Alex is a prince among comic shop owners. In a better world, Rocketship would be expanding, not closing.

Posted by: dannyhellman at July 28, 2010 11:36 AM in response to The Book Closes on Rocketship Comics

Shame on those of you who are blaming the victim.

Atlantic Avenue is long overdue for a major traffic-calming redesign, as are the equally nightmarish Flatbush and Fourth Avenues. I can't understand why these round-the-clock raceways of death are tolerated in our communities, while children, the elderly, ALL off us are continually menaced by them.

Posted by: dannyhellman at June 15, 2010 9:15 PM in response to Fatal Motorcycle Accidents Shuts Down Atlantic

The city shouldn't limit their efforts to the bridge, (which is a fairly small bridge). They should put a dedicated bike lane running the length of Greenpoint Ave from Queens Blvd to McGuinness Blvd, (and why not put one on McGuinness, while you're at it?).

Hate traffic jams? Tax gasoline, raise the cost of parking, pass laws that discourage people from driving. Take a bus or subway instead of driving your dopey little smogmobiles all over the place. Better still, ride a bike or walk, it's good for you, (until a speeding truck hits you).

Posted by: dannyhellman at May 18, 2010 10:28 AM in response to Another Bike Lane Show-down

"Thank God for corrupt politicians and scumbag developers?" Don't come crying to me when the state seizes your property to make way for a Planet Hollywood.

Posted by: dannyhellman at December 30, 2009 10:29 AM in response to Closing Bell: Freddy's Bar - Heads Roll in Survival Fight

"This silly street theater will, as the rest of their efforts, accomplish absolutely nothing."

Unfortunately true, because scumbag developers and corrupt politicians have got this shit all sewn up.

Posted by: dannyhellman at December 29, 2009 12:27 AM in response to Closing Bell: Freddy's Bar - Heads Roll in Survival Fight

I have no objection to the idea of building over the trainyards. Affordable housing, accompanied by an upgrade to the transit infrastructure would be a good thing for the area. What I hate most about AY is the stadium. Stadiums are nothing more than rackets designed to funnel taxpayers' money into developers' wallets. The court's decision to uphold the use of eminent domain in the AY case shows how corrupt our system is.

Posted by: dannyhellman at December 28, 2009 1:32 PM in response to Why Architecture Matters: Paul Goldberger and AY

An enormous George Foreman grill fisted sideways into the middle of Brooklyn's worst traffic nightmare. Fuck you very much, Ratner.

Posted by: dannyhellman at December 23, 2009 12:52 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Stop blaming cyclists. There are too many cars, and too many thoughtless, subhuman goons behind the wheel.

Posted by: dannyhellman at December 15, 2009 12:15 PM in response to Bicyclist Run Over in Greenpoint

I'd gladly lose the scenic view to gain an unobstructed, dedicated path over Bklyn Bridge. I rarely bike over that bridge, and when I do, I'm too busy dodging tourists to enjoy myself.

Posted by: dannyhellman at September 29, 2009 10:28 AM in response to Bikes and Bodies on the Brooklyn Bridge

Does the majority support the MTA raising subway fares while they give away the AY land at an outrageous discount, (you could call it a "steal")? Does the majority support turning what's already the borough's craziest intersection into something unimaginably worse? Does the majority support getting bait-&-switched on the architectural plans?

Posted by: dannyhellman at September 18, 2009 7:52 AM in response to ESDC Approves Revised Plan for Atlantic Yards

I ate lunch at Delicious on the Slope once, and I actually thought it was pretty good. Tasty Israeli/mid-eastern fare, but overpriced, and served in a terrible location. I'd have gone back if it hadn't vanished so quickly. Hopefully the new Mex joint will offer a cheap, solid Huevos Rancheros.

Posted by: dannyhellman at September 17, 2009 11:58 PM in response to Two New Eateries Coming to Slope's President Street

THIS is how bike lanes should be done! How wonderful it would be to have one of these run the entire length of Flatbush, Atlantic or Fourth Avenues.

Posted by: dannyhellman at August 11, 2009 1:20 AM in response to Closing Bell: Sands Street Bike Lane Opens

The folks that came up with that ad must've been "browniestoned."

Posted by: dannyhellman at June 22, 2009 12:17 PM in response to Ben & Jerry's Milks Brownstone Lust in New Ads

When it starts to rust, take a sledgehammer to it.

Posted by: dannyhellman at June 9, 2009 3:56 PM in response to Time Limit to Bike Parking?

I'd love to see statistics for pedestrians injured by bicyclists riding on the sidewalk. There's that one story about the elderly fellow who died after a chicken delivery bicycle knocked him down, but I can't remember hearing any similar tales. Meanwhile, there seems to be a new auto-on-cyclist fatality every month or so.

Personally, I only ride on the sidewalk when construction and/or traffic insanity makes it too dangerous to ride in the street. In those instances, I always ride slowly. I've only hit one pedestrian in my cycling life; it was twenty years ago, during a rainstorm. A woman darted off an island in Park Ave South directly in front of me, and there was no way I could avoid hitting her. She went down on her behind, immediately got back up, and skittered away. I still feel bad about it, but at least we both walked away unhurt. Try walking away after an SUV hits you.

If we're interested in making the streets safer, we need to focus on the automobile. EVERYONE is endangered by drunk driving, road rage, drivers yapping on cel phones, lax enforcement of traffic violations, etc.

Posted by: dannyhellman at March 25, 2009 12:43 AM in response to City Planning Pushing New Bike-Friendly Rules

Obviously there are stupid bicyclists. There are also stupid pedestrians and stupid motorists. Why should bicyclists be singled out for more traffic enforcement when motorists and pedestrians are to blame for the vast majority of bad behavior? Safety is my foremost thought when cycling, and I'm continually dodging goofball in cars and on foot who jaywalk, u-turn, yammer mindlessly on their cell phones, and otherwise disregard the safety of everyone around them.

PS to *rob* and daveinbedstuy: I suspect that the two of you are just indulging in fantasy, but what you're describing is criminal behavior, akin to tossing a TV set off of a highway overpass into traffic. There is absolutely no justification for it, and if you were to try stunts like that on me when I'm on my bike, you'd better hope that I don't get back up.

Posted by: dannyhellman at March 24, 2009 2:47 PM in response to City Planning Pushing New Bike-Friendly Rules

I could give two craps about this issue, but if it'll help thin the crowds at the co-op, I say "ban the schnitzel."

Posted by: dannyhellman at February 20, 2009 4:27 PM in response to Proposed Ban Roiling Park Slope Co-op

That doesn't look anything like a turkey.

Posted by: dannyhellman at November 26, 2008 4:41 PM in response to Closing Bell: Prospect Park's Wild Turkey

We regularly ordered takeout from Baluchi's when we lived in the West Village. Delicious but immoderately rich food, laden with lots of artery-clogging heavy cream.

Posted by: dannyhellman at November 20, 2008 4:31 PM in response to Baluchi's Opens for Business

"I also can not imagine allowing my 8 yr old child (with me or not) to ride his bicycle on Adams, Livingston or virtually any other street in downtown brooklyn (except maybe some in BH)."-fsrg

I'm guessing you can't imagine it because you're a jackass. Let's hope that no one callously blames the victim if something similarly tragic and undeserved should happen to you, (and it shouldn't).

If you resent occasionally sharing the sidewalk with cyclists, you should support the spread and enforcement of bike lanes, congestion pricing, and any other effort to make the streets safer for cyclists. I always prefer to ride in the street, but at certain intersections, (where the motorists like to pretend they're starring in Death Race 2000), the cyclist's choice is either a quick hop on the sidewalk or death.

Posted by: dannyhellman at September 9, 2008 2:07 PM in response to Brooklyn's Dangerous Intersections

I actually think the type looks cool. If you stick with the current design, I'd make that flea brown, to match the type, or maybe have the flea in white and drop him onto a brown oval or half circle. Right now, the type and the flea doodle feel disconnected.

A poster that mimics a circus poster sounds like lots of fun, maybe with a lion tamer gal holding a flaming hoop with an enormous cartoon flea jumping through. Then again, I wonder if it might leave some viewers confused, ("hey, are we going to a circus or a flea market here?").

(thanks for the compliment, guest!)

Posted by: dannyhellman at March 29, 2008 11:14 PM in response to Flea Circus

The flea with a hobo's bindle is cute, although I think the drawing could use a little slicking-up. I'm an illustrator; drop me a line if you'd like to try something a bit more polished.

Posted by: dannyhellman at March 29, 2008 6:25 PM in response to Flea Circus