Monday, January 31, 2011

Product Reviews

Ok, here is my take on a couple of products on the shelves of your local supermarket.

First, these Taster's Choice Instant Coffee sticks - I am infatuated with these things. I was first introduced to this kind of instant coffee single packs when Starbucks developed them a couple of years ago as Via. For those of you who have never tried it, Via is not traditional instant coffee. Starbucks developed a process that somehow captures the full-flavor of a brewed cup of coffee in an instant coffee. Key Food was actually carrying Via for a while, and then one day tthey stopped. Then I saw Taster's Choice was offering this similar product, pictured on the right, and for a lot less money too.

Now, I love my coffee and am as much a coffee expert as anyone else. So, when I bought this Taster's Choice product, having had run-ins with this brand in the past I wasn't expecting to be very impressed. (Their regular ground coffee is pretty tasteless.) But a box of 20 of these packets, sticks, whatever you call them, goes for $3.99 at Key Food here in Forest Hills (the Amazon price in the link at right is for a pack of 8 boxes of 20 I think) which is a very good deal compared to the much more expensive Starbucks version. Anyway, I was amazed at how decent the coffee is. It's not terrific - but it can easily pass as diner coffee, which is just fine.

The best part of these single serve coffee packets, however, is how they do away with all the preparation, mess and cleanup associated with brewing coffee in a pot. I guess if you are making coffee for a bunch of people - large family, office co-workers, etc.. - this might not work for you. But if it's just one or two of you drinking the coffee, these single serve packets are great. I now use my Mr. Coffee just to heat the water each morning, then pour a packet of the Nescafe into a mug and then the hot water. Presto!  A perfect cup of coffee every time. And it saves me some $$$ too. Not bad.

One point - I have no idea if Taster's Choice uses the same method that Starbucks does for these single packs. Starbucks was using a proprietary method it invented to capture the flavor of brewed coffee in an instant coffee product. Taster's Choice might just be imitating the packaging and not that process. But, in any case, this coffee tastes good enough for me.

Ok, now let's switch gears to an entirely different product. I was recently told by my dentist that I have to floss more. :( It's a pain, but I have to do it. Then I saw this commercial for these DenTek Floss Picks. I bought them tonight at the Rite Aid and rushed home to give 'em a try. I figured anything would be easier than having to wrap that floss around my fingers and struggle with the floss every day.  

Boy, am I disappointed in this product! It was such a struggle to get these picks into my mouth and the floss on them kept getting stuck between my teeth. I don't know, either my teeth are unusually close together, or this is one of those products that will not be around for very long after other people try it and decide never to buy it again. After struggling with these things for several minutes, and breaking the floss on a few of them too, I finally gave up and just went back to the regular floss. I was done in like a minute, and you know what? Suddenly, it didn't seem like much of a pain after all.

Good Bye Q Thai

The popular restaurant on Ascan has closed... It had been opened since the Spring of 1996.



Sunday, January 30, 2011

Hibernation

I was in Manhattan, the Upper East Side, last night and I have to say things were eerily quiet. Either everyone has flown south for the winter, or they are all just in hibernation having given up trying to fight this amazingly arduous winter. Maybe they will all just emerge in April, when the long-term forecast I recently saw at AccuWeather predicts the storms and cold will finally cease? (This week, the forecast calls for a "sloppy" storm Tuesday into Wednesday (snow, sleet, ice, rain) and then another snowstorm by the weekend. And then, talk is of a huge storm, maybe the biggest of the year so far, around Feb. 12th. Like I've said before, you either love it or hate it I guess. When it comes to snow, it's rare to find someone who just kinda likes it, or just kinda doesn't, isn't it?

My point of view? Enjoy it! I mean, really, what other choice do you have? A couple of more months and it will be Spring and this will all just be a memory.

Also, this winter has also given us scenes like this one below that I snapped last eve in Central Park looking towards 5th Ave., just north of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It truly was a Winter Wonderland.



Saturday, January 29, 2011

Upcoming Movies

Just a couple of upcoming movies that look pretty damn cool to me...

First, The Conspirator, directed by Robert Redford:




And, on quite a different note, Battlefield LA. Though I heard the film isn't great from early screenings, the trailer is great (if you like this kind of thing):

Friday, January 28, 2011

Atlas Park Sold

Queens Ledger reports Atlas Park sold at auction for $53 million...

Atlas Park Auction Today

The Daily News reports that the nearby mall is being auctioned off today:

Locals concerned about Shops at Atlas Park future with center set for auction

The Second Berlin Wall ?

Truly momentous events taking place in Egypt today. Looks like the Mubarak government might fall. It seems to me we may be witnessing the equivalent of the second fall of the Berlin Wall, as democracy might replace decades of dictatorship in the Middle Eastern countries. It is spreading like wildfire. It should be fascinating to see what happens...

To Our Heroes

This is dedicated to the crew of the Challenger, 25 years later....

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Snowpocalypse Photos








NYC's Snowpocalypse !

It's official - we are having our own Snowpocalypse year. (Remember, that's what they called Washington D.C.'s unusually snowy winter last year.)

Well, if it's any consolation, the first day of Spring is... March 20th?

Well, now you may feel worse... sorry.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Snowy Times Square

Here's a very cool link to a live webcam in Times Square. You can watch the snow pile up from the comfort of your home: Times Square Cam

Thundersnow

That boom you all heard a few minutes ago was the rare phenomenon known as thundersnow. It happened as a heavy line of sleet moved through Queens... next up is the snow. Don't be surprised if you hear more thunder and see some more lightning over the next hour. It looks like there may be a little more about to move through.

The Chase is On!

On the radar it looks like two storms chasing each other... there's the one we are getting right now which surprised everyone, and then the one that was supposed to be bigger for later tonight that is trying to catch up right south of it. I wonder if the two will combine into one storm? This kind of reminds me of one of the storms we had in the 1970's.. it started way earlier than anyone predicted and it didn't stop snowing for like 2 days. And we ended up with a ton of snow.

It seems like for whatever reason the forecasters have been continually baffled since the beginning by what this particular storm was going to do.


12:20 p.m. Update: National Weather Service now calling for 8 to 12 inches when all is said and done Thursday morning. They keep ratcheting it up and up... 

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Winter Storm Watch Now in Effect

The National Weather Service has just issued a Winter Storm Watch for tomorrow afternoon into Thursday morning. This means there is the possibility of 6 inches or more of snow.

Surprise Snow

While everyone's been worried about the bigger storm expected Wednesday night into Thursday, suddenly we have this surprise snow today. The forecasters say we can get a couple of inches out of this one today. But then again, they didn't even forecast anything, so who knows...

As for tomorrow, they still don't seem to have a great handle on it - but their estimates for now seem to be anywhere from 3 to 6 inches for the City, maybe even a little more when all is said and done by Thursday. Most are saying it will not be nearly as wet as they thought several days ago - once again we are on the snowier side of things.

Meanwhile, here's a couple of photos from Forest Hills this morning as the snow begins to cover the roads...


Monday, January 24, 2011

Bodies Found in Long Island Dunes Linked to Serial Killer

This is a really chilling story. I remember reading about this for the first time about a month or so ago.

N.Y. / REGION
Bodies Found in L.I. Dunes Identified
By LIZ ROBBINS
Published: January 24, 2011
A serial killer was probably responsible for the deaths of the three women identified on Monday and a fourth who was identified last week, the Suffolk County police said.

Tennis Troubles

Geez... for a game that's supposed to be fun, it seems like tennis can be an awfully big headache. Here's the latest tennis troubles, discussed in an online article from The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Open Left in the Rain as Competitors Look for Cover

Since we here in Forest Hills have a special relationship with the US Open, I thought it was worth posting a link to the above article about how the event is unable to come up with enough cash to build a super-expensive stadium roof like its competing tournaments have--and is threatening to leave NYC altogether if the City doesn't cough up some extra $$$ to help it. Whaaaa! I feel so bad for them! I mean, especially in economic times like this, they have got to be kidding me. In the article, it discusses why a roof for the Open's stadium would be especially expensive. Something having to do with the loose ground the complex is built on. Why did they build the stadium on former landfill in the first place?

Meanwhile, what is happening with the original stadium here in Forest Hills? I haven't heard or seen a peep about it in quite a while.

Ribbin' It In Rego

A peak inside the new Dallas BBQ which opened a few weeks ago in Rego Park, as part of the new Rego Center Mall. I've always been a fan of this chain. The ribs are fine and quite reasonably priced, as are the margaritas which are gigantic, cheap and apparently a huge hit judging from how many I usually see being slurped up around me. Sure, you can get better ribs in the city at a lot of places, but not without paying a good deal more than Dallas charges.

Now, as for the new restaurant they just opened in Rego (pictured below), it it enormous. Some sections because of the lighting, ceiling, overall space, also strangely reminded me of an Atlantic City casino. I didn't know whether to place a bet or order a rack of tangy ribs. This photo only captures one part of the restaurant, it goes on and on and on....




Deal's Off ?

Hmmm, usually I would just ignore this sign in the window of What a Deal !!!!!, next to the Key Food. After all, this dollar store seems to post another GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!!!!! sign, or EVERYTHING MUST GO!!!! just about every couple of months. However, given the fact that the two stores next to this one have gone out of business in recent months, I wonder if all 3 are now going to be combined into one "deal" for a more space-needy newcomer.





Weather This Week

Just a quick update on the weather situation since I posted last week about another potential blizzard. All I can say at this point, several days later, is that the computer models for the storm are still all over the place. They have gone away from the idea of a blizzard and are showing more of a wet snow/rain storm for the City. But the forecasters are still warning that they are very uncertain about this forecast. The models have been delivering all kinds of different scenarios. Also, in the past they sometimes have gone back to the original idea (in this case, a blizzard), a day or so before the storm actually hits. So best bet is to check the forecasts Tuesday and see what they are saying about it. As in the case of the Christmas Blizzard, if you recall, they didn't forecast for that one until like the day before.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Weather Next Week Potentially Interesting

Queens Blvd. during the Blizzard of 2010.
The "B" word is being kicked around again as a possibility for next week. B as in Blizzardo. Yes, that's right. It is still a loooong way off meteorologically-speaking, and the chances that Blizzard predictions made this far in advance actually come to pass are rather slim. And the chance that we can actually get not one, but two blizzards in one winter is almost unheard of! But, I thought I'd pass along what I've been hearing, anyway, so at least you all have enough time to raid Natural and get that checkout line stretching all the way to Kew Gardens.

What do you need for a blizzard to occur? The stars have to align, so to speak, in a rare confluence of events - you need a blocking, arctic high pressure system to our north (predicted for next week), and then you need a storm to ride up along the coast (also predicted for next week). The jury is still out, however, on the following: will the storm riding up the coast bump into the arctic air mass over us and then bounce out to sea, missing us entirely or just giving us a dusting? Or does the arctic air give just enough and allow the storm to rapidly intensify and explode into a blizzard right to the south of Long Island, like what happened Christmas weekend. We shall see...

As for tonight's storm, the latest has a spread from 4 to 6 inches for us.

Smile! Yuch!

I know I am going to rot in hell for this post - I do not like to use the plight of homeless people for entertainment in any way. But maybe it is the stress of my dental cleaning from earlier today that has made me just HAVE to write about this.

There is one homeless man that I have been seeing on the subways for years and years and years... he has outlived relatives and friends of mine,. Yes, it has been that long. And, if I had to pick one of the subway homeless who bothers the hell out of me, it is him. Maybe you have seen him? I will call him Mr. "Smile." He's the one who goes up and down the subway train politely suggesting that "if you can't give a little something, at least give a little smile!!" Boy oh boy, does he annoy me.

I have absolutely no problem with giving a little something to homeless people. I don't do it on the subway, because it happens to be illegal to panhandle on the subway so I don't want to do my share to encourage illegal behavior. I do happily give to homeless people I see on the street all the time. I've had friends exclaim to me in shock - "You shouldn't do that!! They're just going to use it to get drunk!!!" Yea? How do you know? If a penny of it goes towards a crumb of food that they need, then I have done my job as a fellow human being. After all, it's not their fault they are homeless. Who in their right mind would be homeless if they could help it??

But, now back to Mr. "Smile." I do not like to be told how to act, either by a stranger like you, or even the closest friend or family member. If I choose to frown, I shall. In fact, I have a lot of trouble smiling on demand even when I have to pose for pictures. In photos where the photographer tells me to smile, I usually end up with a half smile, half twitch -- kind of like I am recovering from a mild stroke.

So, Mr. "Smile," your suggestion to me that I look up from my magazine or whatever I'm doing on the subway, and give you a big toothy grin from ear to ear, will actually backfire and result in me just tensing up and frowning even more and then burying my head in my chest deeper.

Now, if something is funny, or someone did something nice for me or for someone else, I smile. It doesn't even take a thought, it just happens. Why? I have no idea. It's one of God's little gifts to us humans, I suppose.

Winter Resumes...

Had to go to the dentist today ( no cavities :), but need to floss more! :( frak! ) , so am a little late in sharing my usual snowstorm pre-excitement with you, my dear readers. I think the latest I saw is about 4 inches for us here in Forest Hills. I will double-check soon, however.

Now, I just saw the Accuweather forecast for the rest of the winter, from now until April. And they say more of the same - you either love it (if you like snow), or hate it... what can I say?

Accuweather rest 'o winter forecast

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Forest Hills' 378th Pharmacy

One of my regular contributors just emailed this into me, along with the headline above, which I think really says it all, don't you? This is about to open on Austin St., near Ascan.

Oh well, if you find the lines too long at the other 377 neighborhood pharmacies, here's another one to try! And they do win an award for "Most Creative Pharmacy Sign," don't you think? It's got that apothecary feel going mixed with some of that cool-ass 3D stuff going on there...

We've Got Raccoons.... Who Knew?!

So apparently a new reality show is recruiting here in Forest Hills for residents who have been besieged by raccoons. According to the Patch website, the new reality show follows pest control agencies here in NYC: Got Raccoons? Want To Have Them Taken Care Of On TV?

I know I am probably alone with this feeling, but I still hold out a dream that the era of "reality" television will meet a swift end soon! (I guess I heard someone predict that back in like 1993 and I still hold onto it with all my hope - how pathetic am I?)

Speaking of reality TV, am I also the only one who believes that the producers of the Golden Globes vetted and approved every single joke Ricky Gervais said before the show? I believe Gervais surprised and shocked the show's producers with his edgy jokes as much as I believe Janet Jackson's Super Bowl boob was an accident! Someone told me quite a few years ago that when it comes to television nothing ever happens by accident, because sponsors don't like accidents, nor do they like to be surprised. And sponsors are king, because sponsors pay the paychecks, sponsors pay the bills, etc., etc... You get the picture.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

New Restaurant Recommendations

Aged - I recently had an excellent NY Strip Steak at this restaurant, located along "Restaurant Row," (70th Road) in Forest Hills. I also ordered the wedge salad as an appetizer. It was very good, but if I was them I'd offer it in an "individual" size as well. At $9, I could barely finish it. And I hate when restaurants do that -- just lower the price and cut the size in half. Also, I ordered just a Coke with my meal, not one of the $10 martinis which are sooooo common now all over the city. Please - give me more than a test tube filled with soda. Anyway, the steak was so awesome that I am willing to overlook what I consider pricing problems with their salads and size problems with their non-alc drinks. Needless to say, they are not at all alone in pricing salads high and under-serving sodas. It's just a pet-peeve of mine that I wish restaurants would focus on. I did notice they had clam chowder for like $4, which is much more reasonable for an appetizer.

EuroPan - (At the corner of 70th Road and Austin St.) Those who have been reading this blog for a while, know I have for a long time been on a quest here in Forest Hills for something many other neighborhoods in NYC take for granted - a simple, delicious, take-out sandwich! (Sorry, folks, the local diners simply do not cut it. And Ripe, while healthy, for some reason feels it has to over-spice and over-flavor their sandwiches. They taste either over-grilled, over-garlicky... well, you get the picture.) Thankfully, I have discovered that EuroPan seems to have finally satisfied this extremely important local need. I've had their grilled chicken sandwich and their turkey sandwich. Both times in a pita, kind of like a panini. They have been very tasty, fresh, satisfying. But most of all - they are SIMPLE! No added, strange out-of-place seasonings. Now, are they on the level of what a New York City restaurant sandwich should be? No way, of course not. I'd rate them maybe a 4 out of 10 on my Shake Shack scale. (What is my Shake Shack scale you ask? Simple - Since I just a couple of days ago had a double cheese burger there for lunch and am still fantasizing about the experience, my Shake Shack Scale is the following: On the bottom of the scale, a 1, would be the now-defunct Twin Donut Teriyaki Chicken Salad. On the top of the scale, a 10, would be a Shake Shack double cheese burger.)

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Fund

Here is the link to the memorial fund set up by the family of the little girl who was so tragically killed in the Tucson, Arizona shooting: http://www.cfsoaz.org/cfsa/

The memorial service tonight for the victims of the shooting was remarkably life-affirming. I think the speeches by President Obama and also Daniel Hernandez, the young man who is credited with saving Congresswoman Giffords' life, made the best out of this tragedy - I am sure they instilled in many people watching, especially young people, the importance and gratification that comes from devoting your life to serving your community and your country.

Foot in Mouth Disease

By MICHAEL D. SHEAR
Published: January 12, 2011
Sarah Palin issues a forceful denunciation of her critics in a video statement that accused pundits and journalists of "blood libel."

So, what does this mean? Is she anti-semitic, as some have now been saying? Who knows. Does she consistently display an inability to research just about anything, and learn? You betcha!

After all, a simple Google search of "blood libel" brings up a lengthy explanation from Wikipedia of the significance of this term, and the deep-reaching harm it has done to Jewish people throughout history.

Now, is Sarah Palin responsible for what happened in Arizona? You betcha again! Putting cross-hairs on Mrs. Giffords' congressional district? You're one hateful, irresponsible person, and all of this negative publicity is what you deserve.

Piling Up

... not the snow, the garbage.

As I mentioned yesterday, last night's snowfall has heightened the piles of garbage and recyclables that have been forming on Forest Hills' sidewalks since the Blizzard. And this snow isn't going away for a while, with the temperatures below freezing for days to come, and more snow forecast for as soon as this weekend. So... how high will it go?




Tuesday, January 11, 2011

It's Not Your Imagination!

N.Y. / Region
Where Do All the Cabs Go in the Late Afternoon?
By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM
Published: January 11, 2011
Just when homebound workers need them, cabs on duty decline by nearly 20 percent. City officials have been unable to prevent it.


Of course, if they did something about this incredibly annoying and seriously stupid fact of life here in NYC, that would take away the small - admittedly evil - ego boost I get each time I see a newcomer to the city or tourist trying to hail a cab at 5 p.m., and walk by them muttering under my breath, "Good luck with that."

City Declares a Weather - But Not Snow - Emergency

Kind of a no-brainer when you are expecting possibly a foot or more. I guess they don't want to be caught with their pants down again. A weather emergency is not as severe as a snow emergency.

Mountains of....

.... garbage! I was just out doing some shopping right before the storm and was surprised to see so many high piles of garbage, especially the recyclables, still on so many corners. I can only imagine what it will look like tomorrow morning if we get anything close to the foot or so that some are predicting. Think of a snow drift covering a pile of garbage that is already a few feet high!

Latest Forecast Worse Than Before

"a storm to rival the Blizzard" - unbelievable.... According to this forecaster, the latest model shows the approaching storm may have been underestimated. Also, all the forecasts I am seeing say the further east you go the worse this storm will be. Long Island (and we here in Forest Hills are not that far away) could get 20 to 30 inches in some places:

Northeast Blizzard to be Followed by More Cold

Did Blizzard Force Mayor to Cut Bermuda Short?

Published: January 11, 2011
Hours after snow began to fall on New York on Dec. 26, the mayor's private plane took off from his island retreat. But was he on it?

Monday, January 10, 2011

Woman Found Dead in Forest Hills Subway Station

.... apparently a suicide.

Her body was found at around 2:45 p.m. Monday in a public bathroom at the Forest Hills stop
From The Wall St. Journal: Woman found dead in NYC subway bathroom

No More Teriyaki-Laced Donuts

Was it all just a very, very, very bad dream?

I hear this monstrosity, on 71st Continental, is apparently ancient history. My cold has kept me out of action for a while so I have not been able to confirm it myself.... please tell me it's true.



UPDATE:  This has been confirmed for me by a friend of mine, who also snapped this lovely photo tonight:



Walmart's NYC Campaign

Walmart launched a New York City-specific website today as part of an opening salvo to win approval for its first store here in the City: http://www.walmartnyc.com/

I don't know about this - I am not thrilled with the idea of having Walmart come to town. I think NYC has had puhlenty of its unique character eroded (especially in Manhattan), by the "big box" stores.

Although, I do have to admit that a trip this past weekend to the Home Depot store on the East Side near Bloomies had me voicing out loud something to the effect of: "This is one case where I think having a major chain come into the city has been a great improvement," and then I said some disparaging things about the small mom and pop hardware stores that used to be all over the city. They were kind of gloomy, weren't they? And those Manhattan Home Depots are just awesome stores.

But Walmart? The last one I went to was on Long Island like a year ago - wasn't impressed. The store was a mess and I really wasn't taken by the kind of merchandise they carried.

Snow Storm Update

This most likely will not be a blizzard or anything on the magnitude of the recent blizzard we just had, according to the latest forecast I have just seen. But we could still get up to a foot of snow... it will just be a kindler, gentler snow!

By the way, something has gone a little haywire with my Recent Comments gadget on the sidebar of my blog ---->>>

I am trying to find a way to fix it. It may take some time.... It has not affected the ability for you to comment on posts. It is just affecting how the snippets from the posts show up in the sidebar. So comment on!!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Here We Go Again?

Boy oh boy, if this happens this will indeed be a winter to remember. The National Weather Service is saying there's a distinct chance for another blizzard beginning Tuesday night and lasting through Wednesday....

And here's the forecast from Accuweather, pretty much confirming the NWS prediction:

Storm May Unfold into All-Out Blizzard in New England

In My Prayers...

Friday, January 7, 2011

Goose Feathers !

The scene in Forest Hills at 2:45 p.m.

Right on Schedule

Just as the forecasters promised, the heavier snow held off until late morning, starting in earnest here in Forest Hills around 11:30 am. It should be interesting to see if it hangs around for a few hours as they expected, or quickly goes on its merry way and leaves us with just an inch or so....



By the way, the sanitation department is noticeably out in force for this storm. Within 15 minutes of the heavy snow starting I had already heard two plows go by. And look how the streets are being kept clear in Forest Hills. This photo was taken just about 45 minutes after the one above. Given, this is a much weaker storm than the Blizzard. But they are taking the criticism very seriously.

70th Ave. Blockade

As we prepare today for what are expected to be out first snows since the Blizzard, photos from the Blizzard are still trickling in...

Here's one taken by a friend of mine of a tree lying across 70th Avenue in the Gardens between Juno & Kessel Streets. I don't know for sure, but it's probably safe to assume the tree was damaged by the tornado and the Blizzard finally took it down.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Interesting Weather Day Ahead

Friday should be an interesting day for our area in terms of the weather. The forecasters are predicting a rare phenomenon to occur called a NORLUN trough, which is not exactly a snowstorm, but can bring a prolonged period of very heavy snow to a very narrow area. And, of course, NYC is in the bulls-eye of where they expect this trough to set up tomorrow afternoon. It is extremely hard for the meteorologists to forecast exactly where a weather phenomenon of this nature occurs, however, so they have issued a winter storm watch for the entire area. It's the type of situation where one part of our area can get a dusting to an inch of snow, while another gets over a foot. It should be very interesting to see if their forecast plays out.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Common and Going ?

What's up with Common Space, that stylish new tapas restaurant & lounge in the Austin St. mall? Rumors are swirling after it has been closed for the past couple of days....

Enough About Snow... Technology!!

As in, the next iPad! And possibly with that long-awaited camera for video conferencing....


TECHNOLOGY
Bits: Apple iPad 2 Rumors Circulate the Web
By By NICK BILTON
Published: January 5, 2011
While technology companies descend on Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show, rumors are swirling about the next generation of the tablet.

Snow Update

Snow lovers, rejoice!

"New York City wants to be Ground Zero for the snow storms." He said it, not me....

As I posted yesterday, two snow events on the horizon - one this Friday (potentially a lot, but not written in stone), and then a more classic Nor 'Easter next Tuesday/Wednesday.


Snow Event Friday

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Deja Vu All Over Again?

"While the best chance for greater than 6 inches of snow appears to be over parts of New England, it would only take a small shift in track to bring that corridor of heavier snow into New York, N.Y., andPhiladelphia, Pa."


Hmmm, when did I hear that before? Oh wait. Like just before we got 20 inches!



Winter Returns to Great Lakes, Northeast after Brief Thaw





Biggest Moron of 2011 Award

And the award for Biggest Moron of 2011 (so far) goes to....


Published: January 4, 2011
Sexually explicit videos produced by Capt. Owen Honors will cost him his command, the Associated Press reported.




Let's see now, I'll work hard my entire life and finally get command of my very own aircraft carrier. Yes! Oh, and then I think I'll throw that and my career away because my bigotry is just soooo hard to contain. It hurts! I can't keep my bigotry in! I must share it! It must be released!! Ahhhhhhh.......


Oh! And I have an even better idea! Why don't I film my bigotry too! That way it is guaranteed that it will go viral on YouTube and all the world can see it and I am even more assured to lose my command! Sweet!!

A Tale of Two Storms

This Friday, Storm No. 1. Next Tuesday, Storm No. 2. All next week into the following week - colder! It looks like Storm No. 2 may be the bigger of the two for us....

Monday, January 3, 2011

Woe is Me...

Yes, it has finally happened. After a couple of years of getting lucky and not catching a serious cold, one has finally befallen me. My life now is reduced to one consisting solely of chicken soup and cough drops. Oh, the humanity!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Holiday News Recap

The Bukharian Jewish Center construction site on 70th Ave.
If you've been away, or distracted by shopping or partying over the past week or so, here's a recap of local news I have gleaned from various sources (I cannot vouch for all of these, but the sources of this news do seem reliable. Please post a comment below if you know anything about any of these):
- Q Thai Bistro, a popular restaurant on Ascan, will be closing.
- Wafa, a popular Lebanese food restaurant near Metropolitan Ave., may also be closing soon, word has it.
- The Dallas BBQ in the new Rego Center in Rego Park has opened.
- Piu Bello will be opening soon - or maybe it already did? Haven't had a chance to look - in the space formerly occupied by Positano, across from the Post Office.
- The spot eternally under construction next to the Bukharian Jewish Center on 70th Ave. is reportedly to become at least partly new condos.
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which had been on Austin near the Barnes & Noble before moving a few years ago to Rego Park, has now moved back to Forest Hills - in the Pinnacle.
- Vornado Realty Co. reportedly wants to build yet another shopping center near the Rego Center in Rego Park.