The 5 Best Fictional Versions of New York City
It seems as though New York City is used as the setting for a new movie, TV show, or book every week. And why not? Its landscape, attitude, importance, and population are iconic! Countless romantic comedies, police dramas, and any other realistic stories have featured timeless pieces of New York as background. However, every so often a story comes along that takes The Big Apple and turns it on its head.
Whether these are startling new interpretations of our grand city or cities that are New York City in everything but name, NYC has been reinterpreted in ways that are almost as memorable as the real one. So, courtesy of the lifelong New York attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, here are five of the best fictional versions of our city.
5. Escape from New York – Not every movie predicts a good outcome for The Big Apple in the future. Director John Carpenter’s future-set (technically 1988) thriller Escape from New York sees all of Manhattan turned into a walled-off prison to deal with a 400% increase in crime throughout the U.S. Criminals are thrown in and are never allowed to leave. Inside, gangs, psychotics, and everyone else is left to fend for themselves. Of course, the President of the United States happens to crash land inside, leaving hero Snake Plissken to venture in and rescue him. Probably the last fictional version of NYC you would want to visit.
Drive Safely in Highway Work Zones This April
Every April, New York and other states recognize Work Zone Safety Awareness Week. This week encourages drivers to brush up on their safe driving skills in highway construction zones, the number of which typically increase as warm weather moves in.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) work together to improve safety on U.S. roads. Facts from these administrations about work zone safety include:
- In the past five years, over 4,400 people have lost their lives in construction zone crashes, and another 200,000 were injured.
Strangulation Risks Prompt Recall of IKEA Children’s Bed Canopies
IKEA recently announced a recall of several of its children’s bed canopies because infants or small children can get tangled in the canopy’s fabric, suffering strangulation or other injuries.
The canopies are about seven feet long and about two feet wide. They are designed to hang above a child’s bed, with the tails of the canopy draping down over the bed. About 255,000 of the recalled canopies were sold in the United States, and an additional 7,000 were sold in Canada. Overall, about 2.6 million of the recalled canopies were sold nationwide.
Potential Fuel Leak Prompts Recall of Honda Odyssey Minivans
A risk of a fuel leak leading to a vehicle fire has prompted the announcement of a recall affecting over 880,000 Honda Odyssey minivans, according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
According to the automaker, a fuel leak may start if the cover on the fuel pump strainer deteriorates, as it is more likely to do when exposed to harsh weather or acidic chemicals, such as those used on farms. A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire, which can cause serious injury or death.
Run a “Spring Forward” Safety Check to Protect Your Family
March 9 brought with it the switch to Daylight Savings Time, an event that many New York families use to update their household’s safety plans and equipment. But even if you’ve already changed your clocks, you can still take advantage of this time of the year to run a “safety check” in your own home.
First, check your smoke detectors. The batteries in smoke detectors should be changed twice a year, as should the batteries in carbon monoxide detectors. When you change the batteries, test each device to make sure it works.
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month: Know the Facts
Brain injuries typically occur when there is a bump, jolt, or blow to the head that damages brain tissue. Because brain injuries affect over 2 million people in the United States each year, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) and experienced New York traumatic brain injury attorneys recognize March as Brain Injury Awareness Month, a valuable time to help people understand and protect themselves from brain injuries.
According to the BIAA, 2.4 million U.S. residents suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year. This number includes 475,000 children. Although about 1.3 million of these injured individuals will be treated in an emergency room and sent home, another 275,000 will require hospitalization for treatment of their injuries, and as many as 52,000 each year suffer a fatal injury. Brain injuries contribute to nearly one-third of all injury-related deaths.
Do You Suspect Government Fraud at Your Workplace?
When faced with evidence that an employer has committed fraud against the government, many people may feel reluctant to “blow the whistle” on the criminal activity. Will I lose my job if I report the falsified documents? Will my boss retaliate and find a reason to demote me? Taking action to expose wrongdoing in the workplace is never an easy decision, especially if it involves a government investigation that could create a hostile work environment or threaten your job.
However, defrauding the government is a serious crime. In fact, the qui tam provision of the False Claims Act, also known as “Lincoln’s Law,” encourages individuals to expose fraud by filing a qui tam lawsuit. When a qui tam case is settled, the relator, also known as the whistleblower, may be entitled to receive up to 30 percent of the funds recovered by the government.
What Actions Count as Fraud Against the Government?
If your employer has taken the following actions, you may have a valid qui tam case.
Understanding the Risk Factors of Distracted Driving
Despite recent attempts by New York and other states to curb distracted driving and to raise awareness of its risks, thousands of New Yorkers get behind the wheel every day in some form of distraction. Cell phone use while driving continues to be a primary source of distraction, and on average, nine people lose their lives nationwide every day due to distracted driving. Thousands more suffer severe injuries, requiring the assistance of dedicated New York distracted driving injury lawyers to help them protect their legal rights and to seek compensation for harms that could have been avoided.
A 2011 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 69 percent of drivers admitted to using their cell phone while driving, and that 31 percent of these drivers admitted to texting or emailing behind the wheel within the past 30 days.
10 Quintessential New York Movies
Like every New Yorker, the attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP are proud to live in the greatest states in the country. New York has even become one of the most iconic places in the world. As such, it has been home to thousands of films across the decades, with New York City, in particular, playing a major role in movies of every genre. But while NY is the backdrop to countless tales, there are some movies that are defined by being in New York, and vice versa, define the state.
So, in honor of our state and the numerous great movies that take place here, we present to you quintessential New York movies.
King Kong – The ultimate story of a stranger coming to The Big Apple? Only this time, it’s a giant ape. Images of New York on film don’t get much more iconic than King Kong hanging off the Empire State Building and swatting biplanes out of the sky.
Did You Know These Were Olympic Sports?
The 2014 Winter Olympics are well under way in Sochi, Russia, bringing a spirit of fun competition between countries throughout the world. And while the Winter Olympics are frequently a showcase for some of the oddest sports, like biathalon (cross country skiing mixed with shooting a rifle) or curling (ice shuffleboard), there are plenty more odd competitions to be found.
Throughout the modern history of Summer and Winter Olympics, athletes have competed in some of the strangest competitions known to man. Some have found underground popularity for decades. Others only graced us with their supremely odd presence for one year. In either case, they deserve the occasional spotlight.