Saturday, July 31, 2010

Mosque supporters rally in Staten Island (video)

There was a rally in Midland Beach today where advocates for the proposed mosque came out to show their support.

The event was planned before the recent vote, where the sale of an empty convent to the Muslim American Society was nixed by the church board.

But the organizers said they wanted to come out anyway to show their support and rally against hatred and bigotry.

Detractors of the mosque have claimed that the organization is a front group for terrorists.

Only about 30 pro-mosque protesters showed up to the event, but it was a brave effort after weeks of being maligned by locals during their weekly Sunday events.

A few anti-mosque residents mingled across the street, some holding signs, others yelling "go home" then walking away - presumably to their homes.

Punk Rock tonight on Staten Island

End the month off correct.

There's a punk show tonight at Martini Red with the Amber Jets, Dead Set on Destruction and Black Birds from Jersey.

Hopefully the beer will be warm, the pit will be raging, and the party will go all night. Maybe we'll even get a buy back.

How about we show some support for bands coming out-of-state? And this one actually pretty good.

Details below:

Snooki: less Tony Soprano more GG Allin

Like a bad case of herpes MTV's 'Jersey Shore' returned this week aiding some misguided clowns as they degrade themselves and take an entire culture and geographic location down along with them.

Geronimo!

Not that there is zero merit or history in this form of entertainment - one can see the debasing performance art of GG Allin in their brand of self loathing sadism - but this particular method of sacrifice is done without apparent knowledge of the repercussions or tangential effect on others. (Live Fast Die = GTL?)

It's television at its most basest form - sex, drugs and rock and roll without the rock and roll. Substance is replaced with shallow, feeble-minded materialism. Talent replaced with cleavage, insults, and testosterone.

Staten Island is not prominently featured in the 'Jersey Shore' series, but occasionally pops up as a rhetorical punching bag along with a myriad of other offensive, derogatory, demeaning statements and actions done and said to gain attention (because, what more is there to achieve than stardom?)

Staten Island's own Angelina refers to herself as the 'Kim Kardashian of Staten Island' because what the fuck is Kim Kardashian famous for again?

Friday, July 30, 2010

Wahoo Skiffles vs Paragraph

There's not much time left, you need to make a decision quick.

Tonight's Staten Island musical entertainment hinges on the decision of seeing the Wahoo Skiffle Crazies with The Devyl Nellys at Cargo Cafe or Paragraph with Captain Ahab and the Sea Crackens at Bar Matchless in Williamsburg.

(Update: Dead Set on Destruction is playing tonight in Asbury Park for those who like loudness, mayhem, and pure undeniable punk hook bliss.)

We've tried to break it down to help y'all with your decision:

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Lady Gaga at The Conference House

After an evening fishing at the Conference House Beach in Tottenville tonight we were walking along the gravel road back to the car when we heard the sounds of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" wafting through the air like a foul stench from a New Jersey refinery over the Bayonne.

But, thing is, the sound wasn't coming out of some douchebag's car window - as is usually the case - it was actually a live band.

Had the humidity finally gotten to us? Should we have packed Dasani instead of PBR? Was Lady Gaga performing at the Conference House Park?

No, it was actually more sad and pathetic than that.

Liberty-loving Tea Party ignores Libertarians

The Tea Party movement is supposedly built on aversion to big government, wasteful social programs, burdensome taxation, and the Federal Reserve.

But what happens when a local Libertarian candidate announces a run for Congress on a platform of increasing individual liberty, excoriating the Fed, and reforming the IRS?

Answer: nothing.

Tom Vendittelli, Libertarian congressional candidate for Staten Island, is carrying banner of liberty that other Islanders use as a mask to wear on 'weekend warrior' protests.

The Tea Party, busy fawning over the Republican candidates for Congress, have ignored the very candidate who espouses the beliefs they claim to adhere to.

"The Tea Party is on the right track," Vendittelli wrote us. "I'm a big fan of people waking up to our Nanny State reality, so I dig this Tea Party movement."

But, apparently, the Tea Party doesn't 'dig' him.

Copperpot to Advance: What hate crimes?

Staten Island's Boro President James (Oswald Copperpot) Molinaro has come out to declare that the recent spate of attacks against Mexicans are not bias crimes at all.

In fact, if you are a Mexican on Staten Island Molinaro would like you to go back to the "banana republic where (you) came from."

"Let’s talk about reality... these are not bias incidents," Molinaro told the Advance. "These are criminal acts. This is a law enforcement issue."

Really? That's interesting, but its not what the police say.

Through Sunday, there have been 21 bias crimes on Staten Island in 2010, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne told the Daily News.

Here are some of the victims: Fidel González - broken jaw; Alejandro Galindo - fractured eye socket and brain trauma; Rodolfo Olmedo - skull fracture.

Is it possible that Copperpot just doesn't like Mexicans?

Here's what he said when Mexican President Felipe Calderon came to the US to criticize Arizona's new immigration law.

"The man should've been given a one-way ticket out of the country back to the banana republic where he came from," Molinaro told the Daily News.

"To see those idiots applauding him for attacking us, to me... I don't know if this country can be saved anymore."

Is this what Copperpot is doing? Trying to save this country by ignoring the hatred, bigotry, and ignorance prevailing on the pristine shores of his predominantly white borough? By agreeing with these idiots:

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Alaskan Idiot Sarah Palin endorses Mike Grimm

Sarah Palin has put her dumb stamp on the Staten Island congressional race.

The former Alaska governor and failed vice presidential candidate made the remarkable announcement on (where else?) her Facebook page.
"I’m happy to endorse two more Commonsense Conservatives running for Congress from the great state of New York.
Michael Grimm, a former Deputy U.S. Marshall and FBI Special Agent, is running in New York’s 13th Congressional District. This decorated Marine and Persian Gulf War veteran took on organized crime and Wall Street corruption as an undercover agent. As a current small business owner, Michael understands that real economic growth comes from the private sector, not government. He’ll represent New Yorkers with just as much integrity and courage as he defended them in the FBI and the Marine Corps."
What the heck does Palin know about Staten Island anyways?

This endorsement is no small feat for the upstart candidate. Palin will likely bring an influx of supporters and donors over to Grimm's camp.

The newly Palin-minted candidate gave a predictably canned response on his web site:

"I am proud to accept the support of Governor Palin," he wrote.

"Her support for common sense solutions to the problems facing our nation make her one of the most important leaders in the Republican Party today."

Blah, blah, blah... whatever.

Mike Grimm has also been endorsed by former mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Senator John McMcain.

He is currently battling Mike Allegretti for the Republican line on November's ballot. Both are trying to oust the incumbent, Mike McMahon.

Where's the Beep? New Web site will help combat hate crime


What's the old adage about sun and disinfectant...

Local officials and activists have taken a step in combating the recent rise in hate crimes on Staten Island by creating a new web page called I AM Staten Island.

Apparently the effort does not have the support of Staten Island Borough President Jim Molinaro.

The campaign, endorsed by North Shore Councilwoman Debi Rose and Speaker Christine Quinn, is the first step in a coordinated effort among disparate groups to help assuage the bigotry running rampant throughout the forgotten borough.

The site lists community organizations and public officials backing the initiative. But no Oswald Copperpot.

"Something very serious is happening on the Island," the site reads, "and it is going to take a comprehensive response from the entire Staten Island community to address this challenge."

Speaker Quinn said the site "provides us with another critical tool for spreading the message that we will not tolerate these attacks."

We realize that the Borough President may be too busy bashing the Mexican President to take the time and support this effort, but we hope he will come around and give it the attention it deserves.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Guardian Angels are coming to Staten Island

In response to the recent rise in bias attacks on State Island the Guardian Angels appear to be coming to the boro to help defend the population, according to reports.

The non-profit group will send unarmed volunteers to help combat the increasing violence in Port Richmond and other neighborhoods.

The reaction from the group comes after the latest incident where a 40-year-old Mexican construction worker, who has lived here for 20 years, was attacked by a group who broke his jaw.

The Consulate of Mexico in New York sent a letter to the SI Advance commenting on the latest developments.

“In response to the escalating violence against Mexicans in Port Richmond, Staten Island, the Consulate General of Mexico in New York is posting personnel that will remain in the borough until further notice. This, in order to safeguard their rights and effectively assist and provide information to the Mexican residents of this area,” the letter said.

Jersey Shore rings opening bell at stock exchange

Why?

MTV's parent company Viacom sent the dbag characters of the Jersey Shore to the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell in a daily PR stunt performed on the floor of the exchange.

The whole crew was there: the Snooki (the average looking short girl), The Situation (former stripper), Angelina (the receptionist at the dental office on Bard ave.) and Pauly D.

One notable aspect of this culture clash is that a boat load of stock brokers on the exchange are from Staten Island. It'd be interesting to know how these traders - with real jobs - feel about the reality TV sleazeballs making piles of cash from aping their heritage and making their entire ethnicity look bad.

Here's a video from CNBC. Mark Haines is flummoxed by the cast's popularity, repeatedly asserts that they are not from New Jersey, and then blasts them for not agreeing to an interview.

"They're allowed to stand and smile, but they're not allowed to talk."


John McCain endorses Staten Island congressional hopeful

More Staten Islanders voted for John McCain than Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election - an extreme oddity for a NYC boro.

So it might be significant that the former presidential candidate has backed the conservative Mike Grimm for his fledgling shot at the GOP nomination.

The septuagenerian released a statement on the endorsement on Monday.

"We need leaders like Michael Grimm in Congress. Michael served as a Marine in combat for our country, continued his service for 11 more years as a special agent in the FBI, and then went on to become a small business owner."

McCain, currently in his own fight for his political career, joined some political blowhards like Rudy Guiliani with his backing of Grimm. But it's not likely to be much of a game changer - unless, of course he actually shows up to campaign rallies. And no, robocalls don't count.

The endorsement muddys up an already deluded race for the Republican nomination. A race that, at its lowest point, sent up a degrading trial balloon of re-running Vito Fossella for his old seat.

Grimm faces the GOP-backed Mike Allegretti for the name on the Republican line. Both trail Democratic incumbent Mike McMahon in fundraising.

In case you wanted to know more about your "fellow patriot" Mike Grimm, here is a video he recorded for the local arm of the Tea Party.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Mother may have been responsible for murder-suicide

After days of suspecting 14-year-old C.J. Raymond of setting the blaze that killed his family after slitting his sister's throats investigators are now saying it may have been the mother who committed the horrendous murder-suicide.

“If you’re going to kill your whole family, who’s the first person you would kill?" a veteran law enforcement official told the AP. "You’d kill the adult, who could stop you.”

Evidence has also surfaced which shows both the mother, Leisa Jones, and her son had ingested some type of drug before the blaze.

In addition, NYPD officials confirmed that Leisa Jones was the one who penned the charred suicide note in which only "am sorry" could only be deciphered. Originally the 14-year-old Raymond was thought to have written it.

"We believe that the badly charred note and diary found in the wreckage of the fire were written by the same person - the mother," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne told the Daily News.

Three other siblings Brittney, 10, Melonie, 7, and Jermaine Sinclair, 2, all died in the blaze.

More information will come to light as the investigation concludes but this has to be one of the saddest, most demented crimes in Staten Island history.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Response to the Midland Beach mosque debacle

The Muslim American Society released a statement regarding the recent decision by the board of St. Margaret Mary's Church to cancel the sale of the land to the group.
"The Muslim community, including MAS, is disappointed with the Archdiocese’s decision to back away from this sale.  This denial reinforced an unfortunate notion that the pressures of bigotry and Islamophobia triumphed over a good, long-standing relationship between the Archdiocese and the Muslim community.  It is indeed a setback.

Every person and religious institution has a right to build a house of worship, including the Muslims in the South Shore of Staten Island.  It is a travesty that a public official subjected MAS to an investigation simply because it chose to exercise its constitutional right to establish an Islamic center.  The results of the investigation proved false all the inflammatory accusations against MAS—something already clear to everyone who has worked closely with us.

While we continue to pursue our religious and constitutional rights, we will not hesitate to reach out to the Staten Island community at large, to establish mutual understanding and to protect freedom of religion.

MAS is determined to serve all communities across the nation including Staten Island and is currently studying all available options in response to the Archdiocese’s decision."

Drunk Staten Island man crashes into New Jersey trailer park

Makin us proud!

For reasons that are not immediately clear to investigators, a man from Staten Island crashed his car into a New Jersey trailer park wreaking havoc and then making a run for it, according to a report by Courier News.

The incident occurred about 5 p.m. on Wednesday when Robert Glogocheski, a 28-year-old Islander, allegedly smashed his vehicle into a trailer home at Steve's Trailer Park on Route 18 in East Brunswick.

Glogocheski left the scene, but police tracked him down shortly after near another trailer where he was drunk and tending to his injured hand.

He admitted to crashing the car and was arrested for criminal mischief, driving while intoxicated, and leaving the scene of an accident.

The trailer is apparently so destroyed it can not be used anymore.

Glogocheski is locked up on bail.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Don’t Miss the last Van Duzer Days

This Saturday is your last chance to show your North Shore pride and get out to celebrate Van Duzer Days.

What is it? Sort of like a block party on Van Duzer street, minus the crappy house DJ and Tilt-O-Whirl.

The festivities start at noon on Saturday and the organizers are telling people to bring water guns, why – we don’t know!

ManCrush will be method acting an ultimate Frisbee game, or just playing Frisbee.

Live music from The Vessels (folk), The Recruders (punk), Plastiq Passion (crunk), and Paragraph (funk).

They’ve gone through much trouble to put these festivities on, hopefully the whether will nice and everyone enjoys themselves.

To prepare yourselves watch this great song by Plastiq Passion with a semi-awkward public access TV intro.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Dumb 'Staten Island Gurls' vid goes mini-viral

Yeah, so we guess some local chics did a spoof on this Katy Perry song (which we never heard, but supposedly it's a hit).

We think - help us out - the video is supposed to be a comment on how Staten Islanders are dumb, shallow, and materialistic, but what the hell do we know?

The vocals are kind of obnoxious and the song is hard to listen to, but it looks like they did a lot work on the editing.

Also, it's hard to tell where the reality ends and the mockery begins. Parsing a SI meme is a lot harder than you might think.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Free Comedy Tonight at Cargo Cafe

The good people at Cargo Cafe have put together another outstanding comedy line-up for their FREE Tuesday night showcases.

The cover charge is non-existent, the beer is cheap, and the comedy is gold.

Hosted by the honorable James Harris.

Show starts at 9:30. Line up is below:

Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, John Oliver Show, Verizon Guy)
Greg Stone (Bamboozled Festival)
Mike Recine (Make It Funny, Clown!)
...John Szeluga (Not Friday)
Hosted By James Harris

@ Cargo Cafe 120 Bay St SI NY.
just 2 blocks from the Free Staten Island Ferry!

$2 Beers $3 shots & Well Drinks. Cheap food!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Community Garden Bike Tour

Local artist Tattfoo is hosting a bike tour of Staten Island this Saturday.
'Explore Staten Island North Shore community garden by bicycle this Saturday. You'll be learning, exercising and sight seeing all in this trip. Remember to wear a helmet and ride safe.'
July 24, Saturday, 10am
meet at 66 Victory Blvd. Staten Island, NY 10301

For those who would like to learn more go to tattfoo.com

Missed Connections: CVS (Pet Toy section)

There was some magic in the air recently at a local CVS. And a party to the encounter has taken to Craigslist to help reignite this fleeting love affair.

In this interest of helping people get tail we'd like to extend an invite out to the Island. Let's make this happen people.

Anyone out there visit the pet section at their CVS? Preferably a busty blond with curly/wavy hair.

Here is the post from the Craigslist Missed Connections:

Anti-Mosque crusader gets kicked out of the Tea Party

It's a sad day for the Tea Party.

First they get excoriated in the pages of the Staten Island Advance and now this:

Mark Williams, the emblematic leader of Tea Party Express, has been booted from Tea Party Federation - apparently the more important group - just because he wrote one little epically offensive, feeble attempt at satire.

Before we delve in the contents of his screed, we want to mention why Mr. Williams is so important in the front against all-things-non-white-and-or-upper-middle-class: he is the crusader of the anti-mosque campaign in Lower Manhattan, the one which happened around the same time Midland Beach had their own mini-anti-mosque campaign.

You see, the Islamophobes in Lower Manhattan want to protect the hallowed environs of ground zero, and the Midland Beach Islamophobes want to protect (idk) the hallowed environs of old gentleman's club on the corner of Father Capodanno.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

SILive needs to change their anonymity policy

Enough is enough guys.

It's time to change this policy, the one that lets people sign up anonymously and make slanderous, hateful comments in the hopes that the babysitters over in headquarters won't take them down.

But first we want to make it clear: we are not disparaging the Advance or the sister Web site. They are - like it or not - the only reliable, consistent print and online news source that the borough has. And it would be a shame if they were gone.

But enough of the love; this shit needs to stop.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

The Audacity of Hype

Why can't Staten Island have ads like this?

"The Audacity of Jihad," a commercial which opposes the construction of the 'ground zero mosque,' was restricted from NBC and CBS because, well, it's ridiculous.

The offenses are endless: clever insinuation of Obama's collusion, implication that all Muslims are terrorists, the insulting statement that the mosque will "celebrate the murder of 3,000 Americans."

But, whatever, it's been banned from TV. Scott Wheeler from the National Republican trust - the group who funded it - is crying foul. People in the neighborhood are trying to landmark the building so brown people can't go in.

The video itself is an astonishing piece of propaganda. Can we get one of these for Midland Beach?

Video after jump:

41 drug dealers arrested: Channel 7 makes awkward 'weed' pun

You may have heard that 41 people were arrested in a drug sting in Mariners Harbor.

It was apparently part of some sort of "Operation Good Neighbor" program where locals rat out the skuzzy dealers mucking up the streets.

So it was probably this 'neighbor' reference that inspired Channel 7 News to stake out a real life neighborhood do-gooder: a slightly unstable person who pulls weeds from the pavement.

But it didn't end there for Channel 7 and the weed reference, they kept it coming full circle.

Video after jump.

Monday, July 12, 2010

White Castle Hate Crime: response

The Staten Island LGBT community is coordinating a response to last week's alleged bias attack on a gay couple at the White Castle on Bay street.

The attack occurred at 2:30 am, and as everyone knows, White Castle is the only place open around that area at such a time.

(update: NY1 has video of the brutal outcome of this crime)

Sadly, this is one of many alleged hate crimes on Staten Island over the past six months.

Here is the letter from the Staten Island LGBT Web site:
Dear Community,   
We are saddened by the attack on two gay men early Wednesday in Stapleton.  We invite the Staten Island LGBT community to come together to formulate a response to this, and any, anti-LGBT violence on Staten Island.     
Let’s meet on Tuesday, July 13 at 7 PM at the Staten Island LGBT Center, 25 Victory Blvd. (near Bay Street), 3rd Floor.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Bombs in Uganda, quiet in Staten

At least 30 people died today when bombs ripped through crowds at two separate locations in Uganda as fans tried to enjoy a World Cup soccer match.

The blasts occurred at two Ethiopian restaurants in the tiny African nation's capital. The work is suspected to be that of al-Shabad -- a Somali insurgent group that views Ethiopians as their enemy.

One of the wounded was an American, Kris Sledge, part of a church group that was visiting the country.

"I remember blacking out, hearing people screaming and running," Sledge told the AP. "I love the place here but I'm wondering why this happened and who did this ... At this point we're just glad to be alive."

al-Shabab: this is what actual terrorists look like

It's terrifying, these militant groups waging war against one another in countries we rarely here about, even in the news. In Iraq, most of the recent spate of attacks have been from the competing Iraqi nationals, the Sunni and Shiites. It's their life, their struggle, their sadistic and demented ways.

However, here in the US we may have become so lulled by a sense of security that we lash out and hide at any perceived threat or incursion in our placid and uneventful suburban utopia.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Muslims organize: refuse to be slandered

Thanks to the good people over at NextLeftNotes we have a report, statement, and possibly a new front in the war against blind discrimination on SI.

There have been a number of protests in support of the Muslim population on Staten Island, who have been slandered and abused by the local dingbats who somehow think anyone that doesn't look like them is 'foreign' and therefore evil.

The Advance is reporting that this group will form a Islamic civic association on Staten Island, which is welcome and will hopefully open some dialogue and create a better understanding among the different groups on SI.

Here is the full statement from Hesham El-Meligy of the Arab Muslim American Federation, again provided by NLN:

Monday, July 5, 2010

Play Me I'm Yours at Snug Harbor

Remember that Belle and Sebastian song, the one with found sounds of children frolicking in the background.

Well, if you don't you're missing out on one of the finest musical moments of our generation.

Anyhows, that's what we were reminded of while listening to Elizabeth Grimes sing "You Belong with Me" at the Staten Island Children's Museum in Snug Harbor.

Grimes does a superb version of the Taylor Swift song, even as a school trip saunters through the background.

She could use a better camera man -- we're knit-picking -- but Grimes has hit all the Play Me piano's around the city. You can check it out on her blog.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Call to Action: Let's Beat Wyoming

Tonight we were sitting around the campfire, ruminating about how great this country is -- or, more specifically -- this boro of Staten Island; because everyone knows this is REAL AMERICA.

But then the conversation turned angry when our chief accountant, Maxwell Simmons, brought up the unfortunate distribution of funds in this great land and how -- to mildly paraphrase Maxwell -- we get effed like a b.

The MTA effes us, Bloomberg effes us, and Paterson can't even LOOK at us. And what do we do about it? As Maxwell aptly retorted:

'Do we look like a bitch?'

Saturday, July 3, 2010

What makes America great

In the current immigration debate a lot of misplaced anger and heated rhetoric has been flying around. It seems that some people forget what makes America the dynamic country that it is today.

Of course, some would like the country to take solace in its Judeo-Christian roots -- apparently ignoring the waves of immigration over the past 200 years that have successfully integrated into the country.

We agree that immigration reform is a noble goal. But discrimination, deportation, profiling, and racist legislation is simply the wrong tact to take on this issue. It can only further divide and ramp up the already violent inclinations among the most devout purists.

Public Transportation on Staten Island

What the eff do you people pay taxes for?

I mean, has anyone tried to take a bus on the North Shore lately? It's like every route takes a detour over Grymes Hill and leaves you at the ferry 3 minutes after it pulls out of the dock.

And about the ferry -- that's a whole other deal, but one hour on a Sunday morning? Can you imagine Brooklynites waiting one hour for an L train?

Thing is, this shit would never fly in another boro. I guess those people are more mobilized and have more pull because Bloomberg would never shit on any other NYC residents the way that he shat on the good people of Staten Island.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Is Staten Island's Borough President a race-baiter?

Staten Island needs leadership, and it's not coming from Borough President James Molinaro's office.

Think Progress recently did a piece on the disproportionate amount of bias crimes emanating out of our pristine borough -- culminating in the incident last week of a 'patriot' arrested for threatening Al Sharpton.

As Think Progress points out, the Republicans running for SI's Congressional seat have been eerily silent on these issues, although "they have chosen to fan the flames of the related immigration debate."