Just for relaxation: John F. Kennedy on the 62 ft Manitou Yacht by Sparkman & Stephens. The yacht was dubbed the “Floating White House.” It was named after Manitou Passage in Lake Michigan — “Manitou” means “Spirit of the Water.”
Read more posts on Pursuitist »
When I am in New York, I spend time in both the village of Hastings-on-Hudson and the town of Greenburgh. It’s easy, since my New York home is in both.
Hastings-on-Hudson, population 7,849 as of the 2010 census, is located completely within the town of Greenburgh, population 88,400. Both are, in turn, part of Westchester County.
When my kids were growing up, they couldn’t cool off in the Greenburgh town pool; they had to join the Hastings pool instead. They were educated in schools that are part of the Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free School District, whose boundaries extend beyond the village itself. Some of their classmates belonged to the Greenburgh pool.
Greenburgh has a police force, but its cars never drive past my house, because Hastings-on-Hudson has a force of its own, along with a Department of Public Works that fixes streets and collects trash. Being too small to support a paid fire department, the village relies on volunteers, who do quite a good job. But, just the same, I’m glad smoke detectors and other modern improvements have reduced the frequency and consequences of house fires.
As homeowners in both Hastings-on-Hudson and Greenburgh, we pay taxes to both. Our town taxes are reduced to reflect some services that the village provides. Overall, however, we pay around three times as much in taxes, per dollar of property value, in New York as we do on our main home in Florida or our vacation home in Vermont.
As I have written here before, companies control cost by eliminating redundancy. The public sector, however, tends to be less concerned with efficiency and the economies of scale. The result, in New York and some other places, is a proliferation of tiny localities, each with its own facilities, its own staff and its own taxes.
Hastings-on-Hudson and Greenburgh are just two of more than 10,000 local jurisdictions in New York state. Efforts to reduce that number have met fierce opposition. In 2009, as attorney general, current Gov. Andrew Cuomo helped push through a law to make it easier to dissolve superfluous layers of government. Under that law, called the New N.Y. Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act, 10 percent of residents or 5,000 registered voters, whichever is fewer, can force a vote on whether to consolidate or dissolve duplicate jurisdictions. But few empowered citizens have emerged to take advantage of the law.
Michigan also recently passed a law to enable citizens to do away with unnecessary municipalities. The first merger proposed under that law failed last month, with residents of the tiny Onekama Village, located on Lake Michigan, voting 139 to 86 against joining with surrounding Onekama Township.
New Jersey saw a big win for consolidation last year when neighboring Princeton Borough and Princeton Township agreed to a merger that is expected to save about $3.2 million. But other New Jersey towns have been reluctant to follow the Princetons’ example, and the state continues to be dotted by so-called “doughnut towns,” where one municipality completely surrounds another.
In all three states, governors have aggressively advocated consolidation, recognizing that the high property taxes levied to support so many municipalities are a major impediment to economic progress.
Critics of municipal duplication are generally quick to blame resistance to consolidation on local public employees, who fill those duplicative jobs, and on county-level politicians, who are accused of using miniature jurisdictions as patronage mills. There is a fair amount of truth to this. In local politics, where elections are often determined by a handful of votes, it is easy for entrenched interests to keep unwelcome change at bay.
But there is more to the story. The truth is that, despite the inefficiencies, most people like their small towns. In some cases, opposition to mergers is a pure matter of dollars and cents. Residents of one district may not want to pay taxes to fix up a pool on the other side of town, or they may be reluctant to share resources with neighbors who have less to put into the pot.
Often, however, there is something else going on – the inexplicable (at least to me) lure of the hyperlocal. The localists usually put arguments about schools front and center. It’s true that the schools in Hastings-on-Hudson, where each grade has only around 100 to 120 students, are excellent. But I expect that has far more to do with the size of individual classrooms and the socioeconomic makeup of the district (heavily populated by doctors, lawyers, psychologists and other professionals) than with the size of the district. Neighboring localities have similarly high-performing schools. I see no reason why our districts cannot consolidate to save on administration and overhead without compromising educational performance.
My guess is that the defenders of local government really want smallness for its own sake. In large suburban areas like Westchester, whose countywide population is just under 1 million, the inconveniences of small-town life, including the nitpicking and nosiness that plague actual small towns, can begin to look a lot like charm. So the borders that were originally drawn when people traveled on horseback and left calling cards for their friends continue to cut across modern landscapes.
While my neighbors may be willing to pay extra to have a smaller local government, I’d be happy just to have a smaller tax bill. Or maybe take a dip in that Greenburgh pool.
For more articles on financial, business, and other topics, view the Palisades Hudson newsletter, Sentinel, or subscribe to my daily opinion column, Current Commentary.
Morton's The Steakhouse has been an American fixture for more than 30 years, and there's nothing more iconic than the institution's classic porterhouse steak.
We paid a visit to the Morton's kitchen, where we learned all about choosing a good steak, and the Morton's technique to ensure a tender, juicy piece of meat every single time.
Bonus: we scored the recipe for their crowd-pleasing au jus, too. See what you think when you watch the video now—and keep reading for the Morton's Porterhouse recipe!
Ingredients
Three 24-ounce aged porterhouse steaks, each about 1 ½ inches thick
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 tablespoons seasoned salt
6 tablespoons au jus (optional), for serving
Directions
When buying porterhouse steak, ask for the center cut, which has the biggest fillet, and look for moderately abundant marbling and a tail that tapers to a width of 1/2 inch or less. When the meat reaches the ideal medium-rare, it will visibly tighten along the bone as it begins to pull away from it.
Makes 3 porterhouse steaks.
Print recipe with images | without images
Ingredients
1 cup reconstituted store-bought veal demi-glace
2 1/2 teaspoons commercial beef base
1 1/4 teaspoons commercial chicken base
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
Directions
A great accompaniment to a Morton's porterhouse, or any other cut of steak.
If you decide to double or triple the amount of au jus you make at one time, cool the strained sauce in a bowl, set in a larger one filled with ice cubes and water. This is the best way to cool large amounts of hot liquid. For the 1 cup we make here, it’s not necessary.
Makes about 1 generous cup.
Print recipe with images | without images
These spectacular paved tar creations from all over the world are an absolute pleasure to drive on!
Imagine a stunning road that leaps from island to island, across 42 bridges over the unbelievably blue ocean. Built in 1938 along the course of an old railroad that was destroyed by a hurricane, this road may be old but it's stunningly well-kept and an absolute pleasure to drive through.
It's essentially a five hour drive over water and if you manage to coincide a part of your trip with a sunrise or sunset, chances are you'll just end up wishing you could cruise along this road forever! The only downside? If you happen to be here in holiday season, the traffic might bother a few but for the most part, the scenery is so spectacular there's no road rage here and being stuck hardly feels like a prison.
Clearly the US' natural resources combined with their technical know-how have ensured some beautiful sprawling roads in its heart and the Red Rock Scenic Road is definitely in the top three.
It winds through Sedona's Red Rock County and offers a marvelous view of the rocks that are as rare as they are beautiful. Little wonder then as to why they call it the 'museum without walls.'
A drive which can still somehow connect you with nature this strongly is as unique as it is incredible so if you're ever passing through Sedona, you know what you absolutely can't miss.
This one is almost deadly to look at in its picture form but in reality, the 48 curves strong road is both thrilling and exalted to drive through.
The road connects central Nikko to Oku-Nikko and each one of the 48 letters is matched by the 48 letters of the ancient Japanese alphabet. Nothing like a little old-school culture to improve your drive even more, right?
Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.
Flic-en-Flac, Mauritius
Situated thousands of miles from the coast of Africa in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Mauritius definitely qualifies as the ‘middle of nowhere.’ This is interesting for a number of reasons– I’ll explain.
I’ve long argued that the world is entering a rather tumultuous phase. This isn’t some doom or gloom scenario, but rather the natural course of history that human civilization has experienced so many times before.
Nearly every single time in the past that the primary political and economic systems of the day proved themselves to be unsustainable failures, people hit the reset button and started again with new systems.
History provides us with ample warning signs– governments that take on too much debt, currencies that are polluted, overextended military forces, lavish spending on public entitlements, erosion of civil liberties, overregulation, bombastic populism, etc.
These are the same warning signs which have augured tumultuous transition in the past… from ancient Sumer, Greece, and Rome, to 18th century France and the Soviet Union. We are not so different that we can forever defy the laws of the financial universe.
Again, this isn’t something to fear; frankly it means that things will eventually get much better. This absurd system where a tiny handful of people has total control over global money supply will soon be in history’s waste bin… as will the present model of pompously large governments.
In the meantime, it’s reasonable to expect a bumpy ride. Based on what’s happened in the past, potential consequences include social unrest, civil disturbances, rising crime rates, long-term strikes, disruptions in essential services, shortages of food and fuel, war, inflation, etc.
Granted, anything is possible. Perhaps nothing bad will ever happen. Perhaps aliens will arrive to earth bearing gifts of free energy. Perhaps. But a thinking, rational person ought to weigh the totality of evidence and consider making basic preparations… just in case.
One of the preparations that makes a lot of sense is having a place outside of your home country in case things get rough where you live.
If you have the means to buy a property, this may be a smart decision no matter what. Property in a rapidly developing country can be both an excellent speculation and a reasonable store of value in an inflationary environment.
Mauritius ticks a lot of boxes… because in a scenario where you’re trying to get away from it all, being in the middle of nowhere is a great advantage, especially when the country is not strategically significant to most world powers.
Moreover, Mauritius is a really great place to be. It’s gorgeous, the weather is fantastic, and people are very interested in sustainability– fruit and vegetables are cultivated all over the island.
The economy is strong and stable– it’s long been one of the region’s top performers with a number of growing industries ranging from agriculture to ICT outsourcing. This is not some destitute, impoverished nation. It’s actually quite civilized, with excellent infrastructure and reliable Internet. It’s also a fairly cheap place to live.
Foreigners can own property here with a few restrictions… and a sizable enough purchase ($500,000) streamlines permanent residency.
This is a great benefit because the Mauritius Citizenship Act of 1968 entitles foreign residents who meet certain qualifications to begin the process of applying for naturalization after several years. Officially it takes seven years of residency, though the law gives the government tremendous latitude to reduce this time requirement.
Like I said, it’s definitely a long journey. I suspect I will already be in Argentina by the time you receive this after a 5-hour flight to Johannesburg, and then another 12-hour flight to Buenos Aires. But if sustainability, lifestyle, investment potential, and citizenship opportunities are important to you, Mauritius ought to be on your radar.
Read more posts on Sovereign Man »
After just 18 months on the market, the Ritz-Carlton’s only Canadian property has made a distinct impression in Toronto’s luxury hotel scene. The 267 room Ritz-Carlton Toronto hotel in the center of the capital’s downtown financial district soars 20 levels above the city skyline (taller, even, if one counts the residences above) and includes 59 suites, offering city or Lake Ontario views.
Bright and airy, the hotel mixes contemporary design with sleek sophistication, highlighted by art from a wide variety of artists through Canada in both guestrooms and public spaces — don’t miss the copper maple leaves in the lobby floor.
Oversized guestrooms, many of which feature views of Lake Ontario, offer amenities ideal for business or leisure travelers, including perimeter heating (ideal for cold Canadian winters), rich African Anigre wood and Portuguese Estremoz marble. In the bathrooms, find heated marble flooring, deep soaking tubs, Clarins or Molton Brown amenities, and in-mirror vanity televisions dual vanities. Particularly popular are the corner suites, boasting floor-to-ceiling windows, or the 2,400-square-foot Ritz-Carlton suite, the hotel’s version of a presidential suite.
The hotel itself offers a variety of attractions for guests and visitors alike, including a lobby bar with craft cocktails, a ground-level lounge and terrace, DEQ, and a contemporary restaurant, TOCA, which feature’s the city’s only cheese cave. When visiting, be sure to ask about the restaurant’s hand-painted plates, each created just for the hotel by in-house artist TK, a hotel staffer.
Another gem is the spa, a 13,000-square-foot, 16-room oasis and the only spa outside of Paris to feature Clarins’ new My Blend line, which features customizable enhancements to Clarins already cult favorite skincare products. An onside yoga studio, saltwater pool, and large relaxation area make this a perfect day or afternoon escape.
Signature treatments inspired by the beauty of Canada’s great outdoors define the experience including the aromatic Cloud 9 Massage, which utilizes locally grown ground flowers and herbs such as Niagara lavender and Quebec sage.
Ideally located in the heart of downtown, the hotel is a prime location for visitors, just steps from the Rogers Arena, CN Tower, downtown’s financial offices or the city’s burgeoning Arts and Entertainment district, including the Toronto International Film Festival’s headquarters, just two blocks away.
As is to be expected with a Ritz-Carlton, high-touch service and attentive staffers ensure that every need is anticipated. We’ll be returning shortly.
Read more posts on Pursuitist »
You don’t have to be down on your luck or completely broke to appreciate a good dive bar.
Whether you’re drawn in by the dirt cheap beer, greasy eats, eclectic clientele, or jukebox jams, every city has a dive bar for you.
The trick to finding the right one is to weed out the seamy cesspools from the best kept secrets.
No matter the city, you can find a cheap drink without the mainstream bar scene. Every town has them; you just have get in with the locals to find out how to distinguish the dilapidated dumps from the treasure troves.
This post originally appeared at Party Earth.
If you want a truly great dive experience in the City of Angels, head on over to Hollywood hangout, White Horse Inn Cocktail Lounge, one of the best dive bars in LA.
It’s located in a Super 8 Motel, so you know its reeking with class. Vicky, the bar owner is also a regular, who will regale you with all of the sordid stories in her repertoire. With two authentic 70s couches, a pool table, and all-you-can-eat pretzels, popcorn, and microwave hot dogs, it’s an easy place to have one too many.
White Horse Inn Cocktail Lounge
1532 North Western Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
One of the most iconic San Francisco neighborhoods is Chinatown, which houses a real dive treasure, Li Po Cocktail Lounge.
Raved about by famous chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, this throw back to opium dens of yore serves up some of the strongest Chinese Mai Tais and Ng Ka Py, Chinese whiskey.
With a full-blown Buddha shrine, and other kitschy décor, it’s definitely a fun place to have a few drinks and collect some strange stories along the way.
Li Po Cocktail Lounge
916 Grant Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94108
It goes without saying that dive bars are best appreciated once already inebriated, and Marie’s Riptide Lounge is no exception.
With karaoke, a jukebox, cheap drinks, loud music, and dirty floors, it’s the perfect place to make out with someone you shouldn’t. When you just want to get rowdy in the worst possible way, Marie’s is definitely your Chicago go-to bar.
Marie’s Riptide Lounge
1745 West Armitage Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
The Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo … Chewbacca.
Home to some of the greatest works of Western art, Paris is now playing host to an exhibit light-years away from the French capital’s traditional fare – hundreds of toys from the last 35 years of the Star Wars saga.
Until March 17, Les Arts Decoratifs museum in a wing of the Louvre is hosting epic Jedi battles, stormtroopers on the hunt for droids and grooving aliens at the planet Tatooine’s Mos Eisley Cantina.
It may seem an usual subject for a museum that also displays Art Nouveau furniture and Lalique glassware, but Dorothee Charles, the curator of its toy department, said there is a place for Star Wars toys in the annals of art.
“Star Wars was a revolution in the toy industry …. This is the story of the graphic evolution of how a universe is presented,” she said as gangs of excited children – and quite a few nostalgic adults – buzzed around the opening of the exhibit this week.
The key figure behind the exhibit is Arnaud Grunberg, a toy vendor and collector whose personal collection of thousands of Star Wars toys provided the more than 450 items on display.
An avid Star Wars fan since seeing the first film in 1977 at age 11, Grunberg said he was thrilled to see his collection on display and a new generation of youngsters enjoying his toys.
“We wanted to present a panorama of the Star Wars saga,” he said, noting that the collection ranges from some of the first action figures put out in 1978 to toys only just released.
“Star Wars really is a youth phenomenon, it’s an expression of childhood, but the exhibit is for everyone,” Grunberg said.
A set of two trilogies – three films between 1977 and 1983 and three prequels between 1999 and 2005 – the series piloted by US filmmaker George Lucas has captivated audiences with its pulp storytelling, complex mythology and innovative special effects.
The films spawned a merchandising empire, with millions of action figures sold and the first toys now worth thousands of dollars to collectors.
The movies were an enormous success in France, where the first film was released as “La Guerre des Etoiles” and the early toys were sold by French toy firm Meccano under licence from US manufacturer Kenner.
The three-room exhibit traces the history of the toys, starting with the earliest prototypes, plastic moulds and design sketches and ending with examples of the finely sculpted action figures that are sold today.
Life-sized Yoda masks, plastic lightsabers and replica blasters are also on display, along with original film and advertising posters and examples of quirkier merchandise like Chewbacca coffee mugs and a C-3PO tape dispenser.
Monitors run US television ads for the early toys and showcase the history of Star Wars video games, from early 1980s offerings on the Atari to the latest PC and console games.
But – based on the throngs of children surrounding them – the most exciting displays are glassed-in recreations of scenes from the films put together using action figures and toy vehicles.
The attack on the Death Star, Han Solo pointing a blaster at a bounty hunter, dozens of Jedi in an arena lightsaber battle and many more scenes are replicated in detail.
Looking out over one re-creation with two friends, 10-year-old George Sykes summed up the feeling of many youngsters at the show: “It’s awesome! It’s the best exhibit ever!”
George’s mother Amanda Crider Sykes said she hoped the exhibit would act as a gateway for children into the culture of museums.
“It’s the kind of subject matter that appeals to him,” said Sykes, an American designer living in Paris. “It’s a great way to get my son interested in the museum.”
Read more posts on Pursuitist »
Wild Africa Trek is an 3 hour VIP tour at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on the Walt Disney World Resort property in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Best described as your own private Kilimanjaro Safari, it’s an amazing tour where guests get up close and personal with Animal Kingdom’s wild animals.
Excursion guides take guests through the fictional East African village of Harambe and explore various parts of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. The trek walks through a portion of the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and embarks unto unexplored forests areas. Guests experience up-close views of hippopotamuses and Nile crocodiles, as well as cross rope bridges right above the animals.
After exiting the forests, guests board a safari vehicle unlike the open-sided trucks of Kilimanjaro Safaris. The vehicle travels through the Serengeti Savanna making frequent pull offs to allow guests to stand up and view the animals. The vehicle makes a stop at the safari camp in the middle of the savannah known as the Boma where guests are given an African inspired snack.
The tour costs about $200, is 3-hours long, and lunch is provided. Each Wild Africa Trek has two knowledgeable guides who are with you the entire time. One leads the group while the other takes photographs. While you’re on the tour, the guides take a ton of pictures, and you get a photo CD to take home.
A highlight of the tour is a gourmet lunch prepared by Tusker House Restaurant chefs, served in camp tins at a Savanna outpost. Everything is edible, including the flower. It’s the perfect spot to watch the animals and pretend you’re really in Africa.
They only allow 10-12 people on a tour, so you feel very VIP. And with the ability to get up close and personal with the animals, Wild Africa Trek is a very unique and exclusive Disney experience.
This is a “must-do” Disney experience which we highly recommend. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is well worth the cost. We actually enjoyed Wild Africa Trek so much that we are thinking about repeating this wonderful adventure the next time we visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Read more posts on Pursuitist »
Each week we take a look at how much house you can expect to get at a specific price point. This week, we’re looking at homes priced around $550,000.
660 E Rudasill Rd, Tucson AZ
For sale: $550,000
A desert setting doesn’t mean a flat scape. This Tucson home for sale has surrounding mountain views from many of its rooms and front patio. Offering 2,915 square feet of living space, the home has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a three-car garage.
14958 Vistaridge Dr, Dallas TX
For sale: $549,000
This Dallas home for sale is marked by a dramatic peaked entryway and stone exterior. Located in the Far North area of the city, the 4,419-square-foot home has had $80,000 worth of updates, according to the listing.
2572 SW Arden Rd, Portland OR
For sale: $550,000
This Portland home’s listing price was recently slashed by $39,900. The restored 1925 home has plenty of windows and French doors, creating a light and bright living space. Measuring 2,057 square feet, the home has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths.
949 62nd St, Oakland CA
For sale: $549,000
Oakland real estate is not quite as pricey as homes in San Francisco, but half a million doesn’t go quite as far as it would in other parts of California. For $549,000, this Oakland home has 1,850 square feet of living space, 4 bedrooms and 2 baths.
6902 Narrows Ave Apt 3F, Brooklyn NY
For sale: $549,000
There’s nothing like New York, and there’s nothing quite (as pricey) as New York real estate. This Brooklyn apartment offers quite a bit by Big Apple standards: The 2-bed, 2-bath home has a rooftop deck and is just 10 minutes from Manhattan.
DON'T MISS: 12 Stellar Homes You Can Buy For $150,000 Or Less >
Related:
Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.
The Pursuitist was “off-the-grid” at the Brush Creek Ranch – which offers 15,000 acres of Western landscape near Saratoga, Wyoming. The Ranch is the ideal destination for authentic adventures, including horseback riding, fly-fishing, hiking, hunting, mountain biking and ranger tours. However, Brush Creek includes all the luxuries of any 5-star resort, complete with Western flair and excitement.
The Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch is an all-inclusive boutique resort exclusively designed for selective travelers, corporate retreats, family escapes and destination weddings. The Ranch features an amazing 38,000-square foot lodge, a luxury spa, a collection of cabins suites & residences, lodge rooms and numerous outdoor adventures for any cowboy (or cowgirl). Casual sophistication best describes the property, which opened just two years ago.
“The White family has had a passion for service and hospitality for more a quarter of a century and as our next venture, we wanted to create a Western getaway that utilized our vast experience in the industry while striking a perfect balance between wholesome recreation, economic sustainability, environmental stewardship and preservation of the culture of the West,” explained Bruce White, Chairman and CEO White Lodging. “The Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch is the fulfillment of this vision and exemplifies the true spirit of the West.”
The Ranch was an amazing Western experience. The staff was incredible — friendly, approachable and informative. From the terrific meals to the true adventures, The Ranch is also an immersive destination. Each day guests select a morning and afternoon activity. You sign up for what interests you, then Brush Creek makes it happen. With ultra-rare experiences, ultra-luxurious services and ulta-exclusive landscapes — mixed with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere — you’ll never want to leave.
For families, Brush Creek is perfect for reconnecting. With virtually no cell service because of its remote location, after the initial shock of being cut off from the outside world, you will rediscover the lost art of conversation, interacting and adventures. Being “off-the-grid” is a good thing at the Brush Creek Ranch.
Thanks to the entire staff for creating a memorable experience – including Sage the dog and Rio the horse too!
The editors of Martha Stewart were also at The Ranch, photographing a new editorial at the destination for Martha Stewart Weddings. Keep an eye out for future issues…
Photos © Pursuitist
http://www.brushcreekranch.com/
Read more posts on Pursuitist »
A Mark Rothko painting worth tens of millions of pounds was defaced in what was the worst security breach ever to hit Tate Modern.
A man has claimed responsibility for defacing a valuable Mark Rothko at the Tate Modern art gallery, but denied he was a vandal.
Astonished witnesses saw the culprit, described as a man in his late 20s, calmly walk up to Black On Maroon (1958) and scrawl a graffiti message in black marker pen or paint yesterday afternoon.
The graffiti read: “Vladimir Umanets, A Potential Piece of Yellowism.”
Mr Umanets, who is originally from Russia, admitted today that he had written on the painting, but insisted his aim was not to destroy or deface it.
"Some people think I'm crazy or a vandal, but my intention was not to destroy or decrease the value, or to go crazy. I am not a vandal," he said.
Mr Umanets, who studied art, is one of the founders of "Yellowism", which he describes as "neither art, nor anti-art".
He said: "I don't need to be famous, I don't want money, I don't want fame, I'm not seeking seeking attention."
He was pleased people were shocked about what he had done, he added.
Refusing to reveal his age or where he lived, he said he knew he was likely to be arrested, but added: "I believe that from everything bad there's always a good outcome so I'm prepared for that but obviously I don't want to spend a few months, even a few weeks, in jail. But I do strongly believe in what I am doing, I have dedicated my life to this."
He said he did not plan exactly which painting he would write on, but thinks he found "the perfect choice", and said he feels he may have increased the value.
Police were called after witnesses saw the work being defaced, but the culprit could not be located and last night no arrest had been made.
The Tate’s conservationists are currently assessing the damage.
Julia Nagle, a painting conservator, suggested the painting was not ruined forever.
She said: "I have every faith it will be cleaned off. They're delicate surfaces and it's important not to rub them but there's a massive body of research into Rothko and his techniques and a great conservation department at the Tate.
"I've no doubt they will manage to take it off."
Ms Nagle told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the "good news" was that whatever had been applied to the painting was very recent, while the painting was more than 50 years old so "the new paint is much more soluble."
This would increase the chances of it being removed, she explained.
The defaced painting was one of a series, known as the Seagram murals, gifted to the Tate by the artist in 1969. The last Rothko work to sell fetched £53.8 million at Christie’s in New York earlier this year, a new record for contemporary art.
One of the witnesses to the attack, Tim Wright, posted a picture of the defaced painting on Twitter. He said: “This guy calmly walked up, took out a marker pen and tagged it. Surreal.
“We gave a description to the gallery. Very bizarre, he sat there for a while then just went for it and made a quick exit.”
Mr Wright, 23, described the culprit as a "trendy" man with facial hair and a tattoo on his neck.
The witness, a marketing executive from Bath, said: “He was sitting down in the middle of the room and we were all looking at the paintings.
“It was quite strange, we kind of heard before we saw that sound of a pen scratching on canvas.
“We looked around and he was finishing a tag and was off like a shot.”
He and the other gallery-goers who had seen what had happened rushed to inform staff.
“They were shocked but I think the overwhelming feeling was disappointment because the damage had been done by that point,” he said.
Mr Umanets said yellowism was "an element of contemporary visual culture" and not an artistic movement.
"It's not art, it's not reality, it's just Yellowism," he said. "It can't be presented in a gallery of art, it can be presented only in a Yellowistic chambers.
"The main difference between Yellowism and art is that in art you have got freedom of interpretation, in Yellowism you don't have freedom of interpretation, everything is about Yellowism, that's it.
"I am a Yellowist. I believe what I am doing and I want people to start talking about this. It was like a platform.
"Maybe I would like to point people's attention on what it's all about, what is Yellowism, what is art?
"It's good people are shocked about what happened. No-one is realising what actually happened, everyone is just posting that the piece has been damaged or destroyed or defaced.
"But I believe that after a few years they will start looking for it from the right angle. So that's why I did it."
Tate Modern is the world’s most-visited art gallery and was packed with visitors when the vandal struck in the ‘Rothko Room’.
The gallery is covered by CCTV and police are studying the footage. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “We were alerted at 3.35pm to a report of criminal damage at Tate Modern.
“The suspect was a white male, believed to be in his late 20s. No arrest has been made at this time.”
The Tate said a visitor had defaced one of the Seagram murals “by applying a small area of black paint with a brush to the painting”.
Questions will be asked about security at the gallery, where the Rothkos are not protected by glass and are separated from visitors only be a low-level barrier that can easily be stepped over.
Typically, each room is monitored by a single gallery attendant.
It was Rothko himself who stipulated how his work should be displayed at the Tate.
The defaced painting was one of a series commissioned from Rothko in 1958 for the Four Seasons restaurant in New York’s Seagram Building, but never installed.
In 1969, the artist donated nine of the paintings to the Tate on the proviso that they be displayed “as an immersive environment”. He died the following year.
Last year, the National Gallery also fell victim to vandalism when two 17th century masterpieces were defaced. A man sprayed red paint from an aerosol can over Nicolas Poussin’s The Adoration of the Golden Calf and The Adoration of the Shepherds.
On that occasion, the culprit was swiftly arrested.
SEE ALSO: Watch A Guy With No Talent Make $1 Million Selling Contemporary Art
Soda vending machines in Chicago municipal buildings will be among the first in the country to get calorie count displays under a new program backed by major beverage manufacturers.
The Coca-Cola Co., Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and PepsiCo are participating in an initiative that will start in Chicago and San Antonio municipal buildings next year before rolling out nationwide, the American Beverage Association said Monday.
Soda vending machines in city government buildings will sport new labels on selection buttons that show how many calories are in each drink. The trade association said the Calories Count Vending Program also includes adding signage reminding consumers to think about calories and increasing the availability of lower-calorie selections.
"Everyone who works in or visits a municipal building in Chicago and San Antonio will know exactly how many calories are in their favorite beverages before making a vending machine purchase," Susan Neely, president of the American Beverage Association, said in a statement.
The industry group said the new program complements previous initiatives, such as putting new calorie labels on beverage packaging and removing full-calorie soft drinks from schools. Sugary drinks have been a focus in the country's debate over rising obesity rates among adults and children.
wawong@tribune.com -- Twitter @VelocityWong ___
(c)2012 the Chicago Tribune
Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
SEE ALSO: 15 Of The World's Most Bizarre Vending Machines
Top chefs and legendary bakers are among the new breed of pizzaiolo who are just as fanatical about the temperature of their ovens as they are about the provenance of their ingredients.
See the best pizza places in America >
Here, F&W names the best places for pizza around the country from these new guard spots—including a Bay Area pizzeria that uses locally-milled flour—to century old East Coast institutions.
Chef Michael Paley, owner of local favorite Proof on Main, serves Italian-meets-Southern pizzas—like Margherita topped with country ham—inside a renovated auto-repair garage.
Adam Baru worked under restaurateur Danny Meyer before returning to his hometown to open his first restaurant. Wood-fired ovens turn out pies like the Farmers’ Market, loaded with local vegetables.
Richard Reddington, who runs the elegant Redd down the street, goes casual at this industrial-chic Napa trattoria. The focus is on salumi, antipasti, well-priced wines and rustic pizzas with crispy, ultra-thin crusts. “It’s a place for an impromptu meal or a reprieve from wine tasting,” says Reddington.
Pierre Bergé, the former partner of Yves Saint Laurent, claims that a portfolio of works by the designer was stolen by one of his former lovers.
It seems the house of Yves Saint Laurent can’t keep itself out of the headlines.
Following the seemingly never-ending feud between journalist Cathy Horyn and YSL’s new creative director Hedi Slimane, Pierre Bergé, the long-term business partner of the house’s eponymous founder, has now claimed that a 400-item portfolio of works by the late designer was unlawfully taken by one of Saint Laurent’s former lovers.
The portfolio includes some 290 sketches - some of which are erotic - a journal, personal letters, a self portrait, a painting by Andy Warhol of YSL’s dogs and a Helmut Newton photograph, and is said to be worth up to €12 million.
Bergé claims that Fabrice Thomas, who worked as the designer’s driver before later becoming his lover, stole the collection of works from Saint Laurent’s Paris apartment in the Nineties, later part-gifting, part-selling it to an unidentified German businessman who gave him “a job, a car and a new life” following the end of his relationship with YSL. The German businessman now wants to exhibit or sell the works, to which Bergé objects.
READ: Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent debut
Thomas, the accused, says that when he and Saint Laurent ended their relationship, Saint Laurent told him he could keep the works as long as they were no longer needed be the atelier.
Bergé does not believe this explanation. “Believe me, it would have been impossible for Yves to have given someone 300 sketches. Maybe one or two, but 300? Surely not,” Bergé told WWD . “The point is, they were stolen.”
Ludwig Geiger, a Swiss-based representative for the German businessman who claims to be the collection’s current owner, insists that Thomas legally transferred all rights and ownership to his client and that everything was done above board. “The collection was not stolen. Pierre Bergé told that story, but it is absolute nonsense. He knows very well it was not stolen,” Geiger said. “It’s bad theater, what they do.”
Bergé filed a police report last November claiming that the portfolio was stolen. He has allegedly been approached a number of times by a number of different parties - including Fabrice Thomas - about buying the works, but refuses to do so. “I am not willing to pay for something that was stolen. But I intend to empty every possibility I have to avoid any exhibitions and publication of the sketches,” he said.
SEE ALSO: The 15 Wealthiest People In Fashion >
Dressed in mini skirts barely covering their hips, the two girls took to the neon-lit stage and moved vigorously to the loud pumping pop music. Their job: to appease the wandering spirits.
As the temple facade in the background changed colour from the fireworks lighting up the Taiwanese night sky, the show climaxed with pole-dancing and striptease in front of an audience consisting of men, women and children.
"This is hard work but I need to make a living," said 18-year-old En En, out of breath after stripping for the crowd during the recent religious festival.
En En had just earned Tw$3,000 ($100) for her act, which began on stage, but ended as she mingled with the audience, letting men touch her for tips.
Folk religion in Taiwan is a unique mixture of the spiritual and the earthly, and one of its most remarkable manifestations is the practice of hiring showgirls to perform at festivals, weddings, and even funerals.
The girls work on "electronic flower cars" -- specially designed trucks equipped with light and sound equipment that can become a stage, allowing them to travel to performances often held in smaller cities and rural areas.
"The groups attract crowds to our events and they perform for the gods and the spirits to seek blessings," said Chen Chung-hsien, an official at Wu Fu Temple, a Taoist landmark in north Taiwan's Taoyuan county.
"They have become part of our religion and folk culture."
At 26, Chiang Pei-ying is already a veteran performer with nearly 20 years of experience, travelling across Taiwan with her father and two sisters for their family business to entertain audiences -- both alive and dead.
Chiang made her debut when she was in kindergarten because she liked singing and dancing on stage and has become a celebrity performer with her sisters, charging up to Tw$80,000 for a 20-minute show.
She said she enjoys her line of work, even if she has to deal with some odd requests from customers such as walking around coffins and singing for the deceased at funerals.
"I've watched this since I was little so it's nothing peculiar for me. Performing for the dead is just like performing for the living people," she said.
"They liked to sing when they were alive and their relatives thought they would have liked to have somebody sing for them in the end. For me, I get good tips and I hope I am accumulating good karma too."
Other performers, however, make much less money and tend to be more discreet about their job, especially those who still do striptease despite risking arrest.
Stripping nude is rarely seen in public now because it is a criminal offence, but partial stripping is still performed at festivals, private parties and funerals, people in the business say.
"Some people like going to hostess clubs, so when they pass away their relatives arrange striptease to reflect their interests while they were alive," said Chiang Wan-yuan, Pei-ying's father and a 30-year veteran in the business.
It is difficult to imagine a similar show going on outside a European village church, and some local critics have dismissed the practice, which emerged in the 1970s, as shocking and vulgar.
Others, however, see it as a natural extension of a traditional folk culture lacking in the sharp separation of sex and religion often seen in other parts of the world.
Marc Moskowitz, an anthropologist at the University of South Carolina, said the practice evolved out of the special Chinese concept of "hot and noisy", which brims with positive connotations.
"In traditional Chinese and contemporary Taiwanese culture this signifies that for an event to be fun or noteworthy it must be full of noise and crowds," said Moskowitz, who shot a documentary "Dancing for the Dead" in 2011.
He added most people who watched his work appeared to enjoy it and recognise this practice as an "interesting and unique cultural phenomenon," which to his knowledge is only found in Taiwan.
"As I watched these performances I came to appreciate the idea of celebrating someone's life to help assuage the feelings of grief," he said.
LONDON (AP) — British police say an elderly couple unwittingly grew a monstrous cannabis plant in their yard after buying what they thought was an innocuous green bush at a flea market.
Police in Bedford, a commuter town 90 kilometers (55 miles) from central London, posted a picture of a luxuriant cannabis plant growing as tall as the fence in what appeared to be someone's back yard.
In a message posted to Twitter Friday the force said the plant had been "seized today."
"Elderly couple bought shrub at car boot sale, tended carefully-biggest cannabis plant we had seen!!" the message exclaimed.
Further details about the couple — or how either it or police got wise to the plant's true nature — weren't immediately available late Monday.
Copyright (2012) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
SEE ALSO: The 20 Cheapest Countries For Vice
Tired of your regular old seven-digit phone number?
Feel like its cold, numerical nature doesn't adequately convey your personality? Well, if you're a Sprint customer, get ready to express yourself.
The provider now allows users the option of creating their own vanity phone numbers — for a small fee, of course.
Here, a guide:
How do these vanity phone numbers work?
Sprint has teamed up with Zoove Corp., which has a program known as StarStar Me (watch a video below) that lets users create their own custom numbers. Users can choose a name, nickname, or any other available word, as long as it is between five and 10 characters long. For example, a user named Jessica might choose "**Jessica." To reach her, callers press the star key twice, then dial the numbers corresponding to the characters in the word "Jessica."
Is this just for Sprint customers?
For now, yes. But Zoove plans to offer the service to all major U.S. phone carriers "by the first quarter of 2013, if not by the end of year,” CEO Joe Gillespie says. Callers on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile can reach StarStar Me numbers on Sprint's system without incurring any extra charge.
What's the down side?
For starters, it's not free. Users will pay $2.99 per month per vanity number (each phone can register up to two numbers). Also StarStar Me numbers can't receive text messages. And if you have a fairly common name, you might need to get creative with your vanity number. The Sprint website recommends customers get their StarStar Me numbers as soon as possible, "before someone else does!"
Will this catch on?
Sprint expects the program to be most successful with professionals, students, and families, says Kevin McGinnis, vice president of product and technology development, in a press release. A vanity phone number might sound appealing, says Terrence O'Brien at Engadget, but in the age of smartphones no one memorizes phone numbers anymore, so your clever, $3-a-month new number "will never be recognized by anyone." Plus, mobile giants like Apple and Google want to own identity, not outsource it to a small mobile marketing company, says Jon Koetsier at Venture Beat. "StarStar Me is an innovative service and a step in the right direction," but it will definitely be tough to get off the ground.
DON'T MISS: 21 Ways Rich People Think Differently >
Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.
Yes, there really is a Farthell Road (Chambersburg, TX), as well as a Durt Road (Casco, ME), a Poop Deck (Freeport, TX) and a Crummy Road (Clark Fork, ID).
Who decides whether you will be fated to live on one of those unfortunately named streets or on something with a more pleasant ring, such as Lucky Lane (Rockford, IL, among many other cities), or a whimsical and memorable one, such as Haveteur Way (San Diego)?
It depends on your city and/or county, but most often street names are requested by the developers of new subdivisions.
Developer’s choice
Catherine Nicholas, agent/owner of the CADO Real Estate Group in San Diego, which builds new subdivisions, says that what happens in the city of Carlsbad (a San Diego suburb) is typical.
“The developer submits street names to the city through the relevant departments for review,” said Nicholas, who worked in Carlsbad’s Planning Department for years and coordinated the street naming process, which often takes weeks from submission to approval. “The building, engineering and public works departments all comment, but the departments that have the most input and veto power are police and fire. The concern here is that the street names are unique and intelligible enough for them to distinguish and find a street and property in an emergency.” She says the post office also gets a final review, as a general rule.
Many cities also have guidelines on the type of street names required for an area of town. “When I worked in Carlsbad, there were four main areas and other subareas with ‘themes’—such as bird names or historic names,” she said. “I would reject a name if it didn’t follow the appropriate protocol.”
And then there are the more personal associations.
“Many developers try, often successfully, to name streets for themselves, their partners, wives, mistresses and children,” she said.
Common monikers
In the United States, most streets are named for numbers or trees. According to the National League of Cities, the most popular street name is Second (or 2nd). This is often because what would have been First is instead designated as Main or something similar, like Broadway.
Streets are also commonly named for current or former landmarks (Windmill View Road, El Cajon, CA), American presidents (especially Washington) and famous people who were born in the area. There’s an East Bryan Street in Salem, IL, for example, named for William Jennings Bryan, the politician best known for his involvement in the famous Scopes “Monkey” Trial of 1925.
Developers also often tender names that are representative of an area’s primary business or industry (Promenade Chardonnay in the wine country of Temecula, CA) or for a physical characteristic of the road itself (17 Mile Drive in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA). Another popular strategy is to name a street for its ultimate destination. In San Diego, for example, University Avenue once led to the first location of San Diego State University while College Avenue will take you to its current location.
Name changes
Can the name of a street affect the sale of a property? Yes, says Nicholas. “People always respond to the street name,” she said. “The street name can be a real turn-off or an advantage."
So, what if you don’t like the idea of living, say, on Butt Road (Fort Wayne, IN)? Can you get the street name changed?
“Changing a street name is a very, very big deal, and this sort of thing is very, very rarely approved,” Nicholas said. “In Carlsbad, the only successful change I remember during my tenure was changing the name of Carlsbad’s main street from Elm to Carlsbad Village Drive, which was very controversial, as all attempted changes are.”
She says you have to take into consideration how a name change would impact everybody with a home or business on the street.
“In a case like the Carlsbad Village Drive one, it required every property owner or renter to change all of their advertising, their stationery and business cards, to name just a few of the hassles,” she said. Street name changes also affect external companies, such as those that produce maps and GPS apps.
“In my research and experience, I know that trying to get a street name changed is not uncommon,” Nicholas said. “But unless everyone on the street concurs, or the city is behind it—such as, say, renaming a major thoroughfare for Martin Luther King—it rarely happens.”
This post originally appeared at Zillow.
See Also: Meet A Person Who Lives At 50 Main Street In Every State
