Look On The Bright Side

Life is what you make it. Attitude. It snowed a week ago in New York City, but it hasn’t warmed up since then, so the dirty snow piles are still stacked along the sidewalks. Even in Midtown, commuters have to line up at corners and walk single file through narrow paths cleared on the icy pavement. It sucks.

Then again, it shows cooperation. It’s about how you look at it. The man dressed like Afrika Bambaata wandering through Penn Station screaming “My bitch bad! My bitch bad!”—he may even be telling the truth. Don’t be quick to judge. Look for the positive side of things. 

Boxing can get you down. It’s easy to see the bad parts. Saudi Arabia is taking over the sport as another of its cultural sportswashing programs. In Madison Square Garden this weekend, they had all the press up in the rafters, so they could sell the ringside seats to dudes who wear fur coats and big black shades indoors. The big blue ring was adorned with sponsors’ logos: The Ring magazine, also owned by Saudi Arabia; some ambulance-chasing law firm; freaking Door Dash; Draft Kings; what the hell. It’s all crass leering, exploitation, and blood. Turki Alalshikh, Saudi Arabia’s man in charge of the whole boxing industry, lounged in a padded front row seat, looking like a schlubby rich kid who finally found a hobby. Two seats away from him sat Spike Lee, in bright white eyeglass frames and a ridiculous twee white beanie rolled up to the size of a small cinnamon roll, perched atop his head. He prowled ringside as if he owned the Garden, which I guess he kind of does.