Mets, Movies, Cookies, the Japanese & Fireworks!

Last night I went to the Mets-Dodgers game and, yeah, the Mets lost. 

Still, it was one of the more interesting games I've gone to because there was a lot of "extra."

First, it was "Japansese Heritage Night" so there were lots of Japanese people there. And there were also a ton of Dodgers fans. I've never been to a New York home baseball game with that many fans from the other city's team. I didn't realize there were that many Angelinos in NYC but apparently there are. It was weird.

Second, they were shooting a movie at this game. This announcement greeted us as we made our way into Citi Field:

This movie, The Catch, stars Emma Stone and Chris Pine and is slated for release next year. I don't know if the double Oscar-winning and pretty boy were at the game but apparently they shot some of it at the stadium earlier that day. 

And we saw some movie camera guys shooting during the game:

Also, upon our arriving we were given this wristbands. Stay tuned to find out why!

Then we sat down to watch the game. It sucked. But I did manage to get a cookie bucket and record one of two Mets' homeruns.

And once the game was over, we were treated to a East Coast-West Coast Hip Hop fireworks show -- presumably in honor of the East Coast-West Coast baseball game we'd just witnessed. 

And the lights in our wristbands began to glow and yours truly got to be part of a massive rap fireworks lightshow. I managed to keep it real, get jiggy with it, and illuminate the NYC night sky. Yeah boyeeeeeee!

So I got to be part of Japanese heritage, appear in a movie, eat out of a bucket, and partake in a bad-ass fireworks show. Aww yeahhhhhh!

Mr NYC by Copilot AI

Mr NYC is a long-running personal Blogspot blog that describes itself as: “Blogging the soul of the world's greatest city. Part of the NYC underground.” 

Main Topics

Based on recent and historical posts, the blog focuses on:

• New York City culture and history 
• Local politics and current events 
• Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and other neighborhood stories
• Transportation, architecture, and landmarks
• Personal travel observations 
• Photos and videos from around NYC and beyond 

Notable Characteristics

• The blog appears to have been active for many years, with posts dating back well over a decade. 
• It presents itself as an independent voice covering both popular and lesser-known aspects of New York City life. [
• Recent posts include topics such as: Central Park horse carriages Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site Yankee Stadium history Little Neck Bay photography Travel writing about Kennebunkport, Maine.

Social Presence

The author also appears to maintain related social media accounts, including:

• A Bluesky account associated with the blog name and content. 
• A Facebook page describing the project as “Capturing the spirit and psyche of the world's greatest city.”

Overall Impression

The blog is best described as a local-interest NYC culture blog that mixes: 

• urban history,
• commentary,
• neighborhood observations,
• photography, and
• personal essays,

with a strong affection for New York City and its unique character.

Sgt. Angel Rampersad from Ozone Park RIP

Who Runs NYC?

These people, for now. City and State has published this exhaustive list of the people working in the Mamdani administration.

It's an impressive group of experienced public servants -- and it's a good reminder that the most important thing mayors and all good leaders do is to hire people to run an organization. All the greats also have great deputies -- Augustus had Agrippa, Henry VIII had Cromwell and Wolsey, Catherine the Great had Potemkin, Martin Scorsese has Thelma Schoonmaker, and Mayor Z has Dean Fuleihan. 

Just a reminder that A's hire A's, B's hire C's, C's hire D's, and so on (look at the Trump administration, an F president hiring F- people). Mayor Z is an A!

NYC's Weirdest Subway Station

World Cup Final Game @ MetLife Stadium

Visit a Manhattan Arcade in 1990

Remembering Billy the Kid: Killer. Old West Legend. New Yorker!

A kid named Henry, born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1859, moved with his family to the West when he was three years old. He grew up to be the most famous killer and criminal of the Old West -- before he was gunned down by the Sheriff Pat Garrett in New Mexico in 1881.

Billy lived to be only 21 years old and yet his legend continues to this day. Movies, songs, books, etc. have practically cannonized this punk kid from NYC who wrote a short, dark chapter in the story of American Manifest Destiny.

Billy was born at 70 Allen Street, in what was then a super-crowded Irish immigrant community. As the Civil War raged, his family got out of town -- way out of town -- migrating to as far West as they could go, beyond what was then the United States and into "the Territory."

His time in NYC was obviously so short, and he was so young, that Billy probably had no memory of NYC. But obviously he inherited the city's grit and toughness -- and it made him a feared and legendary character in the Old West and to this day.

NYPD Job Standards Test

Remembering Jennie Jerome, Winston Churchill's Brooklyn Mama

Sir Winston Churchill is one of the most revered people who ever lived. The 20th century British statesman and Prime Minister was one of the Allied leaders who, in the Darkest Hour, defeated Nazi Germany in World War II and thereby saved Western Civilization.

And even though he was the quintessential Englishman, Winston Churchill was half-American -- specifically, he was half-Brooklyn.

Sir Winston's mother was from Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Lady Jennie Jerome Churchill was born there in the then-City of Brooklyn in 1854 and, at the age of 20, married Lord Randolf Churchill (giving birth to Winston, her oldest son, in 1875).

Long-story short: one of history's greatest statesman was brought into the world via 21 year-old Brooklyn gal who was one of the first "dollar brides" -- i.e. a rich American given in marriage to the historical but broke British nobility. 

Although her famous son would overwhelm her memory, Jennie Jerome had a fascinating -- and scandalous -- life all of her. Many lovers (including a future King Edward VII), a younger second husband (only 16 days older than Winson!), major philanthropic initiatives, and she played a major role in Winston's early political career -- although her death in 1921 precluded her seeing her son's ultimate triumph.

You should read and watch (below) about her amazing life.

Even though Jennie Jerome lived almost her entire adult life in England, she hasn't been forgotten in her hometown. Up in the Bronx there's a playground named in her honor. And doubtless, without the NYC grit she gave her eldest son, the history of the world would be very different.