Chris-O's New Writeups

Bronx-Whitestone Bridge (place)

2004-03-09T18:24:54Z

Unlike many of the other river crossings designed to encourage the growth of this city of islands, the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge was actually delayed due to fears that the increased traffic would ruin the "character" of the still-rural borough of Queens. The span was proposed originally in 1905, and indeed developers were excited by the opportunity and planned upscale neighborhoods on Long Island near where the bridge would land. Although the neighborhoods were built, local residents of the pre-existing communities managed to keep the bridge out of even the planning stage for nearly 25 years.

However, in 1929, more powerful forces set to work. The Regional Plan Association, formed in 1922, wanted this crossing to provide access to their planned "circumferential loop" of New York City high ways (of…

Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini (person)

2004-01-27T15:33:13Z

"They call me 'Boom Boom' Mancini, 'cause that's what it sounds like when I hit you. (jab) Boom. (jab) Boom. (pause, right hook) Mancini."
--unknown comedian

"The Pride of Youngstown, Ohio", Raymond Michael "Boom Boom" Mancini, was born on March 4, 1961 to Lenny and Ellen Mancini. Even as a young boy, he idolized his father, and wanted to follow in his footsteps. Lenny Mancini was a lightweight boxer in the 1940s, who had hopes of being a world champion. Unfortunately, he was injured during World War II, and although he tried to go back to boxing, his injuries kept the championship out of his grasp.

Ray started training while still fairly young, and quickly rose through the amateur ranks, going 43-7 with 23 KOs. His first professional match, lightweight like his father, came when he was just 18, knocking out Phil Bowen in the first round on October…

Staten Island Bridges (place)

2004-01-19T18:41:25Z

Getting to Staten Island has always been a problem. The island, sitting in the far corner of New York Bay, is much closer to New Jersey than it is to its sis ter boro ughs. The Narrows, the point where Staten Island and Long Island are closest, is still four times longer than any of the creeks separating this part of New York from New Jersey. Thus it was decided in the 1920s that it might be more reasonable to connect New York to New York through New Jersey. The Narrows was also seen as a strategic military site, and the problems involved in crossing it would not be solved for decades to come.

The first bridge connecting Staten Island to anywhere was the Baltimore and Ohio railroad bridge, built in 1883 and connecting the island to Elizabeth, NJ. However, this only helped the railroad companies. By the…

Verrazano Narrows Bridge (place)

2003-07-16T20:35:04Z

Staten Island has always been the "forgotten borough" of New York City. Closer to New Jersey than to the rest of Greater New York City, it was even politically part of the former state until 1664. Legend has it that this transfer occured when a boat race between the two states was won by New York and Staten Island was the prize. Staten Island is also the most "rural" of the five boroughs, and a Republican enclave in a largely Democratic city. Staten Island even voted in 1993 to secede from New York City, although ten years later they still remain a part of the metropolis. But we're not here to insult Staten Island.

Staten Island and Brooklyn are separated by a strait known as the Narrows which divides the Atlantic Ocean from New York Bay. Obviously a strategic military…

Vanilla Coke (thing)

2003-05-13T00:45:27Z

I would like to apologize here for the heinous trick that the Coca-Cola company has played upon the consumers of the United States of America. Those of you in the other North American countries and the other six continents, i can only hope that this plague has not spread to your area yet.

It has spread to the UK; people of the world, please be on guard.

Some of you may be wondering, "Wow, I wonder how the Coca-Cola company came up with such a wonderful idea, accenting the subtle vanilla flavor in Secret Recipe 7x?" Those of you who have had a REAL vanilla coke, or just have taste buds, are wondering "Why in the name of whatever deity you may or may not believe in did they add VANILLA EXTRACT to coke to try and get the flavor right? This tastes like ass!"

"Wait", you say, "what i'm drinking isn't REAL vanilla coke? But it says so on the can!" That's…

Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (place)

2003-04-08T15:58:28Z

Were it not for a letter from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a lie by Secretary of War Harry Woodring, and the intervention of some meddling kids (no, wait...), the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel might have been the Brooklyn-Battery Bridge; a more alliterative choice, perhaps, but one that would have changed permanently the face that New York City shows to the world. With this bridge, Robert Moses would have effectively scrawled his signature directly over the New York skyline, usurping the view of the majestic buildings and placing before them a structure of his own design.

As early as 1929, it was noted that the three existing connections between Brooklyn and Manhattan were carrying an incredible number of cars per day, and that the number would only increase over time. A tunnel was proposed to link the Battery, at…