In Defense of Tanning Salons

You may remember back in 2k9 when the Dump launched tan-gate, about the 10 percent tax on indoor tanning salons that Democrats slipped into Obama's health care bill. We said, sarcastically, that the tax would place an undue burden on superficial orange people. But alas, the Advance has one-upped us and has published a piece in defense of tanning salons.

A piece, published on Jan 3, mentions the new tax and the negative effects it could have on the Staten Island's small businesses. OK, most of it is pretty straight-up news but here's where it goes off the rails:

"Ultraviolet light has very clear health benefits," said John Overstreet, executive director of the [Indoor Tanning] Association

Health Benefits? Really! So going to the tanning salon can actually reduce your chances of skin cancer. Is that what this douche is saying, I can't tell because there aren't any legitimate follow-up responses on this. I'd love to get a doctor's opinion on how "healthy" tanning salons are.

The article does gloss over a study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer but the breadth of the piece is clear: don't tax us to death, let us tan to death.

Added Bonus: I love scrolling through the comments, hilarity ensues.

Posted by foxaddict

January 04, 2010, 12:56AM

Whay is it OK to penalize some industries - because you say so? Tyranny at its best

How will we ever survive this tyranny?

Cuckoo for The Headlocks

Congrats guys. You did it. The Headlocks are the second musical act to receive an award from the Staten Island Dump, which I guess could be called a Dumpy. Dead Set on Destruction made a mad dash at first, coming up a few votes shy, but for now let me say some nice things about the champions, SI musical heroes, and second recipient of the Dumpy: The Headlocks.

Starting off as a bare bones folk group a few years back, Rob Carey, Frank Duffy, Frank Cavallo and some guy John on bass began the long arduous journey that brought them to the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Mercury Lounge.

Last summer, the group was holed up in a Brooklyn studio trying to put together this release. Cuckoo Bird is both ramshackle hillbilly blues, tender American folk, gentle ballads, and shout-a-long Stones rock all crammed into one album. A gentleman named Million Dollar Bill helped produce this album into a stellar mix of instruments that goes down easy and clings to you with repeated listens.

There's an element of storytelling to these songs as well. In addition to the catchy sing-a-long chorus, "Driving in the Dark" tells the tale of a road trip gone wrong. "Freeze the Frame" asks us to step back an contemplate our surroundings. The song crescendos into a chorus that decries the local milieu with a half-scream "Never seen a scene so petty / getting in it's own way / wanna freeze the frame for a moment."

"Another Flood" is cheerfully upbeat with goofball lyrics and a wild harmonica lead that conjures Dylan's "Maggie's Farm." Cuckoo Bird descends on a somber note with "It's a Wonderful Life," an earnest reverie about the unavoidable toil of everyday experiences.

All in all, it's a wonderful release. Marked at times by humor and self-deprecation the songs are crammed with instruments but fall back on the inventive lyrics and songwriting of its core members. The Headlocks load the car up with gas and invite you along for the ride. You can't be sure where they're going, but there's only one way to find out.

Sing a Song About the Island

When the HuffingtonPost launched their project to map NYC in songs, we expected to see a lot from entries of Staten Island. OK, maybe not a lot, but at least some.

There are only three entries for SI so far and all are obvious Wu-Tang references.

That's it? There aren't any others? What about the Staten Island Rocker dude? He's in the picture --->

And runner-up for greatest Staten Islander of the '00s Terrible Tim? He has to have some songs about the Island that aren't entirely composed of penis jokes.

We know Rhett Miller wrote a song about the Verrazano Bridge. Does that count?

Are there any more songs about Staten Island? Does anyone know/care?

Maybe some aspiring songwriter wrote a song about Hylan Boulevard or Pleasant Plains. This is your chance to be discovered.

Skate and Die?

You know that humiliating experience when your little cousin schools you in some video game. Well, apparently one dude took it waaaay too far when a nine-year-old beat him at Tony Hawk.

The Daily News is reporting that Alejandro Morales stabbed the boy after playing the popular skateboarding game.

"Police said Alejandro Morales, 25, plunged a knife in the boy's chest, sending him staggering to his uncle's bedroom door.

Paramedics rushed [the boy] from the La Salle St. apartment to St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, but the New Jersey boy died in less than an hour, police said."

Really guy? A nine-year-old?

The kid, from New Jersey, was visiting his uncle in Harlem where the incident happened. The attacker, 25, owns the title biggest sore loser in history.

Jets Fans, You're Cut Off

The Jets are playing their last game of the season tonight against the Cincinnati Bengals. If they win, they make the playoffs, even thought they have a pretty crappy record (8-7).

But as fans brave the weather, traffic, Mark Sanchez, they will be unable to purchase alcohol at the game. The Star Ledger is reporting that the team has decided that the last game at Giants Stadium (which is also the Jets' stadium) will be booze free.

"[Team spokesman Bruce] Speight said the decision was made, in part, because it's a night game, it's the final game of the season and it's the last game at Giants Stadium and there were concerns about fan behavior."

There's something comical about 80,000 adults being baby-sat by the Jets ownership. Would you give these people alcohol?

Get Out: Jokes, DJs, and Bands

It's Jan 2, you're probably still hung over. But local hip-spot/refurbished townie dive Martini Red is hosting an all-star night of the Island's best indie entertainment.

Boom: DJ Jay Miller

TV show host. Comedian. Greatest Islander nominee. Cross-generational rock and roller. and, now DJ will be spinning some tunes at the Red

POW: ManCrush

Tim Duffy & Casey Jost

North Shore Mayoral candidate and honorable mention for Greatest Islander with

Les Vinyl himself with or without his guitar.

KABAAM: The Delay AND The Rabbits

How did these guys not make our Best Albums of '09 list? We don't know. They were robbed.

Here's The Rabbits via the professionals @SILive:

Update: South Shore!!

The Threadz at KJ's Ale House in Eltingville(?)

Headlocks Come From Behind

We know The Headlocks have a lot of fans. (Heck there's like 20-something people in the band.) But we were wondering what took them so long to get the word out on this vote.

As it turns out, the band didn't even know that the Dump existed. Here's evidence from a recent Facebook status update:

Headlocks: Check out this new Staten Island Blog and vote for the headlocks cuckoo bird as si album of the year. Who knew this existed?

Who knew they existed?!? Yes, Virginia, there is a Staten Island Dump. We do exist. And we won't ever make observations about the kind of people who attend your shows.

Also, the totally rockin' Dead Set on Destruction is just two votes behind you hippies. So watch your backs. One day left to vote!

Tryptophan - Destroy Fashion

Newark Airport Gets More Sexy

The infamous underwear bomber of '09 has spawned a new era of airport security including these full-body scanners. The NY Daily News is reporting that the scanners are coming to Newark Airport, the choice destination for Islanders (because JFK traffic is such a pain in the balls.)

The News is reporting that the scanners will be used on international flight where TSA employees will be checking your unmentionables for weapons, bombs, girth.

The ACLU has already raised a ruckus, calling the tactic a virtual strip search, meanwhile the White House is contemplating an attack on Al-Qaeda in Yemen because we don't have enough wars going on in the region.

The Champ: Ghostface Killah

The results are in and, according to our thoroughly scientific polling datum, Ghostface Killah was the "Greatest Staten Islander of the Decade."

Terrible Tim made a last minute end run at the illustrious title, and minutes to midnight, almost made the improbable comeback. But Pretty Toney came out on top with, I dunno, like 27 percent of the voting or something like that.

Ghostface started out the decade on January 25, 2000 with Supreme Clientele and, in the Dump's opinion, probably could've stopped there and still won the "Greatest" title.

But Ghost then released Bulletproof Wallets followed by The Pretty Toney Album, Fishscale and The Big Doe Rehab.

After an OK R&B album in '09, Ghost is coming back hard with "The Wu Massacre," a collaboration with Wu legends Method Man and Raekwon due out in February.

Take a bow, Pretty Ton, it's time to celebrate.

Ghostface feat Kid Capri - "We Celebrate"

We're not sure what exactly he wins, if anything. But maybe when the "Charlie Rose of Hip-Hop" Emilio Sparks interviews Ghost he can give him the award.

Bloomberg on Staten Island for New Year's

Mike Bloomberg was inaugurated for a historic third term earlier today. Shortly after the ceremony he boarded the Staten Island Ferry and came to visit the borough that helped put him over the top in last year's election.

The SI Dump was there when Bloomberg and Borough President James Molinaro visited Borough Hall to make some care packages for the troops.