The expletive-laced outburst ended with Lombardi whipping out a can of wax and ordering the firefighter to wax down a fire truck, something that Da Mayor says is part of a firefighter's duty in his town.
It has not escaped your superior correspondents' notice that the Lombardi-Hollywood connection now goes beyond his remarkable resemblance (and this includes his voice) to Pesci. Vehicle-waxing as, um, teaching tool also figures in The Karate Kid, where Pat Morita's character Mr. Miyagi orders Ralph Macchio's character Daniel to wax his automobiles.
LET'S HOPE THAT THE FIREFIGHTER IN QUESTION DOES NOT COME BACK AS A MARTIAL ARTS MASTER TO FACE DOWN MAYOR "DO YOU THINK I'M FUNNY?" LOMBARDI IN A STEEL CAGE MATCH AT THE SAL MANCINI SENIOR CENTER.TURN OUT THE LIGHTS
If you really want to put a damper on a party anywhere in New England these days, just mention the Boston Red Sox.
Anyone who predicted in the spring that the BoSox would get rid of Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez, and Josh Beckett this season should have been buying Powerball tickets.
The ProJo's Bill Reynolds recently made the excellent point in his Saturday "bullets" column that it has only taken Dustin Pedroia one year to nearly destroy his reputation by feuding with manager Bobby Valentine. P&J absolutely love Pedey, but Reynolds hit the nail on the head.
To paraphrase the line about the Dixie Chicks, "shut up and play."
HOW LOW CAN WE GO?
When it comes to politics, we can go very low. Case in point: the story of Scott Van Duzer, owner of the Big Apple Pizza and Pasta Italian Restaurant in Fort Pierce, Florida. Mr. Van Duzer made a minor splash recently when he lifted President Obama in a big bear hug during the commander-in-chief's campaign swing through the Sunshine State. Van Duzer had identified himself as a Republican who supported Obama.
This was, apparently, too much for some Republicans. Negative reviews of the restaurant began appearing on business review site Yelp, pointedly mentioning the owner's support for Obama. And there is, according to reports, talk of a boycott of Big Apple Pizza by Florida right-wingers.
Your superior correspondents note that Mr. Van Duzer is the founder of the Van Duzer Foundation, a charitable organization that has raised more than $600,000 in a push to increase blood donations. But apparently, that sort of thing doesn't matter to the Obama haters.
It is this sort of petty animosity that makes all of us Americans look like nasty little jerks.
RIP, HUD
Local man-about-town Dickie Saunders tells Phillipe and Jorge that Michael "Hud" Hudson has passed away in Cleveland. Hud was a popular local bartender back in the 1980s. He worked at Last Call Saloon (now the Spot Underground) on Elbow Street and also at the legendary Hope's in its final incarnation on Dorrance Street.
Hud moved to Cleveland a couple of decades ago and Dickie tells us he died from cancer. Our condolences to his family and his many friends here in Rhode Island.
Send earplugs and Pulitzer-grade tips to p&j@phx.com.
