Year: 2013

Categories
News

NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s Next Big Idea: Micro-Mini Apartments

 

A design team comprised of Monadnock Development, Actors Fund Housing Development Corp. and nArchitects, has won Mayor Bloomberg’s competition, “adAPT NYC”, to create micro-apartments for New York city dwellers.

The winning unit, called “My Micro NY,” features a 10-foot ceiling and a mini outdoor deck. The units will all be built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and then transported to Manhattan. The first of the pre-fab rentals will be ready by September 2015 and will settle on 27th Street on the east side. The mayor said the project is part of his plan to create or preserve 165,000 affordable homes in the city by 2014 and will create 55 new micro units–with  40 percent slotted to be affordable housing for low and middle-income New Yorkers. 

Reportedly about four times the size of a typical prison cell, the mayor had this to say of the diminutive apartment project: 

“People from all over the world want to live in New York City, and we must develop a new, scalable housing model that is safe, affordable and innovative to meet their needs.”

New York journalist Greg Pollowitz who writes for Rueters stated, “If the mayor really wants to address the market for apartments in NYC, a hard look a the rent stabilization and rent control laws is needed, too. Not just a relaxation of zoning laws to provide for these tiny units.”

As a New Yorker, I’d have to agree.

 

Categories
Sports

A-Rod Among Those Named in Doping Scandal

This morning, the Miami New Times broke a story of epic proportions linking Alex Rodriguez to performance enhancing drugs as recently as last season and as notably as 2009. The 3 month investigation into a Miami area clinic uncovered overwhelming evidence linking not only A-Rod but several other well known players.

The clinic’s client list includes Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzales, Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz, Blue Jays outfielder Melky Cabrera and Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon. In what is being called the East Coast version of BALCO, this most recent blow to Major League Baseball will likely have a lasting impact on these players.

More on this as the story unfolds.

Categories
Immigration Politics

Republican Representative Calls Hispanics “Low Skilled”

At a time when Republicans are trying to get the Hispanic vote, this is not something they should be saying.

Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) thinks that Republicans should not take up immigration reform or even make an effort to compete for the votes of the fastest growing demographic in the country because he believes that Hispanics are “low-skilled” and dependent on social programs who will vote for Democrats because of it.

It’s about the worst possible messaging for the party still ringing from defeat at the polls in November, during an election which saw President Barack Obama trounce his Republican opponent by a 3-to-1 margin among Hispanics — but that didn’t stop Barletta from saying it.

“I hope politics is not at the root of why we’re rushing to pass a bill. Anyone who believes that they’re going to win over the Latino vote is grossly mistaken,” Barletta said, according to Pennsylvania newspaper The Morning Call. “The majority that are here illegally are low-skilled or may not even have a high school diploma. The Republican Party is not going to compete over who can give more social programs out. They will become Democrats because of the social programs they’ll depend on.”

The White House and a bipartisan group of Senators are outlining plans this week to reform the nation’s immigration system in a way that will permit the children of undocumented immigrants to stay in the country and become citizens, as well as provide a pathway to citizenship for individuals who broke the law to come to the U.S.

Categories
Technology

Now You Can Subscribe To Microsoft For Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.

Really though, is that something you would really do? Would you really pay a subscription fee to Microsoft every month to use their Office products? If you would, then the Office 365 series is what you’re looking for.

Office 365 Home Premium (which is the basic version of the suite) includes the core applications that are included in all versions of Office 2013 — Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote — as well as Outlook, Publisher and Access. For $100 (there’s a one-month free trial period), users can install it on up to five devices (including Windows 7 and Windows 8 PCs and tablets, and AppleOS X computers).

(Note: Other upcoming versions include Office 365 Small Business Premium, which is designed for businesses with up to 10 employees; Office 365 ProPlus, which will include 25 user accounts and 5 installations per user; and Office 365 Enterprise. These will also offer a variety of additional features; there is no information yet on when they will ship.)

Categories
Tid Bits

Her Strange Addiction is… Eating Cat Hairs – Video

Her name is Lisa. She is 43 years old and lives in Detroit. And her strange addiction is eating cat hairs.

Lisa tells her story to TLC’s reality show, Strange Addiction.

Video:

Categories
Politics

So Far, No “NO” Votes Counted For Chuck Hagel Among Democrats

The Hagel saga continues, and like expected, Republicans are not happy with President Obama’s pick for Secretary of Defense. Democrats on the other hand, are okay with President Obama’s nominee according to a recent count and they will vote to approve Chuck Hagel for the cabinet position in the President’s administration.

Hagel, whose nomination has drawn fire from his fellow Republicans, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday for his hearing. Though the session with the panel is expected to be testy, Hagel will likely clear that hurdle before facing a 60-vote threshold in the full Senate. But even Republican aides are quietly conceding he is likely to get the three-fifths majority he needs to prevent a filibuster.

“We did whip it. And the numbers were very positive on the Democratic side,” Durbin said of a preliminary vote count his office did last week of the Senate Democratic Conference’s 55 members.

“I didn’t whip the Republican side so I can’t say,” Durbin continued when asked whether he thought he could pick off at least five Republican votes to get to 60. “I need to do it again this week, but as of last week, we were doing very, very well among Democrats. There were no ‘no’ votes. There were some who wanted to wait until after his testimony.”

Categories
death row News Texas

Texas Will Execute A Woman Tonight

For the first time in three years a female inmate will be put to death in Texas by lethal injection.

Kimberly McCarthy, 51, was sentenced to death for the 1997 robbery, beating and fatal stabbing of her 71-year-old neighbour Dorothy Booth.

Dorothy Booth
Kimberly McCarty – 1997

A retired college psychology professor, investigators say Mrs Booth had agreed to give McCarthy a cup of sugar before she was attacked with a butcher knife at her home in Lancaster, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Dallas.

It was among three slayings linked to McCarthy, a former nursing home therapist who’d been addicted to crack cocaine.

Her lethal injection is scheduled for tonight.

McCarthy will be the 13th woman executed in the U.S. and the fourth in Texas, the nation’s busiest death penalty state, since the Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976.

In that same time period, more than 1,300 male inmates have been executed nationwide.

h/t Daily Mail

Categories
Chris Matthews Politics

I Dare You – Try To Get A Word In On Chris Matthews Hardball

You have asked yourself this question before. Why do people go on the Chris Matthews show, when Chris Matthews does all the talking? Congresswoman Linda Sanchez got her personal dose of Chris on Monday’s Hardball With Chris Matthews, when a question from the host about immigration blossomed into a criticism of the Republican party, a comment, a question another comment and then a question, all by Mr. Matthews… then two more comments.

And when she was finally given a chance to answer the question, the congresswoman was cut off again because Matthews had to make a statement.

Here’s how it all went down;

Matthews

“People that believe in border protection, who believe you can stop somebody from coming into this country by higher towers, or more drones, or more people working there, I think, are right-wingers or idiots.

If you want to work and you’re looking for a job, you’re going to come to America, Congresswoman. You’re going to come in here and you’re going to find a way in; whether you have to take a boat, an airplane, or swim – whatever you have to do, you’re going to get here.

My question is, are we going to have a work permit situation that’s truly enforced so there’ll be no incentive to do that, because you can’t work in the United States unless you’re here legally,” Matthews continued over Sanchez’s repeated attempts to respond.

If we ever have a system like that, we won’t be having this debate 20 or 30 years from now. Your thoughts?

Sanchez;

“Well…”

Matthews had something else to say. Cuts off the congresswoman to add this;

“Because we never stop talking about it.”

Sanchez;

“If you’d let me get a word in edgewise. I will tell you…”

Matthews had something else to say. Cuts off the congresswoman to add this;

“You have all the time in the world to answer my question.”

Exactly which question Chris?

Video

Categories
News

Congress Finally Approves $50.5 Billion In Hurricane Sandy Relief

Ninety days after Hurricane Sandy landed on the East Coast, Congress is finally sending help.

The Senate voted Monday to approve a $50.5 billion emergency aid bill for victims of Hurricane Sandy, three months after the storm began pounding the Northeast.

“I am so glad that we are finally coming to a moment where we can get relief to New Jersey families,” Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey said.

The vote was 62-36. The bill now goes to President Obama for signing.

Monday’s action brings the total amount of Sandy aid approved by Congress to $60.2 billion. That includes $9.7 billion the House and Senate approved on Jan. 4 to pay flood insurance claims related to the storm.

Senators defeated an amendment from Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah that would have offset the $50.5 billion in emergency aid by making across-the-board reductions in discretionary spending over nine years.

The measure received 35 votes, well short of the 60 it needed to pass.

Categories
Sports

LaBron James – “Hey Mama, I Made It,” While Visiting White House

In order to officially acknowledge their NBA championship win in 2012, LaBron James and the Miami Heats took a trip to the White House and met their host, President Barack Obama. The starstruck James, who couldn’t contain himself at the fact that he was in the White House with the President standing a few feet away, even made a mistake, calling the President “coach” while making a brief statement.

“I mean, on behalf of myself and my teammates we just want to thank you for the hospitality, for allowing us to be in the White House,” James said. “I mean, we’re in the White House!

“I mean, Coach said — Prez said — it’s real casual, so, we’re kids from Chicago, Dallas, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, South Dakota, Miami, we’re in the White House right now! This is like, ‘Hey, mama, I made it!’ “

Coach Obama? James and the Heats will have to wait at least four more years before something like that could happen.

Categories
democrats immigration reform Immigration Reform Politics

Democrats And Republicans, Yes Republicans Agree On Immigration Reform Plan

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has agreed on an immigration reform plan that would provide a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States but only after borders are better secured.

The plan, unveiled a day before President Barack Obama is to give a policy speech on immigration in Nevada, tackles the most explosive issue – how to deal with the millions of foreigners living in the United States illegally.

Under the group’s proposal, undocumented immigrants would be allowed to register with the government, pay a fine, and then be given probationary legal status allowing them to work.

Ultimately, they would have to “go to the end of the line” and apply for permanent status, according to the document by eight Senators including Republicans Marco Rubio of Florida, John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Democrats Charles Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Michael Bennet of Colorado and Robert Menendez of New Jersey.

The White House praised the group’s efforts but warned that Obama would not be satisfied until there was meaningful reform. The president “will continue to urge Congress to act until that is achieved,” a White House spokesman said.

r/t Reuters

Categories
Technology

Ion Audio’s ‘Scratch 2 Go’ Mini DJ Board

Last year at CES Ion Audio showed off an iPad hardware peripheral to give aspiring DJs a better way to control music on their tablets, and this year the company is back with another approach — using suction cups. Scratch 2 Go is a set of controls that users physically stick onto the face of their iPad, giving them a tactile experience without taking their fingers off the screen. Five different controls are provided: a crossbar for switching between tracks, two scrubbers for scratching your favorite MP3s, and two pairs of control knobs, ideally suited for controlling the EQ of each respective track.

Under each controller there’s a small nub, similar to what you’d see on a stylus — so they’re basically just replicating what touching the screen with your finger would do. This opens up what kind of DJ apps you can use the controls with — anything that has knobs and turntables that line up should work — though Ion Audio does offer its own iDJ 2 Go app. The controls stick easily enough to the surface of the device, and seem to offer just the right amount of resistance when removing them; not enough to get knocked off too easily, but not so strong that you’ll be deterred from yanking them off if you want to watch a movie on your iPad.

That said, this obviously isn’t an accessory package for serious musicians, but if you’re looking for a goofy bit of fun, these could be just the ticket. The Scratch 2 Go package will be available this spring for $29.

h/t  The Verge

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