Funny what multiple sexual harassment accusations, awe-inspiring displays of foreign policy ignorance, and allegations of a 13-year extramarital affair will do to a presidential campaign.
The latest evidence of Herman Cain’s disintegrating prospects: An 8% showing of support in The Des Moines Register’s latest poll of the Iowa Republican caucuses. The survey was done by Selzer & Co., which conducts arguably the most respected polling of the state.
Cain’s single-digit support in Iowa is down from a first-place 23% showing in The Des Moines Register’s last poll, conducted in late October. Here are the overall numbers in TPM’s Poll Average:
The survey illustrates why Cain is tanking: 47% of respondents said Cain was the candidate most likely to have a scandal in the White House. And a 27% plurality said he was the least knowledgeable candidate.
In the wake of Atlanta businesswoman Ginger White’s allegation of an extended affair, Cain has said he is “reassessing” his campaign. The candidate says he will speak with his wife, and decide by next week whether to pack it in.
The Des Moines Register telephone poll of 401 likely Republican caucus-goers was conducted by Selzer & Co. from November 27th to the 30th. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. The Des Moines Register will publish a full summary of where all the candidates stand in the race on Saturday night. More detailed analysis and results will be published on Sunday.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Friday, December 2, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Poll: Gingrich Cements His Second Place Position In NH
A new Rasmussen Reports survey shows Mitt Romney leading the 2012 New Hampshire Republican primary by 10 points, with Newt Gingrich maintaining the second place status he has solidified in recent polling. The poll of the January 10th contest is the first since the New Hampshire Union Leader, the state’s largest newspaper, issued Gingrich a high-profile endorsement on Sunday.
34% of respondents supported Romney in the poll, with 24% supporting Gingrich. Ron Paul received 14% support, Jon Huntsman 11%, and all other candidates were mired in single digits.
Most respondents were aware of Gingrich’s recent triumph: 76% of respondents could identify him as the recipient of the Union Leader’s endorsement. But Romney’s and Gingrich’s numbers are not out of synch with the most recent polling of the state. TPM’s current poll average shows 36.6% support for the first-place Romney, compared to 18.8% for the second-place Gingrich. The numbers are not wildly different from those in the Rasmussen poll, and the poll is not proof of a spike for Gingrich, or drop for Romney, in the wake of the Union Leader endorsement.
In truth, Gingrich’s support level in New Hampshire has been steadily improving over the last month, and the Rasmussen poll may just be showing a continuation of that trend. It is not yet clear what effect the Union Leader’s endorsement is having on the race.
The automated Rasmussen Reports survey of 762 likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters was conducted on November 28, 2011. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
34% of respondents supported Romney in the poll, with 24% supporting Gingrich. Ron Paul received 14% support, Jon Huntsman 11%, and all other candidates were mired in single digits.
Most respondents were aware of Gingrich’s recent triumph: 76% of respondents could identify him as the recipient of the Union Leader’s endorsement. But Romney’s and Gingrich’s numbers are not out of synch with the most recent polling of the state. TPM’s current poll average shows 36.6% support for the first-place Romney, compared to 18.8% for the second-place Gingrich. The numbers are not wildly different from those in the Rasmussen poll, and the poll is not proof of a spike for Gingrich, or drop for Romney, in the wake of the Union Leader endorsement.
In truth, Gingrich’s support level in New Hampshire has been steadily improving over the last month, and the Rasmussen poll may just be showing a continuation of that trend. It is not yet clear what effect the Union Leader’s endorsement is having on the race.
The automated Rasmussen Reports survey of 762 likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters was conducted on November 28, 2011. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Gingrich Says Child Labor Laws Should Be Rolled Back So Kids Can Be Janitors
Newt Gingrich’s desire to roll back Social Security is no secret. But apparently his quest to tackle decades-old New Deal policies doesn’t stop there.
Now Gingrich is taking on an issue he says “no liberal wants to deal with” — economically suffocating child labor laws.
During a Harvard address on Friday, Gingrich blamed child labor restrictions for doing “more to create income inequality in the United States than any other single policy.” “It is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in…child laws, which are truly stupid,” said Gingrich.
“Most of these schools ought to get rid of the unionized janitors, have one master janitor and pay local students to take care of the school,” he added. “The kids would actually do work, they would have cash, they would have pride in the schools, they’d begin the process of rising.”
Gingrich likes to tout his credentials as a historian, so he may be aware that America’s first major federal child labor restrictions were enacted amidst an economic crisis even worse than today’s: President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act during the Great Depression. In part, the 1938 law passed because many adults were so desperate for work they were willing to take low-paying jobs normally reserved for children.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Now Gingrich is taking on an issue he says “no liberal wants to deal with” — economically suffocating child labor laws.
During a Harvard address on Friday, Gingrich blamed child labor restrictions for doing “more to create income inequality in the United States than any other single policy.” “It is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in…child laws, which are truly stupid,” said Gingrich.
“Most of these schools ought to get rid of the unionized janitors, have one master janitor and pay local students to take care of the school,” he added. “The kids would actually do work, they would have cash, they would have pride in the schools, they’d begin the process of rising.”
Gingrich likes to tout his credentials as a historian, so he may be aware that America’s first major federal child labor restrictions were enacted amidst an economic crisis even worse than today’s: President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act during the Great Depression. In part, the 1938 law passed because many adults were so desperate for work they were willing to take low-paying jobs normally reserved for children.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Thursday, November 17, 2011
GOP Primary Voters Trust Gingrich Most With Nukes
According to a Fox News poll released yesterday, a significant plurality of Republican voters think Newt Gingrich is the most trustworthy candidate when it comes to nuclear weapons. 30% would most trust the former House Speaker with the nuclear codes, compared to 17% for Mitt Romney, who came in second place.
A 13% plurality of GOP voters said they would least trust Ron Paul with nuclear weapons — which may stem in large part from his reluctance to use them. Paul’s famously non-interventionist foreign policy beliefs have led him, for example, to say he wouldn’t use military force to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Gingrich has not stated an inclination to use nukes. But he has said that if “the dictatorship [in Iran] persists, you have to take whatever steps are necessary to break its capacity to have a nuclear weapon.”
One thing’s for sure: Newt Gingrich has seen plenty of good news lately. It seems he can now add trust on foreign policy to that list.
The Fox News poll was conducted from November 13th to the 15th. Its sample of 370 GOP primary voters carries a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
A 13% plurality of GOP voters said they would least trust Ron Paul with nuclear weapons — which may stem in large part from his reluctance to use them. Paul’s famously non-interventionist foreign policy beliefs have led him, for example, to say he wouldn’t use military force to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Gingrich has not stated an inclination to use nukes. But he has said that if “the dictatorship [in Iran] persists, you have to take whatever steps are necessary to break its capacity to have a nuclear weapon.”
One thing’s for sure: Newt Gingrich has seen plenty of good news lately. It seems he can now add trust on foreign policy to that list.
The Fox News poll was conducted from November 13th to the 15th. Its sample of 370 GOP primary voters carries a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Cain: Kissinger Declined Offer To Be Secretary Of State
Richard Nixon one, Herman Cain zero.
Herman Cain said yesterday that the 88 year-old Henry Kissinger has declined an offer to serve as Secretary of State in his putative administration.
“Dr. Kissinger turned my offer down to be Secretary of State,” said Cain when asked who he might put in his administration. “He said he’s perfectly happy doing what he’s doing,” Cain added.
Cain revealed the offer in a video interview — yeah, that one — with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board.
Cain also mentioned Jim DeMint, Paul Ryan, KT McFarland, John Bolton, and John Chain as potential administration-members, though he didn’t say whether he’d made them job offers.
Also, no word yet on whether Spiro Agnew will agree to be Cain’s running mate.
Read the story and watch the video at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Herman Cain said yesterday that the 88 year-old Henry Kissinger has declined an offer to serve as Secretary of State in his putative administration.
“Dr. Kissinger turned my offer down to be Secretary of State,” said Cain when asked who he might put in his administration. “He said he’s perfectly happy doing what he’s doing,” Cain added.
Cain revealed the offer in a video interview — yeah, that one — with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board.
Cain also mentioned Jim DeMint, Paul Ryan, KT McFarland, John Bolton, and John Chain as potential administration-members, though he didn’t say whether he’d made them job offers.
Also, no word yet on whether Spiro Agnew will agree to be Cain’s running mate.
Read the story and watch the video at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Monday, November 14, 2011
As Romney’s Prospects Continue To Improve, So Do Obama’s
As the air of inevitability coalesces around Mitt Romney’s candidacy, Obama’s polling prospects continue to tick upwards as well.
A new Politico/Battleground Poll shows Obama edging Romney 49% to 43% — another in a string of recent polls that have shown Obama leading the former Massachusetts governor by statistically significant margins.
As TPM’s Kyle Leighton reported last week, Obama’s support in general election polling has improved as Romney’s nomination has appeared more and more likely.
The survey also offers clear evidence that Republicans are beginning to accept that Romney will be their nominee — as well as clear evidence that this acceptance vastly outpaces his actual support from voters. The poll finds that Romney is the first choice of 25% of likely Republican primary voters — second to Herman Cain, who garners 27% support, and ahead of Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, who each pull in 14%.
But when asked who they thought the nominee would be, 48% of respondents said Romney — nearly double the number of voters who said they would pick him as their first choice. By comparison, 22% said Cain — 5% fewer than said they intended to vote for him.
Obama’s support has also improved in hypothetical general election match-ups against a generic Republican. As TPM has pointed out, this may have to do with “the generic candidate…morphing into Romney” in the eyes of Republican voters. The Politico/Battleground Poll adds even more evidence that the matchup is tightening: Obama is in a 43% to 43% dead heat with a generic Republican candidate — still worse than his numbers against Romney, but better than he fared against the generic candidate as little as a month ago, when he lost the contest by an average of eight points according to TPM’s Poll Average.
For the moment, at least, Republican voters are unenthusiastic about the man they suspect will be their nominee. And polling continues to show that this lack of enthusiasm could hurt Romney’s chances in a general election.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
A new Politico/Battleground Poll shows Obama edging Romney 49% to 43% — another in a string of recent polls that have shown Obama leading the former Massachusetts governor by statistically significant margins.
As TPM’s Kyle Leighton reported last week, Obama’s support in general election polling has improved as Romney’s nomination has appeared more and more likely.
The survey also offers clear evidence that Republicans are beginning to accept that Romney will be their nominee — as well as clear evidence that this acceptance vastly outpaces his actual support from voters. The poll finds that Romney is the first choice of 25% of likely Republican primary voters — second to Herman Cain, who garners 27% support, and ahead of Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, who each pull in 14%.
But when asked who they thought the nominee would be, 48% of respondents said Romney — nearly double the number of voters who said they would pick him as their first choice. By comparison, 22% said Cain — 5% fewer than said they intended to vote for him.
Obama’s support has also improved in hypothetical general election match-ups against a generic Republican. As TPM has pointed out, this may have to do with “the generic candidate…morphing into Romney” in the eyes of Republican voters. The Politico/Battleground Poll adds even more evidence that the matchup is tightening: Obama is in a 43% to 43% dead heat with a generic Republican candidate — still worse than his numbers against Romney, but better than he fared against the generic candidate as little as a month ago, when he lost the contest by an average of eight points according to TPM’s Poll Average.
For the moment, at least, Republican voters are unenthusiastic about the man they suspect will be their nominee. And polling continues to show that this lack of enthusiasm could hurt Romney’s chances in a general election.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Friday, November 11, 2011
Newtmentum Is Real: Polling Shows Gingrich Gaining
It’s come to this.
In the wake of Herman Cain’s multiple sexual harassment accusations, the media narrative of Romney-the-Inevitable has continued to grow. But it seems the anti-Mitt crowd is continuing to grasp for other choices. The latest alternative?
Newt Gingrich.
Months ago, many declared Gingrich’s campaign dead barely after it had begun, when he criticized Paul Ryan’s medicare-killing house budget, and lost his top campaign staffers in a major shakeup. But polls released Friday suggest growing momentum.
Let’s review the mounting evidence, shall we?
A national CBS News poll shows Gingrich as the choice of 15% of GOP voters, tied with Mitt Romney and three points behind Herman Cain, who is slipping.
A national McClatchy/Marist poll shows Gingrich in second place with 19% of the vote — four points behind Romney. Also notable is that 43% of Gingrich’s supporters say they are firmly committed to his candidacy — compared to 30% for Romney, and 31% for Cain. In total, only 30% of voters supporting a candidate say they are firmly committed. Gingrich’s higher-than-average floor of support could prove significant moving forward.
Gingrich’s numbers are also seeing movement at the state level. An Insider Advantage poll in South Carolina shows major momentum in a crucial early primary. Gingrich is in 2nd place with 18.9% of the vote, compared to Cain’s 25.6%. By comparison, Insider Advantage’s previous South Carolina poll showed Gingrich in fourth place with 8% of the vote, compared to Rick Perry’s 12%, Romney’s 16%, and Cain’s 32%.
Gingrich’s movement in Insider Advantage’s recent Iowa poll is less extreme: As in Insider Advantage’s previous poll of the state, Gingrich is in third place, this time with 14.5% of the vote, up from 12.1%.
Just over a week ago, Gingrich predicted the primary would “end up being Mitt and Newt” — and many chuckled. It doesn’t seem so funny now.
Brace yourselves, folks. Newt Gingrich may be on the verge of seizing the national spotlight.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
In the wake of Herman Cain’s multiple sexual harassment accusations, the media narrative of Romney-the-Inevitable has continued to grow. But it seems the anti-Mitt crowd is continuing to grasp for other choices. The latest alternative?
Newt Gingrich.
Months ago, many declared Gingrich’s campaign dead barely after it had begun, when he criticized Paul Ryan’s medicare-killing house budget, and lost his top campaign staffers in a major shakeup. But polls released Friday suggest growing momentum.
Let’s review the mounting evidence, shall we?
A national CBS News poll shows Gingrich as the choice of 15% of GOP voters, tied with Mitt Romney and three points behind Herman Cain, who is slipping.
A national McClatchy/Marist poll shows Gingrich in second place with 19% of the vote — four points behind Romney. Also notable is that 43% of Gingrich’s supporters say they are firmly committed to his candidacy — compared to 30% for Romney, and 31% for Cain. In total, only 30% of voters supporting a candidate say they are firmly committed. Gingrich’s higher-than-average floor of support could prove significant moving forward.
Gingrich’s numbers are also seeing movement at the state level. An Insider Advantage poll in South Carolina shows major momentum in a crucial early primary. Gingrich is in 2nd place with 18.9% of the vote, compared to Cain’s 25.6%. By comparison, Insider Advantage’s previous South Carolina poll showed Gingrich in fourth place with 8% of the vote, compared to Rick Perry’s 12%, Romney’s 16%, and Cain’s 32%.
Gingrich’s movement in Insider Advantage’s recent Iowa poll is less extreme: As in Insider Advantage’s previous poll of the state, Gingrich is in third place, this time with 14.5% of the vote, up from 12.1%.
Just over a week ago, Gingrich predicted the primary would “end up being Mitt and Newt” — and many chuckled. It doesn’t seem so funny now.
Brace yourselves, folks. Newt Gingrich may be on the verge of seizing the national spotlight.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Monday, November 7, 2011
DeMint Says He’s Unlikely To Endorse Candidate For President
South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint may be the most prominent tea party darling and conservative kingmaker in American politics. But unfortunately for the Republican presidential candidates, the eventual standard-bearer may have to win the nod without the kingmaker’s anointment.
DeMint says he is “very unlikely” to endorse in the upcoming primaries. Instead he intends to focus on Republican Senate campaigns.
DeMint’s coveted endorsement usually signifies a massive fundraising boost. For instance? DeMint has endorsed two candidates for Senate this season: Josh Mandel in Ohio and Ted Cruz in Texas. His PAC, the Senate Conservatives Fund, has raised over $500 thousand…for both candidates.
Mitt Romney received DeMint’s endorsement in 2008, but not so this time. “It’s a different race, different people in it, different time for our country,” DeMint told the Washington Post’s Marc A. Thiessen. He added that he’d be fine supporting any of the current candidates in a general election.
“I’ve got to keep my focus on electing conservatives to the Senate,” DeMint told Thiessen. He added that once the presidential field is whittled down to two clear frontrunners, he might consider endorsing the more conservative of the two.
Of course, each of the three current frontrunners have come under fire for insufficient conservatism — be it Herman Cain’s waffling on abortion, Rick Perry’s waffling on immigration, or Mitt Romney’s waffling on…well, just about everything.
That might make for a tough choice.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
DeMint says he is “very unlikely” to endorse in the upcoming primaries. Instead he intends to focus on Republican Senate campaigns.
DeMint’s coveted endorsement usually signifies a massive fundraising boost. For instance? DeMint has endorsed two candidates for Senate this season: Josh Mandel in Ohio and Ted Cruz in Texas. His PAC, the Senate Conservatives Fund, has raised over $500 thousand…for both candidates.
Mitt Romney received DeMint’s endorsement in 2008, but not so this time. “It’s a different race, different people in it, different time for our country,” DeMint told the Washington Post’s Marc A. Thiessen. He added that he’d be fine supporting any of the current candidates in a general election.
“I’ve got to keep my focus on electing conservatives to the Senate,” DeMint told Thiessen. He added that once the presidential field is whittled down to two clear frontrunners, he might consider endorsing the more conservative of the two.
Of course, each of the three current frontrunners have come under fire for insufficient conservatism — be it Herman Cain’s waffling on abortion, Rick Perry’s waffling on immigration, or Mitt Romney’s waffling on…well, just about everything.
That might make for a tough choice.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Poll: Cain’s 9-9-9 Plan Remains Popular Among Iowa Republicans
According to a new poll released by the Des Moines Register, a plurality of Iowa Republican caucus-goers still support Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan.
According to the poll, 29 percent think they would be better off, while 31 percent think the plan wouldn’t affect them. Only 18 percent think they would be worse off.
This in spite of frequent attacks on the plan from his Republican opponents. The poll shows that the attacks aren’t making an impact among Republican voters, at least not in Iowa.
Interestingly, 34% of people making less than $50,000 a year think they would be better off, and 33% think things would stay the same. Only 14% think they would be worse off.
The problem? Families making less than $50,000 would see significant tax increases. Only those in the upper income brackets would see their taxes lowered.
So despite attempts to discredit the plan — and despite the facts — Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan refuses to die.
The Des Moines Register poll was conducted from Oct. 23 to 26 by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines. It has a likely voter sample of 400, and a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
According to the poll, 29 percent think they would be better off, while 31 percent think the plan wouldn’t affect them. Only 18 percent think they would be worse off.
This in spite of frequent attacks on the plan from his Republican opponents. The poll shows that the attacks aren’t making an impact among Republican voters, at least not in Iowa.
Interestingly, 34% of people making less than $50,000 a year think they would be better off, and 33% think things would stay the same. Only 14% think they would be worse off.
The problem? Families making less than $50,000 would see significant tax increases. Only those in the upper income brackets would see their taxes lowered.
So despite attempts to discredit the plan — and despite the facts — Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan refuses to die.
The Des Moines Register poll was conducted from Oct. 23 to 26 by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines. It has a likely voter sample of 400, and a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Romney Campaign: Perry Inspires California On Immigration
Where does California get all its liberal ideas on immigration? Why, from Rick Perry of course.
At least, so says a new web video posted this morning on Mitt Romney’s Rick-Perry targeting website careerpolitician.com.
The video, titled “Governor Perry: An Inspiration To Liberal California,” juxtaposes images of Perry with California Governor Jerry Brown. Smooth piano music plays as text describes the Perry policies that California allegedly emulated: Among them, state aid for illegal immigrants attending college, and opposition to the illegal immigrant identification program E-Verify.
“Rick Perry: Supplying Bad Ideas To California Since 2001,” the video concludes.
Rick Perry’s spokesman Mark Miner has since fired back, reports Politico :
“Governor Perry is the only candidate in the race with front line experience on border security and immigration issues. Its hypocritical for Mitt Romney to be critical on this issue considering he not only hired illegal immigrants but also provided them with free healthcare when he was governor.”
So in summation, both Rick Perry and Mitt Romney are liberal. At least Herman Cain has only been dealing with sexual harassment allegations lately.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
At least, so says a new web video posted this morning on Mitt Romney’s Rick-Perry targeting website careerpolitician.com.
The video, titled “Governor Perry: An Inspiration To Liberal California,” juxtaposes images of Perry with California Governor Jerry Brown. Smooth piano music plays as text describes the Perry policies that California allegedly emulated: Among them, state aid for illegal immigrants attending college, and opposition to the illegal immigrant identification program E-Verify.
“Rick Perry: Supplying Bad Ideas To California Since 2001,” the video concludes.
Rick Perry’s spokesman Mark Miner has since fired back, reports Politico :
“Governor Perry is the only candidate in the race with front line experience on border security and immigration issues. Its hypocritical for Mitt Romney to be critical on this issue considering he not only hired illegal immigrants but also provided them with free healthcare when he was governor.”
So in summation, both Rick Perry and Mitt Romney are liberal. At least Herman Cain has only been dealing with sexual harassment allegations lately.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Romney A Great Leader — Take It From A Liberal Democrat
“Take it from this liberal Democrat: If you want an amazing leader, vote for Mitt Romney.”
A nice endorsement, but at this stage in the game perhaps not an ideal one for the former Massachusetts governor who still hasn’t quite been able to seal the deal with the GOP base.
The liberal Democrat is former Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson, and his 2002 seal of approval, which surfaced on the conservative website The Right Scoop on Tuesday, comes at a time when Romney is desperate to flee his more left-leaning past.
Watch the endorsement and read the rest of the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
A nice endorsement, but at this stage in the game perhaps not an ideal one for the former Massachusetts governor who still hasn’t quite been able to seal the deal with the GOP base.
The liberal Democrat is former Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson, and his 2002 seal of approval, which surfaced on the conservative website The Right Scoop on Tuesday, comes at a time when Romney is desperate to flee his more left-leaning past.
Watch the endorsement and read the rest of the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Not Helping: David Duke Supports Occupy Wall Street
From the department of unhelpful things…
In an October 20th video posted on his Youtube channel, former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke expressed support for the Occupy Wall Street movement — or, as he calls it, the “Occupy Zionist Wall Street” movement.
“The Zionist media has their paid whores condemning the demonstrations across America against these criminal banks,” says Duke, citing Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly as specific examples.
“I cheer the men and women in the streets condemning the international banks that hold America hostage.”
The “controlled conservatives…on mainstream media,” as Duke calls them, don’t seem too upset. Not if we’re judging by a tweet from the Drudge Report Friday morning linking to the story.
Indeed elements of the conservative establishment have been eager to paint the Occupy Wall Street movement as little more than anti-Semitic riffraff. One can easily imagine “Dr. Duke” soon being used in an ad belittling the protests.
For the record, Duke, who served one term in the Louisiana House of Representatives in the early ’90s, is a Republican.
Read the story and see the video here: Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
In an October 20th video posted on his Youtube channel, former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke expressed support for the Occupy Wall Street movement — or, as he calls it, the “Occupy Zionist Wall Street” movement.
“The Zionist media has their paid whores condemning the demonstrations across America against these criminal banks,” says Duke, citing Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly as specific examples.
“I cheer the men and women in the streets condemning the international banks that hold America hostage.”
The “controlled conservatives…on mainstream media,” as Duke calls them, don’t seem too upset. Not if we’re judging by a tweet from the Drudge Report Friday morning linking to the story.
Indeed elements of the conservative establishment have been eager to paint the Occupy Wall Street movement as little more than anti-Semitic riffraff. One can easily imagine “Dr. Duke” soon being used in an ad belittling the protests.
For the record, Duke, who served one term in the Louisiana House of Representatives in the early ’90s, is a Republican.
Read the story and see the video here: Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
TPM LiveWire: San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee: 2 Legit 2 Quit
Democratic San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee, appointed after former Mayor Gavin Newsom resigned to become Lieutenant Governor of California, originally pledged not to run in this November's mayoral election. But in August he reversed his decision -- and now we know why: He's simply too legit to quit.
At least, so say musicians will.i.am and MC Hammer, along with San Francisco Giants pitcher Brian Wilson and others, in a new web video.
Read the rest of the story and see the video at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
At least, so say musicians will.i.am and MC Hammer, along with San Francisco Giants pitcher Brian Wilson and others, in a new web video.
Read the rest of the story and see the video at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Gingrich And Cain Are Just Like Lincoln And Douglas
David Teich October 24, 2011, 3:20 PM 301 2
Those longing for a spirited philosophical forum between Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich will finally have their wish.
Bill O’Sullivan, treasurer of Texas Tea Party Patriots, has told National Review Online that the two candidates will participate in a “modified Lincoln-Douglas debate.”
“This debate is going to be dominated by the candidates going back and forth, in a respectful way,” O’Sullivan told NRO. “It will be divided into parts, one for each major entitlement — Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid — with each candidate detailing their arguments.”
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) will emcee the debate, to be held on November 5 at the Woodlands Resort near Houston.
“[H]aving them together for a modified Lincoln-Douglas debate will be great,” O’Sullivan told NRO. “It’ll be a real opportunity for the conversation about entitlements to get serious.”
So not exactly the future of slavery in America. But at least Cain and Gingrich have one thing in common with Lincoln and Douglas: As of yet, no broadcast network has agreed to air their debate.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Those longing for a spirited philosophical forum between Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich will finally have their wish.
Bill O’Sullivan, treasurer of Texas Tea Party Patriots, has told National Review Online that the two candidates will participate in a “modified Lincoln-Douglas debate.”
“This debate is going to be dominated by the candidates going back and forth, in a respectful way,” O’Sullivan told NRO. “It will be divided into parts, one for each major entitlement — Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid — with each candidate detailing their arguments.”
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) will emcee the debate, to be held on November 5 at the Woodlands Resort near Houston.
“[H]aving them together for a modified Lincoln-Douglas debate will be great,” O’Sullivan told NRO. “It’ll be a real opportunity for the conversation about entitlements to get serious.”
So not exactly the future of slavery in America. But at least Cain and Gingrich have one thing in common with Lincoln and Douglas: As of yet, no broadcast network has agreed to air their debate.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Squatters Ridicule Bachmann With Fake Campaign Sites
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On Abortion, Romney Was Against It Before He Was For It Before He Was Against It
Before he shifted his position to run for the Republican presidential nomination, Mitt Romney had always been pro-choice — right?
Apparently not. According to an article by Sheryl Gay Stolberg in Sunday’s New York Times, Romney’s shifts on the abortion issue go back even further. Before embracing a pro-choice position in the mid-90s, Romney, as a leader in the Mormon Church, was fiercely pro-life. He once even urged a pregnant mother of four to carry a life-threatening pregnancy to term.
So when did Romney flip on the issue? When he first ran for office in Massachusetts, during his 1994 Senate race against Ted Kennedy. He also held the pro-choice position during his run for, and tenure as, governor.
So it turns out the common narrative is a bit off: Romney’s run for president didn’t drive him to abandon the “true” pro-choice position he held as a blue state politician. Instead we see a man who modified his pro-life position to become that blue state politician. And now, perhaps, he’s back to where he really stands.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Apparently not. According to an article by Sheryl Gay Stolberg in Sunday’s New York Times, Romney’s shifts on the abortion issue go back even further. Before embracing a pro-choice position in the mid-90s, Romney, as a leader in the Mormon Church, was fiercely pro-life. He once even urged a pregnant mother of four to carry a life-threatening pregnancy to term.
So when did Romney flip on the issue? When he first ran for office in Massachusetts, during his 1994 Senate race against Ted Kennedy. He also held the pro-choice position during his run for, and tenure as, governor.
So it turns out the common narrative is a bit off: Romney’s run for president didn’t drive him to abandon the “true” pro-choice position he held as a blue state politician. Instead we see a man who modified his pro-life position to become that blue state politician. And now, perhaps, he’s back to where he really stands.
Read the story at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Does Christie’s Electoral Record Really Bode Well for 2012?
Is he or isn’t he? That seems to have been the only question on cable news over the past few days, and has - of course - referred to a possible Presidential run by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
The right’s punditocracy is practically salivating at the thought of Christie making a last-minute entry, while those of a left-leaning bent seem to be quivering. On MSNBC Tuesday morning, Cory Booker, the Democratic Mayor of Newark, called Christie “the most competitive candidate against Barack Obama that’s out there.”
Christie’s appeal is clear. A blue state governor with a conservative record on issues such as education and taxation — as well as experience attracting independent voters, not to mention a reputation as a “winner” who gets his way — he seems like a formidable candidate.
But those touting Christie as the electable alternative to Perry and Romney may be overlooking a major red flag: his 2009 campaign for governor, which is also the only political campaign of the former U.S. Attorney’s career.
Read the rest at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
The right’s punditocracy is practically salivating at the thought of Christie making a last-minute entry, while those of a left-leaning bent seem to be quivering. On MSNBC Tuesday morning, Cory Booker, the Democratic Mayor of Newark, called Christie “the most competitive candidate against Barack Obama that’s out there.”
Christie’s appeal is clear. A blue state governor with a conservative record on issues such as education and taxation — as well as experience attracting independent voters, not to mention a reputation as a “winner” who gets his way — he seems like a formidable candidate.
But those touting Christie as the electable alternative to Perry and Romney may be overlooking a major red flag: his 2009 campaign for governor, which is also the only political campaign of the former U.S. Attorney’s career.
Read the rest at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Thursday, September 15, 2011
What Consensus? Poll Shows Misconceptions About Scientific Agreement On Climate Change, Talking Points Memo
While Republican candidates for president champion far right causes to try to capture the tea party vote in the primary, each will have to worry about moving back to the center should they win the nomination. On issues like entitlement reform, this may cause trouble. But when it comes to global warming, they might not have to scramble back to the middle: They may already be there.
According to a poll by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, while most Americans agree global warming is taking place, many are still badly misinformed about the scientific consensus surrounding its causes. From the study, only 29% of Republicans and 10% of Tea Partiers think most scientists believe global warming is taking place. While Democrats (55%) and independents (46%) do better on the question, they're still way off.
Read the rest at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
According to a poll by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, while most Americans agree global warming is taking place, many are still badly misinformed about the scientific consensus surrounding its causes. From the study, only 29% of Republicans and 10% of Tea Partiers think most scientists believe global warming is taking place. While Democrats (55%) and independents (46%) do better on the question, they're still way off.
Read the rest at Talking Points Memo
davidzteich@gmail.com
Saturday, September 3, 2011
An East Village tattoo artist, Village Beat
Yonatan “Yoni” Zilber was walking along Avenue A in the East Village in June of 2001 when he ran into Lori Leven, owner of the respected tattoo shop New York Adorned. Zilber had come from Israel for the annual New York City Tattoo Convention. Noticing Zilber’s dreadlocks and tattoos, Leven approached to ask if he was a tattoo artist. One thing led to another, and after looking at Zilber’s portfolio, Leven offered him a job.
Growing up near Tel Aviv in the city of Hod HaSharon, Zilber was five when he became interested in drawing and only 12 when he developed a passion for tattoos, reading tattoo magazines and studying the designs of top artists.
Leaving Israel, where he’d worked at Psycho Tattoo in Tel Aviv for the past few years, wasn’t easy. But it was the only choice for someone who wanted to stretch himself artistically: The craft was more sophisticated and technically evolved in New York City, he says, and indeed many of the works he admired in magazines were produced at New York Adorned. So a year later, he obtained an artist’s visa and immigrated to New York.
Mostly self-taught back then, Zilber found the skill level of his new colleagues intimidating.
“I felt like a backyard basketball player who fell into the NBA,” he says. “I had to start educating myself.” He began taking private art classes, with a focus, over the last four years, on Tibetan art — now his specialty at New York Adorned.
Tibetan art, Zilber says, provides an endless source of colorful designs. His Tibetan art-inspired works have ranged from dragons and skulls to flowers and images of Buddha. “[Tibetan art’s] sensitive line expression, rich compositions, and simplicity lend themselves beautifully to the body,” he writes on his website. In addition, Zilber says, his focus on Tibetan art gives him a unique niche within the larger tattoo world. A decade after his walk down Avenue A, he’s become one of the most sought-after artists at New York Adorned.
Zilber met Bethany Cirlin at New York Adorned, where she worked a manager from 2003 to 2005. Recently, when she wanted a new tattoo, she sought him out. In late July at New York Adorned, Zilber tattooed a large Tibetan lotus flower on the right side of her stomach. He spent over an hour sketching out the design before beginning the tattoo.
All reputable tattoo artists have an hourly minimum, ranging anywhere from $150 to $300, though some charge by the piece. Zilber generally charges $200 per hour. Depending on the shop and the artist’s skill level, a customer can expect to pay between $300 and $500 for a piece like the one Cirlin was getting.
When they were ready, Cirlin lay down on a table while Zilber sat in a chair,needle in his right hand, closely concentrating on his work, with different colored inks laid out on a tray to his right.
Depending on the size and complexity of the design, performing a single tattoo can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. It took Zilber almost two hours to complete Cirlin’s tattoo. During that time, Cirlin frequently put her right arm over her face, wincing in pain. The lower stomach, say Zilber and Cirlin, is a particularly sensitive part of the body for tattooing.
“It kills,” Cirlin said at one point during the process.
Not all tattoos are as painful as Cirlin’s, depending on where on the body they’re done, but the process always hurts. “Tattoo pain is not that bad,” says Zilber, who has many tattoos, including designs running up and down both arms. “You get used to it while you’re getting tattooed. But even if you’ve had 20 tattoos, it’ll still hurt every time.”
Cirlin loves tattoos, but her years in the field have taught her caution. In 1997, an artist inadvertently inserted a phallic image into one of her tattoos. After that, she says, “I just became obsessed with the skin…There are so many people who either got tattooed too quickly and aren’t really committed, or have stuff they’re not happy with.” In 2007, Cirlin opened Forever Yours Esthetics at The Laser Spa, where she specializes in cosmetic treatments including laser tattoo removal.
Zilber himself is one of Cirlin’s clients; he is having a tattoo of a skull removed from the left side of his neck. After getting married last year, Zilber grew to dislike the tattoo when he saw it in one of his wedding photos. “The design was weird,” he says.
Laser removal is a lengthy and costly process. According to Cirlin, it takes a minimum of one year depending on the color and size of a tattoo, and requires eight to 12 treatments spaced four to 10 weeks apart. Depending on the tattoo, the price ranges from $150 to $400 per treatment.
According to Zilber, it is also extremely painful, though the individual sessions are bearable since the lasering process lasts no more than a few minutes. Zilber’s bimonthly treatments began in November of 2010. He and Cirlin hope his tattoo, already faded, will be gone by next April.
Zilber’s experience has him more convinced than ever that people should think carefully before committing to a tattoo. “It takes years and money to get a tattoo taken off,” he says. “It’s a bad idea to think, ‘well, if I change my mind, I can always get it lasered.’”
But for now removal was on no one’s mind. When Cirlin’s lotus tattoo was finished, she stood up and admired it in a mirror: Comprised of lush pink petals surrounded by waves of green leaves, it was easily one of her best, Cirlin said.
You can see the video I made here.
David Teich
davidztech@gmail.com
davidzteich@gmail.com
Growing up near Tel Aviv in the city of Hod HaSharon, Zilber was five when he became interested in drawing and only 12 when he developed a passion for tattoos, reading tattoo magazines and studying the designs of top artists.
Leaving Israel, where he’d worked at Psycho Tattoo in Tel Aviv for the past few years, wasn’t easy. But it was the only choice for someone who wanted to stretch himself artistically: The craft was more sophisticated and technically evolved in New York City, he says, and indeed many of the works he admired in magazines were produced at New York Adorned. So a year later, he obtained an artist’s visa and immigrated to New York.
Mostly self-taught back then, Zilber found the skill level of his new colleagues intimidating.
“I felt like a backyard basketball player who fell into the NBA,” he says. “I had to start educating myself.” He began taking private art classes, with a focus, over the last four years, on Tibetan art — now his specialty at New York Adorned.
Tibetan art, Zilber says, provides an endless source of colorful designs. His Tibetan art-inspired works have ranged from dragons and skulls to flowers and images of Buddha. “[Tibetan art’s] sensitive line expression, rich compositions, and simplicity lend themselves beautifully to the body,” he writes on his website. In addition, Zilber says, his focus on Tibetan art gives him a unique niche within the larger tattoo world. A decade after his walk down Avenue A, he’s become one of the most sought-after artists at New York Adorned.
Zilber met Bethany Cirlin at New York Adorned, where she worked a manager from 2003 to 2005. Recently, when she wanted a new tattoo, she sought him out. In late July at New York Adorned, Zilber tattooed a large Tibetan lotus flower on the right side of her stomach. He spent over an hour sketching out the design before beginning the tattoo.
All reputable tattoo artists have an hourly minimum, ranging anywhere from $150 to $300, though some charge by the piece. Zilber generally charges $200 per hour. Depending on the shop and the artist’s skill level, a customer can expect to pay between $300 and $500 for a piece like the one Cirlin was getting.
When they were ready, Cirlin lay down on a table while Zilber sat in a chair,needle in his right hand, closely concentrating on his work, with different colored inks laid out on a tray to his right.
Depending on the size and complexity of the design, performing a single tattoo can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. It took Zilber almost two hours to complete Cirlin’s tattoo. During that time, Cirlin frequently put her right arm over her face, wincing in pain. The lower stomach, say Zilber and Cirlin, is a particularly sensitive part of the body for tattooing.
“It kills,” Cirlin said at one point during the process.
Not all tattoos are as painful as Cirlin’s, depending on where on the body they’re done, but the process always hurts. “Tattoo pain is not that bad,” says Zilber, who has many tattoos, including designs running up and down both arms. “You get used to it while you’re getting tattooed. But even if you’ve had 20 tattoos, it’ll still hurt every time.”
Cirlin loves tattoos, but her years in the field have taught her caution. In 1997, an artist inadvertently inserted a phallic image into one of her tattoos. After that, she says, “I just became obsessed with the skin…There are so many people who either got tattooed too quickly and aren’t really committed, or have stuff they’re not happy with.” In 2007, Cirlin opened Forever Yours Esthetics at The Laser Spa, where she specializes in cosmetic treatments including laser tattoo removal.
Zilber himself is one of Cirlin’s clients; he is having a tattoo of a skull removed from the left side of his neck. After getting married last year, Zilber grew to dislike the tattoo when he saw it in one of his wedding photos. “The design was weird,” he says.
Laser removal is a lengthy and costly process. According to Cirlin, it takes a minimum of one year depending on the color and size of a tattoo, and requires eight to 12 treatments spaced four to 10 weeks apart. Depending on the tattoo, the price ranges from $150 to $400 per treatment.
According to Zilber, it is also extremely painful, though the individual sessions are bearable since the lasering process lasts no more than a few minutes. Zilber’s bimonthly treatments began in November of 2010. He and Cirlin hope his tattoo, already faded, will be gone by next April.
Zilber’s experience has him more convinced than ever that people should think carefully before committing to a tattoo. “It takes years and money to get a tattoo taken off,” he says. “It’s a bad idea to think, ‘well, if I change my mind, I can always get it lasered.’”
But for now removal was on no one’s mind. When Cirlin’s lotus tattoo was finished, she stood up and admired it in a mirror: Comprised of lush pink petals surrounded by waves of green leaves, it was easily one of her best, Cirlin said.
You can see the video I made here.
David Teich
davidztech@gmail.com
davidzteich@gmail.com
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Opportunity of a Lifetime, Village Beat
At 7 p.m. on Sunday August 6th, Jeanne Beckwith sat in the front row of Nicu’s Spoon Theater as a group of six actors and actresses, scripts in hand, went through an enthusiastic reading of her science fiction play Opportunity of a Lifetime, which had won first prize for Best Full Length Script in the Redd Tale Theatre Company’s 2011 sci-fi festival. Though Beckwith describes many of her plays as “odd” and “quirky,” she had never delved fully into science fiction before she began writing drafts of Opportunity of a Lifetime a few years ago. When she heard about the sci-fi contest put on by the Redd Tale Theatre Company – whose mission statement is “To Provide Enlightening, Entertaining Sci-Fi Theatrical Experiences That Contribute to Humanity’s Next Step Forward" — she realized she could submit Opportunity of a Lifetime. She heavily revised the play before submitting it, and was thrilled to learn she’d won.
Nicu’s Spoon theater is located at 38 West 38th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, on the fifth floor of a nondescript building that, from the outside, looks nothing like a venue that would house a theater. A blank steel door serves as entrance. Only a small placard reading “Spoon Theater,” taped to the wall next to the door, announces the theater’s existence.
The theater itself is a small, hot, room. There is no stage--just a small performing space, and three rows of six or seven seats for audience members. But the space is intimate, and well-suited for the reading of a play like Beckwith’s, which involves close interactions between numerous actors at once, with the action taking place largelyin one room.
The playwright was very happy with the experience: “It’s so hard to get a show put on in New York City,” says Beckwith, who lives in Vermont and has been writing plays for three decades. When she won the contest, she says, “What I really won was a performing space in New York.” The presentation, while certainly not a full production, was more than just a stationary reading: Directed by Monica Callan, it was real a performance, complete with blocking. While a woman sat off to the side reading occasional stage directions, the six actors and actresses -- Griffin Hennelly, Judd Silverman, Mary Scripps, Erin Callahan, Bob Carmody, and F. Brett Cox -- moved about the stage, scripts in hand, performing their parts with humor and emotion. The play is about a young man named Ted, played by Griffin Hennelly, who answers a job interview ad that seems eerily specific to him: It calls, among other things, for an archeology student who knows Morse Code. The “interview” takes place on an island owned by a billionaire, named Mr. Solomon, who never appears in the play. Ted soon realizes that something’s amiss: Among other things, his “interviewers” -- including a deceptively genial man named Mr. Cook, played by Judd Silverman, and a scientist named Dr. Butler, played by Bob Carmody -- ask invasive questions about his life, and make odd requests, such as asking for a blood sample. The experience bears no resemblance to a job interview, and Ted grows increasingly uncomfortable as his hosts seem unwilling to let him leave the island.
By the end of the play, Ted learns that he has been summoned because he is in fact a clone of the billionaire Solomon, who has replicated himself in the hope of finding a worthy heir.
Beckwith says she began writing her play partly because cloning was a subject that intrigued. Because human cloning is now essentially scientifically possible, she says, she finds it dramatically fascinating to imagine a world where it has secretly taken place at the whim of a billionaire.
While Beckwith has seen some of her plays more fully produced in the past, she still greatly enjoyed the performance. She says there is nothing like seeing one’s play come to life through live performance, and she was very pleased with the jobs the actors did.
In addition, she says, seeing her play performed helped her detect and eliminate some minor flaws in the play that she hadn’t noticed before. So, says, Beckwith, the experience was not only fun, but it will prove useful as she tries to shop her play elsewhere in the future.
Friday, August 12, 2011
East Village Tea House Walking Tour, Village Beat
By David Z. Teich
Right now, there are several teahouses in the East Village and the surrounding area. Three are Asian and specialize in bubble tea, one was created by the musician Moby, one is a storefront shop, and one used to be a vintage clothing store. Each comes with its own specialties and unique decor.
In April, a rock-and-roll themed East Village clothing store transformed into a teahouse. Physical Graffiti became Physical Graffi-Tea. It’s still located at 96 St. Marks Pl. and still owned by Illana Malka — but everything else is different. “Tea is a passion of mine,” Malka says. “Teahouses, unlike coffee houses, attract people who are calmer and aren’t in a rush.”
Physical Graffi-Tea
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m., Sun, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Address: 96 St. Marks Pl.
Tel. 212-477-7334
Eight steps down into a darkened one-room shop that feels like a grotto, a brick wall faces a long wooden counter with stools. The display shelf holds dozens of tea tins. The dried leaves, which are from around the world, are sold by the cup. Recommended: the ready-made, tangy organic green iced tea, spiked with lemon myrtle, natural essential oils of bergamot, orange, tangerine, and jasmine flowers.
TKettle opened last year. A placard just inside the door notes that bubble teas, which are the specialty here, received their name for two reasons: the bubbly foam that forms on the surface when the drinks are shaken, and the tapioca pearls, or “bubbles,” added to the mix. TKettle’s look: Black tiles, red lighting and wooden tables and chairs. Speaking of red, the red bean bubble tea is a treat: Along with tapioca pearls, actual chunks of sweet red beans emerge through the wide colored straw. A two-page menu with Taiwenese appetizers and entrees is the final perk.
TKettle
Hours: Mon-Sun, 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Address: 26 Saint Marks Pl.
Tel. 212-982-9782
TKettle opened a year ago. A placard just inside the door notes that bubble teas, which are the specialty here, received their name for two reasons: the bubbly foam that forms on the surface when the drinks are shaken, and the tapioca pearls, or “bubbles,” added to the mix. TKettle’s look: Black tiles, red lighting and wooden tables and chairs. Speaking of red, the red bean bubble tea is a treat: Along with tapioca pearls, actual chunks of sweet red beans emerge through the wide colored straw. An extensive Taiwanese menu is the final perk.
Saint’s Alp Teahouse
Hours: Mon-Thu, 11:30 a.m. - 12 a.m., Fri-Sat, 11:30 a.m. - 1 a.m., Sun, 1 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Address: 39 Third Ave.
Tel. 212-598-1890
The neighborhood’s oldest bubble tea purveyor, Saint’s Alp Teahouse, is part of a chain, and opened here in 1999. The East Village venue is fairly large and notable for its clean industrial design, including exposed piping and vents, black tiled floors, and sleek black wooden tables and chairs. Saint’s Alp has an extremely wide selection of bubble teas.The tea-coffee melange is delicious; not too sweet, it tastes the way it sounds: like coffee mixed with tea, only thick like a milkshake, and flush with tapioca pearls.
Kung Fu Tea
Address: 241 E 10th St
Hours: Mon-Thurs and Sun, 12 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., Fri-Sat, 12:00pm
Tel. (212) 777-3747
This tiny shop, which opened six months ago, has just two stools near the register, and caters to tea drinkers on the go. Here, process is transparent and automated. One machine behind the counter shakes tea and milk to a frothy foam; another seals off plastic cups with an airtight plastic strip. A note of caution: skip the passion fruit iced tea, which tastes too much like sugary fruit juice. Stick to the classic black milk bubble tea, and you’ll be fine.
ThirsTea Cafe
Hours: Mon - Sun, 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Address: 280 East 10th Street
Tel. 212-260-0436
This cozy storefront shop, which opened two years ago, has stools up front. Tea tins and tea bags line wooden shelves on two walls and behind the counter. Stock includes tea paraphernalia, including a variety of pots and cups, along with an international selection of tea available by the cup. Hot recommendation: the Chinese Flower, a strong citrusy blend of green teas and flowers. Cold recommendation: Black bubble tea with tapioca, a nicely understated version of this popular brew. ThirsTea is the only stop on the tour that is equally deft at classic teas (hot and iced) and bubble teas.
Right now, there are several teahouses in the East Village and the surrounding area. Three are Asian and specialize in bubble tea, one was created by the musician Moby, one is a storefront shop, and one used to be a vintage clothing store. Each comes with its own specialties and unique decor.
In April, a rock-and-roll themed East Village clothing store transformed into a teahouse. Physical Graffiti became Physical Graffi-Tea. It’s still located at 96 St. Marks Pl. and still owned by Illana Malka — but everything else is different. “Tea is a passion of mine,” Malka says. “Teahouses, unlike coffee houses, attract people who are calmer and aren’t in a rush.”
Physical Graffi-Tea
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m., Sun, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Address: 96 St. Marks Pl.
Tel. 212-477-7334
Eight steps down into a darkened one-room shop that feels like a grotto, a brick wall faces a long wooden counter with stools. The display shelf holds dozens of tea tins. The dried leaves, which are from around the world, are sold by the cup. Recommended: the ready-made, tangy organic green iced tea, spiked with lemon myrtle, natural essential oils of bergamot, orange, tangerine, and jasmine flowers.
TKettle opened last year. A placard just inside the door notes that bubble teas, which are the specialty here, received their name for two reasons: the bubbly foam that forms on the surface when the drinks are shaken, and the tapioca pearls, or “bubbles,” added to the mix. TKettle’s look: Black tiles, red lighting and wooden tables and chairs. Speaking of red, the red bean bubble tea is a treat: Along with tapioca pearls, actual chunks of sweet red beans emerge through the wide colored straw. A two-page menu with Taiwenese appetizers and entrees is the final perk.
TKettle
Hours: Mon-Sun, 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Address: 26 Saint Marks Pl.
Tel. 212-982-9782
TKettle opened a year ago. A placard just inside the door notes that bubble teas, which are the specialty here, received their name for two reasons: the bubbly foam that forms on the surface when the drinks are shaken, and the tapioca pearls, or “bubbles,” added to the mix. TKettle’s look: Black tiles, red lighting and wooden tables and chairs. Speaking of red, the red bean bubble tea is a treat: Along with tapioca pearls, actual chunks of sweet red beans emerge through the wide colored straw. An extensive Taiwanese menu is the final perk.
Saint’s Alp Teahouse
Hours: Mon-Thu, 11:30 a.m. - 12 a.m., Fri-Sat, 11:30 a.m. - 1 a.m., Sun, 1 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Address: 39 Third Ave.
Tel. 212-598-1890
The neighborhood’s oldest bubble tea purveyor, Saint’s Alp Teahouse, is part of a chain, and opened here in 1999. The East Village venue is fairly large and notable for its clean industrial design, including exposed piping and vents, black tiled floors, and sleek black wooden tables and chairs. Saint’s Alp has an extremely wide selection of bubble teas.The tea-coffee melange is delicious; not too sweet, it tastes the way it sounds: like coffee mixed with tea, only thick like a milkshake, and flush with tapioca pearls.
Kung Fu Tea
Address: 241 E 10th St
Hours: Mon-Thurs and Sun, 12 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., Fri-Sat, 12:00pm
Tel. (212) 777-3747
This tiny shop, which opened six months ago, has just two stools near the register, and caters to tea drinkers on the go. Here, process is transparent and automated. One machine behind the counter shakes tea and milk to a frothy foam; another seals off plastic cups with an airtight plastic strip. A note of caution: skip the passion fruit iced tea, which tastes too much like sugary fruit juice. Stick to the classic black milk bubble tea, and you’ll be fine.
ThirsTea Cafe
Hours: Mon - Sun, 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Address: 280 East 10th Street
Tel. 212-260-0436
This cozy storefront shop, which opened two years ago, has stools up front. Tea tins and tea bags line wooden shelves on two walls and behind the counter. Stock includes tea paraphernalia, including a variety of pots and cups, along with an international selection of tea available by the cup. Hot recommendation: the Chinese Flower, a strong citrusy blend of green teas and flowers. Cold recommendation: Black bubble tea with tapioca, a nicely understated version of this popular brew. ThirsTea is the only stop on the tour that is equally deft at classic teas (hot and iced) and bubble teas.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Electrifying: Japanese Game Show in the East Village, Village Beat
An hour after I signed a waiver saying I’d never sue, Noriko Sato tied a shock collar meant for dogs around my wrist. The audience watched in anticipation as she pushed a button on a handheld device. Suddenly, a spike of electricity tore deep into my skin. I yelped in pain as the crowd laughed.
We were all gathered in the basement of an East Village restaurant for “Batsu!” This Japanese game show-themed improv comedy performance runs every Monday night at 8 p.m. Upstairs, customers at the Pan-Asian dining spot Je’Bon feasted on sushi while I was downstairs getting the shock of my life.
“Can you confirm that the shock is real?” asked “Batsu!” co-host Kenji America as he held a microphone to my mouth.
“God, yes,” I said, clutching my wrist. As I walked back to my seat, someone handed me a plastic cup of beer and a strip of thick paper that read, “I survived BATSU! and won this free ticket!”
Batsu, which means “penalty” in Japanese, is a game show format where participants are punished when they bungle a task. Je’Bon’s “Batsu!” is the brainchild of Jay Painter, who co-founded the New York improv group Face Off Unlimited. When Je’Bon owner Joe Yipp was looking for ways to serve up more than just food in his restaurant, Painter offered his idea.
“It just hit me -- a Japanese game show!” said Painter. Batsu TV programs are extremely popular in Japan, and given the lively presence of Little Tokyo in the East Village area, Painter thought the format would translate. “Schadenfreude transcends cultural boundaries,” he added. Sato and America, both actors and comedians, were cast as co-hosts after nailing their auditions. And six months ago, “Batsu!” was born.
Rounding out the cast are Painter himself and his fellow Face Off Unlimited performers: Joe Tex, Eric Robinson, and occasionally Steve Zegers. At the June 13 show I attended, audience members got drunk on beer and sake while performers and volunteers eagerly received punishments such as shocks, paintballs to the torso, and slaps to the face.
I’d resolved not to drink during the show, but after I walked off the stage dazed, still clutching my arm, I took my seat and downed the cup of beer I’d been given. Then I joined about three dozen other audience members in the packed basement in cheering on Sato, 26, who is from Saitama, Japan.
If I had it bad, Tex and Zegers had it worse: A smiling Sato tied collars around their necks. Then, based on suggestions from the audience, each performed a character. If the audience didn’t find it funny, they shouted “Batsu!” and Sato activated the collar.
Tex’s impression of Tony Soprano (my suggestion) was a failure: Tex accidentally mentioned baklava instead of cannoli. “That’s Greek, not Italian!” shouted an audience member. “Batsu! Batsu!” chanted the crowd. Sato shocked Tex, and he clutched his neck in pain. Later, Zegers’ dead-on impression of a proper, crusty old Margaret Thatcher elicited roars of approval, and granted Zegers a reprieve.
And there were other games as well: In one, the ensemble improvised “a-man-walks-into-a-bar” jokes. If the joke fell flat, Sato smacked the joke-teller in the face with an oven mitt covered in talcum powder. In another, the performers and volunteers from the audience were divided into two teams that raced to consume the beer in identical yellow kegs. The losing players were forced to pop enormous yellow balloons against their bodies, inflicting stinging pain.
“How’d the collar feel?” Tex asked me after the show.
“Let’s put it this way,” I replied. “That’s the first time I ever decided to drink while covering a story.”
“Glad you got into the spirt of it!” Tex said.
I sure did. Batsu! is a blast: A shock to the system, but worth it.
A Library's Secret Life
The Carroll Gardens branch of the Brooklyn Public Library is noisy. It is essentially one large room, the size of a small gymnasium. Sounds echo throughout the space.
It’s a rainy day, and the tiled floor squeaks from the soles of shoes.
Against the wall near the exit is a Snapple vending machine. The brand’s logo—an anthropomorphized sun with licks of flame billowing around it like the petals of a daffodil—issues an expansive, dimpled smile, its fleshy lower lip protruding. A sign covers the machine: “out of order.” Nonetheless, the machine is plugged in, and issues a loud, pulsating hum.
Another source of noise is the librarian behind the checkout counter. 40ish, with straight brown hair hanging haphazardly down to his upper back, he converses loudly yet unintelligibly with a male patron. After several minutes, the patron leaves.
The children’s section is cordoned off by an arrangement of bookshelves. Unlike the hard, sickly white tiled floors of the rest of the library, the children’s section is covered with a thin, rough light-blue carpet. Scattered on the carpet are three colorful wire-and-bead toys. There are no children today, until a man, 30ish, walks in with a baby boy, about a year old. Hoisting him into the air by the armpits, the man stares into the baby’s face, and they smile at one another.
The man sits the baby in front of one of the wire-and-bead sets, and together they play, making clattering sounds as they slide beads across thin, looping yellow wires.
Adjacent to the children’s section, an older boy, perhaps 9 or 10, plays as well—in his case, an online first person shooter game on one of the library computers. He blasts away at robots with a heavy machine gun.
A dark-skinned man, possibly Native American, 40ish, wearing a grungy checkered black-and-blue flannel sweater, stands up from a desk, loudly clattering a pair of crutches on the tiles. He has thick black hair and a rough, unshaven face. He struggles toward the exit. There is a short flight of stairs between the doors that mark the entrance to the library proper and the doors that exit the actual building. The man transfers one of his crutches to his left hand, holding both under his left arm. He uses his right arm to prop himself against the railing as he struggles down the staircase. A jarring clattering of metal doors, and he is gone.
Minutes later, the man hobbles back into the library. He leans at a sharp angle against one of the sensors near the entrance to the library.
Meanwhile, a woman, 30ish, wheeling an empty stroller, enters the library accompanied by a girl of about 4. The girl runs to the children’s section and hugs the man with the baby.
The man passes the baby to the woman as the girl selects a book from a shelf. The man takes the book, sits her on his lap, and reads to her.
10 feet away, the woman tries to breastfeed the baby. He turns his head away, and she gives up. Her shoulders slump, and her face droops in exhaustion.
The dark-skinned man, still leaning against the sensor, appears asleep on his feet.
A library employee walks up to him.
“Sir, are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he replies. He struggles back out of the library, the large metal doors clanging behind him.
contact: davidzteich@gmail.com
It’s a rainy day, and the tiled floor squeaks from the soles of shoes.
Against the wall near the exit is a Snapple vending machine. The brand’s logo—an anthropomorphized sun with licks of flame billowing around it like the petals of a daffodil—issues an expansive, dimpled smile, its fleshy lower lip protruding. A sign covers the machine: “out of order.” Nonetheless, the machine is plugged in, and issues a loud, pulsating hum.
Another source of noise is the librarian behind the checkout counter. 40ish, with straight brown hair hanging haphazardly down to his upper back, he converses loudly yet unintelligibly with a male patron. After several minutes, the patron leaves.
The children’s section is cordoned off by an arrangement of bookshelves. Unlike the hard, sickly white tiled floors of the rest of the library, the children’s section is covered with a thin, rough light-blue carpet. Scattered on the carpet are three colorful wire-and-bead toys. There are no children today, until a man, 30ish, walks in with a baby boy, about a year old. Hoisting him into the air by the armpits, the man stares into the baby’s face, and they smile at one another.
The man sits the baby in front of one of the wire-and-bead sets, and together they play, making clattering sounds as they slide beads across thin, looping yellow wires.
Adjacent to the children’s section, an older boy, perhaps 9 or 10, plays as well—in his case, an online first person shooter game on one of the library computers. He blasts away at robots with a heavy machine gun.
A dark-skinned man, possibly Native American, 40ish, wearing a grungy checkered black-and-blue flannel sweater, stands up from a desk, loudly clattering a pair of crutches on the tiles. He has thick black hair and a rough, unshaven face. He struggles toward the exit. There is a short flight of stairs between the doors that mark the entrance to the library proper and the doors that exit the actual building. The man transfers one of his crutches to his left hand, holding both under his left arm. He uses his right arm to prop himself against the railing as he struggles down the staircase. A jarring clattering of metal doors, and he is gone.
Minutes later, the man hobbles back into the library. He leans at a sharp angle against one of the sensors near the entrance to the library.
Meanwhile, a woman, 30ish, wheeling an empty stroller, enters the library accompanied by a girl of about 4. The girl runs to the children’s section and hugs the man with the baby.
The man passes the baby to the woman as the girl selects a book from a shelf. The man takes the book, sits her on his lap, and reads to her.
10 feet away, the woman tries to breastfeed the baby. He turns his head away, and she gives up. Her shoulders slump, and her face droops in exhaustion.
The dark-skinned man, still leaning against the sensor, appears asleep on his feet.
A library employee walks up to him.
“Sir, are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he replies. He struggles back out of the library, the large metal doors clanging behind him.
contact: davidzteich@gmail.com
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The Midnight Showing
Midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show—a campy science fiction musical teeming with transvestites and sexual awakenings—have shown weekly in various movie theaters since 1976. The film itself, about two young innocents stranded on a stormy night who wander into a kinky madman’s lair, is just background: Dominating the proceedings are performers in their early twenties, who wear costumes and mimic the movie.
Sadie Keljikian, 20, has performed at the Clearview Cinemas movie theater, at 23rd Street and Eighth Avenue, since she was 17. Sadie is tall and thin, with prominent cheekbones and long, dark brown hair. She’s loved the film since age 10, when she watched it with her father on video. “The movie was so out there and wacky,” she says. “And I grew up in the Village—I knew drag queens.”
Sadie graduated from the prestigious LaGuardia Arts High School, and is currently studying vocal performance at NYU’s Steinhardt School. She plays four characters, including Magenta the domestic and Columbia the tap dancing groupie. “I do a lot of theater,” she says, “This is absolutely nothing like any other performance I do.”
Including Sadie, there were eight performers—five women and three men—at the Friday, February 11th show.
The packed theater—with 14 rows of 13 seats— is small and intimate.
Throughout the opening credits, as a crimson pair of disembodied lips sang onscreen of classic science fiction camp such as Flash Gordon and Forbidden Planet, a young, dark-haired woman, in black bra, black panties, and ripped fish-net stockings, danced seductively along the aisles, occasionally doing cartwheels.
During the film proper, the performers acted under the screen and along the aisles, mouthing dialogue and mimicking the film’s action and dance sequences. Their costumes exactly mirrored those of their onscreen duplicates: For the counterpart of Susan Sarandon’s Janet Weiss, a lavender suit and a white wide-brimmed hat; for Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a messy black wig, white pearl necklace, black leather corset with matching bikini bottom, and temporary tattoo of a dripping, dagger-pierced heart labeled ‘boss’; for Peter Hinwood’s Rocky Horror, just a naked set of chiseled abs and crotch-hugging gold lamé underpants.
The props—such as a shiny yellow saxophone, two plastic-wrapped orange dumbbells, and a black wheelchair—were equally authentic.
Meanwhile, actors planted in the third row barked precisely timed jokes. (“This is what Michael Phelps’s funeral looks like!” a young man shouted near the film’s end, moments before Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s corpse was seen bobbing in a swimming pool.)
When the show ended and the performers took curtain calls, they were greeted with enthusiastic applause.
For St. John’s University Student Jennifer Choi, a 20-year-old Chinese American, the show was startling. During the sexually charged song “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me,” she laughed nervously as a corseted female with wavy blonde hair climbed atop her lap, straddled her, and pressed her chest into Jennifer’s face. “I was in too much shock to stop her,” Jennifer says.
Nonetheless, she enjoyed herself. With a history of behind-the-scenes stage work, she especially liked the costumes.
“It was a totally different experience than, say, a Broadway show,” she adds. “After a while I liked it, but it was strange at first.”
To the performers, the show is more than a curiosity.
“It’s a labor of love,” says Sadie. “We don’t make money. But the cast, it’s the kind of community you can’t find anywhere else. It’s a crazy, big, fucked up family.”
contact: davidzteich@gmail.com
Sadie Keljikian, 20, has performed at the Clearview Cinemas movie theater, at 23rd Street and Eighth Avenue, since she was 17. Sadie is tall and thin, with prominent cheekbones and long, dark brown hair. She’s loved the film since age 10, when she watched it with her father on video. “The movie was so out there and wacky,” she says. “And I grew up in the Village—I knew drag queens.”
Sadie graduated from the prestigious LaGuardia Arts High School, and is currently studying vocal performance at NYU’s Steinhardt School. She plays four characters, including Magenta the domestic and Columbia the tap dancing groupie. “I do a lot of theater,” she says, “This is absolutely nothing like any other performance I do.”
Including Sadie, there were eight performers—five women and three men—at the Friday, February 11th show.
The packed theater—with 14 rows of 13 seats— is small and intimate.
Throughout the opening credits, as a crimson pair of disembodied lips sang onscreen of classic science fiction camp such as Flash Gordon and Forbidden Planet, a young, dark-haired woman, in black bra, black panties, and ripped fish-net stockings, danced seductively along the aisles, occasionally doing cartwheels.
During the film proper, the performers acted under the screen and along the aisles, mouthing dialogue and mimicking the film’s action and dance sequences. Their costumes exactly mirrored those of their onscreen duplicates: For the counterpart of Susan Sarandon’s Janet Weiss, a lavender suit and a white wide-brimmed hat; for Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a messy black wig, white pearl necklace, black leather corset with matching bikini bottom, and temporary tattoo of a dripping, dagger-pierced heart labeled ‘boss’; for Peter Hinwood’s Rocky Horror, just a naked set of chiseled abs and crotch-hugging gold lamé underpants.
The props—such as a shiny yellow saxophone, two plastic-wrapped orange dumbbells, and a black wheelchair—were equally authentic.
Meanwhile, actors planted in the third row barked precisely timed jokes. (“This is what Michael Phelps’s funeral looks like!” a young man shouted near the film’s end, moments before Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s corpse was seen bobbing in a swimming pool.)
When the show ended and the performers took curtain calls, they were greeted with enthusiastic applause.
For St. John’s University Student Jennifer Choi, a 20-year-old Chinese American, the show was startling. During the sexually charged song “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me,” she laughed nervously as a corseted female with wavy blonde hair climbed atop her lap, straddled her, and pressed her chest into Jennifer’s face. “I was in too much shock to stop her,” Jennifer says.
Nonetheless, she enjoyed herself. With a history of behind-the-scenes stage work, she especially liked the costumes.
“It was a totally different experience than, say, a Broadway show,” she adds. “After a while I liked it, but it was strange at first.”
To the performers, the show is more than a curiosity.
“It’s a labor of love,” says Sadie. “We don’t make money. But the cast, it’s the kind of community you can’t find anywhere else. It’s a crazy, big, fucked up family.”
contact: davidzteich@gmail.com
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Welcome to the blogosphere, me!
Yes, I now exist in the blogosphere. Let's see what I end up doing with that. Will I dramatically change the world with this blog? Undoubtedly.
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