and VISA via their online link. And I walk out of the store.

(more…)

At one under-construction tower in Williamsburg, that translated to a 100-foot-long banner poking fun at both the vice presidential nominee’s precious explanation to Katie Couric that she had foreign policy experience because she can see Russia across the Bering Strait from Alaska.

“Sarah Palin/Live here/See Wall Street,” reads the sign on the side of the Edge, a high-rise project going up on the waterfront at North Fifth Street. [link]

Come on people, move to Brooklyn.

Our friends out at the L.A. Metblog are always going on and on about their favorite vegan ice cream place, Scoops. Though I’m not vegan, I do enjoy tasty vegan treats and to be honest, was kind of envious that I didn’t have a similar place nearby. Then I heard about Lula’s Sweet Apothecary.

Located in Alphabet City, Lula’s has a whole range of sweet vegan treats to tempt your palate. Ice cream, shakes, floats, flavored sodas, even a New York egg cream (with no actual egg or cream, of course). They also have cookies, cupcakes, and hot cocoa, for those whose sweet tooth isn’t partial to cold. And for those who are gluten intolerant, never fear – they have gluten-free options, too. Which means I can take my vegetarian husband, gluten intolerant brother-in-law, and vegan friends there and everyone’s sweet tooth will be satisfied!

Photographer extraordinaire and Metblogs pal Glen E. Friedman, who is part owner of Lula’s, tell us that if you mention Metblogs/Metroblogs when you order, you get an extra free topping on your sundae. I say try the caramel. Yum.

Lula’s is at 516 E. 6th Street between Avenues A & B. Tell ‘em we sent you!

I share the view of many New Yorkers re those street fairs. They’re a pain in the ass! I’ve eaten the last of those sausage sandwiches and funnel cakes! There was one last Sunday in my Forest Hills neighborhood, and I avoided it like leprosy! Just when you thought street fair season was over, Pamela Skillings, the Manhattan guide at About.com, offers a schedule of the last installments of these banes of our existence. But, hey, if you still like seeing demos of must-have household gadgets, or yearn for more pad thai cooked on the street, check it out here

The Loisada Street Festival. David Shankbone/Wikimedia Commons

I sure as hell didn’t know the answer to that question until I saw the cover of New York Magazine today. Maybe I’m the only one? But in case you didn’t know, David Paterson is the governor of New York State and he is legally blind.

Wowza. I’m going to go read the rest of this article later. I feel like a lame citizen for not knowing to begin with.

I’m sure that you, like many people, have been at least slightly aware of all the political talk going on lately. You can’t really avoid it, even if you don’t watch the debates or read the political blogs or read the newspaper headlines – it’s everywhere in this general election year. Maybe you’re undecided. Maybe you’ve been decided since you were old enough to tell the difference between red and blue. In any case, if you haven’t already, you gotta register to vote.

In NYC, you can register by mail (scroll down to see links to downloadable voter registration forms), or you can stop by one of NYC’s Board of Elections offices (or use this convenient Google Maps link to find your nearest office). It’s really easy and the board of elections officials will help you if you have trouble with the form.

But hurry! If you’re not registered yet, you only have until October 10 to register to vote in New York State (this deadline also applies to changes to party affiliation for 2009). So pop your voter registration in the mail ASAP, or if you really want to be sure, take it in to the Board of Elections on or before October 10.

I went to the Ginger Man last night for a friend’s birthday party. Like other Midtown bars, the place is packed at happy hour. I’m not a huge fan of crowded bars, so that put me off right away. I like a place where I can have a conversation, and the noise from the crowd made that difficult.

After shouting our birthday greetings to our friends, I took a look at the drink menu. It consisted of a huge selection of beers (possibly very good beers), but not much else. Not a lot of wine options or cocktails. Not a big beer drinker, I settled for an expensive vodka tonic and waited a good 15 minutes for the server to bring it over. We managed to carve out a little corner for ourselves in the back section. I ended up waiting even longer for my second drink. After giving up on it arriving, I ordered one at the bar. Then, of course, the server came and I had two vodka tonics.

I’d say the place might have good beer, but it has bad service and a not a great atmosphere. The Ginger Man just isn’t a sweet spot.

I enjoy the Fall in New York City.