Tuesday, May 25, 2010

“The tragical history tour” plus 3

“The tragical history tour” plus 3

The tragical history tour

Posted: 25 May 2010 12:59 AM PDT

Imagine no more gawkers.

Residents and neighbors of the Upper West Side's famed Dakota building are battling back against an invasion of tour buses packed with passengers straining to catch a glimpse of the site where John Lennon was slain.

Thirty years after the Beatles star was gunned down outside the building where he lived, the site still draws curiosity seekers. And with them come noisy, gas-guzzling, pollution-spewing, traffic-snarling buses, many from as far away as Canada. "They are an inconvenience and a nuisance," said Gail Bell, a Dakota resident since 1996. "When the tourists get out, they block the entire sidewalk and you can't get back into your building. It's dangerous because many times, the buses block the intersection. They block the vision of the pedestrian walking across. I've seen people nearly killed."

Gale Brewer, the city councilwoman who represents the area, asked Mayor Bloomberg last week to station enforcement agents outside the Dakota on weekends to keep buses from doubleparking.

"It's an accident waiting to happen," Brewer said. "It's not that we don't want tourism, but it needs to be done safely. It's gotten out of hand."

Not long after Brewer weighed in on the issue, a bus driver double-parked beside the building on West 72nd Street and Central Park West and let passengers off.

"I'm sorry," the bus driver said when confronted. "We only park here for like 10 minutes, then take off. I can understand how it is a problem and why residents are annoyed. I wouldn't like it where I live."

Residents in Greenwich Village have been facing similar problems around buses that carry riders on "Sex and the City" tours. Although the buses don't clog the Perry Street site of Carrie Bradshaw's stoop, they do idle outside a playground on Bleecker Street, near the Magnolia Bakery made famous by the show.

"The tour was coming down here with 50-plus people many times of the day," said Gerald Banu, president of the Perry Street Block Association.

"They never shut off their damn engines, and kids are at the park playing on the swings."

Bus drivers who idle their engines near the Dakota face a $2,000 fine, but residents said the regulation is rarely enforced.

Mark David Chapman shot Lennon to death outside the Dakota on Dec. 8, 1980. A Central Park memorial garden, Strawberry Fields, was constructed across the street in the musician's honor.

leonard.greene@nypost.com

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McCartney to be honoured at the White House

Posted: 25 May 2010 03:29 AM PDT

The details of Sir Paul McCartney's big White House showdown have been revealed a week after the former Beatles star hinted about a presidential concert in a webchat. Skip related content

The Jonas Brothers, Faith Hill, Stevie Wonder and Jerry Seinfeld will be part of an all-star line-up that will honour McCartney when he receives the third Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress in the White House's East Room.

Jack White, Dave Grohl, Emmylou Harris and Elvis Costello will also be part of the festivities on 2 June.

Paul Simon and Wonder are past Gershwin Prize winners.

McCartney treated fans to a 30-minute webchat on Thursday, during which he talked about upcoming Wings remasters and answered questions posted by followers.

But it was a coy comment as he signed off that had watchers scratching their heads.

He said, "There's been some rumours and I think we can give you a clue. Think White House. Think playing... If there is an announcement mentioning the White House, remember where you heard it first."

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Around Town

Posted: 25 May 2010 04:10 AM PDT

Mmm! Our favourite 5 chicken rice stops in the Klang Valley!

One of the favourite meals that can be enjoyed by all Malaysians is chicken rice. Behind every chicken rice stall is a man busy chopping chicken during lunch hour, and that oily plate of garlicky rice is a good and cheap way to fill those growling stomachs at midday. Here are our favourite five chicken rice stops around the valley!

1.    Restoran Kar Heong

This place has two outlets, one in SS14 Subang Jaya and another in Kota Damansara. The white steamed chicken here is smooth, the rice is flavourful, the chilli is spicy, and a little bowl of soup to accompany your rice (refillable, and if you like chicken feet, then this is heaven!).

2.    Hoe Fong Chicken Rice

If you're a fan of fried chicken rice, then this is the place to visit. Located in SEA Park (near the wet market), this coffee shop feels like a furnace (thanks to the deep fryer at the entrance). The skin of the chicken is fried to a crisp, and since it's not battered, it's quite thin and provides a nice crunch. The chicken is juicy, and the chilli sauce to accompany is also just nice.

3.    Chicken rice stall in Restaurant Choon Yien

If you're thinking about trying out this place, make sure you get there before 12.30pm as the crowd comes in early and the meats (chicken, roast pork) run out very fast. The rice here is not the soft and sticky type, but it is quite fragrant. The chilli sauce is good, and the chicken's skin is also crispy (we think its barbecued). Be sure to try out their sour and spicy vege soup!

4.    Restoran Shuang Siew

Ever tried Hock Chew-style chicken rice? No? Then head over to Paramount Garden to try this place out. The white chicken is smooth, and if you like your chicken drizzled with lots of sesame oil, then you'll the chicken here. The rice is pretty standard, but the chilli is quite spicy. Order a plate of chicken gizzard as well - they're nice and crunchy.

5.    Chicken rice stall in Restoran Tin San

The chicken rice in Klang is slightly different compared to the chicken rice in PJ and KL. The chicken isn't doused with soya sauce, but it's left clean, sometimes with a little bit of clear sauce. The rice isn't very garlicky, but still fragrant nonetheless.

So tell us, where are your favourite chicken rice haunts?

(Images courtesy of cokeworldcitizen.blogspot.com, virtualtourist.com and frantastic.wordpress.com)


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Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Sir Paul Mccartney - Mccartney To Be Honoured At The White House

Posted: 25 May 2010 12:25 AM PDT

The details of SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY's big White House showdown have been revealed a week after the former BEATLES star hinted about a presidential concert in a webchat.

The Jonas Brothers, Faith Hill, Stevie Wonder and Jerry Seinfeld will be part of an all-star line-up that will honour MCCartney when he receives the third Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress in the White House's East Room.

Jack White, Dave Grohl, Emmylou Harris and Elvis Costello will also be part of the festivities on 2 June (10))

Paul Simon and Wonder are past Gershwin Prize winners.

MCCartney treated fans to a 30-minute webchat on Thursday (20May10), during which he talked about upcoming Wings remasters and answered questions posted by followers.

But it was a coy comment as he signed off that had watchers scratching their heads.

He said, "There's been some rumours and I think we can give you a clue. Think White House. Think playing... If there is an announcement mentioning the White House, remember where you heard it first."

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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