That smell

I gotta agree that NJ got a bum rap in the rotten odor thing on Monday. Without any substantial proof, Bloomberg pinned the blame on Jersey. Who did he consult with to come to this conclusion? A bunch of hack comedians? And yet, more people complained about the odor in NY. If the smell originated in the swamps of Jersey, wouldn't it have cut a considerable swath through northern NJ on its way to Manhattan? And yet only two people checked into hospitals with complaints in NJ compared to twelve in Manhattan. I'm no expert, but anyone who's ever farted knows that foul odors disperse with distance, not the other way around. Or maybe the New Yorkers who are always reminding us how "tough" they are just proved that truly, deep down, they're really just a bunch of dainty dilettantes.

I didn't smell anything unusual on Monday. Or maybe having lived in Bayonne for many years, downwind from a rendering plant in Newark, I've become immune to foul odors. Actually, it's been quite a while since I last detected the tangy, Kraft macaroni and cheese mix-like smell (it went so well with the perennial orange night sky) that often wafted over the bay to give Bayonne its distinct odor. Sometimes it was so strong you would swear you could taste it! How many other towns can boast of both familiar sights AND smells? Well, Staten Island for one, but that's because half the borough is a gigantic dump hee hee hee hee hee!