Neil S. Friedman

Between The Lines: Oil’s Well With Drivers, But Not Consumer Prices

Gas prices at a Knapp Street gas station. Photo by Neil FriedmanBETWEEN THE LINES: The law of gravity dictates that whatever goes up must come down. But, when it comes to consumer prices that rule seldom applies. Even so, for the time being, it is relevant. For weeks, drivers have

Opinion

Amending Archaic Law Won’t Turn City Into The Big Reefer

Source: Hupu2 via Wikimedia Commons“…Legalize it, yeah yeah, that’s the best thing you can do” – Peter Tosh, “Legalize It,” 1975 BETWEEN THE LINES: Start spreading the news — the times they are a-changing and New Yorkers will soon be a little less anxious about getting high with a

driving

Speed Kills — 25 MPH Can Make You Absolutely Lethargic

A car accident at Emmons Avenue and Bedford Avenue (Photo by Tom Paolillo)BETWEEN THE LINES: Beginning last Friday, New York City motorists, and anyone passing through the jurisdiction, are required to drive at a leisurely 25 miles per hour on most streets or face the consequences. It’s even

between the lines

Streets Paved With Good Intentions Won’t Solve The Pothole Predicament

Source: _chrisUK/FlickrBETWEEN THE LINES: Since the snow and ice evaporated, most drivers probably assumed maneuvering along city streets would be trouble-free. But now they have to deal with another aggravating upshot generated by this year’s severe weather — a plague of potholes. They’re not nearly as harsh as

daylight savings time

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Daylight Saving Time

Source: Francisco Daum / FlickrBETWEEN THE LINES: It’s time to change — the time. Daylight Saving Time (DST), the seasonal hourly change, commenced at 2:00 a.m. this past Sunday. Clocks, watches and other timekeeping devices, including computers and home video units, had to be reset one hour ahead — essentially

snow fall

Weary Weather Has Us Singin’ Those Winter Blues

Photo by Roman KruglovBETWEEN THE LINES: New Yorkers warmly embraced a balmy weekend that likely thawed their chilled bodies and spirits. However, the forecast isn’t pleasant and looks like we’re in for Frigid Winter, Part Two. [Ed. – It was snowing all morning. We need this like we need

Carmen Fariña

Sixth Winter Storm Leaves Mayor In A Snow Daze

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Source: Stephen Nessen / FlickrBETWEEN THE LINES: With possibly the worst storm of the season, packed with heavy snow, sleet and rain racing up the East Coast, flights were grounded and government offices to the south of the city closed, but late last Wednesday

beatles

And In The End, I Loved ‘Em, Too, Yeah, Yeah Yeah

The Fab Four — John, Paul, George and Ringo — arrive in America at JFK. Source: WikipediaBETWEEN THE LINES: This past Sunday night, February 9, marked the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” A record 73 million Americans — more than a third of the U.S. population

Jaywalkers Are Not Road Scholars

Some seriously out of control jaywalking. Source: Brian Robinson (bhr1) / FlickrBETWEEN THE LINES: Jaywalking, for those only familiar with the term from occasional segments on “The Tonight Show,” can have dire consequences. Jay Leno casually — and lawfully — “jaywalks” Los Angeles streets, seeking spontaneous responses to questions from pedestrians, which are

between the lines

“Knockout” Attacks Are Anything But A Game

Source: What What/FlickrBETWEEN THE LINES: There has been a succession of media reports over the last few weeks about pedestrians being sucker-punched by a single attacker or one among a group of passing youngsters. The series of episodes reported in New York and several other states are being carelessly

john kennedy

JFK Assassination Remains A Defining Moment For Baby Boomers

An original edition, from the author’s personal collection, of the November 23, 1963 New York Times. Courtesy of Neil FriedmanBETWEEN THE LINES: The following is an excerpt from one of several speeches that Senator John F. Kennedy made in Brooklyn, on October 20, 1960: I come over here to

do not call registry

Can We Add Political Campaigns To The Do-Not-Call Registry, Please?

Um, does it run Google Hangout? (Source: Alexandre Dulaunoy/Flickr)BETWEEN THE LINES: Whether or not your candidate was elected, the end of the 2013 political campaign season surely delighted Brooklynites frustrated by months of annoying, unsolicited reaching-out-and-touching calls from local and citywide political campaigns. Even if you added residential

bloomberg

Bye, Bye Bloomberg — Bumps Aside, It’s Been A Triumphant Trip

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Photo by Erica ShermanBETWEEN THE LINES: For more than a decade, Michael R. Bloomberg governed the Big Apple. Entering politics after years as a business entrepreneur, he adapted to the process and departs with conspicuous accomplishments. To paraphrase an iconic line from a Grateful Dead song:

between the lines

When It Comes To E-Fraud, I (Hope I) Won’t Get Fooled Again

Yeah, screw Canada. (Source: mezzoblue/Flickr)BETWEEN THE LINES: In conjunction with occasional Sheepshead Bites postings of Crime Prevention Tips from the NYPD’s 61st Precinct, here’s my tale of identity theft. You’ve probably heard the expression, “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

nfl

It’s Time For The NFL To Tackle Offensive Team Names

Source: Washington RedskinsBETWEEN THE LINES: It’s time for the National Football League to tackle inappropriate team names, with the Washington Redskins being the most provocative. Though most public opinion polls confirm only a small minority of Americans consider the name objectionable, the lingering matter warrants earnest deliberation from the

between the lines

Op-Ed: DOMA’s Dead — Let Freedom (& Wedding Bells) Ring!

Source: joseanavas/FlickrBETWEEN THE LINES: The Supreme Court gaveth a day after it tooketh away. Less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court invalidated part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, it — sort of — righted justice by an identical 5-4 margin when it ruled the federal Defense of Marriage Act

2nd amendment

Op-Ed: Congressional Cowards Need To Bite The Bullet

Source: Silvercore Training / FlickrBETWEEN THE LINES: What we have in Congress — to paraphrase the iconic line from “Cool Hand Luke” — is a failure to legislate. That was quite evident last week after the Senate failed to expand existing gun laws without infringing on the Second Amendment. On top of everything

Opinion

Do All Our Guns Make Us Any Safer?

A Bushmaster AR-15, one of the three firearms the Newtown killer used to ambush his defenseless victims. Source: barryt83 / FlickrBETWEEN THE LINES: When I wrote my first column about gun violence in the wake of the fatal Columbine shootings years ago, I knew it wouldn’t be the last. Similar

Israel

Op-Ed: Beleaguered Israel Once Again Forced To Strike Back

Source: dno1967b/FlickrBETWEEN THE LINES: They didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Israel or any other Middle East nation, but I’m pretty sure citizens of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, anticipating the next wave of attacks, were thankful a truce was initiated last Wednesday to end the latest

democratic party

Op-Ed: Looney Losers Launch Sour Grapes Secession Campaign

The flag of the great state of Texas. Source: AustinFlag.comBETWEEN THE LINES: I truly intended to steer clear of politics for this column. However, when I read about the secession effort set in motion this week in states that, by and large, voted for Mitt Romney, and then quickly

Op-Ed: Voting And Gloating Are Over – Where Do We Go From Here?

Source: DonkeyHotey / FlickrBETWEEN THE LINES: The presidential campaign stretched out for 18 months, yet it seemed longer — a lot longer. I’ve had my fill of annoying attack ads. At least we won’t have to see those fact-skewing, derogatory commercials — until local campaigns emerge less than a year from

Op-Ed: America Needs Barack Obama

Source: barackobama.comBETWEEN THE LINES: For habitual readers of this column, it should come as no revelation as to who my preference is in Tuesday’s presidential election. Over the last three or four months, there’s nothing former Governor Mitt Romney or Rep. Paul Ryan did to convince me

61 precinct anti-crime

Op-Ed: Obscure Victim Of Twisted Justice Left His Mark

Lady Justice, atop the Fontaine de la Justice in Cudrefin, Switzerland. Source: Wikimedia. Click to enlargeBETWEEN THE LINES: A 68-year-old former Brooklyn resident died of a heart attack a few weeks ago in a New Jersey nursing home, not far from where he lived until his late teens. Though his

circumcisions

Op-Ed: A Slice Of Life That’s Become Divisive

Stained glass at the Cloisters shows baby Jesus’ bris, in which some accounts say he received metzitzah b’peh. (Source: pboothe/Flickr)BETWEEN THE LINES: As soon as the New York City Department of Health (DOH) established a regulation recently to require written parental consent before a circumcision, several rabbis

election fraud

Op-Ed: Despite Debate Win, GOP Seeks Edge With Voter Suppression

Source: AP PhotoBETWEEN THE LINES: When Mitt Romney became the Republican’s designated presidential nominee following his victories in the spring primaries, the party’s conservative wing seemed as lukewarm about the former governor as they were four years ago for maverick Senator John McCain. In a calculated move to