Sunday Sanity

And The Trashing Continues

I wrote this up mildly buzzed, tired, and at 2AM so bare with me...

You guys remember that whole little incident a couple of years back when Randy from WBLI made a comment about a Mastic resident insinuating that she lived in a trailer park? There was a big uproar and he apologized. I think the apology was forced and had more to do with his possible termination (he was indefinitely suspended) than the fact that he truly, really felt sorry.

Well, apparently some cliches still hold true and history really does repeat itself via the whole ABC/Cablevision lovers quarrel. You see, someone at Newsday by the name of Verne Gay - let's save the jokes for another time - who fancies himself a comedian wrote up this comment once ABC pulled the plug and the channel was no longer viewable for Cablevision subscribers (emphasis mine):

"What are Oscars fans to do? You can head over to the house of a friend who is hooked up to a Cablevision competitor. Or go to Uncle Bob and Aunt Sue's in Mastic Beach, who might have a converter box and antenna. Otherwise, options are limited."

HAHAHAHHA! Oh how knee-slapping funny that was!

Get it?

I reckon we here in this poor little town are just too darn poor to live like them city folk and get us some of that fancy schmancy satellite stuff or cable teeeveeee. No sir, we all have to hitch our antennas on our trailers and connect them to converters. And if a nasty little critter does something to our antenna we'll just shoot it and then take it over to Uncle Bobs and Aunt Sue so she can rustle up some of that special 'coon stew. Of course we'll have to stop at the Piggly Wiggly before that and get us some of that elitist salt and pepper.

This "writer", of a failing newspaper, here to the left with his Howdy Doody fake smile seems to think we're too poor to afford Cablevision, or Dish Network, or DirectTV, or Fios (which is still not available in Brookhaven and I can't wait until it is ... not that I would be able to afford it of course). You know, we make our own jokes about some people in the area, but we understand that this place has more good to offer than bad. Our HS has one of the best music programs around. Our football team is the envy of the majority of Suffolk, if not the entire island. We have some of the most beautiful water views around. A wildlife preserve. Very talented individuals in the fields of music, theater, art, photography et al. We're not perfect, of course, no area is. But this guy Verne - a Beverly Hills Hillbilly name if I've ever heard one (fine I couldn't resist) - knows nothing about the area save for what he reads in the paper he works for. Did I mention the failure of this paper?

I'm frankly - and sure many of you are as well - getting tired of the trashing. I think we should send this Verne Gay guy an email and let him know how we feel.

(thanks to James Tylee from Cyber-fm for the link)

UPDATE:
Holly Gonzalez received a response to her email (no word on others):

Thanks for your note, but please be assured - I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION WHATSOEVER to impugn the good people of Mastic Beach. It's a wonderful town in a beautiful part of LI.

Here's a little-known fact about your friendly Newsday TV critic - I have an antenna on top of my house and it still works and I have used it on numerous occasions (although you still need the converter to get it to work now.) I have no bias against antennas, never have and never will, and think all houses should still have 'em - just in case non-nonsensical disputes like this break out again. I certainly don't see antennas or traditional modes of receiving a tv signal as outdated or a designation of one's socio-economic status. I do see them as a sign of good, rock-solid common sense. God bless the Aunt Sues and Uncle Bobs of this world.

Thanks again for the note. Mastic Beach rocks.

Verne

I find that response rather weak. Nowhere in that email does he reason why he singled out and disparaged Mastic Beach. Frankly, I don't know anyone around here that still has an antenna and converter.

Rob Puleo on FB made the following comment:

LMAO @ his response to Holly.... classic "I'm not a racist, I have plenty of black friends" type of defense. What a clown.

To The Person That Comes Here Via TOPIX

I haven't posted anything in Topix in months (probably a year already?) so I'm not involved in the whole Thrilla in Masticilla throwdown going on in there. And yes, I made mention of updating this more often. Unfortunately, I haven't. But thanks for reading ...

Think of the children!

via: Newsday

A 21-year-old Mastic Beach woman was arrested late Thursday night for driving while intoxicated with her 18-month-old son in the car, police said.

Suffolk County police said Victoria Slackford of 194 Huguenot Dr. was under the influence of drugs when she was stopped and said they also discovered "she had drugs on her person" during a search.

Slackford was charged with DWI/drugs, aggravated DWI/with a child in the vehicle, endangering the welfare of a child, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

She is scheduled for arraignment Friday in First District Court in Central Islip.

The child endangerment charge came as the result of the tough new Leandra's Law, which was enacted in November to crack down on drivers who drive impaired with children in the vehicle. Leandra's Law went into effect in December. It is named after 11-year-old Leandra Rosado of Manhattan, who died in an October crash on the West Side Highway in which her friend's mother was charged with drunken driving.

Police said officers on an anti-crime patrol saw Slackford's 1990 Honda Accord drive through a stop sign at the corner of Flower Road and Lynbrook Avenue in Mastic Beach and that during the traffic stop saw she was under the influence of illegal drugs.

The boy was turned over to his legal guardian, police said - but it was not immediately clear if Slackford also has guardianship rights to the child or, if not, why she doesn't.

The case was referred to Child Protective Services.

Justin Rojas Arrested for Murder of Justin Liggon

Justin Rojas, 22, has been charged with second-degree murder for the shooting death of Justin Liggon back in September of '09.

Det. Sgt. Thomas Groneman of the Homicide Squad said information provided by the community as well as at least one eyewitness led to Rojas' arrest.

According to Newsday:

One of Liggon's four siblings, Brian Liggon, 30, of Mastic Beach, said his brother and Rojas had known each other since elementary school and attended William Floyd High School together. When he was having trouble at home as a teenager, he even lived for a time in Rojas' family's home.

"They were actually good friends," Brian Liggon said. "My whole family is taking it really hard. Nothing that happens now can bring him back."

Rojas pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday in First District Court in Central Islip and was held without bail. His attorney, Jason Bassett of Central Islip, said Rojas - who prosecutors said signed a confession - denied doing the shooting or voluntarily making any admission to police.

The Liggon family said they did not know what led to the shooting. Groneman said the pair had a series of escalating, though not physical, interactions over the previous week but the nature of the dispute was still unclear.

Rojas is due back in court Tuesday.