....June 5, 12:03 PM
 
 
 
She Wants It All
To take up modeling requires a certain degree of ambition. But to have as much as Sheila Johnson, that could make you superhuman.

The Howard Beach newbie is trying her best to make it through the industry, but has gotten off to a bumpy start.

“I’ve been told a lot by modeling agencies that I’m not what they’re looking for,” she said. “But that won’t stop me.”

The multi-talented Johnson acts, sings, dances, plays the piano and writes her own songs keeping all avenues open. She hopes to one day get a double masters in creative writing and business, the ultimate goal being her own modeling conglomerate, with international renown and zillions in revenue.

But not all of her ambitions are monetary. Some involve greater causes, namely the environment. An environmental science class led her to dream of clothing made of reusable materials.

“Things like paper and aluminum foil, instead of using up our resources on the production of clothes,” Sheila said.

In her spare time, she admits to being a closet geek, with a taste for her SUNY Purchase textbooks.

“I finished the entire psychology textbook for class before anyone else,” she said.
 
 
Bloomberg’s Sharp Words

“You are a disgrace.”

Those were Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s words for former Trib reporter Azi Paybarah after the New York Observer newsman tried to trip him up with a pointed question during a press conference in Queens last Thursday.

The mayor told reporters that New York City may be turning the corner on its economic woes during the press conference – to which Paybarah responded by asking if a recovery would undermine his logic for seeking a third term.

“If the economy is turning around, as you said, does that mean the rationale for changing term limits…,” Paybarah said before being cut off by an irritated mayor.

Bloomberg had argued that a term limits change was necessary because the City needed experienced lawmakers with financial acumen (i.e. Bloomberg) to navigate through an unprecedented downturn.

The mayor attempted to revise that reasoning when he responded to the question.

“The rationale for extending term limits is that the City Council passed it and the voters will have a chance on Nov. 3 to say what they want. I don’t think we have to keep coming back to it,” Bloomberg said. “If you have a serious question about the economy I will be happy to answer it.”

Bloomberg is no stranger to revising history when it comes to his own positions. In 2005 he called previous efforts to overturn term limits – drum roll – “an absolute disgrace.”
Food Stamps
Queens Councilman Eric Gioia declared victory last week when Costco agreed that,come this summer, they will start accepting food stamps at its Brooklyn and Queens stores.

We have a new concern for people on food stamps. Life for them is already tough, and if they think they wait on long lines now, wait until they start shopping at Costco.
Imagine the chaos. Jam-packed parking lots and checkout lines wind throughout the store.

We have one question, can you pay for the membership with the food stamps?
We Win This Series

The Mets’ burgers are fantastic – trust us, we, know.
Mets fans, take heart. Or actually, take a good measurement of your waist line. The New York Times reviewed the Mets’ and Yanks’ new culinary offerings at their home fields, and the Amazins won out.

Long gone are the days of greasy burgers and stale popcorn that made trips to Shea so gastronomically treacherous. Now, we’ve got tacos, sushi, and pulled pork sandwiches on a brioche bun.

The reviewer, Frank Bruni, essentially tanked Yankee Stadium’s fare and lauded Citi Field’s menu. The proof is in the burgers.

Bruni found Yankee Stadium’s “foil-wrapped, overheated, clumpy cheeseburgers that didn’t seem remotely fresh,” while Citi Field’s were “juicy, beefy and irresistible.”

Now if the good food could translate to good playing, maybe the Mets could stop making our stomachs churn.
Meatballs

Whose meatballs are the best?
“We were robbed!” joked Giuseppe Falco, owner of Vesta Trattoria & Wine Bar at 21st Street and 30th Avenue. Vesta, along with two other Astoria restaurants, was a meatball finalist at the 8th Annual Cuisine of Queens & Beyond 2009 Food and Wine Gala in Astoria Queens.

“Best Balls in the Boroughs,” a contest from Dish du Jour Magazine, sought to find the best meatballs and unleash a deluge of testicular puns. The winner was Bello Giardino in Manhattan, but Queens had three out of 10 finalists. Besides, everyone knows our pizza is better.
Queens Chicks

Our new chicks must make their mommas proud.
The chicks in Queens are great. Falcon chicks, that is.

Happy avian couples residing at both the Throgs Neck and Gil Hodges Bridges in Queens have given birth to baby peregrine falcon chicks. The birds, which are on the state’s endangered species list, were banded by a wildlife expert last week so that they can be tracked throughout their lives.

Though the chicks born in Queens are actually dudes, maybe they might make the flight some time soon to the Verrazano Bridge, where two female chicks were also hatched this spring.

If we get more news as the family grows, we’ll be sure to chirp about it in the future.

Or maybe we’ll just post it on tweeter.
Bloomberg’s Doppelganger
Mayor Bloomberg attended the 7th Annual Sesame Workshop Benefit Gala last week, where he was presented with the “Global Leadership Award” by his look-alike, Muppet Bloomberg.

Confidentially New York . . .

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