Not much is doing right now, or not much is doing that I care to write a long-form essay about here on this blog.
But there are bits and pieces of things that I do care to mention.
Here they are.
Fortune Cookie Flap: Yes, this Jeremy Lin thing has gotten out of hand, even for a Knicks fan like me. The latest nonsense is that some people evidently got offended when MSG Network, the network that broadcasts Knicks games, showed a graphic of Lin over a fortune cookie and with the text, "The Knicks' Good Fortune." People believed it perpetuated a stereotype, and should not have been shown.
Early reports were that the graphic was designed by the MSG Network itself, but the network denies it, saying they took the graphic from one of the many signs that have been designed and held up by fans--many of Chinese descent, like Lin--in arenas where the Knicks have played. These arenas are beginning to resemble WWE Raw and Smackdown tapings, where fans are encouraged to hold up signs with messages that can be seen on air when these shows are broadcast.
I saw the graphic, kind of cringed myself, because I just knew some people would be offended, but the fact of the matter is, we live in a politically correct world, and the sign maker should have known that this would get some people crazy.
Yes, I did say crazy.
New Jersey Flags Fly At Half Staff For Whitney Houston: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has decided that bucking the unwritten rules for such a thing, that New Jersey flags will fly at half staff for singer Whitney Houston during her funeral this weekend.
Usually, flags are flown in this matter to honor a President or a prominent legislator's passing, or to honor a fallen police officer or soldier, not for an entertainer.
The thing that gets me is that Christie has the nerve to liken Houston's death to the death of these people, justifying his decision by putting it into the cultural sense of the comparison. Yes, Houston was born and lived in Newark, but she probably hadn't been back to her old neighborhood in decades, and to do this for not only an entertainer, but a drug abuser, I mean, come on now.
We all know why Christie made his decision--to help others, specific others, make a decision about him in the 2016 Presidential race.
Several Teachers Arrested or Disciplined For Child Endangerment Issues in New York City Schools: Just this week, four teachers have been arrested, or at the very least disciplined, for some odd behavior directed toward New York City school students, including possessing pedophilia, touching kids inappropriately and having kids send Christmas cards to a convict in jail who is incarcerated on gun and child pornography charges.
What this says about the system that allowed these skunks to get hired in the first place speaks volumes about why the New York City school system is in such a mess, and has been for about the past 40-plus years.
And it also says something about Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who closes schools rather than fixes them. He would rather close a school than be more cognizant about who is being hired as instructors in his schools.
And through all this, my daughter still can't get a job as a teacher.
Rising Fuel Prices: I am sure you have noticed that when you go to the pump to get gas, that the prices have skyrocketed. Right here on Long Island, I recently paid $3.79 a gallon, and that is relatively "cheap" compared to other places, where gas is pushing $4 a gallon and probably will be there really soon.
Why have prices skyrocketed like this, and right in the middle of winter, when they aren't supposed to be so high?
The nuclear threat by Iran is threatening our gas supply, and thus, pushing up the price of gas to record levels for this time of year.
What can we do about it? Absolutely nothing. We have to just grin and bear it, but I'm not grinning and I am barely bearing it, too.
Baseball's Gary Carter Passes: He put up a brave fight, but Hall of Famer Gary Carter finally succumbed to brain cancer, at just 57 years of age.
He had a sterling 19-year career as a catcher for several teams, but really rose to fame as one of the main members of the 1986 World Champion Mets. He was liked by just about everyone, and more importantly, he was one of the most respected players of his generation.
Sure, he had faults. He wanted to be a manager so badly that he grandstanded for the Mets' job a few years back while Willie Randolph was still managing the team.
But I guess most of us, even Yankees fans like myself, will always remember his determination for what he was doing. It was infectious, as anyone on that Mets team could tell you.
He will be missed.
Speak to you again on Wednesday. In addition to having the holiday off, I have a funeral to go to, so I won't be back until mid-week. Have a nice holiday.
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