Smoking Gets Even Tougher in New York City...

I guess I am having an unhealthy night...

New York City under the guidance of Mayor Michael Bloomberg banned smoking in bars, restaurants, and other public indoor areas way back in 2002 (has he been in the big seat that long already?). This caused a little bit of a public outcry about the trampling of smoker's rights. However, that has seemingly passed. Nevertheless, it has taken the Bloomberg administration a very long time to become emboldened enough to take the next step and ban smoking in open public spaces.

Bloomberg has signed a law that bans smoking in all city parks, beaches, public plazas and boardwalks. If you get caught smoking in any of these places once the law comes into full force and effect, in about 90 days, there is a USD 50 fine. I am a non-smoker, so in the big scheme of things a ban of this nature bothers me nought. Yet, the reasoning for the ban is to protect non-smokers from the dangers of passive smoking. Now, I am sure most people can appreciate that passive smoking or being forced to suck-up the second-hand smoke from a smoker's cigarette in a confined space like a bar or restaurant is considerably different from smoking in a large open space like a beach.

I am no scientist, or chemist for that matter, but is second-hand smoke in a large public place a serious threat to non-smokers? On a slightly different tangent. Where are smokers going to be able to light up their cancer sticks and take the years off their collective lives?

After all, if I am not mistaken, tobacco is a legal product and those who wish to indulge in the habit are, and must be, allowed to do so. So, I wonder, where does Mayor Bloomberg and his health-conscious pencil-pushing tobacco banners proposing that cigarette smokers go to feed their nicotine cravings? Is the expectation that smoking becomes an exclusively home-based activity? Then again, perhaps the next smoking law will ban smoking in all private homes where their are children present.

I have always been intrigued by the argument that smoking is a human right and that restricting where it can occur is tantamount to violating the civil liberties of smokers. I am not quite sure where the balance is for those who do not smoke. So, do the human rights of smokers trump the human rights of non-smokers?

Considering, the ongoing onslaught against smokers to reduce the places where they can indulge, perhaps the answer is to take the plunge and go the whole nine yards; make smoking illegal, make tobacco illegal.

School Over-Crowding and Birth Control...

How best to deal with surging school populations? A rapidly expanding school population is not something that I am going to have to worry about at Collarenebri Central School. There is undoubtedly some fluctuation in student numbers. But, as I understand it, those fluctuations are up and down 10 - 15 students. Then again, Collarenebri is a town of just 250 people. It goes without saying that New York faces a whole raft of different challenges. One of those is overcrowding in its school system.

It is estimated that by 2015 that the lower Manhattan school area will need to find an additional 1000 spaces for children wanting to attend school. This poses an enormous challenge to officials and city administrators. Do you build new schools or expand existing schools? Or is there some other alternative. According to, the recently appointed Schools Chancellor, Cathie Black perhaps birth control would be a good option.

This tongue in cheek comment has caused considerable offense. The Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, has had to come to her defense and state, what to me seems obvious, that it was a joke. For offense to be taken it would mean that those taking offense must have believed that she was seriously contemplating birth control as a means of resolving what will become a significant burden on the education budget of the city. Hmmmm....

Nevertheless, the tongue in cheek comment has garnered more press than what the city actually plans to do. So, how are the New York City bureaucracy going to deal with the 1000 extra students that will need to be educated by 2015? Aside from needing extra schools or classroom space at existing schools to accommodate the additional students, there will be a need for additional teachers, won't there? Or is the expectation that class sizes will continue to expand?

The Empire State Building and 60 Years of Communist Rule in China...

New York City has decided to commemorate, and perhaps honor, sixty years of communist rule in China by lighting up the Empire State Building in red and yellow lights.

This has not pleased everyone. Those that oppose the move, albeit now being too late, state that this act in effect endorses China's totalitarian government and abysmal human rights record in places like Tibet and the recent crackdown on the Uighurs in the Xinjiang region.

It is certainly an interesting choice considering the Chinese government has a record of suppressing freedoms, such as the freedom of speech, the freedom of expression, and the freedom of association, to name but a few. So, a legitimate question would be, "why is the home of the brave and the land of the free honoring a land whose government seemingly does not believe in those ideals?"

(Photo courtesy of AP)

New York City -- Day and Night...

This is pretty cool to see what NYC looks like day and night, at least in terms of population density. It would be fun to see what Jakarta would look like. Anyways, you can find the picture here.

Enjoy.

Standard Hotel -- New York -- Free Sex Shows

There are plenty of reasons to go to New York without ever thinking about visiting the Standard Hotel in New York City. However, if being part of a little bit of voyeurism and exhibitionism is your thing, then perhaps the Standard Hotel is the perfect reason to be heading to NYC.

The Standard Hotel is called "plush" by many however it is the floor-to-ceiling windows that seem to be the biggest attraction for those on the inside and those wanting to have a little peek in from the outside. Why? Well, it seems that the windows have inspired guests and staff alike to partake in the odd free sex show. Free for those looking in from the outside and there is a growing number of those.

The guests pay for the pleasure of staying there. Yet, they also provide a great deal of free pleasure to those stressed out New Yorkers and tourists to the "Big Apple" by stepping out of the shower and toweling down in front of the windows whilst bearing all their wares to the world outside. It is even being reported that some guests have gotten into the act by pleasuring themselves whilst in front of the windows. Supposedly, there are even reports, and perhaps a video, of guest making a porn flick.

The authorities know the score and know that it is going on. An employee with the Parks Department noted that there has been an influx and a significant increase in 'voyeurs' heading to the park to watch the free exhibitions many stories up in the Standard Hotel.

It is unclear whether the Hotel's owners or management condone the activities. However, some staff said that there has been encouragement for the activities as a way of creating buzz for the hotel and perhaps as a means of generating business. Perhaps a food and drinks stall somewhere in the park might be a good way of capitalizing on the increasing numbers of people milling around to catch a glimpse or two of an erotic peep show.

Not all people are happy with the free sex shows. Yet, it would seem that a great majority are happy for them to continue.

I am not sure that the free sex shows are worth a ticket to NYC. But, if someone was willing to pay for me to get there I would be more than happy to write a review of the experience.

Maybe it is time to diversify my skills and get paid for my writing :D

New York City and Eid

Multiculturalism and racism or bigotry go hand-in-hand in the sense that many oversimplify these terms to be opposite sides of the same coin. This is to say, if you do not support multiculturalism or a more plural society then you are racist or a bigot and conversely if you have racist or bigoted tendencies you cannot support multiculturalism. Sometimes I wonder whether the equation is quite as simple as that.

Nevertheless, the Big Apple or perhaps the Big Melting Pot that is New York City is soon to vote on whether two Muslim holidays are to be declared school holidays for all. The two holidays are Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha which celebrate the end of the fasting month and the Haj pilgrimage month respectively. The vote is to take place on 16 October 2008.

This is something that has been on the agenda since 2005 and it seems that the supporters of the vote have finally mustered the numbers to take the issue to committee and then get it through to a full council vote.

The measure was initiated by a Muslim councilor from Harlem, Robert Jackson. However, it is claimed that the measure has broad support within the community and also on the council and this support is from non-Muslims as well. Broad-based support is no guarantee that it will get up when it comes to a vote.

I wonder though whether this sets a precedent that every religion should be able to lobby for its special days to be legislatively declared holidays and then have them so declared. I am happy for governments to declare as many religious holidays that they want. Simply, the more they declare the less number of days I have to work while still getting paid.

The population of NYC is approximately 7 million and of these 1 million are Muslims.

Speed Limit in New York

The speed limit in New York in 1895 was a whopping 8 mph.

The picture is of the Panhard & Levassor 1895 model.

Rebuilding New York

This is one way to tell the terrorists what New Yorkers' think!

New York and Herpes

Well, if you're going to New York and thinking about a dalliance or two make sure that you are condomed-up! The latest research by the New York Department of Health indicates that one in four New Yorkers is positive for the genital herpes virus. For African Americans the rate is even higher at one in two or 50% being carriers of the virus.

The virus is more prevalent in women. The herpes simplex virus 2 normally manifests as sores that will generally heal within 2 weeks but the sores are particularly painful. The sores also mean that a person with them is more susceptible to other virus such as HIV.