Monday, August 29, 2005

Sweet New Orleans

The Phantom is going in for a little eye surgery tomorrow, and he is not thrilled about it. Had lasek surgery last December. The left eye was improved, but could improve more, and the only way to do that is to do the procedure again. F***.

New Orleans on my mind. As flawed a city as there ever was, but as sweet and gentle and human a place too. It would have absolutely broken my heart if New Orleans had been destroyed. It very nearly was, today.

If Katrina had stayed at Category 5, and had it not veered left at the last second, the French Quarter would have been destroyed and maybe 20,000 or many more people killed.

A big part of me loves the spirit of those hurricane partiers who stayed and said " If I die, at least I'll die with a cold beer in my hand " but I would kicked their sorry ass from one side of the afterlife to the other had their bravado caused their twenty thousands to die in the Mississippi flood waters.

Somehow the New Orleans Times-Picayune site nola.com is still up.

Posted by The Phantom at 10:58 PM | | Comments

New Orleans

New Orleans is one of my favorite cities in America or anywhere. In my visits there, the people could not have been kinder.

This will be a scary 24 hours...hope Katrina does not hurt them too badly. Listening to the Drudge radio show tonight, heard one ( youngish ) male caller saying that he would be saying the Rosary for New Orleans tonight. Boy, have not heard anyone talk of saying the Rosary for a long long time, not since a visit to Ireland years back. But saying the Rosary ain't a bad idea. God Bless, baby.

Posted by The Phantom at 12:23 AM | | Comments

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Tunnel to Towers Run


On September 25, there will be the third annual Tunnel to Towers Run. This is a run from Brooklyn to Manhattan via the Battery Tunnel. It commemorates the actions of Firefigher Stephen Siller on September 11, 2001. Upon hearing of what happened, Siller, on his day off, strapped on 70 pounds of gear and ran the 5 kilometers from Brooklyn to Manhattan to do what he could. He died that day, but he and his bravery are well remembered.

Posted by The Phantom at 11:05 PM | | Comments

Big Al at the Cindy Show


Cindy and " Tawana Al " putting on a show down in Crawford. Its a phony, made for tv show, as the attached photos will show--as many media people as the few " protesters". This is such complete bullshit. BTW, some families complained that Mommy Cindy was using their family member's names on those crosses without permission.

Great comments follow.

Posted by The Phantom at 10:39 PM | | Comments

Camera Phone Busts R Train Flasher



Well, this weasel is still on the loose, but he can't be too happy that his photo is all over the Internet. On the front page of the Daily News too. Great use of what is still a new technology. The link has a statement by the woman who took the photo, and a photo of another flasher. The cops can't be everywhere, but maybe cameras ( and brave users ) can be most everywhere.

Posted by The Phantom at 6:07 PM | | Comments

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Brooklyn Cyclone Player's Mom Needs Help



Jon Malo is a 21 year old kid from suburban Montreal who is living his dream playing shortstop for the Brooklyn Cyclones.

But he bears a heavy burden because his Mom is dying of colon cancer and related illnesses. This story broke in a Jon Heyman column in Newsday.

The doctors in Canada completely missed the diagnosis four years ago. Now, an operation that could save her life is not available in Quebec. It is available in the US--but would cost $250,000--money Linda Ferland and her minor leauger son do not have.

That's where you might come in. Jon Malo is raising money, the Cyclones are helping, and so can we. There's a fundraising website up in Quebec, and this is it

This is the place where you can make a donation

Posted by The Phantom at 3:04 PM | | Comments

Friday, August 26, 2005

Mets Roast Arizona

Amazin amazin amazin.

This team has been mediocre or just above mediocre all year long. They show flashes of brilliance, then funk out for a week, in between letting Pedro down again and again.

Well, after five months of being awful on the road, they have just swept four straight in Arizona. Arizona ain't a great team, but four straight is four straight.

And now out of nowhere, comes Mike Jacobs. Hits a home run in his first major league at bat at Shea, and then hits three more in his next three games. And he alternates between first and catcher, right for the Mets needs.

And--Jay Seo great as a starter, a fabulous left side of the infield with Wright and Reyes, and...maybe too many pitchers.

The other day, I heard Larry Bowa on the radio saying that he did not see the Mets as playoff contenders. Larry, want a do-over on that comment?

Best thing about this game: an army of Met fans in Arizona stadium as the game ended. The Yankee fans do that in Baltimore and other places, good to see the transplanted NYers do it in the desert.

Posted by The Phantom at 12:39 AM | | Comments

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

WTC Lobby


Click on the photo for a larger image. Used to pass through that lobby ( or its twin, cannot tell which one this is ). Often, while waiting for someone in the lobby, would marvel at the height of the ceiling.

Posted by The Phantom at 11:06 PM | | Comments

Monday, August 22, 2005

WTC - Pronto Pizza Reopens


It is with the greatest of pleasure that I've learned that Pronto Pizza has reopened at 114 Liberty Street. This is the same location as in better days, right across from the WTC site. They've been open since March 5 ( ! ) , and are open from 10am to 10pm, later on Fridays.

Above is the card announcing the re-opening.

Pronto Pizza: Good luck to you, and a warm welcome back.

Posted by The Phantom at 1:50 PM | | Comments

Friday, August 19, 2005

Sheehan vs Sheehan

This is the best column the I have yet seen on the Sheehan story. Much detail here.

She wants to meet with Bush, but she has already met with him ( we knew that ).

But Casey Sheehan volunteered to join the Army, and then re-enlisted in 2004, when the war was well underway. He knew his unit was very likely to go to Iraq. And when he was there, he volunteered for a ( dangerous ) rescue mission in combat conditions, though he was not obligated to do so.

His mother, in the name of " supporting the troops " dishonors the memory of a clearly heroic man. She speaks for some people ( I saw a grand total of maybe seven people at a " Camp Casey " in NY's Union Square yesterday ), but she does not speak for her family, and she sure as hell does not speak for the troops.

Posted by The Phantom at 5:14 PM | | Comments

Will this mother of a soldier killed in Iraq get one billionth of the publicity that Cindy Sheehan gets? Well of course no. And why is that?

Posted by The Phantom at 12:03 AM | | Comments

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Casey Sheehan


It is an unprovable point, but I would bet every penny that I have and every penny I will ever have that Casey Sheehan would have been deeply ashamed of his mother's hijinks down in Texas. The fact that the rest of the Sheehan family has completely disavowed Cindy Sheehan's actions give a wee indication of this. The family's statement was on page 15 of most papers one time, while Mama's antics are reported prominently every day in all media. ( with little mention of the inconsistencies in her stories, her antisemetic statements, and the fact that she already met with Bush, saying at the time that the meeting had gone well. Until she decided that it hadn't )

She's being used. To quote the cliche, you have to give an immense amount of slack to a mother who has suffered such a loss. But she degrading herself and her family ( see above ) here.

The man whose photo is here would not support her antics. Sorry, Casey, bro. I raise my glass in honor of your memory.

PS: another Cindy Sheehan supporter heard from

Posted by The Phantom at 11:09 PM | | Comments

Helios Air Crash

Like everyone, I watched in horror at the Helios Air plane in Greece.

There's a story on the Internet tonight that a former mechanic said the ( reported )air-conditioning and pressure problems with this aircraft were caused by an allegedly defective seal around the door. We'll know a lot more by weeks end.

Flight is such a beautiful thing, even in these cattle car, bring your own food days.

But could anything be more ghastly than an aluminum tube filled with people crashing at speed from the sky? I always think of those passengers who are aware of their fate, even if for just a few seconds--in the September 11 aircraft, and maybe on this one. Even if this plane lost its pressure and got freezing cold in say seven seconds....you can realize an awful lot of things in seven seconds. Especially if it begins with a loud noise when the plane suddenly lost pressure, as was speculated.

Posted by The Phantom at 10:44 PM | | Comments

" Lennon " , Lennon and Yoko

Jeez, the reviewers have been merciless to " Lennon ", the new Broadway play.

The play itself is supposed to be pretty lame. If you have any interest, better see it soon.

But why in the world is there a play about John Lennon in the first place? He was a genius in the context of the Beatles, where his hard / ironic / political edge, played beatifully against the sunny, softer McCartney and the spiritual Harrison.

While the Beatles made a vast list of great songs, Lennon had about an album's worth of good, workmanlike songs. A lot of the rest of Lennon's work was political screeds that are now embarrassing to hear ( " Woman is the Nigger of the World ", songs about Angela Davis ) or just plain junk ( " Dear Yoko ", " Oh, Yoko " )

As was the case with McCartney, Lennon's best work was done within the Beatles, a band impossibly better than the sum of its parts.

Lennon was a man of his times. He died a tragic death. But the subject of an entire play? Other than the fact that he used to be a Beatle, what is so interesting about him?

Lennon was a vibrant and exciting man before he fell under the spell of Yoko Ono, a decent woman but a catostrophically bad musician. She's thought by many to be the catalyst for the breakup of the Beatles.

Aside from the fact that the play is badly done, and that Lennon is not much of a solo subject, the fact that the dead hand of Yoko Ono is behind this play does not exactly bode well for its play's future.

Posted by The Phantom at 12:45 PM | | Comments

Sunday, August 14, 2005

September 11, 2005

Astonishing. In a few weeks, it will be four years since September 11, 2001.

I'll be in lower Manhattan four Sundays from now.

Posted by The Phantom at 11:47 PM | | Comments

Cortlandt Street R Station to Close August 20

But it's good news. It will be closed for six months for construction of an underpass linking the R to the PATH train and to the new Fulton Street ( transit ) center.

Posted by The Phantom at 9:12 PM | | Comments

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Rosie Resurfaces



Rosie playing in Fiddler on the Roof?. Better reinforce the roof. And watch for this play to close soon. This Long Island loudmouth will bring the same horrid vibes that she brought to Taboo and Cat in the Hat and whatever the hell else this monster has been associated with.

Posted by The Phantom at 12:07 AM | | Comments

Monday, August 08, 2005

NY Times, Drudge and Adoption

Want to know why people hate big media? Funny you should ask Good job, Drudge.

Posted by The Phantom at 5:51 PM | | Comments

Sunday, August 07, 2005

Ibrahim Ferrer

I don't speak Spanish, and I am no expert on Cuban music. But I know that a great man has died. Sleep well.

Beautiful music from a beautiful and sad land.

Posted by The Phantom at 11:03 PM | | Comments

Why the New York Post Rules



Headlines like " Crazed Bum Stabs Cabby in the Bronx " Most New Yorkers would say that, all New Yorkers would think that, but only the Post would have the honesty to print those exact words. God bless the Post!

FYI, the NY Daily News also used the word bum

The NY Times was PC all the way with the story, with a headline " Livery Driver Killed In Dispute...". Yeah, some "dispute". A dispute between an honest taxi driver minding his own business and a goddamned bum who stabbed him in the neck.

Posted by The Phantom at 2:11 PM | | Comments

Palmeiro and the Hall of Fame

In today's Post, Joel Sherman says that he would not have voted for Palmeiro even before Rafy flunked the steroids test. This is because Palmeiro lacked " greatness and dominance " ....he was " very good for a long period of time " but was never " truly great " .

That's correct. Sherman gives the example of Don Sutton, a good but not great pitcher who was erroneously voted into the Hall in 1998. Like Palmeiro,Sutton was simply not great --he was good for many years, and put up big cumulative numbers. Sutton won 20 games exactly once in a 23 year career. He was one of the good pitchers during his time, but noone would ever have thought him to be one of the top four or five at any point in that career.

As a hitter, Palmeiro could never have been compared to Mike Piazza, Vlad Guerrero, fellow consumers Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa ; or with fellow-consuming first basemen Mark McGwire ; in my books I would put Don Mattingly ahead of him.

When you factor in the drugginess, and how it has completely washed away his " accomplishments ", this guy cannot honestly be considered for anyone's Hall of Fame, unless maybe we start up a Balco Hall of Fame.

Posted by The Phantom at 12:37 PM | | Comments

Friday, August 05, 2005

Hot New Music Video From Egypt

If you want to see a pop Egyptian video that's really a hate piece on America and Egypt, Bush and Sharon, most certainly including the World Trade Center then click on this from LGF and then click on the image.

It's entertaining, except when you realize that this sort of thing is brainwashing millions and millions of people across the Arab World.

And, as always, check out the un-PC comments below.

Posted by The Phantom at 10:13 PM | | Comments

Gore's " Current " TV, Parkour

Took a look at Al Gore's Current TV over the last couple of days. Some of the segments are good. There's a little too much imitation of MTV's snappiness, but its a new station so give it time.

Yesterday, I saw a segment on Parkour a new sport from France that almost defies description. I am interested in this.

Posted by The Phantom at 6:53 PM | | Comments

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Another good column about Palmeiro, from another columnist on the Hall of Fame committee. And Jon Heyman stole my line about Raffy buying a ticket!

Posted by The Phantom at 2:03 PM | | Comments

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Rafael, go away, go far away, crawl into a rathole with all your pills , never dare you set foot on the field at Yankee Stadium or any stadium where real players play for real and where you simply do not belong.

Posted by The Phantom at 11:26 PM | | Comments

God Bless the Liberals

The Australian Liberals, made of much stronger stuff than the American variety. I hope that this happens.

Posted by The Phantom at 11:07 PM | | Comments

Palmeiro, Continued

The NY Post has the best sports page in the city, but the Daily News is a good second.

Todays Daily News has two columns about Palmeiro that are worth looking at. The first, by their top sports writer Mike Lupica tells it like it is.

The second, by the News' top baseball writer Bill Madden should send a cold chill down Palmeiro's spine. Madden, a very influential writer who votes on who gets into the Hall of Fame refers to Palmeiro ( and Sosa, Bonds, and McGwire ) as " cheats who have no respect for the game ".

Unfortunately, that's about right. This guy might get into the Hall of Fame, but only if he buys a ticket.

And if I were Palmeiro, I would not be too anxious to get back on the field, even in Baltimore. The fans won't be too nice.

Posted by The Phantom at 3:47 PM | | Comments

Monday, August 01, 2005

Test



They've refined "blogger" a bit, so you can now add photos directly to it, rather than going through another photo program . You can easily add photos and post them to the left, right or center. I like this a lot.

Posted by The Phantom at 10:30 PM | | Comments

Where did Islamic terror originate?

From the Prophet Mohammed, my friend.

See attached article on the origin of the " Religion of Peace " by ( black, female ) Dutch MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali who speaks with greater clarity and knowledge of the subjects of Islam and its terror than any American politician.

Posted by The Phantom at 10:01 PM | | Comments

Baseball News Today - 3 Little Stories

Rafael Palmeiro was suspended for steroids earlier today.

In a unrelated story, arch-creep Barry Bonds said today that he probably won't be back until the 2006 season.

And in the most unrelated story of all, someone at work said that he heard that steroids can take a l-o-ng time to leave your system, esp as they detect it by taking hair clippings. This has absolutely nothing to do with the above two items.

Posted by The Phantom at 9:36 PM | | Comments

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