New Yorkers (and the world) need to chill out over the Great Bronx Zoo Cobra Escape
Posted: April 1, 2011 Filed under: Media, New York City, Science | Tags: Bronx Zoo, Egyptian cobra, Japan, Libya, new york city, Rahm Emanuel, Reptile, Snake, Twitter Leave a comment »
There's this rumor going around saying Lilith slept with snakes...
So, I am not a “snake expert”, and the post below is based off my limited experiences with snakes at friends houses and from my observations at the zoo. Oh, and, the fact that snakes are cold-blooded, meaning snakes are the temperature of their surroundings.
Psst, New Yorkers! The cobra is a cold-blooded reptile, and it’s 40 degrees outside! Why would the escaped cobra even leave the Reptile building?
Because there is obviously nothing to fear, I have to assume this is all because New York, New York was feeling jealous over all the national (and international) media attention Chicago’s been getting because of our newly elected Mayor Rahm Emanuel. As proof of how awesome our new mayor is, his fake twitter account is being made into a book. Does Mayor Bloomberg even have a fake twitter (a good one)? And are the tweets of the fake Bronx Zoo Cobra going to be made into a book? I scoff at myself for even posing the question. Well, maybe if the cobra actually kills someone.
You can probably tell, I don’t find the fake Bronx Zoo Cobra twitter account funny mainly because I refuse to forget that snakes are cold-blooded… (just like how squirrels can’t pickpocket people because they don’t have hands – I’m looking at you, Justin Kaufmann-)
As to why journalists (and their readers/viewers) have eaten this silly story up, my guess is the escaped Bronx Zoo cobra story lightens an otherwise somber international community worried about Japan, Libya, and budget deficits.
UPDATE: Before I hit the Publish button I google-newsed “bronx zoo cobra”, and do you know what was at the top of my search? The Egyptian cobra was found inside the Reptile building. I am soooo good.
Like me, the director of the Bronx Zoo Jim Breheny also doesn’t understand all the hub-bub over the snake, as evident by his behavior in the above press conference video.
Crysis 2 has broken my heart
Posted: March 28, 2011 Filed under: New York City, video games | Tags: Crysis, Crysis 2, Crytek, Demo, Video game 7 Comments »
poor poor NYC... Image via Wikipedia
I never download anything the day it becomes available, as it requires discussion (I currently share a video gaming machine with my boyfriend). Nevertheless, the Crysis 2 demo was downloaded and I didn’t even have to pitch it.
I had a great time with Crysis, and it was the demo that originally sold me on the game. I especially became adept at firing on enemy targets with the assault weapon attached to a boat. My whole strategy for attacking this encampment by the water involved this boat (think to the tune of this song). I have good memories of the first demo, so saying I was excited is an understatement.
Then we went away to Florida for 6 days. The demo was not played.
Upon returning from vacation on the 25th, what is found? The Crysis 2 demo is multiplayer, and only available to play from March 15th to March 22nd. If you try to play the demo after March 22nd, there are no servers available for you to play on. What kind of marketing madness is this??? Sure, this limited demo-play generates buzz, and Crysis 2 demo players get another reason to feel all superior, but what about me? I am left heartbroken and the high interest of paying $60 has dissipated.
The void was filled by Neverwinter Nights 2 and all the expansion packs….
Beautiful architecture soothes my post-9/11 soul
Posted: March 8, 2011 Filed under: Art, New York City | Tags: new york city, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Santiago Calatrava, September 11 2001, Transport hub, World Trade Center, World Trade Center site Leave a comment »I told my mate that when the World Trade Center Transportation Hub was complete, it is time for me to move back to New York City. I don’t care as much about the other buildings in the WTC place- they don’t symbolize the rebirth of NYC quite like the Transportation Hub. And check out the WTC memorial – you know drunk fools are going to fall in those pools at some point.
My mate naturally objected, he complained of the NYC prices and the cramped living spaces – but ultimately agreed on the superiority of Santiago Calatrava’s design.
I want to live in a city with the most beautiful subway station in the world…
Hey New York City - If you never build this structure I will never forgive you.
Also, Port Authority, if you do a crappy job at continuous maintenance, this hub with become Pigeon Central.
Additional readings
NYTimes – Trade Center Transit Hub’s Cost Now Over $3.4 Billion
The New York Observer – How an over budget PATH Station Helps Explain a Missing Church
Time – What’s Behind the Ground Zero Stalemate
NYTimes Blog – A Twisted Path for a Curve-filled Terminal
Gothamist – Inflation Worries Hit World Trade Center Hub (photo gallery)
September 11th has come and gone….
Posted: September 12, 2010 Filed under: New York City, Politics, War | Tags: Mosque, quran burning, September 11 2001, Terrorism, United States, War on Terrorism, Warfare and Conflict, WTC, wtc monument Leave a comment »Should I have written about September 11th yesterday, considering I was there on 2001, stuck in midtown when the city went into lockdown?
I didn’t want my voice to be part of the media circle-jerk, or the mosque protest/Quran burning madness.
Maybe I will write about it for the 10 year anniversary.
Wait… Did I just write “10 year”? Has it been 9 years already?
And no memorial has been built on that site yet (the lights don’t count, sorry)….?
Shameful. Absolutely shameful.
Another public project the lost Olympic bid screwed over?
Posted: October 15, 2009 Filed under: Chicago, Environment, New York City | Tags: bloomingdale trail, Chicago, high line, new york city 3 Comments »The most recent update on the Bloomingdale Trail, a project much like New York City’s High Line:
“I would expect to see at least a part of this open within 4 years,” said Andrew Vesselinovitch, the Chicago Parks Program director for the Trust for Public Land. “But I think that is even a little optimistic.”
via The dream of the Bloomingdale Trail still far from reality .
The Medill article goes on to mention:
Officials originally aimed for 2016 as a completion date, so that the trail would be up and running during the Olympic games. But with Chicago losing the bid, that aim is no longer necessary.
Much of the article mulls over how long this project is taking, but with funds being cut left and right (for more important things like youth and after school programs), grumbling about the lack of development over this trail is almost insensitive. Yes, it’s true, this would be a nice addition to Chicago and would help in our attempts at dethroning New York City as King City. I just hope they don’t make the Bloomingdale Trail as modern looking and soulless as New York City’s High Line. So far, it looks good. The Friends of Bloomingdale Trail website say they plan on building community murals and you would be able to bike on the Bloomingdale Trail, something you cannot do on the High Line.
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