Bloomberg tucking into a slice of pizza. Image copyrights Mary DiBiase Blaich for The New York Times

The NYTimes has a front page (web) article on the eating habits of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Now this would be a waste of valuable e-newsprint, one may say. However the article brings into sharp contrast the positive motions the Mayor brings into the realm of public health, while at the same time having a completely different set of personal standards.

The article talks about the Mayor’s affinity for (of all things) salt.

Mr. Bloomberg, 67, likes his popcorn so salty that it burns others’ lips. (At Gracie Mansion, the cooks deliver it to him with a salt shaker.) He sprinkles so much salt on his morning bagel “that it’s like a pretzel,” said the manager at Viand, a Greek diner near Mr. Bloomberg’s Upper East Side town house.

This is while the city wages a battle against sodium. There are directives in place recommending restaurants reduce salt consumption by 20 %.

Some may raise a stink about the so-called “double standards” from the Mayor. And in this election season, I would not be surprised if it does. However what the Mayor in his own personal time is no one else’s business.

Even with all the excesses of salt, bacon and what not, the Mayor, at 67, weighs what he did in his college days. How many people can claim to do that. ?

I think the real story here is that he indulges in “sinful” eating but also exercises self-discipline by exercising and balancing his food intake on other days.

The only thing that irks me is salt on a bagel. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth :)

I was recently in Chicago and ate a lot of deep dish pizza. This is something Chicago is known for and I, a pizza fanatic, was fully aware of. After eating some deep dish at a friends home one night he asked how it compared to NY thin crust. I had to admit to him that the deep dish was unique and amazing and I loved it. Then I had to tell him that it didn’t compare in my mind to the coal fired brick oven pizzas made in NY. What can I say, I’m an East Coast kind of guy. NY pizza is king in my eyes, the crisp crust and fresh ingredients that you taste with all the lush flavors they hold. What about you? Don’t be shy, tell us how you really feel.

Ana writes fresh poems

Just as I was enjoying the reduced foot traffic due to the July 4th weekend, I bumped into Anayvelyse. She was set up with a typewriter and a bench, ready to create poetry for a suggested donation of $2.

Situated around the Union Square area (University Pl. between 13th and 14th streets), Ana writes off the top of her mind to busy New Yorkers who need a little refreshing kick that only poetry can provide.

After reading yesterday’s NYTimes piece about how street vendors fight off each other in NYC, I was wondering how Ana avoids that situation, I did not have a chance to ask her when we met. But she did tell me that police does not bother her since she’s not actually selling poems, but requesting a suggested donation. After hearing some of the worst singers known to man performing in Union Square and invading the subways with their horrific tones; the poetry is a welcome, soothing change.

Here’s a sampling of what she’s capable of:

Tonight in Union Square at 7 PM there will be a rally for the support of the Iranian people. As you may have seen on the news, since the recent presidential election in Iran, in which incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad purportedly won, there have been protests and riots throughout Iran alleging election fraud. The rioting and subsequent military crackdown on the people of Iran, as well as the attempts at internet censorship that have plagued Iranians trying to get word out about what they are going through, has motivated people throughout the world to support them. Tonight, along with the rally in Union Square, there will be rallies in DC, Philly, Portland, Iowa City, and Irvine, CA.

More info on the protest rally here. If you’re not on Facebook, the info is: tonight, Union Square, 7-9 PM. Flyers for printing can be downloaded here. The organizers are asking that those attending stay on the sidewalks on the south side of Union Square and not in the actual park, and that they bring candles to remember those who have been killed or injured in Iran during the past week.

The Housing Works Bookstore and Cafe hosts some really kick ass events. Last week my wife and I went to see writer extraordinaire Neil Gaiman and musician Amanda Palmer read/perform together. Neil, ehem, Mr. Gaiman read a new, yet to be published, short story. Amanda performed vigorously and stared lovingly at Neil as he read. I snapped a few photos, enjoy.

Starting today, the city has begun closing down several blocks of Broadway in midtown to vehicular traffic. This is part of the mayor’s plan to try and ease midtown traffic congestion. Broadway will be closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians and bicycles only from 42nd-47th Streets and 33rd-35th Streets. Permanently.

As one might imagine, the change has been met with mixed reactions. Honestly, I had no idea about it until a few days ago when I read about the closure at Curbed – and as evidenced by the NY Times article about the closure, apparently some pedicab drivers were unaware as well. I expect cab drivers to be pissy about it, especially the ones I’ve had lately who complain about the traffic (which requires its own blog post entirely), and I expect the tourist masses to embrace it.

It seems as though the city is approaching this cautiously, blocking off the closed blocks of Broadway with orange barrels instead of installing concrete or other more permanent barriers and gauging how the closure will be received by the public. I’d imagine that it will be difficult for some businesses on the closed blocks to get deliveries, but they’re still working all of the kinks out.

What I really want to see is what Broadway, 7th Ave, 47th Street, and 35th Street look like on Tuesday morning, when all the people who are crazy enough to drive to work return from the Memorial Day holiday. Anyone want to volunteer to take photos? Post photo links in the comments. Best angry cab driver photo wins a freakin’ awesome Metroblogging t-shirt.

Bocce, the sport for the non-athletic

If you happen by Bryant Park on a nicer day, be sure to visit its NorthEast corner for some Bocce ball action. Amidst the benches, free reading, free wifi and countless sandwich shops there lies a gravel pit of your fate. If you choose to you can partake in some pro Bocce with the folks who seem to always be entangled in a game.

I don’t really know if they’re part of a league or just people who own professional Bocce balls, but this game is of patience and concentration. Not something to do just for kicks, but something to help you jolt out of your deskjob and into the real world. All while not really requiring much physical prowess. In other words, bocce is the perfect sport for those who don’t want to get in shape to play a game.

Maybe you can ask one of those nice people in the park to let you in on the game next time you’re there. For more information on Bocce, clicketh hereth.

I went for a ride in Central Park this afternoon. The weather was perfect and the bike worked flawlessly. I was at one. Zen.

Visited the ever monumental American Museum of Natural History this weekend with some out of town guests, like you do. Went into the Butterfly Conservatory. If standing around inside a terrarium with a lot of flying insects is your idea of fun, go see it! It was really quite magical. On our way home we took the A train, which was running on the C track in front of the museum. In the station was a man in a green trench coat, wearing a beard, playing the violin. At one point a small child was very interested in what was happening with that weird looking stick the man was rubbing on that small wooden box, so the man knelt down to let the boy hold the bow. He showed him how to push it across the strings and did the necessary finger work to play a tune. The boy was elated and the whole platform of people immediately gained new found acceptance for the man in the green trench coat with the violin. Little moments like that are another reason to fall in love again with this city of ours. Then on the train a man in a dirty jean jacket sitting next to my friends mother asked if we were going uptown or downtown, classic. The A train is for April.

Here are some things you can be doing tonight.

Free Workshop on Yoga, Meditation, and the Science of the Mind

Date: Saturday, March 21st
Time: 5:30pm
Location: Art of Living Center (127 W 25th St., due to renovations look for a large wooden frame in front of the building. The code to get in is 1-3-5)
Cost: Free

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Cut & Paste

WHERE:
Webster Hall
125 E. 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
212-353-1600
www.websterhall.com

A crazy mad graphic design competition event.

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Saturday Storytime: Captain Stewart Walks the Plank!
Saturday, March 21 2009, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Join the Storytime mutiny with McNally’s own Stewart Dawes. Kids will know We’re All in the Same Boat (Shapiro) as we follow Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs (Andrea) to the mysterious world of The Night Pirate (Harris). If you’re conscripted against your will, like The Pirate Girl (Funke), you might find yourself rescued by the brave Captain Stewart. After plundering pirate books for treasure and lore, Captain Stewart will teach every young matey to make their own eyepatch and draw their own pirate ship. Ages 3 to 8. Where? 52 Prince St. (b/t Lafayette & Mulberry) New York, NY 10012 212.274.1160 Mon – Sat: 10am – 10pm Sun: 10am – 9pm Map