Monday, February 4, 2013

All fall down ...

* If you use the Tappan Zee Bridge and you have a strong stomach, make sure you read this story from New York Magazine. Even if you're not of the faint of heart and keeping traversing the Tappan Zee, you'll grip the wheel harder each time you do, praying your trip isn't the one during which the span collapses.

* My Ed Koch story: The state newspapers publishers were conducting their convention in Manhattan, 1998, I believe. I was the chairman of the board and introduced the guest speakers. Even though he'd been out of office for years, you couldn't do an event like this one in New York City without inviting the outspoken Koch. He didn't disappoint. I remember telling Koch that as a New York City native, I appreciated what he had done to inject new energy and spirit in a city that really needed it after the financial crisis of the Abe Beame years. Koch was gracious in accepting the praise (which he no doubt believed was earned and probably not effusive enough), and he even seemed to like the commemorative golf shirts each guest received (although I'm guessing that if he wore it, it wasn't on the golf course). Koch was a character in many ways, outspoken and often politically incorrect. But he loved his city and was a "public servant" in the finest meaning of the phrase. At his funeral this morning, as the coffin was being removed from the temple, the organist played "New York, New York". That says it all, no?

* I almost made it through the day without watching any of the Super Bowl, which is my annual goal (mostly fulfilled since I left the sports department). But that darn power outage at the Superdome screwed it up, because the office emailed me with a question about moving back our press time to get the result in today's paper so I needed to see how far along the game had progressed. As it was, we had arranged for a special press time (an hour later than normal), so the Super blackout created an unanticipated situation. The decision was to start the press at the pre-determined 10:30 p.m. without the final score, then stop it and send a new lead sports page once the game was over. Shortly after 11 p.m. the updated page was sent. Thus, the final score wound up in just over half of today's copies. As for why I don't watch the game (or its endless prelims), it's a habit I've stubbornly adhered to all these year, mostly to be different. Not sure what that says about me. Calling Dr. Phil!

* By the way, the movie I recorded to watch instead of the Super Bowl was 2006's "The Black Dahlia". Bad choice. I really like Los Angeles film noirs (think "LA Confidential"), but this one fell short.

* Radio daze: WAMC (90.9 FM Kingston) is fund-raising again (1-800-323-9252). I'm on the station's board and a regular on its "Media Project" program, so you know where my heart is regarding Northeast Public Radio. Meantime, my standard first-Tuesday-of-the-month visit to Kingston Community Radio (WGHQ 92 AM) comes up at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow. Give me a call at (845-331-9255). I'll be on until 8 a.m.

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