Ooops…I meant to say……..

DJ, my good man you took ALL these words right out of my mouth. And thank you for doing this story! 

I didn’t want to think that somehow over the past 35 yrs or so I’m living in a time in American history when a “Never Before” quite alarming kind of history was/is playing out before my very eyes. But I’m way past accepting that Truth now.

The truth is, the majority of those in positions of great power and wealth in Our courtly are MOSTLY arrogant and dumb-azz Clowns; trust-fund babies in grown-up bodies; poseurs, grifters and wannabes with NOT a “shIttin-azz” clue about much in life…least of all how to LEAD competently.

At the start of the star-filled “Homecoming” concert in New York’s Central Park on Saturday evening, Gayle King pointed out to the crowd of tens of thousands that the sun finally appeared on what had been an otherwise cloudy day. “We’re going to party, New York-style,” said the CBS television personality.

Less than three hours later, the party was cut short — in the middle of Barry Manilow’s high-energy performance — because of a torrential rainstorm that brought thunder and lightning. Many of the scheduled big-name artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, and Patti Smith, never got to take the stage.

In some ways, the whole mess — and I was there and left the scene like a wet dishrag — could be considered a metaphor for New York as it continues to grapple with a pandemic that has now challenged the city for nearly a year and a half. We’re all ready to return to normal, to see our metropolis thrive once again as a global hub for culture and commerce. But the rain keeps coming.

The concert, organized by music-industry legend Clive Davis, was announced in early June, a time when the city truly seemed to be on a post-pandemic trajectory. The streets were filled with people. Broadway shows were planning their return. Even the subways were starting to get crowded.

But as in other parts of the country and world, the coronavirus delta variant has changed things in New York. People are suddenly hesitant to be out and about in the same way, even if they’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. And the city has responded with a new set of mandates and restrictions — notably, all restaurants, gyms and event venues now must require proof of vaccination for entry.

The “Homecoming” concert, which required proof of vaccination as well, thus became a test of sorts of the city’s efforts to move past the pandemic. Plenty of folks questioned the wisdom of holding it at a point when case counts have surged again. Around 2,000 New Yorkers are now testing positive for the virus on a daily basis, according to the New York Times tracker, up from below 200 in June.

Given that Hurricane Henri was due to make landfall in the U.S. Northeast by Sunday and rain had been a possibility for Saturday, was it wise for the city to hold the concert at all? And what about how Mayor Bill de Blasio confused the crowd on Saturday night, saying they should seek shelter from the storm, but suggesting the concert might return? It was fairly obvious that once the event was stopped by a thunderstorm, there was no way of putting the genie back in the bottle.

So much for proceeding with an outdoor concert on the weekend of a major national weather disaster. And, so much for hosting a “Mission Accomplished” performance long before the mission was actually accomplished. ] – DJ

DJ, my good man you took ALL these worlds right out of my mouth. And thank you for doing this story! 

As watched the run-up to this PREDITCABLE fiasco, beginning LAST FRIDAY, I kept checking The Weather Channel as they forecasted the probable track of Henri. Then I would turn to CNN (and MSNBC) and see the clock ticking down the hours, minutes and seconds to the start of the “NYC Homecoming Concert.” I said to myself…….

….and WE wonder how Trump got into the White House!?!