Water, Water Everywhere


...and not a drop to drink. Not for the residents of 800, 816 and 818 Jefferson Street, that is.

Yes, it's another water main break, the 4th one in less than a week:

  1. Wednesday, Nov. 10 - 12" water main break on 7th between Clinton & Grand Streets
  2. Friday, Nov. 12 - 12" water main break near 12th and Washington Streets
  3. Saturday, Nov 13 - (another) 12" water main break near 12th and Washington Streets
  4. TODAY, Nov. 15 - 6" water main between 8th and 9th Streets on Jefferson

Wow.

Here it goes; our aging infrastructure giving up the ghost in a rat-a-tat fashion similar to all the light bulbs in a home blowing at the same time.

Or, perhaps just an unfortunate coincidence?

I'd like to offer a third option: it's the Lord G-d himself taking things into His own hands.

Instead of 40 days and 40 nights of rain, the sinners of Hoboken (yeah, YOU) will be cleansed in a baptism of water main bursts; our streets will flood and faucets run dry, and we'll bathe in the murky waters together, 'new' and 'old' residents, scrubbing our sins away side-by-side. B&Rs and yups, passing the sponge. Amen.

I think that's what the Lord is up to.

After a vicious political contest, which is really only Part 1 of a much longer, vicious political contest... with the Board of Elections' criminal referrals for election fraud being handed to the Hudson County Prosecutor on Wednesday... a NJ State Assemblywoman's embittered defense of the Mail-In ballot system... a new cast member appearing in tonight's episode of the City Council Abuse Theatre...

This flight is all turbulence, but are we getting anywhere?

You'll need this:


I'm thinking the Lord is as nauseous as we are.

Only you can just bitch on the blogs and He can burst water mains. And don't kid yourself: He's doing it.

Look around you.

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.*


*GA personal note: the first time I heard that expression I was a senior in High School, doing a semester internship at Paine Webber, 114 Broadway... one of the married stockbrokers mused to another married stockbroker in a wistful fashion as he surveyed attractive young women walking out on the plaza: water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.

Comments

  1. Great Post, GA! You even included a quote from one of my favorite poems, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". Jackpot!!!

    Alas, I'm here to tell you that this City is suffering a serious malady of its soul...too much hatred, not enough cooperation among the various constituencies. No, Rodney King, we in Hoboken just can't get along because there's way too much cheating, lying and stealing going on (especially at election time which seems like every other month) that a disproportionately vocal portion of the population turns a blind eye to. William Shakespeare would have had a veritable field day writing about the antics of certain residents (clowns)in this town!

    I have to agree that we are all part of the Great Unwashed in Hoboken and we need to cleanse our souls...extend the old olive branch as they say. Unfortunately there are still too many bullies in town who'd just view that as weakness and haul off and split some lips. But I am an optimist and I wake up every morning praying for that bright sunshine to cleanse and sanitize the air once and for all.

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  2. THAT'S where that comes from- thanx, rudydawg!

    From 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner':

    The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
    The furrow followed free;
    We were the first that ever burst
    Into that silent sea.

    Down dropped the breeze, the sails dropped down,
    'Twas sad as sad could be;
    And we did speak only to break
    The silence of the sea!

    All in a hot and copper sky,
    The bloody sun, at noon,
    Right up above the mast did stand,
    No bigger than the moon.

    Day after day, day after day,
    We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
    As idle as a painted ship
    Upon a painted ocean.

    Water, water, every where,
    And all the boards did shrink;
    Water, water, every where,
    Nor any drop to drink.

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  3. Thanks for "The Rime" GA! Brings back lots of memories of English classes in Jr.H.S. Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a seriously underrated poet. Remember "Kubla Khan" in his pleasure dome? Another great one!

    Anyway, all I have to say at this late hour is that I hope something positive and tangible comes from the Hudson County Board of Elections meeting on Wednesday in JC. I can't be there but I know that Da Horsey will be all over it. Stay Tuned!!!

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