Comments on: 2 Blowhards And An Upstate Anarchist; Loving The Unlovable http://larison.org/2006/10/17/2-blowhards-and-an-upstate-anarchist-loving-the-unlovable/ n. the principle of good order "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:19:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Grumpy Old Man http://larison.org/2006/10/17/2-blowhards-and-an-upstate-anarchist-loving-the-unlovable/#comment-4848 Thu, 19 Oct 2006 14:02:31 +0000 http://larison.org/2006/10/17/2-blowhards-and-an-upstate-anarchist-loving-the-unlovable/#comment-4848 <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061018/ap_on_fe_st/playground_tag_ban" rel="nofollow">Looks like</a> Joisey has finally had its revenge! Looks like Joisey has finally had its revenge!

]]> by: James Kabala http://larison.org/2006/10/17/2-blowhards-and-an-upstate-anarchist-loving-the-unlovable/#comment-4841 Wed, 18 Oct 2006 18:26:55 +0000 http://larison.org/2006/10/17/2-blowhards-and-an-upstate-anarchist-loving-the-unlovable/#comment-4841 P.S. Demons never would have included Central Park. P.S. Demons never would have included Central Park.

]]> by: James Kabala http://larison.org/2006/10/17/2-blowhards-and-an-upstate-anarchist-loving-the-unlovable/#comment-4840 Wed, 18 Oct 2006 18:23:45 +0000 http://larison.org/2006/10/17/2-blowhards-and-an-upstate-anarchist-loving-the-unlovable/#comment-4840 Can we really condemn unreservedly a place where we have never been? I mean, I guess, we can - I unreservedly condemn North Korea, for example - but I think we should be more charitable to people who are, for better or worse, our fellow countrymen. As for Staten Island, state boundaries are just not always logical - the boundary between New York and New Jersey was drawn between 1664 and 1674, at a time when the English-speaking population of both places was barely above zero, so there was no "stealing" involved. Aren't conservatives supposed to prefer irrational but cherished boundaries to "logical" boundaries grounded in utopianism rather than tradition? True logic would probably result in northern New Jersey's non-existence and similar horrors akin to those done in Britain in 1974. I am not from New York (or New Jersey) and hate the Yankees, by the way. Can we really condemn unreservedly a place where we have never been? I mean, I guess, we can - I unreservedly condemn North Korea, for example - but I think we should be more charitable to people who are, for better or worse, our fellow countrymen.
As for Staten Island, state boundaries are just not always logical - the boundary between New York and New Jersey was drawn between 1664 and 1674, at a time when the English-speaking population of both places was barely above zero, so there was no “stealing” involved. Aren’t conservatives supposed to prefer irrational but cherished boundaries to “logical” boundaries grounded in utopianism rather than tradition? True logic would probably result in northern New Jersey’s non-existence and similar horrors akin to those done in Britain in 1974.
I am not from New York (or New Jersey) and hate the Yankees, by the way.

]]> by: Grumpy Old Man http://larison.org/2006/10/17/2-blowhards-and-an-upstate-anarchist-loving-the-unlovable/#comment-4836 Wed, 18 Oct 2006 13:38:13 +0000 http://larison.org/2006/10/17/2-blowhards-and-an-upstate-anarchist-loving-the-unlovable/#comment-4836 I'm a New York émigré, myself, whose father came from Joisey. NYC does have its charms, as well as its deficiencies. Not least of these charms is the crusty candor and generosity of many of its denizens, displayed, among other times, when the towers fell. I must admit, though, that when discussing the city, I do always think of Thomas Merton, who observed that if a medieval Christian were shown Manhattan, he would think it had been built by very large and very powerful devils. And New Yorkers, of course, think of Jersey as a cultural Sahara. But then, someone has to play <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-card_Monte" rel="nofollow">Three Card Monte</a>. God made Jersey for a reason. I’m a New York émigré, myself, whose father came from Joisey. NYC does have its charms, as well as its deficiencies. Not least of these charms is the crusty candor and generosity of many of its denizens, displayed, among other times, when the towers fell.

I must admit, though, that when discussing the city, I do always think of Thomas Merton, who observed that if a medieval Christian were shown Manhattan, he would think it had been built by very large and very powerful devils.

And New Yorkers, of course, think of Jersey as a cultural Sahara. But then, someone has to play Three Card Monte. God made Jersey for a reason.

]]> by: A.K.B. Cusack http://larison.org/2006/10/17/2-blowhards-and-an-upstate-anarchist-loving-the-unlovable/#comment-4835 Wed, 18 Oct 2006 04:03:50 +0000 http://larison.org/2006/10/17/2-blowhards-and-an-upstate-anarchist-loving-the-unlovable/#comment-4835 <i>"Even to this day, though my father has not lived there in forty years, he will speak with some passion about the awful New Yorkers who “stole” Staten Island from the people of New Jersey, even though everyone can see that it ought to belong to New Jersey."</i> Stole?!?!? Outrageous calumny!!! Staten Island has always and ever shall be an integral part of the land of New York. Any independent, objective, and dispassionate observer would confirm as such. (Indeed, confirming as such would be the very litmus test of independence, objectivity, and dispassion). That said, we New Yorkers are (or, at any rate, used to be) sporting folk and so once we told the New Jerseyans we'd settle the matter of Staten Island once and for all (despite New Jersey lacking any case whatsoever) by having a race around the island. One sailboat for New York and the other for New Jersey. Naturally, God in His infinite wisdom and the prayers of all the Saints and Angels in Heaven were on the side of New York, and our victory that day settled the matter once and for all. Of course, there remain certain spots which are administratively in New Jersey but which, by rights, ought to be in New York; the Communipaw of Washington Irving lore, for example. However, the New Jerseyans have generally proceeded in ruining these places with as much determination as we have had in ruining our own, so it's probably best to let bygones be bygones. On a separate note, I salute you for never having been to our metropolis, though I warmly invite you to do so at least once before you pass away. There are actually a good few things worth visiting, though even most New Yorkers have no idea of them. “Even to this day, though my father has not lived there in forty years, he will speak with some passion about the awful New Yorkers who “stole” Staten Island from the people of New Jersey, even though everyone can see that it ought to belong to New Jersey.”

Stole?!?!? Outrageous calumny!!! Staten Island has always and ever shall be an integral part of the land of New York. Any independent, objective, and dispassionate observer would confirm as such. (Indeed, confirming as such would be the very litmus test of independence, objectivity, and dispassion).

That said, we New Yorkers are (or, at any rate, used to be) sporting folk and so once we told the New Jerseyans we’d settle the matter of Staten Island once and for all (despite New Jersey lacking any case whatsoever) by having a race around the island. One sailboat for New York and the other for New Jersey. Naturally, God in His infinite wisdom and the prayers of all the Saints and Angels in Heaven were on the side of New York, and our victory that day settled the matter once and for all.

Of course, there remain certain spots which are administratively in New Jersey but which, by rights, ought to be in New York; the Communipaw of Washington Irving lore, for example. However, the New Jerseyans have generally proceeded in ruining these places with as much determination as we have had in ruining our own, so it’s probably best to let bygones be bygones.

On a separate note, I salute you for never having been to our metropolis, though I warmly invite you to do so at least once before you pass away. There are actually a good few things worth visiting, though even most New Yorkers have no idea of them.

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