Jeez. Somebody in Williamsburg needs to get out more. For the full story see Curbed.

I still suffer pangs of guilt for the noise I helped inflict on a poor woman in East London in 1996. It was my first flat (on the second floor of a converted terraced house on Blurton Road, East Clapton, to be precise) and the woman, whose name I never knew, was unfortunate enough to live below.

My flatmate was arguably the least responsible person I have ever known. He couldn’t understand why placing armchair-sized speakers on the floor and playing pumping techno music late into the night, albeit at a low volume, could possibly disturb our neighbor. And the comings and goings of another friend, who could often be found stumbling over our myriad ashtrays and passing out on the couch, probably didn’t help either.

As cash-strapped London students we hardly ever went out, preffering instead to while away the nighttime hours playing Playstation, listening to music and watching movies. When we did go out we clumped up and down the stairs at all hours, day and night. We must have driven her mad.

All of this came back to me yesterday as I read the carefully-written complaints from this neighbor in Astoria, Queens.

Is Britain a country of racists? Yes. Like every country in the entire world, it is. Now, back to work.

UPDATE: Sunny of Pickled Politics has some wise words on the matter (via Clive Davis):

A wise person once said – let the person who has not sinned cast the first stone. Similarly, let the Asians who are not racist against other races or xenophobic against other religions complain. I know their numbers aren’t that large.

I couldn’t agree more. I can’t believe some of the racist comments I hear when I go home. The next time British Jews cry Antisemitism, perhaps they should listen to what fellow members of the community say about other races and religions behind closed doors. And then think again.

I don’t know about you, but I want to know more. (Via Josh (WF Thompson) in the comments.)

I was reminiscing about Russian music the other day and I suddenly remembered Mumiy Troll. Okay, so maybe the video could do with a little work. But remember, this song came out some time around 1997. Even today, I would hazard a guess that lead singer Ilia Lagutenko’s androgynous look is quite edgy by Russian standards.

A fantastic-looking video installation by Doug Aitken will be projected onto the outer walls of MoMA for the next month. But why do galleries insist on describing installations and exhibitions in such a convoluted way? From MoMA’s website:

…Continuous sequences of film scenes will be projected onto eight facades, including those on West Fifty-third and Fifty-fourth streets and those overlooking The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. Inspired by the densely built environment of New York’s midtown, the artist will create a cinematic art experience that directly integrates with the architectural fabric of the city while simultaneously enhancing and challenging viewers’ perceptions of public space.

What? (Opens Tuesday.)

(Via Clive Davis.)

UPDATE: Thanks to Ermiyas for directing me to this alternative take on Al Jazeera by a BBC news team. Story here.

It’s common knowledge that mayor Bloomberg has a listed phone number. But I did chuckle this morning when I read that the mayor also has an emergency, unlisted, secure hot line that he has never had to use other than to reject telesales calls.

With characteristic dry wit, the mayor told a Senate hearing yesterday:

…When I became mayor, I was given a very important secure phone that is in the kitchen of my house, so that if I wanted to talk to the Air National Guard and shoot down a plane, I just press a button.

According to the New York Times “a low murmur spread through the room” and the mayor was forced to clarify later that he did not, indeed, have a direct line to the military:

It is not red, and it has never been used other than to answer an occasional call for, did I want to subscribe to a ridiculous magazine, buy an insurance policy or some other such particular thing.