Budweiser is Dead And I'm Not Happy About It

They didn't sell billions of gallons of this stuff for because of the quality.

But it was never as bad as the pinky- in- the- air beer snobs claimed. It was a middle of the road mass production light beer that most people liked. Nothing more, nothing less. Not a bad thing.

What made Budweiser great was its deep, American heritage. One hundred and thirty years of history in St. Louis, Missouri. ( It predated the fake Czech "Budvar" by about 15 years. ) The fact that they marked the ending of Prohibition by sending a team of Clydesdales to the White House to deliver fresh-brewed Budweiser to President Roosevelt. The fact that you and I had it in college and at weddings and with friends since we were old enough to drink, or since we were big enough to pretend that we were old enough to drink.

All this history went down the tubes this past weekend when a bunch of Belgian cutthroats acquired this American icon.

I love Europe and I love the rich and deep universe of European beers. But Inbev is not a quality brewer. And Budweiser won't be Budweiser if its owned by a bunch of cost-cutting smart alecks in Brussels.

An era has ended, and I'm not too happy about it. If you're coming over to visit, don't bring any Budweiser with you. They don't make Budweiser anymore.

Sunday Music:: "Downtown", by Petula Clark

This song brought to you by the R train. Connecting Bay Ridge with "downtown" since 1916.

Bay Ridge High School Occupation of Leif Ericson Park to end?

Click to enlarge. Photo taken today, about 3pm

For the nearly 40 years I've known it, Bay Ridge High School ( now " High School of Telecommunications" ) has been an alien presence in the neighborhood. I knew of no local residents who attended school there, none who worked there. I never heard of any " open houses " or the like when the school ever invited the locals to come in. Blocks of parking spaces on 67th Street were reserved for the school staff. No locals need apply. The school never reached out, never tried to be friendly.

Students from the school sat on the stoops nearby, and didn't like it too much when they were asked to move. It's not as bad as it was some years ago, but you still see loitering "students" cutting class. smoking reefer, on 68th Street, Senator, all the nearby blocks.

Ten years ago, Bay Ridge High School took outdid themselves by commandeering a swath of Leif Eriscon Park that runs between Fourth and Third Avenues. They built temporary classrooms in the park, closed off the Fourth Avenue entrance, and told the locals to stay the hell out.

A major addition to the school has been completed for some time. They don't even need the temporary classroom anymore. But the principal and the Education Department didn't lift a finger to remove the festering sore from the neighborhood. They kept playing pocket pool between coffee breaks and were evidently planning on leaving the trailers in the park for another decade or two.

This was a lovely small park at one time. If you see the stretch near Third Avenue, you can see how the entire park could be pretty once more. But first the hostile and unwelcome Education Dept building must leave.


The NY Daily News, which covers Bay Ridge and Brooklyn better than the Post and the Times combined, covered this story 12 days ago. Only because of their persistent questioning, the sluggards, deadbeats and do-nothings of the NY City Education will move the trailers. One of these years.

It is also noted that the City still has "no parking" signs on Senator blocking three parking spots, even though construction of the Bay Ridge High School (or whatever they're calling it today ) annex has long been completed.

You can enter the park on the Third Avenue side. But if you walk up the path, this is what you run into. Shame on the City and on all of our elected officials for allowing this state of affairs to exist for even one day.

Today, on a Sunday, the air conditioning was going full blast in this empty building. I'm sure it was going strong all weekend.

Riding the Bay Ridge Express Bus

Disembarking at 69th Street and Third Avenue, July 2, 2008


I live in Bay Ridge, and commute to Manhattan by mass transit. This has always meant a journey involving the R train, but not this past week. I decided to conduct a scientific experiment and commute for a week via the Express Bus.

Since most people in Bay Ridge have never taken an express bus, let me first say what they are. There are two express buses serving Bay Ridge- the X27 goes to downtown Manhattan, while the X37 travels to midtown. They travel the length of Shore Road to 69th Street, from which they hang a left on Third Avenue, where they take the on-ramp to the Gowanus Expressway.

The Gowanus is painfully congested at all hours, but worse still during the rush hours. But since the express buses get to use the HOV lane, they cruise at a blazing 45 mph or so, while the cars to the right stand still.

For the week of my experiment, I boarded the X27 at Third and Senator, and took it to a stop at Rector and Church. The trip back was from Cedar and Broadway to 69th and Third Avenues.

How was it? On the way in to the city, it was pretty damned good. Despite the fact that I was boarding near the last Bay Ridge stop, there were plenty of cushioned, if tight, seats. The trip was very fast- 14 to 20 minutes going to Rector, vs 30-35 minutes on the R train to the identical location.

For whatever reason, the return trip always took longer, 22 minutes at best, 35 minutes the longest. I am told that its always longer going back.

Lots of women who don't like subway rush hour ride the express bus.

Unfortunately, cell phones work on the bus. The bus drives post nastygrams asking cell phone users to sit in the back and to keep it down.

The fare on the Express bus is $5 each way, vs $2 for a normal bus or for the subway. You can buy a special 7 day unlimited-use MetroCard that allows use of all local and express buses, plus the subway, for $41. That's a sweet deal, esp. if you use mass transit both to commute to work, and on the weekend.

I'll be returning to my normal R train commute tomorrow, but I'm happy I took the time to learn about the Express bus option. Everyone in Bay Ridge should learn how to use it--even if you don't live particularly near one of the stops. Its a boutique service, a mass transit luxury liner, and a handy option the next time the R train derails or is flooded out.

Which idiot decided to run it the express buses on Shore Road anyway? Very inconvenient for the huge majority of Bay Ridge residents. No skin off my back, as long as you keep that Senator St. stop, boys.

Sunday Music: "Me and My Uncle" - by Joni Mitchell?

Yes, this is Joni, way back in 1965. Didn't even know that she sang this song till five minutes ago. You go Joni!

Goodbye, George Carlin

Carlin came out of an Irish-American circle of which I am very familiar. But I never saw anyone remotely like him in the neighborhoods.

Today, at work, three of us who some would call right-of-center happened to meet up, and Carlin came up. Though he tended to be on the opposite side of any political things (apart from his open despising of all forms of political correctness) we agreed that we all just loved Carlin.

Most political comedians that I've seen are so earnest and pedantic that their humor suffers for it. Not Carlin.

He was always personally nice to people, something that gets you great credit in my books. A lot of performers and politicians would like to be thought of as nice. Few are. Many try unsuccessfully to fake it. Carlin didn't have to fake anything. He thought he was as good as anyone who ever lived, but no better. And that's fine with me.

Two months ago, he was interviewed from his home in Los Angeles by phone by WABC radio in New York. Only it was six am in LA, so he took the call by cell phone from his car. His wife was still sleeping in the house, and he didn't want to wake her. I loved that.

Cross posted here

Happy Father's Day, Big Russ

There'se no getting over the bad news of this past Friday, Big Russ. But you raised a great son who really understood what was important.

Luke, and the Russert girls are really going to need you now, big guy.

To Big Russ, to Frank and to Steve, to uncles Brendan and Pat, and to Patrick J, and to all the fathers out there who did the best they could: Happy Fathers Day to you all.