Book About Spitzer In The Making

What could be more juicier than the story of a former governor who previously busted up and prosecuted prostitution rings to be later caught up with a prostitute? Penquin group now wants to bring the story to a bookstore near you.

A book about the rise and stunning decline of former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, co-authored by the makers of a book and film about the fall of Enron, is being published by Penguin Group (USA), Penguin imprint Portfolio announced Wednesday.

Peter Elkind, who helped write the best-seller about Enron, ''The Smartest Guys in the Room,'' is collaborating on the Spitzer book with filmmaker Alex Gibney, who is making a documentary about the law-and-order Democrat who resigned last month over allegations about his connection to a $5,500-an-hour call girl ring. The book's title and publication date weren't immediately available.

Actor Robin Williams should play Spitzer in the movie version.

It's Not Over For Officers In The "Sean Bell " Case

Yes, they have been acquitted, but more may be in store for these officers:

Although detectives Gescard F. Isnora, Michael Oliver and Marc Cooper — were acquitted of criminal charges in Queens on Friday, they and their three colleagues are still facing the specter of a federal civil rights investigation, and the possibility of being brought up on departmental charges. Therefore, all six officers remain in limbo, working without their guns and badges.

Could it be possible that they may be fired---or better yet, serve time in federal prison? It's not over till it's over.

Muslim Educator's Dream Falls Short

Critics can have you so dismayed that you give up on your dream. Debbie Almontaser learned this the hard way when critics stepped in to criticize her school:

The school’s creation provoked a controversy so incendiary that Ms. Almontaser stepped down as the founding principal just weeks before classes began last September. Ms. Almontaser, a teacher by training and an activist who had carefully built ties with Christians and Jews, said she was forced to resign by the mayor’s office following a campaign that pitted her against a chorus of critics who claimed she had a militant Islamic agenda.

Did they have proof as to the nature of her agenda?

Officers Accused In Sean Bell Case Found Innocent

This news should not surprise many. According to the judge, the witnesses for Sean Bell were not believable. What is ironic is that the judge must want us to believe that the officers were totally believable.

When Will They Leave Martin Tankleff Alone?

First they convict him for a crime he did not commit, then he spends 17 years in prison before being released; now they put Marty's life on hold by their flim flop actions:

Though the court overturned his convictions, it left standing the original indictments in the 1988 murders. At first the Suffolk County district attorney, Thomas J. Spota, indicated that Mr. Tankleff would be retried; he later announced that the charges would be dropped.

Then the New York State attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, was appointed as a special prosecutor to reinvestigate the case, a move that kept the indictments open. He is expected to announce on June 16 whether Mr. Tankleff should be prosecuted again.

Enough is enough; let Martin Tankleff get on with his life.

Check Cashing Corpse Case Dismissed

Remember the case of the two elderly men who brought their dead friend to a check cashing place to case his social security check? As it turns out, the gentlemen may not have been dead after all:

Since prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Cintron had died before leaving the apartment en route to Pay-O-Matic, Judge Evelyn Laporte dismissed the forgery and larceny charges against Mr. O’Hare and Mr. Daloia.

Sometimes we are quick to think the worse of people. This was probably just a case of friends trying to help each other out.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Can you imagine facing unwanted scrutiny based on your tax deductions? Well, that is exactly what is happening to Gov. David Patterson. When the New York Times first mentioned the governor's charitable donation amount, my first thought was that maybe he did not want to disclose all of his charitable donations.

I thought that was something everyone should be proud of because he was not trying to deduct every little penny in order to decrease his tax liability. The governor has since offered his own explanation:

Gov. David A. Paterson described himself on Monday as a generous person, but said he did not want to reveal more about his charitable giving because he was worried that it would bring intrusive news media attention to those he helps.

His explanation is still not enough for the New York Times who obviously is trying to grab a news story. Shame on you the New York Times..

Official With Ties To Spitzer Faces Scrutiny

You may land in hot water when speaking to a reporter...or is it just the Spitzer connection? Maybe I am just tired, but so freakin what.

Daniel Wiese, a former State Police official, was put on paid leave after a report by the Albany County district attorney said that he had spoken to a reporter for The New York Times in July at Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s behest. During a telephone conversation with the reporter, Mr. Wiese backed the administration’s claim that the State Police had long held concerns about whether Joseph L. Bruno — the Senate majority leader and Mr. Spitzer’s chief adversary in Albany — had been inappropriately using state aircraft.

CNN Anchor Charged With Drug Possession

Listen to this: A CNN anchor gets busted in the park for loitering. It is later discover that he is in possession of meth. Now read what the judge tells him:

At Friday’s arraignment, Judge Anthony J. Ferrara told Mr. Quest that the case would be dismissed and sealed if he reported back in October and demonstrated sufficient progress in his therapy. The judge also agreed that there would be no restrictions placed on Mr. Quest’s ability to travel.

Dah...the case would be sealed. What's the point? Everyone knows the story by now.

Quinn Apologizes To Council Members

Is Quinn's apology a little too late?

In a series of private meetings with rank-and-file members of the City Council on Monday, Speaker Christine C. Quinn kept apologizing. She told them she had blundered badly in her response to revelations about the Council’s appropriation of money to fictitious organizations.

Some want her to resign. This appropriation is serious stuff. It will be very difficult for trust to be rebuilt.

J.K. Rowling Extends "Olive Branch" To Potter Lexicon

When I wrote the title to this blog post, I said to myself-what a bunch of fugery-it's not real:

Ms. Rowling told the judge in Federal District Court in Manhattan that she had been misunderstood.

“I never ever once wanted to stop Mr. Vander Ark from doing his own guide — never ever,” she said as she took the stand for the second time in the three-day trial, as the last rebuttal witness. “Do your book, but please, change it so it does not take as much of my work.”

Her words were not that sincere since her attorney proceeded as usual. Apparently she just felt compelled to utter them since her opponent had been crying. Be honest, J.K., you really don't want him to publish the Lexicon.

New York Governor's Tax Return Faces Scrutiny

There is a lot of hoopla and speculation going around about David Patterson and his wife's 2007 tax return. It seems that some people are appalled at their charitable donation of $150.

Could it be that the governor is more generous than they expect by not claiming every dime from his charitable donations? Some people will find anything to gripe about. They feel that it is more conducive to their psyche by trying to seek out what they perceive is the worst in people instead of focusing on positive things. The governor does not owe them any explanation.

Profiting On The "Harry Potter" Craze

J.K. Rowling goes to court:

Ms. Rowling and Warner Brothers Entertainment, which produces the Harry Potter films, are suing RDR Books, a small Michigan publisher, to stop the publication of Steven Vander Ark’s “Harry Potter Lexicon,” an encyclopedia based on Mr. Vander Ark’s popular Web site of the same name.

Ms. Rowling argued on Monday in Federal District Court in Manhattan that the proposed encyclopedia — she has read the manuscript — is a copyright infringement and is little more than an alphabetical form of plagiarism.

What she denounced as plagiarism and a waste of money, the publisher defended as literary scholarship and an invaluable tool for Harry Potter readers, similar to a Shakespeare concordance, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the dictionary and other reference books.

While I never understood the hype behind the "Harry Potter" books, I do agree with Rowling's assessment of this situation.

What Is Eliot Spitzer Up To?

According to the New York Times, the former governor has a lot of things on his plate these days. Some of those things include meeting with his legal advisers, dealing with his father's illness and attending couples therapy.

The one that strikes me the most is the couples therapy. How does one go about rebuilding a relationship after such a betrayal? I know his constituents are possibly concerned about any legal ramifications behind Spitzers actions but I am concerned about what this has done to his family.

Pope To Visit New York City

Everything publicly mapped out for the Pope:

He will address officials at the United Nations at 11 a.m. and, in a separate talk, members of the United Nations staff. In the afternoon he will visit Park East Synagogue, on East 67th Street, and later, the Church of St. Joseph, on East 87th Street.

Pope Benedict will be staying at the East 72nd Street residence of Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican’s representative to the United Nations. The archbishop’s home, off Fifth Avenue, could take on the atmosphere of an armed fortress, officials said. The street will be closed, and those who live on the block “will be escorted by police officers to their residences,” said Mr. Kelly. “They should have their ID.”

Let's hope no crazys' are listening.

Is Your Child Gifted?

The new rules may say so..

Under a change which is expected to be approved at a meeting on Thursday by the Panel for Educational Policy, students scoring in the top 10th percentile on admissions tests, as measured nationwide, would be guaranteed a slot in kindergarten or first-grade gifted and talented programs in New York. Under new rules announced last fall, however, only those scoring in the top 5th percentile would have been admitted.

So fellow New Yorkers, make sure your little kiddies are prepared for the test.

Assemblywoman Found Guiltty Of Bribery

This is just another case of a greedy politician using her office for personal gain:

State Assemblywoman Diane M. Gordon of Brooklyn was convicted on Tuesday of receiving a bribe for offering to help a developer acquire a parcel of city-owned land in her district if he would build her a free house in a gated community in Queens.

Honesty in government seems to be a goal few politicians are willing to achieve.

I Smell Smoke

Will you complain about her perfume next?

The plaintiffs — Jonathan Selbin and his wife, Jenny, both lawyers — had sued their fourth-floor neighbor, Galila Huff, claiming that smoke seeping from her condo into the common hallway was jeopardizing the health of the Selbins’ young son.

I know Ms. Huff is glad this suit has ended.

Project Runway

People came from all over the country to line up outside hotel W, in Times Square, for their big chance on being the next contestant on "Project Runway". I am really not a fan of the show myself, but I am always curious about those people who spend so much time trying to appear on reality TV.

I guess it is a lot cheaper to host reality TV shows than to pay actors to perform in sitcoms and dramas. As a result, reality TV is here to stay.

Are New Yorkers Getting Fatter?

Studies about people's weight always seems to amaze me.

A new health department analysis says that New Yorkers are getting fatter and that obesity and diabetes are growing faster in the city than in the rest of the country. But generally, Manhattanites have fared better than residents of other boroughs.

About one in four New Yorkers is overweight. And from 2002 to 2004, according to the analysis, New Yorkers collectively gained 10 million pounds.

Where do they really get this info from? I guess anthing goes to start a debate.

What Tripped Up Christine Quinn?

Is Christine Quinn telling the truth?

For years, the Council budgeted millions of dollars for dozens of fictitious community organizations and used the money later for grants to favored neighborhood groups.

Ms. Quinn, despite her reputation as a focused manager with an understanding of the levers of city government, has said she knew nothing of the unorthodox budgeting practice. She and her staff have gone to great lengths to show that she had tried to put an end to it but was stymied by staffers she forced out.

Do you believe her explanation?

Defense Witness Testifies In 'Sean Bell' Case

Officer Michael Carey, was the first defense witness who testified on Thursday at the trial of three detectives charged in Sean Bell’s death, saying he heard the shouted identification and watched as Mr. Bell drove the car into the detective’s leg.

The Altima surged away from the curb, “the fastest it could from a parked position,” and struck Detective Isnora’s leg, causing a minor scrape, before hitting the unmarked police van in which Officer Carey was a passenger, he said. The Altima then reversed, angling onto the sidewalk near the detective before striking a security gate hard enough to shatter the vehicle’s rear windshield, Officer Carey testified.

“I still heard Detective Isnora yelling, and there were other voices at this point also yelling police commands,” Officer Carey, 27, said, adding that at that moment, he thought the situation had ended.

“I believed at this point that there was no possible way that the people in the car would make any further actions,” he said.

Surgeon Testifies In Sean Bell Case

Mr. Joseph Guzman, the passenger who was shot 19 times while riding in the car with Sean Bell, became the center of attention on Wednesday as the surgeon who kept him alive on Nov. 25, 2006, testified.

Dr. Cooper was the prosecution’s last and, coincidentally, 50th witness in the so-called 50-shot case. He was called to establish the nature of the injuries, which are the basis for the assault charges. Prosecutors rested their case on Wednesday, and the defense is expected to call its first witness, Officer Michael Carey, who fired three shots and was not charged, on Thursday.

Friend Testifies In "Sean Bell" Case

Yesterday we were able to hear the chilling testimony of Joseph Guzman, friend of Sean Bell, who was allegedly slained by New York police officers.

Mr. Joseph Guzman’s account of the shooting on Nov. 25, 2006, in Jamaica, Queens, was by far the most detailed version given by one of the men wounded in the barrage of 50 police bullets that claimed Mr. Bell’s life.

It followed testimony on Monday by Trent Benefield, the other passenger in the car, and it was everything Mr. Benefield’s mumbled telling was not: detailed and enraged, combative, questioning and at times almost theatrical. He denied saying, “Go get my gun,” which Detective Isnora said he overhead moments before the shooting, and which set the fatal events in motion.

Both Mr. Guzman and Mr. Benefield were prosecution witnesses in the sixth week of the trial of Detectives Isnora, Michael Oliver and Marc Cooper, who have been charged in the killing of Mr. Bell. A doctor who treated Mr. Guzman’s grave injuries, the Queens district attorney’s final witness, is expected to testify on Wednesday.

Grand Jury Is Investigating "Noose Appearance" At Columbia University

It has been awhile since we heard anything about the noose incident at Columbia University. Now the story has made headlines again:

A state grand jury in Manhattan is investigating the appearance of a noose in October on the office door of a black education professor at Columbia University, officials said on Monday.

The spokeswoman, Marcia Horowitz, confirmed that the university had received a subpoena for records pertaining to the Teachers College professor, Madonna G. Constantine, whose specialty is race and multiculturalism. Ms. Horowitz said the university was turning over records, but she would not be specific.

Let's see how this plays out in court. somehow I feel it will lead nowhere.