On Wednesday, March 12, 2008 a meltdown occurred on my hard drive destroying a nearly complete 600 page manuscript documenting my life and times in the world of New York City political blogging. Simultaneously, a meltdown of far less significance to my daily life occurred in Albany, as New York Governor Eliot Spitzer announced his resignation from office.

The origins of both these events, each of which I consider to be tragic (but surely regarded by many others with glee), stemmed from similar sources. My hard-drive contracted a virus probably acquired from visits to venues mostly frequented by naked women. The origins of the Governor’s meltdown had a similar pedigree, although my disabling virus was contacted at sites where the admission was free, while the Governor’s problems seemingly stemmed from a misunderstanding of the Albany concept of “pay to play”.

GRATEFUL DEAD: Rich man step on my poor head,
When you get back you better butter my bread.
Well, do you know it's like I said,
You better head back to Tennessee Jed.

Always check the blogs before that second glass of wine.

If I’d checked the blogs earlier, I’d of been able to write a decent piece about tonite’s main event.

Of course you all know the story.

An African-American political wannabee carpetbagger, born far away, and barely residing in his purported constituency, a man who was utterly clueless about how to win a New York election, and lacked anything approaching a coherent rationale, but who nonetheless attracted attention bordering upon hype from those obsessed with classless chattering, has finally shown his true colors by ending his latest political endeavor almost before it ever really started, complete with a disingenuous Op-Ed piece spouting self-serving excuses and rationalizations not even he believes.

JIMMY BUFFETT: Some people claim that there's a woman to blame
But I know it's nobody’s fault

Has the Governor really morphed into Jimmy Buffett?

In Buffett’s song, Jimmy starts, as noted above, by refusing to lay blame for his pitiable condition. By verse two, as if in an evolving stages of grief scenario, Buffett acknowledges “it could be my fault”; while by the song’s end he admits “it's my own damn fault.”

This is surely not the David Paterson scenario, I suspect in the Governor’s second verse ends verse “but I know, it's Sulzberger's fault,” while by verse three he’s gone on to blame Whitey in general for some sort of double standard.

[This piece is intended as a sidebar to this article] 

THE BOOK OF PSALMS: If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I remember thee not; if I set not Jerusalem above my chiefest joy

Everyone knows Israel is Dov Hikind’s passion.

While that was also a spot that Holden found comforting, Mr. Salinger also fantasizes about visiting Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in “the faint hope that some kindly old Hasid from the eighteenth century” would invite him home for matzoh ball soup or a cup of tea.

Lloyd, the producer of “Watchmen” and the guy who beat me for Student Council President of my Junior High was in a Facebook uproar:

LLOYD: Enough already. From both sides of the aisle

AARON: We should get rid of everyone and start over...

It has just been reported that former Councilwoman Helen Sears has declined the GOP offer of political reassignment surgery to elect her to the NY State Senate as a Republican.

Apparently the chances of surviving an operation of that nature at such an advanced age without debilitating side effects (like complete and total loss of integrity) are almost nil.

Godspeed to you Helen.

Will someone please give this woman a no-show job (though not as a Councilwoman again)?

With Sears in the race, Democrats were left no choice but to go after the independent petitions being filed by former Senator Hiram Monserrate, lest Monserrate divide the Latino vote and ensure Sears‘ election.

In a Brooklyn special election for City Council taking place in March, a candidate named Joseph Lazar is attempting so sell himself by telling voters (or at least certain voters) that he is “running against [Kings County Democratic Leader] Vito Lopez.”

Given Lazar’s almost unbroken history of support for Lopez‘s candidates, and the donations to Lopez‘s County organization by principals of the Lazar Family consulting firm, the assertions of Lazar’s independence are pretty laughable on their own terms, but it cannot be denied that Lazar is not Lopez’s preferred candidate in this race, although Lazar’s sponsors surely wish, and tried to ensure, that this was otherwise.

Dateline: 2/16/10--Boynton Beach Florida (and yes, I will be visiting Maurice Gumbs)

Life is too short, and those unfortunate enough to be living in communities like East New York cannot be blamed if they decide to derive their entertainment through their elected officials, whether it be Councilman Chuckles Barron or their former Assemblywoman, Diane "House of the Rising Sum" Gordon.

When City Council Speaker Christine Quinn forced the firing of Councilman Barron’s Chief of Staff, Viola Plummer, for advocating an attempt on the life of another Council Member, I was shocked and bothered.

The Select Committee concludes and believes that sanctions against Senators should only be imposed in cases of serious misconduct. Expulsion should be considered only in the most egregious circumstances. Having considered the available evidence and evaluated the facts relating to the conduct that provided the basis for Senator Monserrate’s conviction, the Select Committee finds that this case is serious enough to warrant a severe sanction. In doing so, we are mindful that ultimately, the voters of Senator Monserrate’s district, where he plans to run for re-election, will decide whether or not he is returned to office…