In case you've just dug out of the snow that has paralyzed much of the country, or your holiday shopping has taken you out of the loop, the two Naughtiest Newsmakers of 2013 are Borat and Borat (I STILL refuse to dignify them by writing their real names!), the terrorists who almost turned America's birthday into a nightmare and instead chose to wreak havoc on the Boston Marathon.As this is Number 86, I can think of no better way to eighty-six 2013 than with a countdown of the Nicest Newsmakers of the year gone by. Understandably, I am not donating ONE RED CENT to ANYBODY in DIS-honor of those two idiots, but this year, I am making donations to two different charities in honor of the Nicest Newsmaker AND his runner-up! (Sorry, I'm not trying to be sexist, I'm trying to get you to stay tuned!) This blog will resume in 2014, although I'm not ruling out the occasional breaking news event. I would like to thank all my readers in the USA,especially Bettijane Eisenpreis,Gretchen Muller and Judy Wilder, for your continued support,Nicole Vranzanian for suggesting this blog in the first place, Google for putting up with my nonsense, and China,Canada,the UK, Serbia,Germany, and France for stopping by! (As for the Ukraine, if you can't say anything nice...)
And now, without any further ado, (I just used up my supply of ado!) THE TOP TEN NICEST NEWSMAKERS OF 2013!
HONORABLE MENTION The New York Police Department
You keep putting your lives on the line so we can live ours in peace. This is a natural segue into...
10. BILL BRATTON
When he was Commish, he changed New York from Crime City back to Fun City. Now that Mayor-Elect Bill DeBlasio has given him his job back, it's more than likely that the Big Apple will remain the safest large city in the world. (But for how long? Dum-dum-DUMMMMMMMMMM!)
9. LORDE
The "e" may be silent, but this lovely New Zealander sure isn't! Her first worldwide megahit, "Royals," is the perfect antidote to all those rappers who have regaled us with tales of their stretch limos, champagne, and high-profile paramours! She may not be a material girl,but she sure isn't Miley either, and we can all be thankful for that!
8. THE NOT-READY-FOR-PRIME-TIME PLAYERS
This current iteration of the Saturday Night Live gang has made us take ourselves a little less seriously with their parodies of everything from Al Sharpton to people who try to get in the holiday spirit three weeks early, which includes just about everybody!
7.PHIL LIPOF
For seven years, he co-anchored WABC-TV Channel 7 Eyewitness News on the weekends and he was dispatched to the scene of important breaking stories. As he returns to his native Boston to anchor WCVB NewsCenter 5, this blog joins his many viewers who thank him for his selfless commitment to his craft and his participation in our community and wishes him the best of luck. The Marathon taught me how to respect the resillience of the people of Boston, and, although I hate to admit it, that town is a better fit for him.Good luck, Phil! We're leaving the door WIDE open for you!
HONORABLE MENTION David Murphy (and David Murphy)
This guy is one of my Twitter followers, and as a proud resident of Delaware County, PA, has served as a weatherman with 6abc Action News in Philly for twenty years,which was why I couldn't believe what I heard one morning during my recent trip there. I know he's a sports fan, and we sports fans do tend to make analogies in sports terms, like saying a certain candidate is "down for the count" or that Carrie Underwood's performance on THE SOUND OF MUSIC (More on that later!) was a "home run," but I was worried that he pulled a Phil Lipof just as soon as I came in when he said, matter of fact-ly,"I have been traded to Cleveland." I was both shocked over the announcement and happy that he was going to the home of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and Progressive Field, (I would have loved to have seen a publicity shot of him with a Flo walkabout!) but then he pressed a button on the Action News Big Board,
(the large screen monitor they use for weather and entertainment stories) and a sports story right off 6abc.com, reporting that David Murphy OF THE TEXAS RANGERS had been traded to Cleveland! I later tweeted, "Good luck in Cleveland!" and added LOL and a little smiley face. He replied, "Hope I'm not riding the bench!" Here's wishing David Murphy and David Murphy a very Merry Christmas!
6. MARIANO RIVERA
This New York Yankee pitcher was called the Sandman because he put opposing batters to sleep. We Yankee fans were always wide awake and giving him a standing O every time he came to the hill. Mr. Sandman, thanks for bringing New York five World Series dreams and good luck on your retirement!
5. CARRIE UNDERWOOD
Contrary to popular belief, country singers CAN sing Broadway! Cases in point, Reba McEntire who filled Bernadette Peters' king-size cowboy boots in the revival of "Annie Get Your Gun," and a former
Oklahoma school teacher named Carrie Underwood who played Maria vonTrapp, the mother of the famous Austrian musical family, in NBC's live TV production (the first live presentation of a musical in 50 years!)of Rodgers and Hammerstein's heart-warming THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Although she doesn't quite live up to the standards Julie Andrews set as an actress,she stands on her own merits, although she truly shines the brightest as a singer. From American Idol to governess. Not too shabby!
Kudos also to Laura Bennanti who has finally shed her image as the Bunny Mother on NBC's late, largely unlamented account of life at THE PLAYBOY CLUB with her witty portrayal of Captain vonTrapp's fiance Elsa, especially on her two major numbers, "How Can Love Survive?" and "No Way To Stop It." Rainn Wilson,formerly of THE OFFICE,tweeted to his old boss,"If you need a Pippin,I'm ready!" Bring it on, O Peacock,although it will no doubt pale in comparison to THE SOUND OF MUSIC!
4. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
The World's Most Famous Arena finally completed its transformation, and it looks better than ever with a brand new lobby, HD video displays, and a state of the art scoreboard, as well as monthly concerts from
3. BILLY JOEL,
the first Artist-In-Residence in the more-than-150-year history of the Garden as well as any arena in the world. New York's Piano Man has become MSG's fourth franchise (after the Rangers, Knicks and Liberty), and the Big Shot is about to get HUGE! I had the pleasure to meet Billy and his then-wife Christie Brinkley at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1992, and with him,what you see is CERTAINLY what you get! It couldn't happen to a nicer guy!
And now, we're up to our Top Two Nicest Newsmakers of 2013. For reasons I will explain later, I am making a donation in both their names to We Can Be Heroes, an initiative of DC Comics dedicated to fighting hunger in the Horn Of Africa. For more information on this initiative, and how it can win you cool DC Super Hero merchandise, log onto http://www.dccomics.com.
2.BATKID
Holy Wish Fulfillment, Batman! Move over, Robin, the Caped Crusader has a new sidekick in five-year-old Miles Scott, a cancer survivor currently in remission who wished to fight crime alongside his hero. Make-A-Wish and local San Francisco businesses got together to turn the beautiful City By The Bay into dark and gritty Gotham City (no rhyme intended) and mild-mannered Miles became Batkid, untying a damsel in distress from the cable car tracks, freeing the Baseball Giants' mascot, and protecting the populace from the likes of the Joker, Penguin and Riddler. For showing us that we, as David Bowie sang, all can be heroes if only for a day, Miles Scott is our SECOND Nicest Newsmaker of 2013, and a donation will also be made in his name to the Make-A-Wish Foundation so more terminally ill children can realize their dreams.
I'd also like to send a shout out to Debby Ryan of Disney's JESSIE (She plays a musician trying to make it in New York who works as a live-in nanny.) for proving that Disney stars CAN be well-adjusted, normal people!
BUT, it's time to unveil the Nicest Newsmaker of 2013, and the award GOES TO...
1.NELSON ROLIHLALA MANDELA (1918-2013)
True, Nelson Mandela was no saint. He was divorced, branded a terrorist, imprisoned, maybe more like one of Shakespeare's characters than Batman or Superman, but he brought down the corrupt government of South Africa and helped turn one of the biggest countries in Africa into a true democracy as its first duly elected President.For making Doctor King's Dream a reality and uniting a house divided, "Madiba" is the (posthumous) STEVE'S BLOG NICEST NEWSMAKER OF 2013.In addition to making a donation in his name to We Can Be Heroes to end the hunger crisis in his beloved continent of Africa,I celebrate his special relationship with New York by also donating in his name to the Garden Of Dreams Foundation, Madison Square Garden's charitable arm dedicated to funding after-school sports and cultural programs for the disadvantaged kids of New York. For more information, visit http://www.gardenofdreamsfoundation.org .
And so we bring to a close the first calendar year of Steve's Blog. Once again, thank you to all our readers coast to coast and around the world. Barring any unforseen circumstances (including breaking news stories) we will be back on or about January 2,2014. I hope our Jewish friends had a happy Chanukah, and I hope the rest of you have a Good Kwanzaa, a Happy Solstice, and, OF COURSE, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Hmmm, let's see. I counted down the Naughty Newsmakers, I counted down the Nice Newsmakers, I announced my donations, I thanked the readers, guess there's one thing left to do.
Roses are red,violets are blue.
This blog is over, so it's
BYE, BUCKAROOS!
Steve
Monday, December 9, 2013
#85 Santa Steve's Naughty List
Before I kick off my first annual Naughty List, I would like to say "Feliz Natal!" to our friends in Brazil and "Shengdan jie kualia!" to our friends in China. Welcome to SteveNation!
As the year races to its conclusion,I would like to recognize this year's newsmakers, both the naughty and the nice. This blog will make a donation in the name of the Nicest Newsmaker of the Year to a charity to be named later, but as for the Naughtiest, I would like to quote Mr. Willy Wonka:
"You get NOTHING!
You LOSE!
Good DAY,SIR!"
DISHONORABLE MENTION The New York City Panhandler
Yeah, I know,we're supposed to help the poor,but this is one instance when patronizing secondary sources (The Salvation Army or, in my case, Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York's Sunday Lunch Program) beats going directly to the source. These people pop up on streets and subways and ask us for dimes and quarters so they can "get something to eat." A lot of them either are or claim to be (I vote for "claim to be.") Veterans. I keep hoping and praying for the day when I hear one of them say, "Excuse me, I'm a homeless food critic who got kicked out of every restaurant in Manhattan after I gave Le Cirque only one star. Can you help me get a New York cut sirloin, medium rare?" ORRRR, maybe they're just plain scam artists. Whatevs. Next time you see one, either walk on by or say no. (If you MUST say something other than no, whip out your Zagat book or Guide Michelin and start throwing names at him. Unless he's a bonafide foodie, he's going to run away faster than a speeding bullet. Works for me!) And stop asking us if we have a cigarette, Mr./Ms. Panhandler! Call 311 or 1-866-NY-QUITS for help in getting off those things!
I would also LOVE to hear one of those guys asking us for Nicorette!
Speaking of which, let's kick off the Bottom Ten Countdown with,
10. THE FILTHY ANIMALS
That's the name my friend Scott Shannon gave those glorified panhandlers who put on cheap, skanky costumes and pass themselves off as Mickey and Minnie, Buzz Lightyear, Papa Smurf and Batman, and let me tell you, Nation, it fits them like the sub par gloves that cover their tip-grubbing hands. They've been known to get aggressive, often threatening groups such as the Girl Scouts and they've even been known to TAKE THEIR HEADS OFF IN PUBLIC! ON TIMES SQUARE! Hey,F.A.'s, if you REALLY want to be these beloved characters, (A) take a legit theme park job or (B) audition for a traveling show such as Disney On Ice or Disney Junior Live, and remember, DON'T TALK IN YOUR OWN VOICE! (One exception was the actor who played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Raphael and asked me, in Raph's tough guy voice, "Aaaaay, How ya doin'?")People know animal characters and characters such as Buzz Lightyear and their unmistakable voices, and the F.A.'s must be doing their best to make sure the reps of Mickey, Minnie, SpongeBob and others are irreversibly damaged.One more thing, F.A.'s :THOSE CHARACTERS ARE COPYRIGHTED! Hope you've saved enough tip money to pay off those lawsuits!
9.JOE JONAS
The first time I saw the Jonas Brothers in concert was on the corner of 79th and Third. No, they weren't singing for their supper like the performers on subway platforms! They had just inked a contract with Columbia Records and Radio Disney put on a free concert at the Third Avenue Street Fair. This was BEFORE they became superstars with the Mouse House,and even before that link was forged, I noticed they were nice guys, devoid of the angst of the grunge acts and the bells and whistles of the arena acts.
Simply put, before they were the JoBros, the JB's and the Jonai, they were Joe, Kevin Jr.and Nick,three guys who loved their family, their fans,and their music.Six years, three TV shows, and a veritable plethora of albums,singles and concerts later,the Jonas Brothers have been dissolved (as an act) and Joe has "interviewed himself" for New York magazine saying that the whole nice guy image was fabricated by Disney (Mr.Nice Guy said WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!") and that Demi Lovato turned him onto pot. (TMI!) Hey, JoJo, you MUST be high, because Papa Kevin, not Disney, made you squeaky clean nice guys, nobody gives a rat's rear about your sex life,and we couldn't care less about your pot habit. Such things are best discussed with therapists, not in the Court of Public Opinion.
8. JOHN TORTORELLA
Johnny Torts WAS the Head Coach of the New York Rangers until they were bounced out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Boston Bruins, thus ending a strike-shortened season that will go down in Ranger history as one of the all-time worst. Good luck with Vancouver, J.T. YOU'LL NEED IT!
7. THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND THE CBS SPORTS ANNOUNCE TEAM
The 2013 Super Bowl was SUPPOSED to be a testament to the resillience of New Orleans and its people, and for two quarters and one handsomely-produced Beyonce halftime show, it was, but early in the third quarter, the power went out in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, suspending play and beginning a performance of Theatre of the Absurd, starring CBS Sports reporter Steve Tasker, who signed on as a sideline reporter for the radio network and had to blabber incoherently before tossing it to the NFL Today crew and THEIR incoherent blabbering! (At least this made great material for Charissa Thompson on ESPN SportsNation and the SNL gang!)
6. LUCKY 7
This drama, following the adventures of seven friends who each shared a winning lottery ticket, was supposed to capitalize on the country's LottoMania epidemic. It only lasted two episodes. How very UN-
lucky!
5. THE SMURFS 2
The Audience-0.
4. MILEY CYRUS (To the tune of "Best Of Both Worlds" from HANNAH MONTANA)
She had a top rated show.
She was Disney Channel's Hannah Montana.
But when they told her, "It's time to go,"
She cut her hair and went all kinds of bananas.
Who would have thought that a girl like that,
Would turn into a twerkin' jerk?
It's just the WORST IN THIS WORLD!
Without the shades and the wig,
Got a whole 'nother gig.
It's just the WORST IN THIS WORLD!
Get your act together,
'Cause you know you're just the WORST IN THIS WORLD!
3. ALEX RODRIGUEZ
When Alexander Emanuel Rodriguez arrived in the Bronx to assume the hallowed Yankee pinstripes, he was accepted by fans and players alike as a power hitter and all-around nice guy. Unfortunately, Kryptonite for THIS Superman was performance enhancing drugs, and after Major League Baseball conducted a conclusive investigation, this player who likes to be called A-Rod was suspended. Goodbye and good riddance, A-Roid!
DISHONORABLE MENTION Rob Ford
The Mayor of Toronto was originally going to be my Number Two Naughtiest due to his excessive drinking and drugging, but he was bumped down by...
2. WILLIAM ROCKEFELLER
You know the expression, "You snooze, you lose?" Well, Billy Boy "zoned out" and thanks to him, four innocent riders of his Metro-North Harlem Line train lost their lives, many more were injured, and the whole sorry affair got the attention of the National Transportation Safety Bureau! As the late,great Soupy Sales once opined, "A good day's work never hurt anybody, and neither did a good day's rest!"
AND THE NUMBER ONE NAUGHTIEST NEWSMAKER OF 2013 IS...
Actually, this award is SHARED by Borat and Borat, (I STILL refuse to dignify them by saying their real names!) the Boston Marathon bombers. Fool US once, shame on you. Fool US twice, not gonna happen!
NEXT: The Nice List!
Bye,Buckaroos!
Steve
As the year races to its conclusion,I would like to recognize this year's newsmakers, both the naughty and the nice. This blog will make a donation in the name of the Nicest Newsmaker of the Year to a charity to be named later, but as for the Naughtiest, I would like to quote Mr. Willy Wonka:
"You get NOTHING!
You LOSE!
Good DAY,SIR!"
DISHONORABLE MENTION The New York City Panhandler
Yeah, I know,we're supposed to help the poor,but this is one instance when patronizing secondary sources (The Salvation Army or, in my case, Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York's Sunday Lunch Program) beats going directly to the source. These people pop up on streets and subways and ask us for dimes and quarters so they can "get something to eat." A lot of them either are or claim to be (I vote for "claim to be.") Veterans. I keep hoping and praying for the day when I hear one of them say, "Excuse me, I'm a homeless food critic who got kicked out of every restaurant in Manhattan after I gave Le Cirque only one star. Can you help me get a New York cut sirloin, medium rare?" ORRRR, maybe they're just plain scam artists. Whatevs. Next time you see one, either walk on by or say no. (If you MUST say something other than no, whip out your Zagat book or Guide Michelin and start throwing names at him. Unless he's a bonafide foodie, he's going to run away faster than a speeding bullet. Works for me!) And stop asking us if we have a cigarette, Mr./Ms. Panhandler! Call 311 or 1-866-NY-QUITS for help in getting off those things!
I would also LOVE to hear one of those guys asking us for Nicorette!
Speaking of which, let's kick off the Bottom Ten Countdown with,
10. THE FILTHY ANIMALS
That's the name my friend Scott Shannon gave those glorified panhandlers who put on cheap, skanky costumes and pass themselves off as Mickey and Minnie, Buzz Lightyear, Papa Smurf and Batman, and let me tell you, Nation, it fits them like the sub par gloves that cover their tip-grubbing hands. They've been known to get aggressive, often threatening groups such as the Girl Scouts and they've even been known to TAKE THEIR HEADS OFF IN PUBLIC! ON TIMES SQUARE! Hey,F.A.'s, if you REALLY want to be these beloved characters, (A) take a legit theme park job or (B) audition for a traveling show such as Disney On Ice or Disney Junior Live, and remember, DON'T TALK IN YOUR OWN VOICE! (One exception was the actor who played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Raphael and asked me, in Raph's tough guy voice, "Aaaaay, How ya doin'?")People know animal characters and characters such as Buzz Lightyear and their unmistakable voices, and the F.A.'s must be doing their best to make sure the reps of Mickey, Minnie, SpongeBob and others are irreversibly damaged.One more thing, F.A.'s :THOSE CHARACTERS ARE COPYRIGHTED! Hope you've saved enough tip money to pay off those lawsuits!
9.JOE JONAS
The first time I saw the Jonas Brothers in concert was on the corner of 79th and Third. No, they weren't singing for their supper like the performers on subway platforms! They had just inked a contract with Columbia Records and Radio Disney put on a free concert at the Third Avenue Street Fair. This was BEFORE they became superstars with the Mouse House,and even before that link was forged, I noticed they were nice guys, devoid of the angst of the grunge acts and the bells and whistles of the arena acts.
Simply put, before they were the JoBros, the JB's and the Jonai, they were Joe, Kevin Jr.and Nick,three guys who loved their family, their fans,and their music.Six years, three TV shows, and a veritable plethora of albums,singles and concerts later,the Jonas Brothers have been dissolved (as an act) and Joe has "interviewed himself" for New York magazine saying that the whole nice guy image was fabricated by Disney (Mr.Nice Guy said WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!") and that Demi Lovato turned him onto pot. (TMI!) Hey, JoJo, you MUST be high, because Papa Kevin, not Disney, made you squeaky clean nice guys, nobody gives a rat's rear about your sex life,and we couldn't care less about your pot habit. Such things are best discussed with therapists, not in the Court of Public Opinion.
8. JOHN TORTORELLA
Johnny Torts WAS the Head Coach of the New York Rangers until they were bounced out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Boston Bruins, thus ending a strike-shortened season that will go down in Ranger history as one of the all-time worst. Good luck with Vancouver, J.T. YOU'LL NEED IT!
7. THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND THE CBS SPORTS ANNOUNCE TEAM
The 2013 Super Bowl was SUPPOSED to be a testament to the resillience of New Orleans and its people, and for two quarters and one handsomely-produced Beyonce halftime show, it was, but early in the third quarter, the power went out in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, suspending play and beginning a performance of Theatre of the Absurd, starring CBS Sports reporter Steve Tasker, who signed on as a sideline reporter for the radio network and had to blabber incoherently before tossing it to the NFL Today crew and THEIR incoherent blabbering! (At least this made great material for Charissa Thompson on ESPN SportsNation and the SNL gang!)
6. LUCKY 7
This drama, following the adventures of seven friends who each shared a winning lottery ticket, was supposed to capitalize on the country's LottoMania epidemic. It only lasted two episodes. How very UN-
lucky!
5. THE SMURFS 2
The Audience-0.
4. MILEY CYRUS (To the tune of "Best Of Both Worlds" from HANNAH MONTANA)
She had a top rated show.
She was Disney Channel's Hannah Montana.
But when they told her, "It's time to go,"
She cut her hair and went all kinds of bananas.
Who would have thought that a girl like that,
Would turn into a twerkin' jerk?
It's just the WORST IN THIS WORLD!
Without the shades and the wig,
Got a whole 'nother gig.
It's just the WORST IN THIS WORLD!
Get your act together,
'Cause you know you're just the WORST IN THIS WORLD!
3. ALEX RODRIGUEZ
When Alexander Emanuel Rodriguez arrived in the Bronx to assume the hallowed Yankee pinstripes, he was accepted by fans and players alike as a power hitter and all-around nice guy. Unfortunately, Kryptonite for THIS Superman was performance enhancing drugs, and after Major League Baseball conducted a conclusive investigation, this player who likes to be called A-Rod was suspended. Goodbye and good riddance, A-Roid!
DISHONORABLE MENTION Rob Ford
The Mayor of Toronto was originally going to be my Number Two Naughtiest due to his excessive drinking and drugging, but he was bumped down by...
2. WILLIAM ROCKEFELLER
You know the expression, "You snooze, you lose?" Well, Billy Boy "zoned out" and thanks to him, four innocent riders of his Metro-North Harlem Line train lost their lives, many more were injured, and the whole sorry affair got the attention of the National Transportation Safety Bureau! As the late,great Soupy Sales once opined, "A good day's work never hurt anybody, and neither did a good day's rest!"
AND THE NUMBER ONE NAUGHTIEST NEWSMAKER OF 2013 IS...
Actually, this award is SHARED by Borat and Borat, (I STILL refuse to dignify them by saying their real names!) the Boston Marathon bombers. Fool US once, shame on you. Fool US twice, not gonna happen!
NEXT: The Nice List!
Bye,Buckaroos!
Steve
Monday, December 2, 2013
#84 For Many, Christmas Has Been Cancelled
Sunday, December 1,2013. The dawn of the last month of the year under sunny skies. Winter's Eve, the last major street fair of the year, and the Lincoln Square Neighborhood Association's celebration of the neighborhood's rich cultural history, was ready to light up the Upper West Side, the Jets were getting ready to play (and lose to) the Miami Dolphins, and Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center were also making lists and checking them twice to insure their respective tree lightings went off without a hitch. In short, it was just another holiday weekend morning in the World's Greatest City.
Until 7:30 AM.
That was when an early morning run on the MTA Metro-North Harlem (commuter) Line took a turn for the deadliest. The train tried to round a curve in the all-too-aptly-named Spuyten Dyvil section of the Bronx and derailed, taking four and leaving dozens injured.
As far as we know now, terrorism is not an issue, and the weather was too mild to have played a part, so either human or mechanical error is a possibility, but, the fact remains, too many people will not be able to enjoy the holidays with their loved ones. It's too early and too risky to point fingers now, but all we can do is
watch, wait, keep putting two and two together to come up with the answer, and, of course, pray for those who recover, wait for their loved ones to return, and mourn their losses.
Oooooookay, on a happier note, congratulations to the Giants who scalped the Redskins (BTW,keep the name, guys, and don't succumb to political correctness!) and still have a shot at the playoffs.
Until the next pandemonious post, this is your pronouncer reminding you,shop responsibly, drive carefully, you have two more days of Hannukah so hurry up, AND...
...Bye, Buckaroos!
(And say a prayer for the families of the derailment victims, OK?)
Steve
Until 7:30 AM.
That was when an early morning run on the MTA Metro-North Harlem (commuter) Line took a turn for the deadliest. The train tried to round a curve in the all-too-aptly-named Spuyten Dyvil section of the Bronx and derailed, taking four and leaving dozens injured.
As far as we know now, terrorism is not an issue, and the weather was too mild to have played a part, so either human or mechanical error is a possibility, but, the fact remains, too many people will not be able to enjoy the holidays with their loved ones. It's too early and too risky to point fingers now, but all we can do is
watch, wait, keep putting two and two together to come up with the answer, and, of course, pray for those who recover, wait for their loved ones to return, and mourn their losses.
Oooooookay, on a happier note, congratulations to the Giants who scalped the Redskins (BTW,keep the name, guys, and don't succumb to political correctness!) and still have a shot at the playoffs.
Until the next pandemonious post, this is your pronouncer reminding you,shop responsibly, drive carefully, you have two more days of Hannukah so hurry up, AND...
...Bye, Buckaroos!
(And say a prayer for the families of the derailment victims, OK?)
Steve
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)