i-am-your-mom

What About The Chickens!

davissn30 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:10:52 +0000

In the flurry of devastating news about Wall Street, weather disasters, and gun-toting hockey-mom politician, I think we all forgot the true victims of all these catastrophies: free-range urban poultry. “We’re all struggling through these hard times, and the chickens are struggling to survive, too.”

September 16, 2008

Pecking, but No Order, on Streets of East Harlem

By COREY KILGANNON

Why did the chicken cross 125th Street? That’s what some East Harlem residents are trying to figure out. A bunch of chickens and a big white turkey appeared near the corner of 125th Street and Second Avenue last week and began pecking in traffic.

The chickens were loosely gathered in a vacant lot next to a gas station on the northwest corner, but they roamed the gas station on Thursday and strayed all over the sidewalk and the street. They darted into traffic and amused passers-by and people waiting at a nearby bus stop.

“You see a new group every so often,” said Monique Dudley, a Department of Education employee who watched the chickens as she waited for a bus and began taking photographs of the chickens with her phone. “I have to send my friends pictures or else they would never believe we have chickens on 125th Street.”

Don Newcomb, a construction worker renovating a building across the street from the lot, said that “some guy” keeps dumping chickens in the area.

“This crazy guy keeps buying them from the market — some animal-rights guy, but I think he’s messed up in the head — and he keeps leaving them here,” Mr. Newcomb said. “He thinks he’s saving them, but it’s not like they’re safe around here. Somebody told me the hawks swoop down on them, too. Eventually, the health department comes, or whatever, the A.S.P.C.A., and they pick them up.”

“They run out in the road,” he said. “I’ve already seen two of them get run over. It’s a shame, because they’re cool chickens.”

The city’s Center for Animal Care and Control has been repeatedly called to the 125th Street spot, said Richard P. Gentles, a spokesman for the group. In the summer of 2007, he said, its officials recovered 25 chickens and a turkey from the area. On Aug. 20, they recovered 13 chickens, he said, which were taken to farms. Complaints about stray chickens are not uncommon in New York, he said. He said that strays usually came from poultry markets in the area.

The agency recovered 354 chickens in 2007, he said, and 425 rabbits and 396 raccoons. The most rescued animals in the city, however, are turtles — 754 of them in 2007.

Joseph Pentangelo, assistant director for humane law enforcement at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said his agency had responded twice to complaints about chickens in the area.

“It’s illegal to keep a rooster in the city, but chickens are not illegal,” he said. “Abandoning any animal is a crime, and chickens can’t really fend for themselves in an urban environment.”

An animal care official said that a note was left on a nearby fence. “Please do not bother the animals,” it read.

The note continued: “I removed them from the chicken market and they are sickly and unfit to eat. Please provide them with food and water if you think they need it.”

A phone number was listed. The man who answered that line said that he was Alex LaForte, 38, and that he had been feeding and caring for the chickens for almost two years. He said he had kept them in a henhouse in the vacant lot, but it was taken down.

Mr. LaForte, who said he had no job and was staying with friends and relatives in East Harlem, said he picked up castoff food from supermarkets and fed it to the chickens each night.

Asked about the note, Mr. LaForte denied having released the chickens. He said: “I don’t know who’s putting them out there, probably some rescue group, but whoever it is is saving them from suffering. I’ve seen the way they’re mistreated and made to suffer in those slaughterhouses.”

“We’re all struggling through these hard times, and the chickens are struggling to survive, too,” he said. “They find freedom on the city streets, and once they find freedom, they can eat and survive, rather than be put in a pen or slaughtered and eaten. I’m a struggler, and I try to help others struggling. If I feed them, they’ll survive.”

i love sports…and justin timberlake

your mom — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 01:14:58 +0000

so i’m a few months late watching the ESPYs but i finally got around to it today, and i thought JT’s I Love Sports medley was awesome!! check it out.

The Muppets Make me Happy

iamyourmom — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:53:41 +0000

I was slightly obsessed with the Swedish Chef on the Muppet Show when I was a kid. This video just puts a smile on my face:

everyone loves the beatles

your mom — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:13:57 +0000

even small korean babies. this is the cutest/funniest video i have seen in a long time…please watch this!

UPDATED: YourMom Celebrates the Celtics VICTORY!!!!!

iamyourmom — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:27:26 +0000

I spy with my little eyes…

[photo via Deadspin.com]

Click through for more from Van’s television appearance…

This screen shot is courtesy of IAYM friend and frequent commenter Lannie:

Thanks Lannie!!

They Hate Puns!

iamyourmom — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:35:37 +0000

So, this is the “The BC” video I was telling you about. And, by ‘you’ I mean my friends. For those that don’t know “The BC” was an online series created by two BC students a couple of years back. While they were putting together new episodes they filmed some promos — one of which prominently features Tim Russert, and his son Luke. Also, my hated statistics professor makes a cameo at the end. Damn, I loathed that class.

Check out the video with appearances by BC basketball players, Jesuits and the two main characters from “The BC”…

p.s. one of the guys that created “The BC” went on to further internet fame by creating the 7-minute Sopanos video.

gino’s identity is revealed! but he’s dead.

your mom — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:12:46 +0000

The Wall Street Journal (via Boston Daily) yesterday had a story about trying to track down Gino, a dancing Lothario from American Bandstand, who the Celtics flash in a clip on the JumboTron when victory seems imminent. The Celtics were even interested in doing a documentary on him. Well, they still can, but don’t expect any new quotes. Because he’s dead.

The video, taken from a 1977 episode of the show, features dancers showing off the Hustle and other retro moves and is set on any given night to popular tunes of yesteryear.The Celtics have been using the video for a few years, but it didn’t get a mass following because the losing team didn’t have many opportunities for disco celebration. This year the Celtics posted the best record in the league, and “the cult of Gino has really taken hold,” Rich Gotham, the Celtics’ team president, says.

One dancer, Terry Izen of East Highlands, Calif., received a call a few weeks ago from another former dancer telling her to check out the Gino video on YouTube.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s Joe Massoni!’” says Ms. Izen, who says she is the redhead to the right of him in the video.

The news couldn’t have been sadder. Mr. Massoni, the woman said, passed away 18 years ago from pneumonia. “I didn’t want to burst everybody’s bubble because it’s been so neat what’s been going on in Boston,” Ms. Izen said. The Wall Street Journal couldn’t independently verify the claim that Mr. Massoni is the deceased dancer. But Dick Clark Productions vouches for Ms. Izen’s story. A spokeswoman for the San Bernardino, Calif., coroner’s office confirmed that a man named Joseph R. Massoni passed away in 1990 at age 34 in Fontana, Calif. Calls to the residence of Mr. Massoni’s brother weren’t returned.

You hear that? You may win your championship, Boston. But you’ll never have your Gino back. Not that, like the team itself, you cared much about him until the Celtics started winning.

(photo and article via deadspin.com)

Hair Hat? What’s a Hai…. Oooooh

iamyourmom — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:40:49 +0000

Just. Couldn’t. Resist.

Check out my all-time fave after the jump.

[from Jezebel.com via Neatorama]

I’m going to have to go with walrus:

You Got Rondo’d

iamyourmom — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:54:45 +0000

This genius Reebok marketing campaign features one of Your Mom’s favorite Celtics, Jo Jo White!

The others in the series of three include another former C, Dee Brown, and current Patriots DL Vince Wilfork. They can be found here and here. One involves dentistry and one involves pizza… you just gotta watch for yourselves. Also involved prominently is the Celtics’ leprechaun mascot — does anyone know if it has a name?

GO CELTICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BEAT LA!!!!

Thursday Eye Candy

iamyourmom — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:42:12 +0000

Isn’t this a gorgeous print? Makes me want to pull together a poker night. ‘Cept my unemployed self would need to play with buttons (”Kevin, that’s a button.”)

The print is Poker Hand Values by Tan Nuyen at Threadless.com via Apartment Therapy Chicago. 30 bucks for a 18″ x 24″ print. Hmm, maybe if I can host that poker night after all, I can win some duckets for a splurge…