Are downtown cops going brutal again? Over the Jewish holidays we’ve had nothing but the nicest experiences with cops from the three local precincts (5, 7 & 9) who were posted outside neighborhood synagogues. But here’s a jarring note from the Feministe blog: Last Wednesday night, “the Sylvia Rivera Law Project was celebrating its fifth anniversary with a celebration and fundraising event at a bar in the East Village. A group of our community members, consisting largely of queer and transgender people of color, witnessed two officers attempting to detain a young Black man outside of the bar. Several of our community members asked the officers why they were making the arrest and using excessive force. Despite the fact that our community was on the sidewalk, gathered peacefully and not obstructing foot traffic, the NYPD chose to forcefully grab two people and arrested them. Without warning, an officer then sprayed pepper spray across the group in a wide arc, temporarily blinding many and causing vomiting and intense pain.” Anybody else care to inform us on this one?
The things you learn on the Lower East Side. The Stiletto blogger reports that she learned a couple of weeks back, while shopping at a bra and corset shop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan (the old-fashioned kind of emporium where the merchandise is kept in numbered boxes stacked up to the ceiling and you don’t tell the fitter what you want, she tells you what you need): A bra should provide enough lift and support so that the “apex” of your breast is aligned no lower than the edge of the sleeve of a T-shirt. If your breasts are drooping towards the crook of your arm, you are wearing the wrong size or style of bra. We wondered, of course, how far up the alphabet of bra sizes we’re going with this formula, and discovered this enlightening entry: Do You Know Where Your Breasts are Suppose to Be Located? In a website called Custom Fitted Bras. We honestly had not known the debate was still raging over this one (We always assumed they were most commonly located between one’s neck and waist). Glad to be corrected.
Special students rate at 39 Eldridge Street brothel. We told you it was all about charging kids for sex… The new shelton wet/dry blogger reports (well, copies and pastes, mostly): Those who called the business-card number were given the address and upon arriving, allegedly paid fees ranging from $35 to $60 in exchange for a playing card that served as a chit for sexual services in secret back rooms. The rates were apparently designed to attract students who might not have wanted to wait until prom night. “It was obvious that they were targeting young students, because the prices were so low,” said one disgusted police official, adding, “Most brothels charge at least $100.”
SBA stalling contracts for women: Velazquez. A government contracting program for women-owned businesses still isn’t up and running nearly seven years after Congress created it. Earlier this year, Small Business Administration officials said they would implement the program by Sept. 30. Now, they say, the program’s regulations are still being reviewed by 24 federal agencies, and they don’t know when contracts will be set aside for women-owned business in industries where they have underrepresented in federal procurement. Rep. Nydia Velazquez accused the SBA and the Office of Management and Budget of “doing everything” they can “to stall the process.”
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Thank you so much for the mentioning Mind Petals NYC Chapter — you should really come and check us out next month — October 30th, 7PM (Gramstand cafe in the lower east side). You are absolutely right — we need to actually “share” these discussions with the rest of the world by providing video / more images. I plan on videotaping next month’s chapter gathering. Again, thanks so much for your words.
Success,
Dave