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Sharing the Silver Screen
Elisa Mala 10/8/2009 12:00:00 AM
Fade in on a typical day at the Tribeca Film Festival: dazzling images flash across the silver screen, while A-listers flash megawatt smiles for a sea of paparazzi. Skyscrapers loom over the cobblestoned streets of downtown Manhattan.
Bipartisan Hackery, Literary Division
Seth Colter Walls 9/17/2009 12:00:00 AM
When it comes to politicos abandoning policy proposals for the art of fiction, Ralph Nader's puzzlingly bad new novel is hardly alone in coming up short. Other boldface Beltway names and Manhattan bloviators have face-planted their entrances to the literary world, too. While these efforts usually don't snag rave reviews, some have won a little respect from critics. Here's a sampling of the highs, lows, and mehs:
That Practical Magic
Elisa Mala 9/11/2009 12:00:00 AM
What do ecclesiastical garments have in common with a handheld version of a DJ's mixing board? Both were shortlisted for the Swedish Design Award, one of the country's most prestigious accolades.
Negotiating a Credit-Card Crisis
Nancy Cook 8/20/2009 12:00:00 AM
It takes about 10 minutes for Diane (not her actual name) to tell her story outside a Manhattan court room. Her husband was diagnosed with Stage III cancer three years ago and treatments left the couple with $60,000 in medical bills. Unable to work through his illness, her husband lost his job and the adjustable rate on their refinanced mortgage shot up. Now, the collection agencies and the credit companies are demanding their money. "I'm sorry to hear this," says Jeff Thompson, a 30-year-old New York City police officer. "It sounds like you've been through a lot."
The Cupcake Bubble
Daniel Gross 8/14/2009 12:00:00 AM
In recent years, the response to a popped economic bubble has been to create a new one. The pierced dot-com/telecommunications bubble paved the way for the housing/credit bubble. That punctured bubble may be giving way to an alternative energy bubble. But I've got my eyes on a smaller, but no less revealing, one: the Cupcake Bubble.
Get Famous! Right Now! Do It Online!
Jessica Bennett 8/12/2009 12:00:00 AM
Andrew Mahon needed to get famous—fast. So he set up a Web site—famousandrew.com—asked people to give him suggestions, and acted out their fancy on YouTube. He videotaped himself getting his bellybutton pierced, dressed as a Wall Street banker begging for change—even rode his bike around Manhattan in nothing but an American-flag thong.