Tora Tora Shark Tora

href="http://www.mangozeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ar-shark.jpg"> Last week a teenager tourist was killed by a shark attack in Brazil. The big fish tore apart her left leg and doctors were not able to save the girl, even after amputating her leg. There have been 21 shark attacks in the region since 1991, although the young woman was the first recorded death by shark on the records. The holiday tragedy was a great loss for her family and friends. Landlubbers mourned the girl's demise. I have been scared of a shark attack ever since watching JAWS. But in reality sharks killed 6 people in 2013, while Man killed 100 million sharks in the same time period. It could have been more, but sharks don't like the way we taste. My closest encounter came in the early 90s. One July 4th Richie Boy and I were surfing in the Hamptons. It was a scorching day and I noticed no one was in the water. Everyone was on the shore looking about a 100 meters to our right. Big bluefish were leaping from the sea and a vicious dorsal fin sliced the surface. Richie Boy and I didn't have to say word. SHARK screamed in our minds and we paddled to the shore, as if our lives depended on it. After reaching the sandy safety we watched the phenomena and agreed to call it a day. That first beer tasted so good, as did the next seven. Certainly better than human flesh, then again sharks don't have taste buds on their tongue. To view shark attack in Brazil, please go to the following URL http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/24/brazil-shark-attack-bruna-gobbi-video_n_3645277.html

One Small Stool For Mankind

Even astronauts are human

Detroit Is Not Fucked

The GTO was the ultimate Detroit muscle-car. GM had banned sponsored racing, so John deLorean focused on a V8 street monster with a 389 cubic inch displacement to compete with Ford's Mustang. GM's production leader saw 'the Goat' as a loss and never allowed more than 5000 manufactured per year. Narrow-minded decision such as this doomed GM and the downfall of GM, Ford, and Chrysler in the 70s doomed Detroit. Whites fled the city after the 1967 Uprising and the population steadily feel from 1.8 million to 700,000. The loss of tax base burdened Detroit with increasing debts and whole neighborhoods were abandoned by the remaining inhabitants. This week Detroit filed for bankruptcy citing $18 billion in longtime commitments to pensions and salaries as a major cause of the default. The governor has suggested that the city sell off its assets such as the art at the Museum to pay creditors. Chrysties's auction house had expressed interest in the collection which includes Bruegel, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and van Gogh. Some art dealers assess the worth at $2 billion. Not enough to wipe out the debt, but the rich don't care about Detroit. They only want more and the GOP governor said the move towards bankruptcy would reverse decades of decay. This is not about paying pensioners or employees. This is about paying off the banks. Better for Detroit to write off its debt and tell the investors to go fuck themselves. "We're broke." Tough luck for the banks, for fucking the banks means that Detroit is not fucked. Only starting anew. "Little GTO you really turn me on."

Flips Flops Out

One of fashion's greatest stylists attacked summer comfort by saying, "Let's face it: FLIP-FLOPS ARE TO SUMMER WHAT UGGS ARE TO THE REST OF THE YEAR!" I agree with SL about Uggs, however hawai chappal, dép tông or dép xỏ ngón in Vietnam, chinelos in Brazil, Jandals in New Zealand, japonki in Poland, sayonares in Greece, Schlapfen in Austria, slippers in Hawai'i, slops in South Africa, thongs in Australia, tsinelas in the Philippines, and vietnamki in Russia and lan-tao are popular worldwide despite fashionistas' contrary opinion and date back to Egypt 4000BC. Current sales figures for flip-flops is estimated at $10 billion per annum. I wear mine year round. Flip-flops are nothing like Uggs. And a friend of SL invited the stylist to come to California, where 'dudes' wear them to work! "Where's California?" SL travels the Milan-Paris-London-New York circuit. Upset by his derision I retorted, "Sorry Sascha, but I hiked through the himalayas in flip-flops from aerosol. better than wearing muddy sox for three weeks. Shoes are outre pendant l'ete. Sandals sont toujours le scandal for comfort always trumps style for those don't have to buy style July 7 at 6:58pm · Like Of course only cowboy boots are for fighting with flip flops. Even barefoot is better.

High Heels Hanging On the Wire

The other day I was riding my bike through Williamsburg home to Fort Greene. Unlike the other bikers I roll at a slow pace and crossing one intersection I spotted high heels hanging from a power wire. Normally sneakers adorn the electrical lines and many people have tried to divine why. Wikipedia attributed to custom to bullying, crack house ads, gang honors to the dead, the demarcation of gang territory, or protection against the dead, however I've only tossed my sneakers over the wires after blowing out the soles on the umpeenth game and had a new pair ready for hoops on the playground. Guess the girl who chucked her heels over the wire had gotten her use out of them. I'm too much of a gentleman to ponder what use that was.

10 Years After

On June 15, 2003 The Observer quoted "a British scientist and biological weapons expert, who has examined the trailers in Iraq." "They are not mobile germ warfare laboratories. You could not use them for making biological weapons. They do not even look like them. They are exactly what the Iraqis said they were – facilities for the production of hydrogen gas to fill balloons." i.e. weather balloons This comment refuted Prime Minister Blair's statement that Iraq could be a biological threat in 45 minutes, thus giving the UK and USA another reason to push for war against Saddam. 10 Downing Street was infuriated by this 'scientist' and the PM unleashed the MI5 to find the culprit. In Late-June the Ministry of Defence leaked the source of the quote to be David Kelly, a respected arms inspector, who was forced to appear before the House Committee on one of the hottest days of that summer. On July 17 David Kelly walked into the woods. Several hours later his body was found a mile away. The cause of death was deemed to be a cut to his wrist and an overdose of drugs. The Lord Hutton report agreed with the autopsy, even though paramedics argued that there wasn't much blood loss near the corpse and his fingerprints were on none of the paraphernalia around him. I've always felt that the CIA killed him, but Tony Blair has always said no and everyone knows that man's ability to tell a lie. Same as that of GW Bush. Open up the inquest to the truth.

5 Days In Semi-Hell

Last month New Yorkers were happy to not be involved in the Great Midwestern Heat Wave, however this week the Eastern Seaboard had been subjected to fury of 90+ temperatures. Every morning the thermometers start at 75 and then rise toward 100. So far we have been spared the triple-digit torrid torment, yet each day the baked streets, buildings, and sidewalks radiate merciless heat and the hot spell is predicted to last through the weekend. This afternoon I rode my bike past the McCarron Pool. The watery vastness was packed with humanity and I sought relief through drinking two ice green teas, several liters of water, two beers, one cider, and I fully intend on hydrating myself throughout the evening. And I'm dead set on eating a good hunk of watermelon. Tomorrow is day six. I'll be working at the metal shop. There is no air conditioning. Only sweat. And beer thereafter.