Latest news with #LowerEastSide
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Being Harvey Weinstein's P.R. Guy Has Its Perks
Juda Engelmayer, a former owner of Kossar's Bagels & Bialys on the Lower East Side, first met Harvey Weinstein in early 2018. A few months earlier, Mr. Weinstein had been accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen women. The list of his accusers ultimately ballooned to more than 80. As Mr. Engelmayer tells the story, Mr. Weinstein asked him to come on as his spokesman and made him a promise: 'He said, 'You know, Juda, I'm going to make you the most powerful P.R. person in Hollywood.'' This, to Mr. Engelmayer, sounded delusional. 'I said to him: 'You know what, Harvey, you have problems to deal with. We can worry about me when we get through yours.'' The five days a week Mr. Weinstein has spent in Manhattan Criminal Court for the past month serve as a pretty good indication the issues are still being worked through. When they started, Mr. Engelmayer did have experience in the field of crisis communications. In the 1990s, he worked for Democratic politicians. He later represented a range of Israeli and Jewish organizations such as the American Jewish Congress. But he knows that he got the job with Mr. Weinstein because no one higher on the call sheet said yes. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man shot in leg at Manhattan pizza place
A man was shot in the leg outside a pizza joint in Manhattan, cops said Sunday night. Police responding to a 911 call about shots fired discovered the 28-year-old man with a bullet wound to his left leg shortly after 4 p.m. near Delancey St. and Clinton St. in the Lower East Side, police said. Medics transported the man to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. An employee at a nearby business said he heard one shot ring out before seeing about 10 people run east on Delancey St. 'All I heard was just the shot and then people running,' said the worker, who did not want to be identified. Two police officers patrolled each end of the block and a bloodstain could be seen on the sidewalk near the entrance to the pizza parlor, which remained open serving a steady stream of customers Sunday night. So far there have been no arrests. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man shot in leg at Manhattan pizza place
A man was shot in the leg outside a pizza joint in Manhattan, cops said Sunday night. Police responding to a 911 call about shots fired discovered the 28-year-old man with a bullet wound to his left leg shortly after 4 p.m. near Delancey St. and Clinton St. in the Lower East Side, police said. Medics transported the man to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. An employee at a nearby business said he heard one shot ring out before seeing about 10 people run east on Delancey St. 'All I heard was just the shot and then people running,' said the worker, who did not want to be identified. Two police officers patrolled each end of the block and a bloodstain could be seen on the sidewalk near the entrance to the pizza parlor, which remained open serving a steady stream of customers Sunday night. So far there have been no arrests. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
CNN
29-05-2025
- General
- CNN
Best compost bins, according to real composters
Compost bin quick picks A small compost bin to get started: Oxo Good Grips Easy-Clean Bin A large compost bin for busy kitchens: Exaco Eco 2000-NP 2.4-Gallon Pail Certified compostable liner bags: BioBag The Original Compostable BagComposting at home is a fantastic way to reduce your impact on the planet, and with the best compost bins, you can start turning your food scraps into compost and reduce your waste. Whether you have a backyard composter or participate in your city's curbside program, composting is an easy habit to start. Once you figure out how to start a compost pile or research your town's rules, you might be looking for a countertop compost bin to collect all your food scraps. But before you buy a fancy bin for your kitchen, take a look around your house. 'As an environmental organization, we encourage people to use what they already have available,' said Lia Lucero, community engagement manager at the Lower East Side Ecology Center. 'Just about anything can be turned into a container, and we've seen a lot of creativity from participants dropping off at the Union Square Greenmarket. Items like yogurt tubs, takeout containers and salad boxes can all be repurposed for collecting food scraps.' Although a compost bin is an eco-friendly product, the more sustainable option is to use what you already have. If you don't have a container at home or like the idea of a separate bin to help you collect food scraps, we've listed some of the best on the market to get you started. EconoHome 5-Gallon Bucket Pail Container With Lid "My expertise is mostly in compost production, so I am in favor of any bin of organics that is clean (contamination-free)," said Rutger Myers, director of compost and carbon farming at Eco-Cycle. "I'm not particularly picky about my organic receptacle bin. At home, I use a 5-gallon bucket with a lid." Simplehuman Compost Caddy This compost bin can attach to existing Simplehuman trash cans, making it a great modular option. It has a sleek design but is on the smaller side compared to other bins. Oxo Good Grips Easy-Clean 0.75-Gallon Compost Bin This small compost bin from Oxo is made from plastic, so it's easy to clean. It won't be as durable as any stainless steel option, though. Red Factor Premium 1.3-Gallon Stainless Steel Compost Bin This stainless steel compost bin can hold 1.3 gallons of food waste and keep your kitchen from stinking with a charcoal filter. It's very similar to a bin I've had and used for over four years. Compost bins aren't typically dishwasher-safe, but stainless steel is easy to clean in the sink. Epica 1.3-Gallon Stainless Steel Countertop Compost Bin This stainless steel bin also has a charcoal filter to help reduce odors. I've found I like bins with 1.3 gallons of capacity, as it gets full in about one to two weeks. I've had issues in the past with discoloration of painted and enameled containers, which is why I prefer plain stainless steel. Kibaga Kitchen Compost Bin With Smell Proof Lid This cute can is made from stainless steel but has a wooden handle and knob. If you keep your bin on your counter and care about aesthetics, this could be a good option. Tiyafuro 2.4-Gallon Kitchen Compost Bin If you'd rather keep your compost bin under the sink, this nifty hanging bin is a great option. It holds 2.4 gallons, so unless you create a lot of food waste, you'll probably want to empty it even before it gets full. Exaco ECO 2000-NP 2.4-Gallon Kitchen Compost Pail Another large, budget option for kitchens that produce a lot of scraps, this pail has a carbon filter and is built from sturdy plastic. BioBag The Original Compostable Bag If you want to line your bin to make clean up a little easier, make sure to research if your collection facility can accept bags. These from BioBag are certified compostable in industrial composters only, so you might want to line your bin with paper bags to be extra safe. Elena Lopez, senior outreach and communications manager at LA Compost, also encourages collecting scraps with whatever you already have at home, such as a bowl or food container. Even if it's a bin you're about to throw in the recycling, it could be used to collect scraps. However, she also said, 'If a stylish compost bin inspires you to stick with the habit, go for it. Just consider choosing one made from durable, sustainable materials like aluminum.' Stainless steel and aluminum are the best materials to look for in a compost bin. Some bins have an enamel coating to make them more aesthetically pleasing, but that coating can come off after years of use. When deciding which bin to choose, there are a few factors to consider. 'When choosing a container size, it depends on how often curbside collection is scheduled in their area and how much food waste they generate between pickups,' Lucero said. 'In NYC, curbside composting is typically once a week, though some residents also have access to local drop-off sites, including Smart Compost bins.' Besides the dimensions of your bucket, location is also an important factor to consider when collecting your food waste. 'We recommend keeping the container in the freezer to prevent fruit flies and odors,' Lucero said. 'For those storing their container under the sink or on the countertop, troubleshooting with shredded newspaper or baking soda can help. Some people use a two-step system: collecting daily scraps in a small container and then transferring them to a larger container stored in the freezer.' Especially if you're storing your container under the sink or on your countertop, look for a bin with either an airtight lid or one with a charcoal filter to help reduce odors. The following FAQs were answered by composting experts Elena Lopez and Lia Lucero, and include reporting done by Kai Burkhardt, CNN Underscored's outdoors, sustainable living and pets editor. What are the best types of food waste to put in a compost bin? What are the best types of food waste to put in a compost bin? 'The types of food waste accepted vary by program,' Lucero said. 'NYC Curbside Composting and Smart Bins accept a wide range of scraps, including meat and dairy. However, community food-scrap drop-off sites usually don't accept those items, as they're processed through smaller composting systems.' As a reminder, when you're tossing your onion and banana peels along with other scraps, make sure to look for and remove any stickers, as they won't break down. How often should you empty a compost bin? How often should you empty a compost bin? You should empty your compost bin about once a week or whenever it gets full. This is easy when you have curbside pickup, but if you're dumping your scraps somewhere, remember to stick to a frequent schedule. If you leave food scraps in the bin for too long, it can start to smell bad, grow bacteria or attract pests. What types of bag liners are the best for compost bins? What types of bag liners are the best for compost bins? 'If you prefer to line your bin, brown paper bags or newspaper are compost-friendly options,' Lopez said. 'We recommend avoiding plastic liners, which can cause issues in the composting process and often aren't accepted.' Some liners are certified compostable, however, such as BioBags, which are recommended by Lucero and can be broken down in industrial composters. For this article, we consulted the following experts to gain their professional insights. Elena Lopez, senior outreach and communications manager at LA Compost Lia Lucero, community engagement manager at the Lower East Side Ecology Center Rutger Myers, director of compost and carbon farming at Eco-Cycle CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when applicable to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this article, CNN Underscored's outdoors, sustainable living and pets editor Kai Burkhardt spoke to a number of compost experts from across the country. He also has been collecting his own food scraps for compost for over four years.
The Guardian
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘I wanted to make people dance, or cry, or puke': Marc Ribot, the wildcard sideman for Tom Waits, Robert Plant and more
'I felt like a warrior for this viscerally powerful music I heard all around me. I heard it in Richard Hell's band at CBGB. I heard it at block parties, in the Cuban music bleeding through the walls of my Lower East Side apartment. I heard it in Haitian rara, in Croatian wedding music. I couldn't figure out yet what all this music had in common, but I was ready to go to war for this cause. I wanted to reach people's souls and make them dance, or cry, or puke.' Marc Ribot is on a phone call remembering the kaleidoscopic sounds of the New York he moved to in the late 70s, in an acerbic New Jersey drawl that melts with the warmth of the memory. In the decades since, Ribot has gone on to become a wildcard sideman treasured by icons and iconoclasts including Tom Waits, Marianne Faithfull, Robert Plant and many more. He teaches at the New England Conservatory, and has released dozens of collaborations and solo albums exploring his various fascinations with Latin pop, jazz, avant-noise, protest folk and much more. Now, he's made his first vocal album at the age of 71: Map of a Blue City, which has been in the works for three decades. But this restless and charmed career would have seemed a pipe dream during his early days in New York, when he was a 24-year-old jobbing guitarist clinging to his belief that 'jazz was the music of freedom' and gritting his teeth through gigs with veteran bebop organist Brother Jack McDuff. 'He would fix me with his infamous death-ray glare across the bandstand every night – I was not, and have never been, a good bebop player.' He persisted, his nights spent transcribing solos by freethinking jazz artists such as Eric Dolphy and Albert Ayler, his days spent earning $50 a session for novelty albums starring kids' characters such as Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake. It wasn't until he saw jazz-adjacent No Wave groups – James Chance and the Blacks, DNA and the Lounge Lizards – that he found the kind of scene he'd moved to New York for, and Ribot ended up joining the latter band. Led by painter John Lurie, the Lizards charmed the hip cognoscenti of New York, and on New Year's Eve 1984, Tom Waits clambered on stage for their punk-jazz rendition of Auld Lang Syne. Waits invited Ribot to play on 1985's Rain Dogs, and amid a starry cast of guitarists – including Keith Richards – Ribot was the most idiosyncratic, duelling ribcage-rattling marimba on Singapore, etching the gothic Cemetery Polka and channelling southern soul on the sorrowful Hang Down Your Head. Waits wasn't interested in musicians who simply played the parts he assigned them. 'We were all involved in the process of creating,' Ribot says. 'There were no written charts or orchestrations; Tom would play guitar or piano or congas, set a rhythm and a vibe, and then we'd come up with parts. He conceived his songs theatrically, asking the listener: who is the singer? What kind of bar are they singing in? Are they breathing their disgusting breath into your ear? It's like as a guitarist, you're always making choices: play loud or soft, simple harmonies or discordant tone clusters. Are you a remote god atop a mountain, bellowing commands to the faithful? Or are you whispering in somebody's ear? We always tailored our playing to support the stories the songs told.' Ribot also joined Waits's live band. 'We rehearsed 60 to 70 songs. And Tom could call off any one of those, or something we hadn't rehearsed, and you had to roll with it. Tom was a demanding bandleader – he needs stuff to groove, and if the band is being wishy-washy, it wounds him personally and physically. You've seen footage of him in concert, banging the mic stand on the stage? That's not a gimmick, that's him telling us to get with the program. But he was always respectful. Tom understood the difference between a musician and a servant.' Ribot has continued to work with Waits over the years since, though Waits hasn't put out an album since 2011. 'Tom's processes are a deep mystery to everyone, probably including himself. But he knows that if he wants to jam, I'm here.' After Rain Dogs, Ribot's session career blossomed in myriad directions, working with Elvis Costello, Madeleine Peyroux, proto-industrialist Foetus and many more. 'The few people who've hired me as a one-size-fits-all player or asked me to play like I do on Tom's records have been quickly disabused of their concept,' he says. 'What I try to do is make sense of what I'm hearing. I didn't play what I played on Tom's songs because I think that's 'good guitar' – it made sense on those songs.' He has the unflappable confidence of a hotshot sessioneer who's held his own alongside absolute legends. But when T Bone Burnett invited him to play on Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's 2007 album Raising Sand, Ribot was 'totally intimidated', he laughs. 'My junior high rock band was called Love Gun! Like every other guitarist in the world, I always dreamed of playing Whole Lotta Love! I took 20 different fuzzboxes in with me: finally, I get to play some metal!' Raising Sand was, however, an exercise in Americana, which nevertheless suited Ribot's playing perfectly. 'Still, whenever I'd hear Plant's voice in my headphones, I was like Dr Strangelove when he can't stop doing the Nazi salute, my foot twitching towards the fuzzbox. But Alison's such a great singer and storyteller. I was so carried away by her voice and the story she was singing that I straight-up forgot to play. That had never happened to me before.' Ribot then jumped aboard The Union, Elton John's 2010 album with legendary musician and songwriter Leon Russell, who gave Elton's career a crucial boost early on. 'Leon was ill, it was towards the end of his life,' Ribot says. 'But towards the end of the sessions he came out of surgery and overdubbed his parts. Elton was very much in the room all the time. I remember walking into one of the isolation rooms to find Elton playing bebop piano, and he had great chops. And that's why that record made sense, because you could hear the strong New Orleans roots in both their playing. Elton's absolutely a closet jazz musician!' When not sharing the rarefied air of rock royalty, you can find Ribot downtown, shredding with the likes of far-out composer John Zorn. 'John really understands extended technique,' he says admiringly. 'It's one thing to ask someone to play guitar with a balloon, and another to actually make music playing with a balloon, to own that language, as we did on The Book of Heads'. And his interest in Latin and Caribbean music – which began when he was a 10-year-old, taking guitar lessons from family friend Frantz Casseus, 'the father of Haitian classical guitar' – has become another area of specialism, as he's recorded albums of Casseus's pieces, played for Latin stars like Caetano Veloso and Marisa Monte, and won a passionate following in South America with his band Los Cubanos Postizos (The Prosthetic Cubans), reinterpreting the music of Arsenio Rodriguez, who Ribot says 'was both the Duke Ellington and Jimi Hendrix of Cuban music'. 'I usually play better on other people's records,' he says, 'because on my own records I'm dealing with so much more than playing guitar.' Map of a Blue City began in the mid-90s as sparse demos recorded in his apartment. Rejected by punk-rock label Epitaph Records for being 'too dark' (Too Dark for Epitaph became the album's title for a while), the project was later helmed by legendary producer Hal Willner, who secured a budget and a string section to fully realise Ribot's early sketches. 'But I liked the demos better,' Ribot winces. 'It got shelved, and I paid Hal back over seven or eight years.' Ribot then lost the original multi-tracks – but another producer friend, Ben Greenberg, used modern technology to recover the lost music. 'It's like chamber music: intimate,' he says, of the album. Alongside his own songs, Ribot covers the Carter Family's apocalyptic vision When the World's on Fire, and adds music to Allen Ginsberg's Sometime Jailhouse Blues; For Celia is inspired by Heinrich Heine's poem The Lorelei, and Holocaust imagery. 'The song is about not trying to impose a romantic narrative on history,' he says, 'and instead looking upon it like the disaster it is.' The ongoing disaster of the present is increasingly occupying Ribot, who in in 2018 released Songs of Resistance 1942-2018, featuring friends including Waits, Steve Earle and Meshell Ndegeocello. 'I don't often go in for straight-ahead agitprop, but Donald Trump is a fascist,' he says, gravely. 'We are on the edge – or over the edge – of a crisis of legitimacy.' In response, he's seeking translators so he can publish Italian-language 'histories of what the Italians call la resistenza lunga against Mussolini. We're searching for a language of resistance, and that's a good place to look.' But even during wartime, life goes on. Marc has to set off for that morning's class at the Conservatory, and after that, no doubt, begin work on the next additions to his epic discography. I tell him that lists Ribot as having performed on an astonishing 576 individual releases, from Barbie's Country Favourites in 1981, to this year's Music for Roads by Finnish duo Tuomo & Markus. When does he sleep? 'I like playing on records. I've been lucky, it's how I pay the rent,' he chuckles, softly. 'There are corners of what I've done that even I'm not familiar with.' Map of a Blue City is out now on New West Records
