It's our unofficial start of summer, and the weather looks pretty good. The NY Times has an article about people who enjoy the city empty - with others christening the first summer weekend at their beach houses. Gothamist has to agree: There was something wonderful about going a relatively empty (think no lines for cashiers) this morning. What are you doing today?
The Daily News had an article about New Yorkers who have fought. Here's a list of the Memorial Day parades around the city, and here are today's Memorial Day closings.





The NY Times had an article this weekend about old-timer Legionnaires at a LI Post. They are all patriotic, but most said they would NOT enlist now because of the senselessness of the Iraqi war.
Actually, the Iraqi war is idiotic in the sense the US has no exit plans or quite, frankly, no enter plan outside of a big public relations hype.
However, the Iraqi war makes a lot of sense in that it has kept Bush and his group in power. Throughout history, governments kept in power through fear. And when there is war, people are in fear and will let the government take away liberties and do a lot of other things they will not let the government otherwise do. And Iraq is in total chaos, and will spawn terrorists for years to come. And these terrorists will go over all the world causing trouble. Who will benefit? Bush and his crowd, because the more war and fear there is, the more they can hold onto power and profit at the same time. Chaos is win-win for Bush and his crowd.
I feel great sympathy towards our troops now more than ever this Memorial Day. I have no issues with soldiers being sent into battle. But this war in Iraq is the wrong battle.
People outside of NYC tend to forget the real fight for the real enemies of the U.S. began in Afghanistan and faded away as this Iraqi nonsense started to happen.
Let's not forget there is definitely a war out there and a need for soldiers. But this Iraq fiasco is utterly maddening and sickening.
The city may have been empty, but Park Slope--and I'm guessing the rest of the borough--were packed. Never have I seen lines at cafes and bagel stores like I did today. Personally, I vowed to not leave Brooklyn this weekend. The closest thing to a vacation I could afford.