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New Years Resolutions 2022: The Road Ahead

A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year

January 1, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.

If we stay the course with vaccinations, masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to make the transition from pandemic to endemic - at which point things begin to really change to a better normal, but likely not back to a pre-CoVid normal.

A year ago I thought by now we would have mostly normalized, but I had failed to take into consideration the significant resistance to vaccinations by the people who rely upon Rupert Murdoch's overwhelming share of nationally branded daily mass media 'news'.

Rupert Murdoch controls Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and he, along with the two largest investment groups owning Fox, control Disney / ABC News. So that's half of U.S. network news and two the largest daily newspapers in the nation. He controls other media outlets as well, like MarketWatch and Barron's and Harper Collins Publishing, but the first four mentioned above are instrumental in shaping Americans' view of things. And the unsuspecting members of Murdoch's audience aren't aware enough, nor paying attention enough, nor educated enough to detect the very sophisticated news manipulations that Murdoch and his minions seem to do every day to sculpt and present the reality they want their viewers to see - which is not reality at all, but a VoldeMurdoch version of it.

Other media outlets and moderate Republicans and pretty much all Democrats need to start calling Murdoch out into the public space so people can see who he is and what he does and what he takes in exchange for it. They need to do it, because regardless of whether they do or not, Murdoch's incessant media attacks will keep coming, so by not addressing him and it, they are only aiding and abetting it, like all those who let Goebbels do the same in Germany in the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's.

The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally - not politically - to make 2022 a better year for you.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on New Years Resolutions 2022 - The Road Ahead.

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Holiday Markets & Holiday Tree Lightings NYC

While Still Dialed Down, There's More Going on than I Thought

November 27, 2020 / NYC Shopping / NYC Holiday Events & NYC Holiday Markets / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The following represent an update of the in-person holiday markets and / or the in-person holiday events that will be open this season in all five boroughs.

I found far more going on than I expected ... although admittedly quite a bit less than in prior years ... but that said, there were a few markets or events happening in each borough.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on NYC holiday markets in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx & Staten Island and holiday events NYC.

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Interview with Santa the Weekend B4 New Years

He Said it's Been a Disappointing Holiday, but that Wasn't Unexpected

December 26, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I bumped into Santa over the holiday season. He looked a bit tired and thinner than he was last time I interviewed him a few years ago. I asked him if he had contracted CoVid, because he has a couple of underlying health conditions that might put him at risk - like being overweight and being over 65.

He told me NO, in NO uncertain terms, that he did not have CoVid and that he and Mrs. Claus and the elves had quarantined for the past 364 days leading up to Christmas, so that they could be sure that everything they delivered on Christmas day would NOT have even the slightest possibility of being infected. He said that he had also installed sanitizer equipment on all the production lines to be doubly sure the products being shipped from Santa's Workshop were TOTALLY SAFE.

He seemed less jolly than in prior years, which I asked about. He told me that he'd been doing the same gig for centuries, and yes, he was more tired than usual. He commented that he was especially irritable, probably due to the added stress on things caused by the pandemic. He also noted that the extra hassle of quarantining toy parts and what not, before putting them into production at his North Pole toy factory, had turned out to be - pardon his French - a pain in the ass.

• CLICK here for the rest of our short interview with Santa in NYC during the CoVid pandemic of 2020.

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Columbus Day Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Things To Do in Brooklyn Over The Columbus Day Weekend

October 7, 2019 / Things To Do NYC / Brooklyn Blvd NYC.

More Columbus Day events coming on the Friday of this weekend.

Also see updated Weather by clicking the header above to go to the Front Page for Weekend Update.

This weekend you can go bicycling in Brooklyn, play soccer & other games in Brooklyn parks, go shopping Brooklyn, attend Brooklyn parades, watch theater, visit the Brooklyn art museums, and eat out at one of the Brooklyn restaurants.

And it's all happening right here in Brooklyn. So take your time to sort through the days and locations and start planning your weekend.

Columbus Day Events in Brooklyn

Click here to obtain information about things to do Columbus Day Weekend in Brooklyn. This events calendar is updated monthly with dozens of different Brooklyn fun cultural events.

Brooklyn Public & Private Parks

Brooklyn has one of number of public parks of which a few include swimming facilities. Click here for a listing of the Brooklyn Parks including maps showing their locations along with a bit of park history. This is coming at a later date.

NYC Golfing in Brooklyn

Brooklyn has two golf courses and both of them are open this weekend. There's the Dyker Beach Golf Course in Dyker Heights in the southern end of Brooklyn and there's the Marine Park Golf Course in the Marine Park neighborhood with is at the southeastern end of Brooklyn.

Click here for details about Brooklyn golf courses including maps and links to the operators' websites. The links are coming at a later date.

• CLICK here for things to do in Brooklyn Columbus Day Weekend.

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Labor Day Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Things To Do in Brooklyn Over The Labor Day Weekend

We have moved the Brooklyn-specific reporting onto a new site. So now you can find the most up-to-date report on things to do Labor Day Weekend in Brooklyn on our Brooklyn BLVD site.

Brooklyn Things To Do Labor Day Weekend has Moved to Brooklyn BLVD site - Use Link Above

August 29, 2019 / Things To Do NYC / Brooklyn Blvd NYC.

See our front page on the Friday before the weekend for a reliable weather forecast, as well as Labor Day Weekend events updates.

This weekend you can go bicycling in Brooklyn, play soccer & other games in Brooklyn parks, go shopping Brooklyn, attend Brooklyn parades, watch theater, visit the Brooklyn art museums, and eat out at one of the Brooklyn restaurants.

And it's all happening right here in our favorite borough - Brooklyn. So take your time to sort through the days and locations and start planning your weekend.

Labor Day Events in Brooklyn

Click here to obtain information about things to do Labor Day Weekend in Brooklyn. This events calendar is updated monthly with dozens of different Brooklyn fun cultural events.

Brooklyn Public & Private Parks

Brooklyn has one of number of public parks of which a few include swimming facilities. Click here for a listing of the Brooklyn Parks including maps showing their locations along with a bit of park history. This is coming at a later date.

NYC Golfing in Brooklyn

Brooklyn has two golf courses and both of them are open this weekend. There's the Dyker Beach Golf Course in Dyker Heights in the southern end of Brooklyn and there's the Marine Park Golf Course in the Marine Park neighborhood with is at the southeastern end of Brooklyn.

Click here for details about Brooklyn golf courses including maps and links to the operators' websites. The links are coming at a later date.

• CLICK here for things to do in Brooklyn Labor Day Weekend.

Labor Day Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Things To Do on Staten Island Over The Labor Day Weekend

August 25, 2019 / Things To Do NYC / Staten Buzz.

It's too early for a reliable weather forecast. Nonetheless you can still attend NYC street fairs in all five boroughs, go bicycling on Staten Island, play soccer & other games in Staten Island parks, go shopping on Staten Island, attend Staten Island parades, watch theater, visit the Staten Island art museums, and eat out at one of the Staten Island restaurants.

And it's all happening right here in our favorite borough - Staten Island. So take your time to sort through the days and locations and start planning your weekend.

Labor Day Events on Staten Island

Click here to obtain information about things to do Labor Day Weekend on Staten Island. This events calendar is updated monthly with dozens of different Staten Island fun cultural events.

Staten Island Public & Private Parks

Staten Island has one of number of public parks of which a few include swimming facilities. Click here for a listing of the Staten Island Parks including maps showing their locations along with a bit of park history. This is coming at a later date.

NYC Golfing on Staten Island

Staten Island has four golf courses and all of them are open this weekend. The Silver Lake Golf Course is located at 915 Victory Blvd in the northeastern section of Staten Island near the Silver Lake neighborhood. It's only short bus ride from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George. The La Tourette Golf Course is located at 1001 Richmond Hill Road near Historic Richmond Town and Lighthouse Hill neighborhoods in the center of Staten Island. The South Shore Golf Course is located at 200 Hugenot Road in the southwestern part of Staten Island in the Rossville neighborhood. It is home to the Grand Oaks Country Club. And the NYC Junior Golf Club is located at 66 Pitney Road at the southern end of Staten Island in the Woodrow neighborhood. Click here for details about Staten Island golf courses including maps and links to the operators' websites. The links are coming at a later date.

• CLICK here for things to do on Staten Island Labor Day Weekend.

Brooklyn Fireworks Celebrating July 4th

Brooklyn has Fireworks Displays at Coney Island and at the Brooklyn Bridge as the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks has Moved Down River

June 25, 2019 / Brooklyn Neighborhoods NYC / Brooklyn Things To Do NYC / Brooklyn Blvd NYC.

The following are the dates and locations of the legal fireworks displays in Brooklyn over the next week or so leading up to and just beyond the July 4th holiday.

It begins on Coney Island on Friday, June 28th beginning around 9.30 pm when the fireworks will be shot into the air off Coney Island. You can get a good view from the Coney Island Beach. Organized by the Coney Island Alliance. This continues on July 4th, and then Fridays such as July 5th & July 12th and into the summer.

On Wednesday, July 3rd at 9.45 pm there will be a barge of Fort Hamilton in the southern top of Brooklyn near the Verazanno Narrows Bridge. These fireworks are sponsored by Fort Hamilton.

The big event is of course on July 4th, beginning just before 9.30 pm, when the Macy's 4th of July fireworks takes to the sky. This year the fireworks have been moved south of the Brooklyn Bridge on the East River [Between Pier 17 and Manhattan Heliport], so the view from Brooklyn should be better than in prior years.

And last, but not least, are the Breezy Point fireworks in the Rockaway Inlet in Queens on July 5th beginning at 9.30 pm. The Breezy Point Co-Op is the sponsor. Folks in southeastern Brooklyn should be able to see these fireworks.

Have a Good Memorial Day Weekend

May 24, 2019 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

In the photo at right, a New York City veteran pays his respects to those who went before him. These brave men made the supreme sacrifice to preserve democracies - governments by the people, for the people, operating under rule of law in lieu of being subject to the capricious whims of reckless rulers.

That struggle for truth and justice continues to this day. But the battles are being fought on our own soil between - those who appear hellbent on destroying our Constitutional democratic institutions using mass deception and outright lies - versus those who are fighting to preserve them.

Thomas Jefferson said that "Eternal vigiliance is the price of democracy" and that "Those who believe a people can be ignorant and free - believe in something that never was and never will be."

The Founding Fathers of our nation designed our system of government so that it includes checks and balances within our governance system. These checks and balances are designed to thwart rule by commands, and to empower the governed by institutionalizing a system of law based on due process, which guarantees all people their inalienable human rights, including liberty and justice for all.

But any system on the planet can be hacked, if the hackers are given enough time. And rights, like property, can be lost or stolen - if the rights or property holder doesn't pay attention and take appropriate action when required.

Thus, we live in a time when American democratic institutions appear to be not just under siege - but in actual jeopardy - and the ultimate outcome of this continuous struggle remains unclear. So while remembering those who went before us, who fought to bravely to preserve the blessings we all enjoy, honor them by paying attention to what's going on in our own government. To do this you need to be sure you're getting the truth - all the facts - about the pols and the issues, which these days can only be done by using multiple information sources controlled by different people.

Right now mega-billionaire Rupert Murdoch controls Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, the NY Post, Barron's, Market Watch, National Geographic and this year he became the largest shareholder in Disney / ABC. It's useful to think of these media outlets, which represent about half of America's news, as being controlled by one man. And do your duty to your country, and your fellow Americans, by seeking out non-Murdoch information sources to fill in the omissions, correct the distortions and offset the amplified lies told by others that are broadcast and printed by the Murdoch-controlled information sources. It's been documented innumerable times, that Murdoch's information sources distort or corrupt the news.

Murdoch's dominant or monopolistic control of the national media in Australia and Britain appears to have turned these two nations into banana republics. For example Australia has gone through five Prime Ministers in about five years [including one former Murdoch employee who appears to have given Murdoch's company a nearly $900 million tax gift paid for by the Australian public]. And it seems that because of Murdoch's relentless push for Brexit [Murdoch is said to prefer operating in Britain as a separate nation because he can tell British Prime Ministers what to do], Britain is on its way to thrashing through three Prime Ministers in three years. One of the leading candidates for British Prime Minister, Michael Gove, is also a former Murdoch employee.

Others see the Russian or Chinese nations as the greatest threat to America, perhaps because Rupert Murdoch's grabbing for monopolistic control of our media, is stateless and more insidious. It's possible that Rupert Murdoch's self serving use of his media outlets represents an even more dangerous, hostile stateless intelligence service to our nation, than Murdoch's former fellow Australian countryman, Julian Assage, Founder of WikiLeaks, could ever even imagine.

I've documented Murdoch's history of propaganda profiteering, which he appears to have been doing in Australia, Britain and America for decades, in a multi-part series posted on this website about Rupert Murdoch and the Rise of the Propaganda Press - including Fox Fake News.

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We moved This Section to a new site

CLICK here for an up-to-date rendition of the Martin Luther King Day Weekend Things To Do Brooklyn MLK Day Events in BK on www.BrooklynBLVD.nyc.

Martin Luther King Weekend Things To Do in Brooklyn NYC

Things To Do in Brooklyn over the MLK Day Weekend

January 19, 2019 / Brooklyn Neighborhoods NYC / Things To Do in Brooklyn NYC / Brooklyn Blvd NYC.

Weather. The Temperature highs will be around 40 on Friday and Sunday, dipping to the mid 30's on Saturday. The temperature lows will be in the low 30's on Friday and Saturday, dropping to 6 DEGREES on Sunday. There's 3 - 6 inches of either Rain or Snow forecast beginning about 3 / 4 pm Saturday and ending about 2 pm Sunday. Winds will rise all weekend, beginning at 7 mph on Friday, 15 mph Saturday and rising to over 20 mph on Sunday. The Humidity will be around 70% throughout the weekend. Click for Brooklyn Weekend Weather.

Brief History of Martin Luther King Holiday in NYC

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist Minister who became the leading voice for African Americans' non-violent civil rights movement beginning in the mid 1950's through to his assassination in 1968. In 1983, the third Monday of every year was set aside to honor Martin Luther King for his service to the nation. The third Monday was chosen, as it was the nearest Monday to the anniversary of King's birthday, which was January 15, 1929.

Martin Luther King Holiday Special Events in Queens NYC

Over the weekend, the Grand Prospect Hall at 263 Prospect Avenue in the South Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn is hosting the return of the Zlatne Uste Golden Festival. The festival celebrates Balkan life with music, dancing and performance. Not related to MLK but an option for a fun thing to do over the long weekend. For details go to www.goldenfest.org.

On Monday, January 21st, in Fort Greene, the Brooklyn Academy of Music hosts its 33rd annual celebration of MLK's life. There will be musical performances, a speech by a modern day civil rights activist, and a film screening [culture / free].

On Monday the Prospect Park Alliance is hosting an MLK Day at the Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park [culture / history / free but $3 donation suggested].

On Monday in Crown Heights the Brooklyn's Children's Museum is hosting a day celebrating the life the Martin Luther King. There will be arts and crafts, games, storytelling and a neighborhood march.

On Monday the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture at 53 Prospect Park West in Park Slope is hosting a day of cultural activities celebrating the life of Martin Luther King.

Click here for Brooklyn things to do on Martin Luther King Day weekend.