FIPS DAILY ALMANAC: Thursday, March 29, 2012

photo by Deepti Sahrawat

Rise and shine FIPSters, and welcome to your day! In US News, Mississippi is the most religious state in the US (if you're an atheist, go to Vermont). In royal celebrity goss, Harry is moving in with Kate and William, a situation that is sure to be on everyone's reality show wish list. And batshit JetBlue pilot Clayton Osbin is one of the many reasons I'm petrified of flying. 

ON THIS DAY IN BK HISTORY (1852):

So March 29th was a slow news day in Brooklyn history, but I did find an interesting editorial letter penned by someone called "Paddy." Paddy has a bug up her ass about the way things are going in the world. She claims there's just too much technology getting in the way of being a good God-fearing Christian. And I quote: "Habits, principals, creeds, everything is changed, and changing so rapidly, that if we go to bed good Christians we are in danger of getting up Jews or Infidels" (only if you have lots of sex, Paddy). Her biggest gripes are about the damn trains that take people everyone, and this frightening telegraph thing that lets people speak over long distances. She's also not a big fan of science, either. Apparently phrenologists really get her goat. Christ Paddy, if only you could see what becomes of humanity in 160 years. 

 

  [READ THE FULL ARTICLE FROM THE BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE ARCHIVES] 

ON THIS DAY IN FIPS'TORY: 

• 2011: We Don't Need No Geese, Let the MoFo's Burn!
• 2010: Happy Passover, Bitchez
• 2009: Norma Sighting?

FIPS DAILY ALMANAC: Wednesday, March 28, 2012

photo by Flickr user A Crom

Rise and shine FIPSters, and welcome to your day! In political news, it appears that Obamacare is getting raked over the coals at the Supreme Court. In celebrity news, Alicia Silverstone chews her kid's food for him (his name is Bear Blu, btw) and Octomom posed nude, just so we could all lose our lunches.  

ON THIS DAY IN BK HISTORY (1982):

Let's jump in our FIPS hot tub time machine and go back to 1982. Crack is king, Koch is mayor and there is an embargo on Libyan oil.  While skimming through the New York Times Real Estate Section for March 28, 1982, I found a very user-friendly article called "A Homeseeker's Guide to The City." After lamenting over how the price of a 2-bedroom, 750 square foot apartment on the Upper West Side has sky rocketed to $200,000 the author turns his eyes to Brooklyn. "The borough is a center of urban revivalism," he writes. "There is rising investment in older housing but little new construction." He'll eat those words in 30 years, but I'll allow him to continue. He says, "In various stages of revival are nearby Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope and Prospect Heights.... Sale prices of $90,000 to $125,000 can be expected for one-bedroom cooperatives in the most sought-after locations." In a 1982 pre-war building, one could rent a room for $100-$125 a month, and pay only $550 for a 2-bedroom with a doorman and terrace. Just watch out for 1982 Magnum P.I.! That mustache will get ya everytime! 

 PPW, 1982 via Dipity.com

  [READ THE FULL ARTICLE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ARCHIVES] 

ON THIS DAY IN FIPS'TORY: 

• 2011: Q: ARE PARK SLOPERS SUCH PUSSIES, THEY CAN'T HANDLE BAR FIGHTS? A: HELLS TO THE NO!

FIPS DAILY ALMANAC: Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Photo by Park Slope Lens

Rise and shine FIPS'ters, and welcome to your day! In today's crazy news, a Transgender contestant was kicked out of the Miss Universe Canada for being "dishonest about her sex." And look at what visionary a-hole James Cameron is up to when he's not patting himself on the back for making Avatar. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this tacocopter is the answer to all my prayers. 

ON THIS DAY IN BK HISTORY (1899):

Oh snap! Back in the day there was a trolley strike threat in Red Hook! Apparently, motormen and conductors were pissed off because they had to clean the cars before their runs. The PO'd conductors claimed it was a hypocrisy that no other line conductors had to bear. President Michael Murphy of the Van Brunt and Erie Basin Trolley Line called bullshit, saying that the complaining conductors were only required to clean their cars if they were dirtied during their runs.

Some interesting facts about the Van Brunt trolley line: It still does not stop at Fairway or Ikea and "is the only 3 cent railway in the state." It is only one and one quarter miles long (so clearly this trolley is an absolute necessity). There are but six cars in daily service (refer to previous parenthetical barb), and only twenty conductors and motormen run the line. Another odd feature is that these cars are perhaps the only trolley cars in the world where advertising cards are not found in the interior overheard panels or elsewhere. So sorry Doctor Zizmor, no ad space for you on the VB trolley. 

 [READ THE FULL ARTICLE FROM THE BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE ARCHIVES] 

ON THIS DAY IN FIPS'TORY: 

• 2009: FIPS TRIPS #1: STRIPPERS AND METAL

FIPS DAILY ALMANAC: Monday, March 26, 2012

pic by Flickr User Tom Starkweather

Rise and shine FIPS'ters, and welcome to your day! In city news, people showed up to church dressed in hoodies yesterday in solidarity with Trayvon Martin. In entertainment news, the Hunger Games did not go hungry at the box office this weekend (shocker) -- and did you bitches watch Mad Men last night? 

ON THIS DAY IN BK HISTORY (1911):

Not to be a Debbie Downer with today's history nugget, but the Triangle Waist Fire of 1911 was a pretty big deal as far as City disasters go. What most people don't know is that most of the victims were from Brooklyn. The shirt waist factory on Greene Street and Washington in the Village employed over 600 people, mostly women, who worked in less than desirable working conditions. It was said the that the management locked all the doors to the working areas so the women could not get out until their shifts were over. On March 25th at 4:40PM, a fire started and spread so quickly that the women who worked there had no means of escape, except to jump out the windows. It was either jump or be burned to death. As the Times said in their article, published on March 26th, "They jumped, they crashed through broken glass, they crushed themselves to death on the sidewalk." Those left inside were either burned beyond recognition or suffocated to death. 141 men and woman died in the tragedy. Later it was discovered that the building met virtually none of the city fire codes for the era.

 [READ THE FULL ARTICLE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ARCHIVES] 

ON THIS DAY IN FIPS'TORY: 

• 2010: WARNING: Your Tasty Icy Treat *May* Be Germier Than The Seats At The Pavillion Movie Theater
• 2009: Dear MTA: Seriously....FUCK YOU

FIPS DAILY ALMANAC: Friday, March 23, 2012

cartoon by Steven WeinbergRise and shine FIPS'ters, and welcome to your day! In local news, a cute-as-all-hell baby giraffe was just been born at the Bronx zoo, and in celeb goss, Whitney's Houston has been ruled an accidental drowning (but there was absolutely cocaine in her system).

ON THIS DAY IN BK HISTORY (1893):

Oh this is one juicy, FIPS'ters. So a married woman residing at 178 Rutledge Street was caught between a husband and a lover, both doctors (the lady has good taste). So she runs off with the other man, deserting her husband and two children. Although this sounds like just another day for any of us, in 1893 this was front page news. This harlot left behind "a deserted husband and four WORSE THAN MOTHERLESS children." Who does the husband blame? His bitchy mother-in-law: "That woman has surrounded me for years," he says. The "other doctor's" wife came to Brooklyn looking for her husband and calamity ensued. My favorite line, however, was this: "As usually happens, the neighbors are very much interested in this case and as doesn't usually happen, they are very shy about talking."  

 [READ THE FULL ARTICLE FROM THE BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE ARCHIVES] 

ON THIS DAY IN FIPS'TORY: 

• 2011: DUCKED IN PARK SLOPE
• 2009: BREAKING: FAT PANTSLESS WOMAN DESCENDS ON PARK SLOPE