Groundhog Day

[shadowkat]

In NY...the Good News, the Groundhog predicted an early spring. The bad news? Apparently it's a brand new groundhog, because last year, New York City's esteemed Mayor dropped the groundhog on his head, and he expired. The Zoo covered it up and we didn't learn about it until today.

Lando: The new groundhog caved to political pressure.

Me: Or global warming.

And hey, the new groundhog is female. They won't let the Mayor touch her, though. Considering he killed the last one.

It's gotten dangerous being a groundhog -- you have to deal with clumsy politicians who could drop you on your head.

Comments

[raincitygirl.livejournal.com]

That is....truly bizarre.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Truly is. The absurdity makes me laugh...although, I do feel sorry for the groundhog. Poor thing. ;-)

[raincitygirl.livejournal.com]

I suspect it would've been a very quick and virtually painless death for the poor animal, if that helps.

[cjlasky.livejournal.com]

Groundhogs...carriage horses...

DeBlasio should avoid animals for the rest of his term.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Okay, what did he do to the carriage horses? I missed that...

[cjlasky.livejournal.com]

He keeps trying to save them. Everybody keeps telling him, "Stop it, they're fine!" But there's a lot of valuable real estate around Central Park where the stables are now. And the people who gave a lot of money to deBlasio's campaign would like to use that real estate for other purposes.

I used to think deBlasio's quest was a naked land grab barely disguised as concern for animal rights.

Now I just think it's a naked land grab.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

And here, I thought it was the animal rights activists spearheading that? Wasn't Bloomberg also trying to spearhead it at one point? Although that would lend credence to the naked land grab theory, Bloomberg was big on real estate development, didn't realize De Blasio was as well...

Seriously, like we need more real estate development in NYC. The construction industry is making a killing, to such an extent that they are able to charge insane prices. I'm beginning to wonder if the construction and real estate industry is bribing the NY politicians. (I include our esteemed Governor.)

[cjlasky.livejournal.com]

If you ask deBlasio about the carriage horses, he'll sound like the animal rights activists who genuinely feel that the trade is detrimental to the horses' health.

If you nod and say, okay:

When will you shut down Aqueduct race track and discontinue the horseback division of the NYPD?

He'll suddenly remember he's late for an appointment and take off like a race horse.

(Addendum: Google the name "Steve Nislick" and the internet will tell you all you need to know.)

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Not sure he has the ability to do anything with the race track - I think that may be State? I know Cuomo approved them -- in part because of the tax income.

Bloomberg was also for it.

Of course there's also...the Prospect Park Stables and horseback riding...

Sucks being an animal rights activist, have to deal with pesky politicians and real estate developers. ;-)

(Yeah, everybody hates De Blasio, but I hated his Republican competitor more...former head of the MTA.))

[cjlasky.livejournal.com]

I want to be cynical and say that the activists, led by NYClass, are a front for the real estste developers.

But they seem to genuinely believe in saving the horses. Maybe they've made a Faustian bargain with the real estate people: deBlasio shuts down the carriage horses, and Nislick's cousin Jerry scoops up the property.

Win-win.

Well, except for the carriage drivers.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I googled him finally...apparently he's a major garage/warehouse magnet and an animal rights activist. (Guess it's possible to be both?)

You're probably right about the win-win, save the horses and get the land, if you throw in affordable housing development into the bargain...you please the animal rights activists, the real estate developers, the people in need of affordable housing (although, I'm beginning to think that's an oxymoron in NYC), and the mayor who made political promises to all of the above.

Who bloody cares about the carriage drivers? They only make up...1/50th of the population. I mean how many are there really? 100? ;-)

(I've been mildly following it...doesn't appear to be going anywhere, just keeps going around in a circle, mainly because a lot of people like the carriage rides...and the question has arose, what do they plan on doing with the horses and carriages...)

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

Someone is having a joke at the expense of the mayor. A groundhog weighs about the same as a cat and since I've seen a groundhog up in the lower branches in a tree I doubt a short fall on its head or otherwise would kill it. According to my references they only live for about 5 years . So most likely the mayor dropped the thing and it died of unrelated natural causes not too long thereafter, leading some joker to blame the mayor.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Most likely. Can't say I trust our local media or the national media...

We were having a lot of fun discussing it at work though. No one likes De Blasio...sigh.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

And now you know how you got that blizzard a few weeks ago.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

The curse of the dead groundhog!

(Although I'm not sure what Philly, DC, and North Carolina did to deserve it.)