Good Week, Bad Week June 24

Good Week

. . . for plywood, which has a newfound destiny as the building material of choice. Sheets of it are being used to board up the entire construction area of the endless expansion of Carousel Center, which has come to a halt after Citigroup froze Bob Congel’s loan because of alleged wasteful spending and his inability to sign any tenants. 

. . . for the Polish and Prides (LGBT pride, that is) that braved the all-day rain on Saturday, June 20, to attend their respective festivals in downtown Syracuse. While a real rainbow didn’t grace the pride festivities, plenty of rainbow flags brightened an otherwise gloomy day.

. . . for former Syracuse University basketball star Jonny Flynn—possibly—as the 2009 NBA draft is being held Thursday, June 25. The scrappy point guard has impressed in pre-draft workouts to the point where he’s rumored to be selected anywhere from fifth to 14th. Many New Yorkers hope he’ll fall right in the middle to the New York Knicks, who have the eighth pick. In a related story, Paul Harris is surprisingly being touted as a possible second-round pick; Eric Devendorf, on the other hand . . .

Bad Week

. . . for the American public, as images broadcast of Iranian civilians taking it to the streets and physically involving themselves to voice their displeasure and trust in government exemplify what we should have done during the entire George W. Bush administration, starting with the Florida recount in 2000.

. . . for flies, especially the tragic insect that landed on the hand of President Barack Obama during an interview. The quick Obama made mincemeat of the pest, which raised the misplaced ire of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. You knew they couldn’t contain themselves, and had to respond to Obama’s “cruelty.” In a related story, a lizard somewhere just tongued a fly out of midair.

. . . for the trees that were used to print the Post-Standard’s Sunday, June 21, edition, especially since there wasn’t much to read in there (at least coupon inserts still exist). But also because Saturday’s heavy rains flooded the drainage system near the Ash Street power station downtown, causing a power outage that ultimately delayed the delivery of the Sunday paper. Is it us, or does it seem like a lot of suspect pressroom problems have happened over there since buyouts and furloughs became de rigueur?