The Cheekiness Of The Perpetrators Is Troubling Indeed

It’s an interesting theory but I’m not sure I accept the basic premise that mooning is a sort of criminal gateway leading eventually to sexual assault:

A spike in criminal incidents in Astoria, ranging from gropings to smashed car windows to attempted rape, has led three elected officials representing the neighborhood to introduce legislation to prevent crime in the area.

“We’re here to say … we’re going to do whatever in our power to make sure that it’s stopped,” state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) said last week.

. . .

“If we don’t put a stop to it now, things are going to get worse and worse,” the senator said. “Today’s groper, today’s mooner can be tomorrow’s rapist.”

. . .

Democratic District Leader Costa Costantinides said the uptick in crime “has been deeply troubling.”

“When you have students running down 23rd Avenue mooning shop owners, that’s serious,” he said.

You Better Hope Those Hurricanes Really Do Only Come Every Ten Or 20 Years Because Do You Really Think These Same People Are Going To Buy This Much Tuna Fish Ever Again?

No one knows, or is saying, exactly when the administration understood that Irene was going to weaken, and despite what many are calling “universal praise” for the actions undertaken to Save Lives!, the overreaction seems to have worked (“He wanted to go from bozo of the blizzard to hero of the hurricane”) — at least until the next big storm, when people will probably not pay as much attention to the words of caution.

“Bloomberg, he did O.K., but he made people crazy and spend a lot of money,” said [. . .] a building superintendent on 44th Drive in Long Island City, Queens, just outside the Zone A low-lying evacuation area. He said he had spent $200 on supplies on Friday and $67 on a fill-up.

“Water, batteries, tuna fish, other food in a can,” he said. “For what? Believe me, people spent a lot of money on this. The tuna fish and the other food, O.K., we’re going to eat it. I don’t need all this water and batteries, though.”

I’m Sure Everyone Feels Much, Much Better Knowing That Howard Wolfson Is Back On The Scene

And just so everyone is clear, it wasn’t so much that we needed, say, the Mayor’s press secretary around back in December more than it was that we just needed the snow plows out. I hate to say it, but he should have gone to Vegas this weekend:

In nearly every sense, it has been the antiblizzard response. Advisers studied how New Orleans had evacuated residents for Hurricane Katrina, to avoid making any of the same mistakes. They coordinated their planning with lawmakers in all five boroughs, Albany and Washington.

During the blizzard, top aides had left town. This time, they took no chances. The mayor’s press secretary, Stu Loeser, canceled a weekend trip to Las Vegas for the wedding of a childhood friend; Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson cut short a family vacation in Massachusetts.

Oh please — Katrina? Reminding people of Kanye’s worst nightmare may work to justify mass evacuations but it does little to reduce the stress levels of whoever those are who might be complying with the edict.

You Forgot Leather, Bristles, No Survivors And Sick Boys As Well

“[The hot dog cart owner], 60, ranted that his cart is opposed by ‘homosexuals,’ ‘Jewish people,’ ignorant bureaucrats, ‘rich people’ and freebie-seeking doormen.”

Today In Hyperbole

Click link for alleged life-threatening situation:

“For them to have to fear for their lives is just ridiculous.”