A long, strange trip

Another great issue of the Queens Tribune out today, with a lot of strong work done by the staff. Flip through the digital issue by clicking here . Also, if you have an iPad and you enjoy the Tribune, make sure to download the paper's app. The paper looks absolutely fantastic with the new iPad's retina display. The photos are vibrant, the text is crisp. You can't ask for a better way to read the paper. I even contributed to this week's issue with a story on U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (founder of the Queens Tribune) and his decision to retire from Congress at the end of the term. It's a great companion piece to Domenick's story on the Congressional Sixth District race, which is featured on the cover. And don't forget about the editorial .

One of my favorite things about the middle of the week used to be the new comics released on Wednesday. I would finish work and head over to Comics For Collectors and drop $30-40 every week on new comics. It seems so long ago now. I used to love heading out to get my comics. It wasn't just getting new books; it was a chance to be social with people with similar interests. I could spend hours at my local comic shops. The staff at CFC, Moose over at Main Vein Comics in Western Massachusetts - I considered these folks my friends and I always looked forward to seeing them. When I shopped at these stores, there was always such a friendly atmosphere, I would never consider doing what I've done the last two weeks. I downloaded my comics digitally. Not illegally - I paid for them to read on the new iPad. No storage problems, they look fantastic and I didn't have to wait til after work or the weekend to pick stuff up, since I downloaded them over lunch. I have nothing agai...

My story last week didn't make the paper's website, so I'm posting it here.  Vigilance Called For In Redistricting Battle Panelists at a forum on redistricting Tuesday night, Feb. 21, urged a largely Hispanic crowd in Elmhurst to call on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to veto the proposal as it currently stands.             “The Governor made a campaign promise, if the lines weren’t suitable, he would veto the lines,” Kenneth D. Cohen, regional director of the NAACP NYC Metro Council, said. “If we allow what has been proposed to happen, you won’t be represented fairly.”             The forum, held at the Make The Road New York offices at 92-10 Roosevelt Ave. , was meant to be an educational tool on the redistricting process. It quickly became an indictment of the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment – LATFOR – the committee charged with redraw...

I just wanted to get my comics, maybe go to the Apple Store and ogle an iPad a little bit. Two months ago, it wouldn't be so hard. Get on the 7 train to either Grand Central or to Times Square. Walk a couple blocks and there you are. Then the MTA shut down weekend service between Times Square and Queensboro Plaza. Now I have to transfer once to get to Times Square, twice for Grand Central (I find it a bit ironic that only a handful of subway lines hit Grand Central Station). So I make my transfers and get my comics and do the whole thing in reverse on a lazy Saturday. I don't really understand why the MRA would cut off weekend service into Manhattan. Why not overnight? Are there that many people using the trains between midnight and 5-6 a.m. weekdays that it would be more of a disruption?

It's chilly, but it's still a beautiful day out.

Links a-plenty on this Groundhog's Day! Check out this week's e-paper here . Flip through it like it was actually printed! If you just want to read things that I wrote, here's a link to this week's editorial, railing against the proposed district lines for the NY State Senate and Assembly. And here's a link to my story previewing Larry Miller's show at Queens Theatre this weekend. Can't wait to see his show!

For those of you that rely on me to go tell you when to check out my paper, well, it's that time! The Queens Tribune is online and you should all check it out. If you're so inclined, you can read the online pdf of the paper here . Just click the link and flip through the Queens edition of the paper page by page. If you're feeling lazy and just want to read my stories, I can help you there, too. Click here for a link to my editorial on how the 7 train renovations are causing headaches. For those who enjoy comedy, click here for my interview with John Fugelsang, who is coming to Queens next weekend. And last but not least, click here for a restaurant review of Sidetracks, where I had brunch last weekend. Enjoy!