The New York Observer (New York, NY) back issues from September 2008:
A Dog and Pony (and Reality) Show in the Hamptons, Starring Nacho Figueras and Kristian Laliberte.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ On Sunday, August 31, polo player and contractor Michael Borrico's Water Mill estate was host to Evian's lavish "A Taste of Polo" event. A breathless press release had assured us there would be "celebrities, chefs, polo players, and tennis stars in town for the US ...
S & M Boys Love Querrey, Good Manners.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Here are two members of The Samurai, the cheering squad for Sam Querrey, who were hanging out immediately after Querrey's gritty four set loss against Rafael Nadal. On the right is Dan Farrugia, a 19-year-old who's studying industrial and labor relations at Cornell ...
Bodo the Security Dog Loves Tennis Too.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Bodo dropped the ball a second before I snapped the pic. And also: even ...
Roosevelt Island 2.0! 2,491 New Apartments Can't Be Wrong.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ In 2000, Roosevelt Island had less than 10,000 residents. Since then, 1,331 new apartments have gone up or are under construction. Another 1,160 are expected within the next five years. These new structures will pile thousands of fresh faces--and Fresh ...
The Local: Bensonhurst--From 'Little Italy to Little Odessa to Chinatown'.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Before the Italian-American exodus from Bensonhurst, only Italian food vendors participated in the annual 10-day Feast of Santa Rosalia--Brooklyn's version of Little Italy's San Gennaro Festival--in honor of the patron saint of Palermo, Sicily. But lately "The Feast," ...
Will Lawyer Layoffs Hobble Manhattan Office Market?
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ From Crain's: In the wake of massive layoffs on Wall Street, law firms have been quietly letting go of staffers whose services are no longer needed now that financial deals have dried up. The targeted layoffs that began late last year have turned into a ...
In St. Paul, a Funny Charity for a Worthy Cause.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ ST. PAUL--With much fanfare, this evening's session of the Republican National Convention was turned into a fundraiser for hurricane relief. Laura Bush and Cindy McCain appeared onstage beneath a video screen that projected a web address, www.causegreater.com, which ...
Tuesday Isn't Rudy Day After All.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ ST. PAUL--Rudy Giuliani is in town, but due to Gustav-related delays, he won't be speaking at the convention ...
Elsewhere: Palin Gets a Lawyer, Connecticut Faces Protesters.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ David Kurtz thinks day one of the G.O.P. convention felt like a snow day. Minnesota specialist David Carr likes how the Republicans - and the locals - handled today's demonstrations. Connecticut was attacked! Here's some video of the ...
Republicans Congratulate Republicans for Nonpartisan Disaster Preparation Effort.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ ST. PAUL--The latest word is that Hurricane Gustav has been downgraded to a Category 1 storm and that water levels in New Orleans are receding - strong and encouraging signs that the Crescent City and the rest of the Gulf Coast will be spared tragedy and destruction on ...
No Way to Pick a Running Mate: From Lieberman to Romney to Palin.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ ST. PAUL--Word that Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is five months pregnant is easily the biggest bit of non-Gustav-related news to emerge from the opening day of the Republican convention. It's doubtful that this revelation will end up hurting ...
Alaska Delegate: Palin Has Dealt With Mongolia and Iceland.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Earlier today Mead Treadwell and Nick Stepovich, members of the Alaska delegation, were talking with noted humorist Dave Barry on the floor of the Republican National Convention, when the issue of Sarah Palin's national security experience came up. Feeling ...
The Afternoon Wrap: Monday.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Dubai tower now tallest in the world ... and it isn't even finished yet. [Yahoo!] Report suggests that banks may not be tracking their subprime-related losses correctly. [WSJ] Harlem's commercial tenants face a 300 percent rent increase from ...
Republicans Pass Party Platform Emphasizing Homeownership.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ ST. PAUL--The pomp in St. Paul today may have been blown aside by Hurricane Gustav, but the Republicans have passed their party platform for the next four years, spelling out the G.O.P's approach to a huge array of issues. Among those issues is housing, for which the ...
Teenage Delegate on Palin's Daughter.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Eighteen-year-old McCain delegate Spencer Rice of Onondaga County doesn't "approve" of Sarah Palin's 17-year-old ...
The Show Goes On: Bush and McCain (Laura and Cindy) Talk About the Weather.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Speaking now at the Republican National Convention, Laura Bush explained why President George Bush couldn't make it. "Our first priority now today is to ensure the security of those living today in the Gulf Coast region," said Bush, who added, "When such ...
Police Confront Protestors Outside Xcel Center.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Thousands of antiwar protestors marched through the streets of St. Paul this afternoon. For the most part the protests were peaceful. On occasion, would-be anarchists dressed in black clashed with police dressed in riot gear. According to the ABC News, the ...
King: Palin's Daughter 'Can't Be a Campaign Issue'.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ ST. PAUL--Here's Representative Peter King on the floor of the Xcel Energy Center a few minutes ago, saying the pregnancy of Sarah Palin's teenage daughter "can't be an issue in the campaign." ...
Querrey Falls to Nadal, Safina Advances, Mauresmo Is Out.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Sam Querrey just proved to the world that he's a real player. He made Rafael Nadal fight for 3 hours and 13 minutes in an incredibly satisfying four-set match. Nadal took the last set 6-3, thanks in large part to Querrey's seven blown break points in the ...
Who Was Rove's Favorite for Veep?
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ My old friend Sidney Blumenthal, whose Republican friends sometimes tell him more than they should, has an intriguing ] post up at Arianna's place. Sid says Mc Cain's choice of Palin was ...
Jennifer Aniston to Guest Star on 30 Rock.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Guys, remember when Jennifer Aniston was actually a TV actress and not just a Hollywood beefcake's weepy ex or current arm candy? Well, she's about to remind us on an upcoming episode of 30 Rock. John Mayer will be ...
David Brooks: Pleased the Speeches Were Canceled, Having a Relaxing Day.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ After we were denied entry into the New York Times tent -- the reporters are on deadline or something -- we happily spotted David Brooks and asked him about his first day at the convention. Did the schedule changes throw off all your plans? Nah, ...
Levy on Palin Pregnancy: All Good.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ ST. PAUL--Newsday columnist Larry Levy, here at the opening of the Republican convention, says of the story about Sarah Palin's teenage daughter being pregnant, "It's almost all upside." In addition to making the pro-life, religious right happy, ...
Obama Clears Schedule for Gustav, Palin to Give Deposition Soon.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Barack Obama is asking supporters to donate $5 toward relief efforts in the Gulf Coast. [Barack Obama] He has cleared his schedule and is going back to Chicago to deal with Gustav. [A.P.] Sarah Palin's daughter's pregnancy was an open secret in ...
Judge Not.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Overheard on the bus to the Xcel Energy Center, 2:30 p.m: A middle-aged couple, members of the Georgia delegation, discuss the news that Sarah Palin's teenage daughter Bristol is pregnant. Her: "I guess it's ...
Best-Case Scenario: McCain Gets a Convention Without Bush or Cheney.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ When Hurricane Katrina came ashore three years ago, initial reports suggested that it had made its way past New Orleans without causing the destruction some had feared. But the storm's aftermath proved unexpectedly catastrophic, with levees unable to hold back the ...
Arianna Huffington on Internet Porn.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ A Huffington Post luncheon at the Nicollet Island Inn earlier today explored how "the new media are impacting the '08 race." Hosted by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, the panel was conducted like a TV show, the hosts agreeing with each other and sometimes talking ...
Escorts, Gilded Elephants, Khaki Pants Abound at R.N.C. Welcome Party.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Her name was Lauren Cahill, and she was my escort. All the reporters had escorts at the official RNC delegate-welcome party last night. Mine happened to be a former television reporter who gained notoriety when she fell off a giant block of ice and shattered ...
David Carr's Nostalgic Brushes With Minnesota Nice.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Just ran into local hero David Carr on his way to the New York Times' filing center. He said he has spent his day so far not in the Xcel Center but outdoors, reporting on the protests. The big question there, he said, was whether the local anarchists who organized the ...
Gustav or Not, Property Insurers Keep Up Lobbying in St. Paul.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ ST. PAUL--With Hurricane Gustav slamming into the Gulf Coast today, the schedule here at the Republican National Convention has been upended today and official events have been canceled. But lobbying, even for the property insurance industry (which will surely be ...
Enter the Samurai.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Move over, J-Block! We've got a new American fan base in town. Sam Querrey's fan club, "The Samurai," is made up of a few bare-chested young fellows who spell out his first name on their bodies, and a few others with white headbands. I really do prefer The ...
Very Nearly Laura B.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ American Wife By Curtis Sittenfeld Random House, 558 pages, $26 With American Wife, Curtis Sittenfeld has deftly crossed an extraordinarily high wire: She's written a book in the voice of a someone we all know, and we come out of it ...
British Housing Crisis Gets First Music Video, Courtesy The Streets.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Surely we don't expect pop stars to have much to say about financial crises, unless of course they involve their own bank accounts. Call Mike Skinner-- the British rapper otherwise known as the Streets--somewhat of a trailblazer, then. Skinner takes on the housing ...
Mardy Fish, Desperado, Cruises to the Quarters.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ You've gotta love the Americans' love for the U.S. Open. Mardy Fish, with his best Grand Slam ever, just beat Gael Monfils 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 in a flawless match. Asked on ...
Miss You!
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ In Denver, YouTube set up a video booth in a highly trafficked hallway of the convention center where passersby could stop and make videos explaining why they were nominating Barack Obama. Hundreds of you took YouTube up on their offer. On Monday morning in ...
'Far East' Fund to Take $200 M. Stake in Leviev's New York Towers.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Africa Israel Investments LTD has said that it will sell a nearly 50 percent stake in its Manhattan towers to an investment fund based in the Far East, according to Bloomberg.com: "Africa is selling 49.9 percent of its holding in the Clock Tower and 49 ...
A Black Republican on the Democratic Agenda.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Last night at an official welcoming party for the Republican delegates at the convention center in Minneapolis, I spoke with one of the relatively few African-American RNC delegates about why here's here. Lonnie ...
Newt Gingrich, 'Newsmaker,' Speaks to Reporters in USA Today Filing Center.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Newt Gingrich walked into the USA Today/Gannett pavilion a little bit ago to talk to reporters as part of the paper's "Newsmakers" program. What he's saying in there-- and whether he's saying it on or off the record-- we don't know, because the event is distinctly not ...
Palins Confirm Daughter Is Pregnant.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Sarah and Todd Palin have confirmed a report by Reuters that their 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is pregnant. Here's a statement released by the McCain campaign a few moments ago: "We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love ...
Gabe Pressman Is Sick of 'Yackety-Yack' Convention Coverage.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ MINNEAPOLIS-TV news dean Gabe Pressman was hanging out yesterday in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel, where the New York delegation is staying, and was kind enough to share his opinion of the media coverage in Denver, specifically the storyline about Hillary Clinton ...
Ed Cox on Hurricanes, Perspective.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ McCain's New York Chairman, Ed Cox, said that now is not the time to talk about politics, or to think about how to recover from having a convention overshadowed by a natural disaster. ...
Where's 'American Boy'? Help Me, iTunes!
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ To celebrate the end of the summer, we decided it would be a fun time to make a playlist of the songs we loved most over the last couple of months. The Hold Steady's "Constructive Summer"? Check. Albert Hammond, Jr.'s "GFC"? Check. ...
Cindy and Laura Will Speak, McCain Gets to Know Palin Through Media.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Due to Gustav, Joe Biden is scaling back his campaigning, although Barack Obama will stick to his schedule. [Washington Wire] It looks like the worst of Gustav will be absorbed by the Louisiana coast, away from New Orleans. [A.P.] Laura Bush and ...
Category Zero Convention.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ ST. PAUL-This is a strange convention. Everyone here has to scramble to cover a convention that just barely seems to be happening, while a hurricane overtakes the gulf coast. Here's the giant television screen that greets you as you enter the perimeter, ...
Apocalypse Dow! CBRE Cancels Global Conference Due to 'Current Business Climate'.(Conference news)
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Add this to the long list of signs that the economy is in the crapper. CB Richard Ellis has cancelled its 2009 World Conference! The good folks at The Real Deal first noticed this discreet little paragraph on the brokerage giant's Web site: ...
Laura Bush and Cindy McCain to Speak Tonight, But Without Segue Music.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ On a conference call just now, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said that Laura Bush and Cindy McCain will make brief remarks during the Republican National Convention this afternoon and that Governor Sarah Palin had arrived in St. Paul. "Governor Palin ...
Sam Chang-Affiliated Chelsea Holiday Inn Trades for $66 M.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Sheesan Hotel LLC, an affiliate of economy hotel tycoon Sam Chang, has sold the new Holiday Inn Manhattan Hotel in Chelsea for $66 million to a Rhode Island-based hospitality group, according to records uploaded on Friday to a city Web site. The buyer, ...
Aimless New York Delegates Ride Elevators, Segways.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ MINNEAPOLIS--The New York director of John McCain's campaign, Ed Cox, was the featured speaker at the state delegation breakfast at the Marriott hotel this morning. He acknowledged that the focus of the convention has shifted in response to Hurricane ...
Trump Scores One Against Sulzberger in $5 B. Lawsuit.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ The New York Supreme Court has ruled that New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. must submit to a deposition in the $5 billion lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against Times scribe Timothy L. O'Brien, author of the 2005 book TrumpNation: The Art of Being the ...
Delegate: Laura's Just Telling the Truth About Obama.
Sep 01, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ After Laura Bush's speech, the delegation sat down for breakfast. Ricky Roberie, a 47-year-old delegate from Baton Rouge, said over a plate of eggs and grits that he was "very excited" to see the first lady who, he said, "is always proper." When asked about ...
Speaking of China, How About World's Fastest Train?
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ The Chinese government plans to introduce by 2012 a new generation of bullet trains that run for long stretches at 236 miles per hour. That's about half the speed of your ...
McInerney v. Mortimer: Who Was Better on Gossip Girl?
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ The season premiere of Gossip Girl was all that we could have asked for and more. Chuck and Blair continued to wage psychological warfare on each other to our delight (Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick once again showing that as they go, so goes Gossip Girl.) Serena and ...
China's Tallest Skyscraper Opens.
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Parts of China's tallest skyscraper, including the observatory near the top, have opened in recent days, according to the Wall Street Journal. The 101-floor Shanghai World Financial Center stands at roughly 1,614 ...
The Morning Read: Tuesday, September 2, 2008.
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ The G.O.P. convention has resumed! Both Joe Lieberman and Fred Thompson will speak. Adam Nagourney says that Sarah Palin appears to have survived, politically, the news that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. Howard Kurtz considers ...
Morning Memo: Ivanka Trump vs. Howard Stern; Concerned Citizens to Save Katie Holmes; More Grubmans On the Way.
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Billy Joel and wife Katie Lee held an end-of-summer barbeque in Sagaponack, where Howard Stern played beer pong against Ivanka Trump. [NYDN] Levi Johnston, the young gentleman behind 17-year-old Bristol's Palin's pregnancy, has changed his Myspace status to ...
Santorum Lashes Out About Palin Coverage, Bauer Calls the Baby Story 'Endearing'.
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ ST. PAUL--John McCain confidant Charlie Black told a private reception of conservative leaders Monday evening that in his first-ever nonpolitical conversation with the candidate earlier that day, McCain asked him to help solicit donations for the victims of Hurricane ...
Day 9 of The U.S. Open.
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ .channel-bar { display: none; } Please wait while you are redirected to The U.S. Open Blog If you are not ...
In Case You Missed It Over Labor Day....
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ We reported that: Arthur Sulzberger Jr. will have to testify in Donald Trump's lawsuit against a Times reporter. Sam Chang sold a Chelsea Holiday Inn for $66 million. CB Richard Ellis cancelled a global conference because of ...
Where Did That Bloomberg to Buy New York Times Rumor Come From?
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ How do rumors get started? They get started, apparently, by journalists who seek to connect with powerful sources, according to Vanity Fair's Michael Wolff, who shares an excerpt from his upcoming Rupert Murdoch biography in the October issue of the magazine. ...
The Round-Up: Tuesday.
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ The first steel beams finally arrive at WTC site. [NY Times] Faulty elevators plague housing complexes with elderly residents. [NY Times] Bike messengers see an opportunity amid rising gas costs. [NY Times] Non-profit culture groups ...
Williams Sisters to Clash in the Quarters, Murray Wins.
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Every question from reporters for the next two days will be focused on Serena and Venus Williams. Both players won tonight in straight sets which means they'll duel in the quarters on Wednesday night in what pretty ...
Welcome to the David Dinkins Circle.
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Yesterday, the city named the entryway outside the tennis campus in Flushing, "The David Dinkins Circle." The entryway is that unremarkable circular promenade that's beyond the 7 train stop in Flushing, a bit beyond the boardwalk, that leads you either to the Open, or ...
In Today's Observer: The Dying Women's Game and the Surging Men's Game.
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Remember when Serena, Venus, Hingis, Capriati, Seles, etc ushered out the boring era of women's tennis led by Arantxa Sanchez Vicario? Well, that revolution is long over, and this U.S. Open has been the final stake to the heart to the women's game. Today, ...
Trump Now Likes Senate Dems Too, Just Not as Much as G.O.P.
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ The state Senate Democrats have released their fundraising committee's late-August financial statements, listing $210,000 in new receipts in the past 21 days from a handful of individuals, companies and elected officials' campaign accounts. One of the few individuals ...
In This Week's Observer...
Sep 02, 2008 ... <![CDATA[ Ben Stiller buys a Riverside apartment in his parents' building. Details on the record co-op deal at 1060 Fifth! Developers scramble to get things done while Bloomberg's still mayor. Buying and renting on New York City's new median ...