A decrepit, bent-over old lady in a green dress and a pillbox hat was trying to make it across 7th Avenue at 23rd street. Of course she moved very slowly and the light changed before she could get all the way across, and so she was stuck about half-way out in the street as cars whizzed around her. Still, eyes set straight ahead, she struggled determinedly on, step by step toward the curb.

A bread truck roared around the corner and headed straight for her. It looked like he was going to plow her down, but instead he slammed on his brakes, stopping mere feet from her and laying on his horn.

The old lady started, then stopped dead in her tracks, straightened herself up, and turned to face the trucker. “Fuck you!” she said, and gave him the finger.

The Hotel Chelsea has a wonderful blog.

According to a couple of emails some people are having trouble commenting on this site. Apparently they fill out the comment box but the submit button does not work.

Since some people have commented in the past week, I can only assume that the comment problem is with certain browsers. The problem began before the latest release of Internet Explorer so it can’t be that.

Does anyone have an idea how I can fix this? You may want to email me your advice.

UPDATE: The problem appears to be Internet Explorer. I’m working on a solution. In the meantime, my apologies (and condolences) to IE users.

I received the following email today from my namesake Weldon Berger (no relation) who I briefly wrote for at Betty The Crow News:

Hi, Paul. Would you be interested in suggesting a question to be asked of the White House? The guy there who handles Eric’s pass requests has become an official White House spokesman, and he’s agreed to answer on the record a selection of questions Eric and I will pick from those submitted by readers. If you’re interested let me know, and if you think this is something your readers might enjoy, I’d be grateful if you share it with them. I know we’re not on the same page politically, but the main criterion for the questions is not frame of reference but quality.

A real chance to ask the White House a question. And you know what was weird? My mind went blank. Since I only get one question I want it to be a really good one. Not a question that can be easily ducked or parried but something that will force the Bush White House to accept and address, on the record, one of the countless things it has done wrong. But still, the question fails me.

What about you?

If you have any ideas please paste them into this comment thread or send them to me and I will personally pass them on.

I’m going to have a think about it over the next few days. We’ve got until the end of the week.

An excerpt from the obituary of Lieutenant-Colonel John Pine-Coffin:

In 1963 he was in Nassau when he was ordered to investigate a party of Cuban exiles that had infiltrated Andros Island, part of the Bahamas. His seaplane landed in thick mud and Pine-Coffin decided that his only chance of reaching dry land was to strip off.

On coming ashore, plastered in mud and wearing only a red beret and a pair of flippers, he was confronted by a party of armed Cubans. Mustering as much authority as he could in the circumstances, he informed the group that they were trespassing on British sovereign territory and were surrounded.

The following morning, when the Royal Marines arrived to rescue him they were astonished to find him and his radio operator in a clearing standing guard over the Cubans and a pile of surrendered weapons. He was appointed OBE.

Via Nick.