Rockefeller Brothers Fund (audio)

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Fare ladies

WOMEN have been driving yellow cabs in New York since the 1940s, but 99% of drivers are male. Even among drivers of cars booked by phone or online, only 4% are women. That may change with the launch of SheTaxis, an app that lets female passengers insist on female drivers, and vice versa.

It will be available in New York City (where it will be called “SheRides”), Westchester and Long Island, and the firm plans to expand to other cities. Stella Mateo, the founder, is betting that quite a few women are nervous and weary of getting into cars driven by men. The service may also appeal to those whose religious beliefs forbid them to travel with unrelated men. Each driver will wear a pink pashmina. Men who ask for a ride will be directed to another car service.

Similar services thrive in India, South Africa and several Middle Eastern cities. Some Brazilian and Mexican cities offer women-only public-transport programs known as “pink transport”. Japan has had women-only railway carriages on and off since 1912. Known as hana densha (flower trains), they offer a haven from the gropers who make rush hour in Tokyo so disagreeable. Women-only hotel floors are popular, too.

But SheTaxis faces two speed bumps. One is practical. Demand has been so great that the firm has had to decelerate its launch until it can recruit 500 drivers. The other obstacle is legal. By employing only female drivers, SheTaxis is obviously discriminating against men. Since anti-discrimination law is not always applied with common sense, that may be illegal. And there is no shortage of potential litigants. Yellow cabbies are furious at the growth of online taxi firms such as Uber. “It’s not hard to imagine a guy...filing suit,” says Sylvia Law of New York University Law School. SheTaxi’s defence would probably be that its drivers are all independent contractors.

Because the firm caters only to women, it is discriminating against male customers, too. Is that legal? Angela Cornell of Cornell Law School thinks there could be a loophole. New York’s Human Rights Commission could make an exemption on the ground that SheTaxi offers a service that is in the public interest: women feel safer not getting into cars with strange men. Women-only colleges are allowed, so why not women-only cabs? The snag is that some men may also feel safer getting into cabs with female drivers. A study in 2010 found that 80% of crashes in New York City that kill or seriously injure pedestrians involve male drivers. Women drivers are simply better.

from The Economist

 

Chevrolet Corvette "Valet Mode"

 

General Motors is warning Chevrolet Corvette buyers and owners not to use one of the car's most exotic high-tech features because it could inadvertently result in committing a crime in some states.
The "Valet Mode" is a feature of the Performance Data Recorder in the 2015 Corvette. It allows owners to secretly record conversations in their cars and performance data when they're not along for the ride, such as when the car is being parked by a valet.
Besides recording conversations, Valet Mode also shows how the car was driven while in the hands of another. It disables the entertainment system and locks storage compartments to deter thefts. Valet Mode is just one part of the Performance Data Recorder, which has the main purpose of being a fun way for owners to make video and audio recordings of their drives in a Corvette, including their choice of some of the car's performance indicators.
Unfortunately, a very short time ago, GM discovered that secret recordings are illegal in many states, so last week it posted a notice explaining the problem on CorvetteForum.com:

From GM: Attention: General Manager, Service Advisor, Service Manager, Parts and Service Director, Parts Manager, New Vehicle Sales Manager, and Warranty Administrator This notice is being sent to you regarding 2015 model year Corvettes equipped with the Performance Data Recorder (UQT). The Performance Data Recorder (UQT) in these vehicles, when used in Valet Mode, allows a customer to record the driving of their Corvette when the vehicle is not in their control. In Valet Mode, the PDR will also record activity and conversations that take place in the vehicle. To help our customers use the Performance Data Recorder (UQT) consistent with legal requirements that pertain to audio recording devices, we will be requiring a very important update to the system of each affected vehicle in the near future. We expect that the update will be available early next month. At that time, we will provide details about the update and let you know what steps you need to take, if any, to complete the update for vehicles in your inventory. In the meantime, you must advise any customers who take delivery of an impacted vehicle that they should refrain from using the Valet Mode until the update takes place. If they do use the Valet Mode, they should (i) notify any occupants of the vehicle that they will be recorded while in the vehicle, and (ii) obtain their consent to this recording. It is very important that you explain this to each customer at the time of delivery. Attached is a copy of a written communication for you to provide to customers to accomplish this notice. We are sending the same communication to customers who have already taken delivery of a Corvette vehicle equipped with PDR. We greatly appreciate your cooperation in conveying this important information to your customers

 edited from USA Today

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Chocolate river surfing (audio)

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Law for dogs at California restaurants

Starting on January 1, 2015 California dogs will be allowed to dine al fresco as long as they are wearing leashes or are relaxing in a carrier. 

California diners will legally enjoy a meal on a restaurant patio with their dogs, under a law signed on Thursday by Governor Jerry Brown that eliminates health code regulations banning restaurant owners from allowing dogs on the premises.

When it comes to pets in restaurants, America’s regulations are confusing. Although federal law does not ban domesticated animals from restaurants, the Food and Drug Administration discourages pet-friendly policies. Many states, therefore, prohibit them. However, they are undermined by more tolerant rules at the local level. Austin, for example, allows dogs on restaurant patios, though Texas does not.

This leads to confusion. Len Kain, who runs a website that lists dog-friendly establishments, says, “If you poll 50 health inspectors in a particular area on whether pets are allowed, you’ll get 20 yeses and 30 noes.” 

 “We’re thrilled that starting next year restaurants will have more freedom to determine for themselves the customers they’d like to serve,” said Angelica Pappas, spokeswoman for the California Restaurant Association. 

The law will allow dogs on restaurant patios if there is a separate entrance where they can enter the outdoor area without entering the restaurant building.

Dogs will not be allowed to sit on chairs or make direct contact with servers or cooks. Pet owners will be liable for any property damage their dogs cause.

The law will not require local governments to allow pets on the restaurant patios, so some may still ban them.

Assembly member Mariko Yamada championed the bill from the outset.  In a message posted on her Facebook page, she said “Amidst all the horrific and depressing news around us, I hope this bill helps make people a little happier, and businesses who wish to accommodate diners with dogs safe from being unnecessarily cited.”

David Wiesner, chef and owner of Siena Bistro in Willow Glen started a pro-doggy patio policy some years ago. According to Wiesner, “The law going into effect in January is the law that I thought was already in effect.”

Along with Wiesner, many other California restaurant owners believed that there weren’t any laws against having your dog dine with you outdoors.  Now, they are 100% sure of it!

edited from The Economist

USA minimum wage (video)

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A lawyer's photographs

It is competitive out there, so who can blame a lawyer for using technology to get a little attention? 

Last week a California judge recommended a six-month suspension for Svitlana Sangary, a Los Angeles attorney, who posted manipulated photos of herself with celebrities on her firm's website. 

Sangary photoshopped photos of herself at parties with the likes of President Obama, George Clooney, Donald Trump, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Morgan Freeman, Alec Baldwn and the inevitable Bill and Hillary Clinton.

The judge accused Sangary of deceptive advertising and not cooperating with bar investigators. Besides the six month suspension, the judge also is recommending that Sangary serve three years of probation.

Personally, I think the punishment is way too harsh. I mean, Sangary clearly didn't suggest that those boldfaced names endorsed her legal talents. She was merely tapping into our celebrity-crazed culture. Give her a break!

edited from American Lawyer

Turning rubber into art (video)

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Islamic Militants target Christians (video)

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NY Kite Center

 Last Thursday afternoon, an adventurous group gathered on the second floor of a former seaplane factory, eager to fly.

“You can search the whole world for the right wind,” said John Pereira, 37, a kiteboarder and self-taught wind predictor. “But you have to let it come to you. I’m pretty good at my predictions, but it is the wind we’re talking about.”

This can be hard for the schedule-bound Manhattanites who make up the bulk of Mr. Pereira’s kiteboarding clientele at the NY Kite Center, but the sport is not one for those in a hurry.

Relatively new but growing quickly in the United States, kiteboarding (a term sometimes used interchangeably with “kitesurfing,” depending on the style of board used) resembles wakeboarding but without the boat. The pull comes instead from a kite, and the wind. Beginners must possess strong swimming skills, enough money to invest in lessons and gear and an easygoing attitude.

Situated along South Oyster Bay in Amityville on Long Island, the NY Kite Center has been a kiteboarding school, gear shop and repair center since 2008. With its proximity to New York City, a convenient Long Island Rail Road station and access to the bay, Amityville is an ideal location to learn kiteboarding. Protected from the ocean by grassy islands and averaging only four feet deep, the water is “flat,” and kites can be flown in any direction. 

“This place is the caviar of learning spots,” said Milot Krasniqi, 32, an instructor who took his first lessons at the center five years ago. Caviar is an apt metaphor: The eight-hour beginner’s clinic (including rental gear) costs $999. 

 “Fall kiting is beautiful, with no boats, no bugs, crisp air, the green islands,” said Tom Atwell, 57, who lives near the shop and kites all over the world. “Your board going through water is like being on butter; it sounds like something sizzling on the grill.”

For now, though, 12 students relaxed in the shop wearing wet suits half-zipped, waiting for the call of wind. 

“I love wind,” said Frederic Leroy, 45, a former windsurfer taking his second lesson. “When you glide on water, it’s like your parents pushing you on a bike — a protective thrill.”

Then a voice called out, “Who’s ready to kite?” The group sprang into action, ready for whatever the wind might bring. Soon, kites floated above the bay like strange birds. Three hours later, the group returned to shore, with nothing but smiles and, as one instructor put it, the horizon in their eyes.

edited from The New York Times