Thursday, April 25, 2024
Miles from the Mainstream
D. R. ZUKERMAN, proprietor
Observations

JANUARY 26, 2004 --

LPR clicksters are the greatest!

Michael Moore, the very successful documentary director, claims, if I heard accurately, that his website gets 20 million hits a day. Big deal. Lonely
Pamphleteer Review passed the 300 visits mark on January 26. Howard Kurtz, take note. And you too, Imus.

Not necessarily a surprise.

LPR heard Jan. 26 (day before the New Hampshire primary) that actor Danny Glover was backing Congressman Dennis Kucinich for the Democratic nomination for president. Last February, Glover and
Kucinich were among the speakers at an anti-war rally in Manhattan, a rally that drew tens of thousands and offered clear indication of the hard feeling held on the left for President Bush.From the tone of a number of the posters, that is. The rally itself was peaceful--LPR recalls.

JANUARY 25, 2004 --

Travel Advisory for visitors to Manhattan who come by auto:

Bring lots of quarters. Remember the motto at City Hall just might be -- We give no quarter to those who give us no quarter. And look at the parking sign
before you put your quarters in the meter. It is possible to still get an "orange alert" demanding a $115 fine even if you put many quarters in the meter.

Why it is also possible to get a $65 ticket for being at a "FAIL" parking meter if the "FAIL" gets removed while you are in the spot?

Maybe things change but not much, department:

In olden times, zealots were interested in saving souls. In these more secular times, they are intent merely in saving lives. That, "The New York Observer" suggests, in a January 26 editorial, is just what Mayor Bloomberg is trying to do with his anti-smoking policy.

JANUARY 25, 2004 --

The truth in political labeling department:

If we had truth in political names, Democrats would be the Control Party, Republicans the Other Party and liberals would proudly call themselves dictators.

Rush, why the surprise department?

Rush Limbaugh seemed stupified that there might be plans at food-intake control to fight obesity. Rush, if they can get people to wear seatbelts on pain of
significant fine, they can get people to do
anything--on pain of significant fine--provided the rule is intended to save lives.

For all we know …

Plans are underway in New York City for a new bureaucracy, modeled on Parking Violatioins Bureau, to be called Overeaters Violations Agency --OVA.

There is, of course, an upside to all the fines in NYC--they create jobs in addition to revenue. Why, if NYC gets enough violation bureaus, the city might be
able to end the sales tax.

A brief item unreported in the main media …

Dennis Kucinich is still a Democratic candidate for president.

My January 16th "Orange Alert"

The penalty is 260 times the ten minute charge of 25 cents.

JANUARY 13, 2004 --

New Year's Resolution Broken -
The other day, I went into the Waterbury, CT, Barnes & Noble in the Brass Mill Commons, off I-84,to leave word about my resolve for the new year not to buy more books from Barnes & Noble until I read the ones purchased last year. I ended up purchasing several more books, includitng John Le Carre's latest novel. Anyone for starting Bookaholics
Anonymous?
JANUARY 12, 2004 --

Word the evening of January 12 (anniversary of the 1969 New York Jets victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III--and also of my dad's funeral, that day) that New York City is moving ahead with its bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

Anyone want to speculate what parking tickets will be in eight years? Will the
buses leave any parking space on the avenues, by then?

And if New York gets the games, what fines will be levied against visitors who dare to smoke in public places? Anyone notice that people who want us to
globalize better are not clamoring for us to emulate the smoking patterns of, say, the French?

JANUARY 5, 2004 --

New Years Resolution:
Just one as getting exercise and getting organized are daily resolutions. No more Barnes & Noble purchases until I read all the books I purchased last year. Certainly no more purchases of books on how we can't trust the Bush Administration, except to act unilaterally in foreign affairs. It is hoped that this resolution will not be cited by stock market analysts to explain a downturn.

Compassionate Conservatives:
Does this term mean that plain conservatives are not very nice people?

Mandatory Seatbelts:
How come the right to privacy does not extend to motorists?