Episode #1024: Best Parade Ever
First Broadcast: 6/23/25
Repeated: 8/18/25
Because President Trump was jealous of the Bastille Day parade he saw in Paris when he visited France in 2017, and because he admires the military might authoritarians like Kim Jong Un of North Korea and Vladimir Putin of Russia display in their countries' parades, Trump ordered a military parade to be held in Washington D.C. on June 14, ostensibly to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the formation of the U.S. Army, and "coincidentally" happening on Trump's 79th birthday. The result was a parade that was sparsely attended by the public, not at all as fearsome as those put on by his dictator friends (and not even as synchronized as the Beijing Olympics), utterly boring to many attendees, and completely dwarfed by the "No Kings" protests happening around the country on the same day, which were attended by around 5 million people nationwide, becoming one of the largest protests in American history. If nothing else, the combined effect was a clear sign that millions of Americans still like democracy, still oppose the fascist tendencies of Trump & his ilk, and still might have a chance of winning the Congress in next year's midterm elections (less than 17 months away! *gulp*). In the meantime: Stay cool like the D.C. subway!
Episode #1025: Just Because You Can...
First Broadcast: 6/30/25
On June 22, 2025, President Donald Trump made Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu's dreams come true by sending a group of B-2 stealth bomber planes to bomb three nuclear fuel enrichment sites in Iran, using 30,000-pound bombs to--in Trump's words--"obliterate" those facilities. The degree of obliteration is subject to debate, with one leaked report from the Pentagon suggesting that Iran's ability to enrich enough radioactive material for a nuclear weapon has only been delayed for a few months at best (and no increase of radiation levels was detected after the attacks either), while Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insist that "obliterated" is the only acceptable description for the Iranian facilities' current state. Regardless, shouldn't we all be outraged at how Trump made a complete about-face from being a vocal critic of Presidents bombing Iran to becoming its latest proponent now that he's in office? Shouldn't we also be outraged over how Trump completely bypassed getting Congressional approval for this act of war--especially since the latest intelligence said Iran didn't have a nuclear weapon, and the majority of the country was opposed to taking military action against Iran in the first place? Trump's fans seem to be divided over their Dear Leader suddenly taking part in one of the "endless wars" he pledged to not get involved in--but how long will their objections last? Should we assume we New Yorkers have yet another target on our back as a result? I vote "nay" on that last one, if only because it makes no sense to live in fear when we have so much work to do when we eventually undo all the horrors that have been done by Trump and his acolytes so far (perhaps the tide is already turning!). Maybe, in the end, this event will be similar to President Reagan's bombing of Libya in 1986, and not inevitably lead to a wider conflict somewhere. So, with that in mind, I'll try to continue thinking positively about the future. Keep hope alive, damn it!
Episode #1026: Round 2
First Broadcast: 7/7/25
In what may turn out to be one of the biggest upsets in New York City election history, State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani won this year's Democratic primary for Mayor, beating second-place finisher ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo by 12 percentage points, or over 116,000 votes. This is a stunning victory when you consider that Mamdani was polling around 1% at the beginning of the year, and was outspent by Cuomo's PACs by around $26 million during the campaign; but apparently buckets of money and name recognition are no match for a decent ground game and policies that genuinely appeal to people. Naturally, since Mamdani is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, President Trump has labeled him a "communist" (totally different head, man), and since Mamdani was born in Uganda, Trump is also questioning his naturalized citizenship, so we've got 4 months of that to look forward to. Will Democratic unity, the youth vote, and appeals to a more affordable city prevail over an incumbent who wanted to bypass the primary, a compatitor who already got shellacked once, a Republican best known for being the head of a vigilante group, and a lawyer who wants to stand out from the crowd by--sigh--hiring even more cops? Let's hope Mamdani keeps his momentum going, because I'm already crossing my fingers for another rent freeze!
Episode #1027: Brackish Water
First Broadcast: 7/21/25
Even though he lost the primary by at least 12 points, former Governor Andrew Cuomo decided he didn't want to take "no" for an answer (what a surprise), and announced that he would continue to run for Mayor of New York City on an independent line in November, because I guess the last thing a Democrat like him would want is a city run by a Democrat chosen by the majority of Democratic voters! Nonetheless, it seems the way he thinks he can win this campaign is by imitating Zohran Mamdani's style and recording a video of himself being out and about in NYC around people (even though the first person he meets in this video doesn't even show his face), but this has a very "How do you do, fellow kids?" feel to it. Is he scared that millionaires might flee the city if Mamdani wins? Because they probably won't, and even if they did, the city's housing might get more affordable if they take their luxury investment condos with them. Independent candidate Jim Walden has suggested that he, Cuomo, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams--who, let's not forget, is running for re-election on yet another independent line--all take a poll later in the year to see who's ahead, and whoever is leading the poll should remain while the others drop out, which isn't a bad idea until you remember that WE JUST DID THAT WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, which Democrat Eric Adams refused to participate in and whose results Democrat Andrew Cuomo decided to ignore, so what makes Walden think they'd abide by some other poll in the future? Meanwhile, Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said:
"This administration wants to encourage Americans to take control of their health -- to eat right, to have lifestyle changes that save us all. And that's the patriotic thing to do, not only for our country but for every individual American. It's a patriotic duty to keep ourselves healthy."
The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, followed that up by telling people on Fox News "Don't eat carrot cake." All of which made me think: Wasn't RFK Jr. photographed eating a tray full of McDonalds food on Donald Trump's private jet? Didn't Dr. Oz promote an astounding amount of quackery on his TV show? Why would anyone have a beef against carrot cake, as long as no one is skipping the cream cheese frosting? Damn, now I want a slice of carrot cake. Remember to drink some water!
Episode #1028: Is It Me?
First Broadcast: 7/28/25
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is still campaigning for Mayor despite losing the Democratic primary, has said that if Zohran Mamdani becomes the next Mayor of New York City, "I will move to Florida." To which I say, "Is that a promise??" According to the New York Post, Cuomo's campaign later said that he was joking, but how much priviledge must he have to joke that he would rather live in one of the most right-wing Republican states in the country than live in a city run by a left-wing Democrat? I suppose someone with money can just pick up and move anywhere, but the rest of us aren't all either as rich or as flexible! And just what is the deal with this "Fight and Deliver" party that Cuomo formed for himself? (What is he, a highwayman?) Is anyone else in it? Will incumbent Mayor Eric Adams run on the “Safe Streets, Affordable City” ballot line in November, the “EndAntiSemitism” ballot line, or both? Will Jim Walden run under the "Independence" line? Will New York State pass a bill that will prevent Trump's secret police from wearing masks to conceal their identities here? Remember to stay cool if you can!
Episode #1029: Optimism
First Broadcast: 8/11/25
The summer of 2025 is still here for a few more weeks, so it's the perfect time to see some summer movies, many of which are still in the theaters--or at least they were when we recorded this episode. The Phoenician Scheme might be the only film we discussed that's a little difficult to still see on a big screen at this point, but it's already streaming, so it's not completely hidden from view yet. Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Jurassic World: Rebirth, The Fantasic Four: First Steps, and the latest iterations of Superman and The Naked Gun round out our short list, and most of them are worth a look. I think some of them signify trends that are likely to proliferate in upcoming movies, namely pop colors, positivity and optimism for the future, unabashed comedy, and more evil billionaires as villains, to name a few. Feel free to watch any of these films and see what you think. There are certainly worse ways to spend an air conditioned afternoon!
Episode #1030: Watch Us Do Math
First Broadcast: 8/25/25
We start off by analyzing Mayoral primary loser--yet still a candidate!--Andrew Cuomo's proposed law to limit who gets to apply for a rent-stabilized apartment in New York State, seemingly inspired by the fact that primary winner and current favorite, Zohran Mamdani, himself lives in a rent-stabilized apartment. Specifically, we zero in on this part:
Under Cuomo's proposal, when a rent-stabilized apartment becomes vacant, the incoming individual income would be capped so that the annual rent makes up at least 30 percent of that income.
At a glance, this might almost seem reasonable, until you realize the wording of this means that a person wouldn't be able to rent a stabilized apartment unless AT LEAST 30% of their income is going towards rent. In other words, since 30% is usually the recommended MAXIMUM amount of income that someone should pay towards rent, at which point one is considered "rent burdened" (i.e., spending too much of their income on rent), Cuomo's proposal means that any future tenant for a rent stabilized apartment would have to START at being rent burdened, and could only consider apartments that would make them MORE rent burdened, not less! This a proposal that only a landlord would love--but even landlords wouldn't want to rent to someone who's less likely to make the rent than someone whose rent is less than a third of their income! Then again, what else should I expect from someone who lives in an $8000-a-month apartment and looks down at someone living in a $2300-a-month stabilized unit? Additionally, Cuomo, Eric Adams, and Curtis Sliwa all pounced on the discovery that Mamdani once supported decriminalizing prostituion in New York State, portraying it as Mamdani being in favor of sex trafficking and other offenses; when the truth is that advocates for decriminalization point out how removing prostitution's illegality helps trafficked women come forward to authorities, as women are less likely to seek help if they themselves might face criminal charges as a result. Besides, are we supposed to believe that an alleged serial harasser like Cuomo really cares about women's well-being? Is it November yet???
Episode #1031: I Didn't Read the Book
First Broadcast: 9/8/25
This week, we take a look at the recently released film Caught Stealing by Darren Aronofsky, which was shot in and around the East Village in 2024, with various locations dressed up to resemble the neighborhood as it was in 1998, when the story in the film is supposed to take place. Since Camerawoman Kim and I are, to put it mildly, very familiar with the how the neighborhood was during the time depicted in the movie, we reflect on how well the movie resembled reality, how successful (or not) the film was at recreating the past, and what we thought of the film in general. We start by comparing the film to four films that Aronofsky himself explicity said were influences on this film, namely After Hours, Something Wild, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, and The French Connection, which all showcase a gritty, grimy New York City that Aronofsky was clearly trying to emulate, but all those movies had the advantage of filming in their own present, as opposed to trying to recreate the past. Perhaps a better comparison might be with Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, which recreated the past with superior set design, or The Big Lebowski, which was a period piece with a much more palatable blend of comedy with a convulted neo-noir storyline but without extreme violence. Or, if you prefer another film based in New York, maybe Goodfellas is more appropriate, since that movie presented a much more immersive recreation of the past and provided what I think was a much better balance of humor and violence overall. One can also be tempted to compare this film to Dog Day Afternoon, or Mean Streets, or Taxi Driver, or Saturday Night Fever, or Smithereens, or Liquid Sky, or even the recently re-released Night of the Juggler for other views of the seedier sides of New York City, but again, all those were shot in their own version of the present, with the city as a supporting character, and not just as a backdrop. Or, one can compare this to something like The Maltese Falcon or The Big Sleep for intricate crime stories, or something like Saboteur for a "wrong man" on the run, or Psycho, or The Birds, or Jaws for book adaptions that excelled by not including everything in the book, if that was limiting what could be done with this movie (did I mention that I didn't read the novel this film was based on?). I could also mention how the credits resembled something closer to Repo Man or Return of the Pink Panther, which made them feel incongruous compared to the rest of the film. The end result, I think, is a film that felt like it was trying to be Desperately Seeking Susan, or Repo Man, or The Big Lebowski, but instead ended up feeling more like Serpico meets Inherent Vice meets Eyes Wide Shut, a violent, convoluted drama where New York City feels less like a co-star and more like a canvas on which one can imagine where old New York used to be. P.S.: This film is called "Caught Stealing" and takes place in the 1990s, and this song didn't appear in it once?!? I feel cheated!