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S’no Thanks, Mayor Bloomberg

29 Dec

December 29, 2010

NYC has been hit by a blizzard. Here in my part of Brooklyn, we had about 20 inches of snow drop on us. According to Mayor Bloomberg, New York’s aloof three-term plutocrat, things are rosy.

“The world has not come to an end,” he said. “The city’s going on. Many people are taking the day off. Most stores are open. There’s no reason for anybody to panic.”


Panic? Perhaps I should point out that I live on the intersection of two main streets and neither one is clear. In fact, one avenue is nearly untouched by plows and cars need to crawl around each other like ants to get by, while dodging pedestrians in the streets. No one is able to get around. People are risking their lives simply going outside.

“Yelling about it and complaining doesn’t help,” Bloomberg said. “I think you can expect another 24 hours before we will get to everyone and even then I’m not so sure.”

How reassuring. That’s leadership?

Well, the Mayor’s 24 hours have come and gone and nearly no plows have come by. The streets are impassable. But who is at fault? According to the Mayor, we are.

“Too many ambulances went down blocked streets, for example,” Bloomberg said. “What they should’ve done was stay at the corner of the main street and then walked down or struggled through the snow to get down, because once the ambulance got in it couldn’t get out.”

[This reporter] witnessed one ambulance doing precisely what the mayor wanted. It stopped on a main street so that EMTs could walk down snow-covered side street to assist someone. But in the process their ambulance blocked traffic, including a snow plow.

This is ass-backwards. Instead of the snow causing the bad conditions so the ambulance was unable to get by, the ambulance is at fault for causing the bad conditions that got the ambulance stuck in the first place. And I am sure it is a great idea for EMT’s to be hauling elderly heart attack victims over five foot snow drifts for an entire city block.

But don’t worry, I’m sure Mayor Bloomberg feels our pain

“When we clear your block,” he warned, “don’t get out and start shoveling snow back out there.”

Bloomberg said all the Broadway shows are going on and suggested that New Yorkers should venture out to see one.

Really? HOW? Mr. Mayor, I can’t get to Broadway! The roads are impossible to drive on, and none of the trains in South Brooklyn are running! HOW CAN I GET TO A BROADWAY SHOW? I can’t get to the bagel store across the street! I wish this guy would get his head out of his ass.

Of course, the City is working on it. Watch this wonderful video.

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“Let it Be”… gone. Gone far, far away. UPDATED!

4 Dec

December 4, 2010

If John Lennon were alive this would kill him.

A Norwegian program, Gylne Tider,  has put together a video of (mostly) American and Norwegian celebrities singing “Let it Be.”  I have no idea what the show is about, but that isn’t the issue. The issue is: Is David Faustino a star? Is Fab from Milli Vanilli still legally allowed to be called a star? Why is George Wendt singing? Why isn’t Peter Falk singing? And why isn’t William Shatner in it at all?  

These questions, and more, brought up but not answered:

Sadly, this may have been the last screen appearance of Leslie Neilsen, and that’s just cruel.

UPDATE!

David Faustino has gone on record to explain his part in the wonderful mess that is the Gylne Tider “Let it Be” video:

My first reaction was “well, NOW that video  is cool.” As a planned event it sucks, but as a celebrity prank it is hysterical.

My second reaction was “David Faustino called himself a celebrity. He either has a lot of nerve or he’s delusional.”

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