Posts
Sid Rosenberg Signs Two-Year Deal With WQAM, Will Host Dolphins' Radio Post-Game Show
Monday, August 17, 2009
See www.SidRosenberg.com. Our guy Sid Rosenberg has inked a two-year deal to host the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. show on 560 WQAM Miami, beginning Sept. 7. In addition, he will host the radio post-game show for the Miami Dolphins on the WQAM Dolphins Radio Network.
More to come.
Artie Lange: Mayor of Hoboken?
Even better, there's a Web site out there with instructions on how to make this happen. Of course, we're not even sure Lange is registered to vote in Hoboken, which is, naturally, a prerequisite for running for mayor. Should be interesting.
Click here to visit that Artie Lange for Mayor Web site.
September 11, 2001: As It Happened
Sunday, August 16, 2009
9.11.01 — Eight Years Later
What follows are four videos — from 8:30 a.m. to about 11:15 a.m. — from Sept. 11, 2001. The first video starts with a striking look at Good Morning America before the first tower was hit by an airplane. It was that last TV segments before the world changed dramatically. The videos progress through the fourth one, which leads through after the collapse of the north tower. These videos were made available by a special 9/11-related media project and come from the ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C. You'll notice they break away from some of the New York coverage for local coverage of the attack on the Pentagon. Warning: These videos may not be suitable for all viewers. Also, please allow time for the videos to load after pressing the play button — the files are very large in size.
8:30 a.m. to 9:12 a.m.
9:12 a.m. to 9:53 a.m.
9:53 a.m. to 10:35 a.m.
10:35 to 11:15 or so
JFK Air-Traffic Controllers Don't Have it Easy
A couple years ago, a buddy of mine sent me this audio clip — it's of ground control at JFK in New York giving instructions to Air China Flight 981's pilot. There's a serious communication problem on the pilot's end. Yet, for years, I just presumed this was a fake — until recently.
The other day, I was listening online to the ATC at JFK — and wouldn't you know it, I recognized the voice of the ground controller. Even better, he was having communication issues, this time with a JAL pilot.
Moral of the story: These controllers are stressed beyond words, and now there's no doubt, this exchange, below, is legit. And it's kind of funny, too, but only because, thankfully, no one was hurt by this lack of understanding. Press play below to listen to this interesting exchange.
Pedro Martinez Delivers Yet Another Reason Why Omar Minaya Should Be Fired
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Painful.
That's how it was to watch Philadelphia Phillies' pitcher Pedro Martinez throw 5 solid innings tonight, having given up 3 runs on 7 hits, while striking out 5. This is the kind of proverbial shot-in-the-arm the Mets needed all season long — yet for some reason, Omar Minaya decided it was better for the Mets to not sign Pedro.
Let's just look at it this way — could he have been any worse than any of the starters, Johan Santana notwithstanding, than the Mets have used all season long? And all he's earning is $1 million!
Watch him go throw a no-hitter or perfect game for the Phils and go 7-0 in the coming weeks. Unreal.
Yet another brilliant move by your Mets GM Omar "He Lobby for the Job" Minaya.
September 11, 2001 As It Happened (Audio): From WCBS Newsradio 880 in New York
For those who have forgotten what Sept. 11, 2001 was like, here are "As It Happened" recording from WCBS, Newradio 880 New York. The recordings span initial word of the North Tower being hit from helicopter traffic reporter Tom Kaminski and end after the South Tower collapsed, several hours later. Allow a few seconds for audio to load on high-speed connections; several minutes for dial-up. Warning: Some of the recordings may be difficult for some to listen to. This post is also permanently placed on The Hudson Line homepage in the upper-left corner.
The First Report:
The Second Tower is Hit
The aftermath
Two More Jersey City Workers Resign Amid Scandal; Guess Who Didn't Resign?
Two more Jersey City employees have resigned following the July 23 sting that led to the arrest of 44 public officials and religious figures, but the one resignation many have been calling for still didn't happen today, the Associated Press (AP) reports.
From the story:
Two resignations of officials also arrested were on today's agenda. Edward Cheatam resigned Aug. 3 as the commissioner of the city's Housing Authority, and Maher Khalil resigned from the board of trustees of the Jersey City Development Corporation in a letter dated July 31.
Yet to resign is Councilman Mariano Vega Jr.
Surprised?
Not here.
Read the full story by clicking here.
Mets Should Fire Omar and Manuel, Hire Bobby Valentine, Kill the Black Uniforms and Thensome
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
In no way do I claim to be a baseball expert. However, in my own way, I need to vent a little — as a very frustrated Mets fan. It's been years of futility, actually — not just 2009 — that have caused this immense frustration. It was the 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 teams that have contributed to the frustration, too. It was the 1998 team that barely missed the playoffs. It was the 2001 team that barely missed the playoffs. If was the 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990 teams that were geared and prepared for a dynasty — didn't actually happen did it? — that have caused this frustration.
So here, then, are some simple things I'd like to see happen to clean house within the organization. And this is just a start. I won't even begin to tackle the players in this column. Instead, here are some steps I firmly believe will bring this organization back to respectability — and that's an important place to start.
1. Dismiss Omar Minaya. This man has caused so much organizational damage it isn't even funny. From the Tony Bernazard mess to signing Oliver Perez to a three-year, $36 million contract, his tenure as general manager has led to one disappointing playoff appearance — and a lot of hellish events before and after that.
2. Dismiss Jerry Manuel: He's funny. He's great with the media. But he has no command over this team.
4. Be cautious before hiring a GM: No rush. At least for the moment. A big name is a must here. Rushing is not. Hiring from within will just bring more of the same nonsense. As long as it's not Steve Phillips, that's fine.
6. Offer season-ticket holders from 2009 a steep discount in 2010. If fans wanted to see minor-league baseball, they could have saved a lot of money by buying season tickets to the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Newark Bears, the Somerset Patriots or the Lakewood Blueclaws. Fans deserve better than what they got — especially the season-ticket holders who got nothing for their dollars. Additionally, the team should not raise prices on a single ticket next season and, in some cases, should drop the prices in 2010 (see the empty seats behind home plate and on the lower first- and third-base lines).
It's Time for All Americans to Truly Remember What Happened on Sept. 11, 2001
Monday, August 10, 2009
Lest we forget — and sadly, there are many who have already forgotten this — on that fateful day, 2,974 lives were lost, including 343 New York City firefighters, 23 New York City police officers and 37 Port Authority police officers. Lest we forget, we will pause to remember the more than 200 people who decided that rather than burn to their death in fires that some estimate were in the thousands of degrees, it would be a better option to jump more than 1,000 feet to their ultimate death.
Lest we forget, we will pause to remember the more than 650 people from just one company — Cantor Fitzgerald — who lost their lives on that day. We will pause to remember the pilots, flight attendants, innocent children, business travelers, vacationers who boarded planes in Boston, Portland, Maine, Newark, N.J. and Washington, D.C., and never returned home to their loved ones, to their jobs, to their daycare centers, to their friends.Lest we forget, we will pause to remember the brave men and women of Flight 93, who knew they were going to be the missile that launched either into the White House or the Capitol — and who instead decided their own fate by taking over that United Airlines airplane, bringing it down into a field in that small Pennsylvania town whose name we’ll likely never forget, Shanksville.
Lest we forget, we will pause to remember the rescue workers who have since died because of their selfless work, looking to find the remains of those who perished before them.
We are eight years removed from that awful day, and yet somehow, many Americans — including some New Yorkers — pass by the site that once held the Twin Towers as though it were any plot of land being “built upon,” and not a sacred space where all those lives were senselessly lost.
We are eight years removed from that terrible day, and yet somehow — this blows the mind — there is not a permanent memorial yet built where the World Trade Center Towers once stood.
We are eight years removed from that day of carnage, and yet somehow, the mastermind of the entire plot, Osama bin Laden, still has not been captured and brought to justice for the lives he took without just cause. Yet still, there are some who fail to remember this. There are some who have completely forgotten about bin Laden and what he did that day.We are eight years removed from that day of terror, when more than 10,000 people were able to escape the fires, falling debris, broken glass … only to become covered with that grey dust from head to toe — that same dust that turned day into night twice as both towers crumbled into shredded pieces of steel.
We are eight years removed from that day when so many, to save their lives, fled up streets, ducked into doorways and stores, hid underneath cars and inside cars, not knowing if they’d make it out alive — how could they know whether they’d be hit with fallen steel or other debris?
Yes, we are eight years removed from Sept. 11, 2001. And while there hasn’t been a terrorist attack on American soil since that day, we are a nation filled with so many people who forget what that day felt like — for those who lost someone and even for those who didn’t, but who nonetheless lived through the day’s events. So many have forgotten about that car ride or ferry ride home that Tuesday afternoon that took what probably seemed like an eternity. So many have forgotten about that awful smell that surrounded Ground Zero, Lower Manhattan, Jersey City, Hoboken and parts of Brooklyn for months after the attack — a smell which a combination of burning metal, debris, paper, wood, other elements and yes, human flesh.
Sadly, though, eight years removed from Sept. 11, 2001, there are those who have completely forgotten about that day and what it meant to this country.
Take a look at the pictures posted around these words — and if you’re one of those people, ask yourself “how?” The pictures don’t lie — nor do the words that recall that day. It’s a day no one should ever forget.
It’s time for everyone, in all walks of life, to truly remember what happened on Sept. 11, 2001.
That time starts now.
Click here to read my reflections on the seventh anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, from 2008.
What Should the 2009 New York Mets Slogan Be?
As most Mets fans know, for many years, the Mets marketing department always loved to come up with silly, one-line slogans for each season. For example, in 2007, it was "Your Season Has Come." I'm still waiting for it, actually. In 2002, "Always Believe." In 1986, "Baseball Like it Oughta Be." Well, thankfully, they didn't come up with one for 2009 — yet.
Click here to visit a Mets-related blog for a humorous look at what the slogan could be, based on this horrendous season.
Jersey Journal Again Calling for Mariano Vega's Resignation
Score another one for The Jersey Journal. The newspaper is again calling for the resignation of Jersey City Councilman Mariano Vega, following his July arrest on corruption charges. Click here for the whole story.
7 of 9 Bodies Pulled From Hudson River After Tragic Chopper-Plane Crash
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Seven of the nine victims' bodies have been pulled from the Hudson River following Saturday's collision between a small plane and a tourist helicopter, the Star-Ledger is reporting.
From the story: At 11:52 a.m., Hersman said, the air traffic control tower at Teterboro Airport electronically handed off supervision of the plane to the tower at Newark International Airport. Teterboro controllers instructed the plane's pilot to contact the Newark tower and change radio frequency, she said. But the Newark tower received no word from the pilot, she said.
Click here for full details.
