Monthly Archives: August 2010

The Beck DC rally and “ground zero mosque”

Check out our very own Alex Zaitchik’s dispatch on the, uh “Restore America” rally in DC this past weekend in The New Republic. Ya’ll will recall the Beck Junta that Alex led off of his new book. Honestly, every time I read about Beck I want to smash something, the guy is so infuriating.  He holds what

Will Israel Bomb Iran?

A lot of people are talking about the cover story in the new Atlantic by Jeffrey Goldberg on the possibility of Israel attacking Iran. I found it fascinating reading, diligent reporting with a wide range of sources and a different take on the psychology behind this. I didn’t realize at all the background with Netanyahu and

Urban Change

Looking forward to the Urban Change Junta. We have our first film showing as a part of the Junta for this one, with some of the folks involved in the movie Vanishing City as a part of it. I’m been skeptical about those who are quick to attack the way a city is changing. I

Casual observations of the downsides of car culture and climate change

Not a great time to be in Moscow, huh? A once in a lifetime heat-wave contributes to a rash of wildfires and the Russian capital is baking under a cloud of smog that has killed 700 so far. Craziness.  I’m not a huge of fan of Moscow generally, this story in the New Yorker is

Is the City Vanishing?

If change is a constant, then does the city have any real identity or soul? Or is change not constant? Is anything about the city permanent? “The Vanishing City” is an upcoming documentary about New York’s real estate market leading up to the Great Recession of Our Time, which “exposes the real politic behind the

Urban Living

The Junta is contemplating a mid-Sept gathering to discuss city living – not only in New York but in cities across the country and around the world. A principle issue is gentrification and the expanding of the luxury-condo style of living. Think of the changes that Bloomberg has been behind, like cookie-cutter newsstand structures that

Israel/Palestine

Mixed signals coming out of the Middle East at the moment. Hamas is back to launching rockets at Israel, likely upset that their flotilla moment has passed and now trying to ignite controversy as Israel uneasily moves towards the end of the its settlement ban; the attacks are useful at undermining the Arab League’s endorsement of