A few months back, Runnin' Scared covered what seems to be the biggest conundrum of the Big Apple: the fact that rents are higher than ever (averaging a solid $3,418 a month) yet no one is leaving the island. Actually, recent years have shown a huge increase in Manhattan newcomers, raising the question of whether the island will go the way of Venice.More >>

Not allowed near prom activities.

Yesterday, the Voice reported on an interesting story coming out of Brooklyn, in which a principal of a high school there offered to hand out condoms (rubbers, jimmy-hats, whatever they're calling them these days) at the school's prom, presumably in a bucket, presumably near the door. Darryl Roscoe argued that the measure was "necessary" and "the right thing to do," especially on a night that can get as rambunctious as Silvio Berlusconi's bunga bunga parties in Milan. More >>

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is on the lookout for Shari'ah law.

Does anyone remember Sam Brownback? He was part of the failed bastion of Republicans who ran for President in 2008 (how long ago does that feel?), along with the likes of Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee. Except Brownback didn't even make it to the primaries. More >>

More weed news from the West Coast: A federal court in California just ruled 2-1 that cities can ban medical marijuana dispensaries -- and that doing so doesn't violate the Americans With Disabilities Act.

As detailed by the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco's Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said federal drug law does not make exceptions for disabled individuals who use pot for severe pain. Medical marijuana bans, the judges said, do not count as discrimination.

More >>

Recession? What recession?

This morning, the Post reported that the city's most expensive parking spot is now on sale at 66 E. 11th Street in a tiny private garage. The location lies within a $38.8 million loft owned by developer Moran Fareed and includes a shower that shoots vitamin-C-and-aloe infused water at your face.

And its price tag: one million smackers.

The article quotes Robert Knackel, head of Massey Knackel, as saying, "The reality of New York City is that people are willing to pay more for a parking spot than the average person in the country pays for a house." That's a bold statement to make so, here at Runnin' Scared, we have seven tips to make that reality come true. Here are some One Percent loopholes so you can park your 2002 Toyota Camry in style:

More >>

Join us to change the world! Unless you're gay, that is.

Derek Bloch just wanted to share his story.

He wanted to tell other people what he'd been through, growing up in Scientology, getting kicked out of its hardcore "Sea Org" when it turned out that he was gay, and then increasingly becoming disaffected with his parents' religion as he became more educated and learned something about human psychology.

He wanted to say all that, but he didn't want to harm anyone, particularly his parents, who were still convinced Scientologists.

So Derek hid his identity, writing a lengthy and emotional description of his life growing up a Scientology kid, and posted it in February at the Ex-Scientologist Message Board (ESMB), using the screen name "Adam7986" to disguise himself.

Someone reading ESMB, however, recognized the people in Derek's story and contacted the church, which excommunicated Derek for writing it. Derek's parents, in turn, "disconnected" from him immediately. In other words, they threw him out of their lives.

Yesterday, I called up Derek's father, Darren Bloch, and told him I wanted to talk about his decision to choose his religion over his own son.

"It's really none of your business," he said before hanging up.

I beg to differ.

More >>

http://cbsnewyork.files.wordpress.com

This is definitely not good for PR.More >>

Should we be penalizing people like this or just accept that it's a (sometimes hilarious) side-effect of the Information  Age? The authorities in Fort Lee, New Jersey, are choosing the former.

In a recent quasi-legal move, police officers in the village have shifted their position on "twexting" (worst technological lexicon combination ever) and will begin to hit these messengers with a summons ticket if spotted. According to the police chief of the town, 23 accidents have occurred due to the twexting "epidemic," giving his force enough reason to penalize the activity all together. Except one thing: is that legal?

More >>

"Family planning:" The wholly innocent term infuriates the pro-life community. To them, it connotes Big Government abortions, the movie Juno and everything that is "morally wrong" with women's reproductive health (apparently, there is a lot). Since the female health service organization Planned Parenthood is the epitomization of this catchy phrase, it goes without saying that the pro-lifers would try anything they can to shut it down. And that's exactly what has been been happening this weekend.More >>

When Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey struck down the Access to the Region's Core (ARC) plan two years ago, he gained enormous praise from the Right for standing up to the Obama administration's demands. However, according to a report this morning from the New York Times, the decision to cut off Jersey's cash flow for ARC was statistically misguided by Christie.

Anyone who has traveled between Penn Station and New Jersey doesn't need to be told that the trains are at capacity. Limited to two century-old tunnels beneath the Hudson, Amtrak and Jersey trains share a stuffy route that expects to grow in traffic by 38 percent come 2030. The pressured rail is a major connection to the larger Amtrak/Jersey web of trains, which means the smallest delay anywhere can set off a chain reaction of trouble for many other cars. But these details never unsettled the Governor.

More >>