Showing posts with label BevfromNYC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BevfromNYC. Show all posts

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Liberals Cry That Romney Lies for 38 minutes straight...

HELP!!! This task is too daunting for just me, so I need to solicit the help of my friends at Commentarama. I have been having an ongoing (and pointless) disagreement with a liberal "friends" on Facebook - an irrational Obama supporter.

On one of his posts that was directed at me specifically, he posted the 27 lies that Romney told in the debate on Wednesday. Well, none of these were his original observations. He lifted them verbatim from a website - readersupportednews.org - and used it as his own. Well, feel free to read through them.

My favorite is #26:

26) “I think about half of [the green firms Obama invested in], of the ones have been invested in have gone out of business. A number of them happened to be owned by people who were contributors to your campaigns.” As of late last year, only “three out of the 26 recipients of 1705 loan guarantees have filed for bankruptcy, with losses estimated at just over $600 million.”

It was the easiest to refute since "We The People" lost $627 million on Solyndra alone. My friend and the writers of #26 just plain forgot about the 14 other (and counting) "green companies" that have filed for bankruptcy since Solyndra in February 2012.

But here are 1 through 10 of his 27 point diatribe on the dishonesty of Mitt Romney.
Please feel free to refute away:

1) “[G]et us energy independent, North American energy independent. That creates about 4 million jobs”. Romney’s plan for “energy independence” actually relies heavily on a study that assumes the U.S. continues with fuel efficiency standards set by the Obama administration. For instance, he uses Citigroup research based off the assumption that “‘the United States will continue with strict fuel economy standards that will lower its oil demand.” Since he promises to undo the Obama administration’s new fuel efficiency standards, he would cut oil consumption savings of 2 million barrels per day by 2025.

2) “I don’t have a $5 trillion tax cut. I don’t have a tax cut of a scale that you’re talking about.” A Tax Policy Center analysis of Romney’s proposal for a 20 percent across-the-board tax cut in all federal income tax rates, eliminating the Alternative Minimum Tax, eliminating the estate tax and other tax reductions, would reduce federal revenue $480 billion in 2015. This amounts to $5 trillion over the decade.

3) “My view is that we ought to provide tax relief to people in the middle class. But I’m not going to reduce the share of taxes paid by high-income people.” If Romney hopes to provide tax relief to the middle class, then his $5 trillion tax cut would add to the deficit. There are not enough deductions in the tax code that primarily benefit rich people to make his math work.

4) “My — my number-one principal is, there will be no tax cut that adds to the deficit. I want to underline that: no tax cut that adds to the deficit.” As the Tax Policy Center concluded, Romney’s plan can’t both exempt middle class families from tax cuts and remain revenue neutral. “He’s promised all these things and he can’t do them all. In order for him to cover the cost of his tax cut without adding to the deficit, he’d have to find a way to raise taxes on middle income people or people making less than $200,000 a year,” the Center found.

5) “I will not under any circumstances raise taxes on middle-income families. I will lower taxes on middle-income families. Now, you cite a study. There are six other studies that looked at the study you describe and say it’s completely wrong.” The studies Romney cites actually further prove that Romney would, in fact, have to raise taxes on the middle class if he were to keep his promise not to lose revenue with his tax rate reduction.

6) “I saw a study that came out today that said you’re going to raise taxes by $3,000 to $4,000 on middle-income families.” Romney is pointing to this study from the American Enterprise Institute. It actually found that rather than raise taxes to pay down the debt, the Obama administration’s policies — those contained directly in his budget — would reduce the share of taxes that go toward servicing the debt by $1,289.89 per taxpayer in the $100,000 to $200,000 range.

7) “And the reason is because small business pays that individual rate; 54 percent of America’s workers work in businesses that are taxed not at the corporate tax rate, but at the individual tax rate….97 percent of the businesses are not — not taxed at the 35 percent tax rate, they’re taxed at a lower rate. But those businesses that are in the last 3 percent of businesses happen to employ half — half of all the people who work in small business.” Far less than half of the people affected by the expiration of the upper income tax cuts get any of their income at all from a small businesses. And those people could very well be receiving speaking fees or book royalties, which qualify as “small business income” but don’t have a direct impact on job creation. It’s actually hard to find a small business who think that they will be hurt if the marginal tax rate on income earned above $250,000 per year is increased.

8) “Mr. President, all of the increase in natural gas and oil has happened on private land, not on government land. On government land, your administration has cut the number of permits and licenses in half.” Oil production from federal lands is higher, not lower: Production from federal lands is up slightly in 2011 when compared to 2007. And the oil and gas industry is sitting on7,000 approved permits to drill, that it hasn’t begun exploring or developing.

9) “The president’s put it in place as much public debt — almost as much debt held by the public as all prior presidents combined.” This is not even close to being true. When Obama took office, the national debt stood at $10.626 trillion. Now the national debt is over $16 trillion. That $5.374 trillion increase is nowhere near as much debt as all the other presidents combined.

10) “That’s why the National Federation of Independent Businesses said your plan will kill 700,000 jobs. I don’t want to kill jobs in this environment.” That study, produced by a right-wing advocacy organization, doesn’t analyze what Obama has actually proposed.

Or in the alternative, I could sure use some tips on how to get my puppy not to bark at 2am...

Oh, just for the record, my FB "friend" is a clown...no, really, he's a professional clown.
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Saturday, September 29, 2012

Now Introducing....

Let's see. What can we talk about this afternoon? Well, we can ponder how over 70 students were caught cheating at the elite Stuyvesant High School in NYC and how the students justify it. Or we could talk about how the the Speaker of the NY State Assembly Sheldon Silver (D/Manhattan) used tax payer dollars to pay off a victim of our own serial sex offender slash State Legislator Vito Lopez (D/[expletive]). Naah, I think I'd rather talk about my new puppy.

I would like to introduce you to Hugo Chi-vez, my new 5-month old Chihuahua. So far he has not lied, cheated, or wasted one penny of taxpayer money, though he has had his way with a roll of toilet paper...

Here is his new bed...[note the "Dallas Cowboy" t-shirt in the corner. Yes, he has a t-shirt. Don't judge me...]
Many of you are long-time dog owners, so any advice you can give me on how to raise a healthy and happy dog will be much appreciated. Okay, cat owners can participate if you want because we do not discriminate here at Commentarama and cats are people too [and because Miss Kitty Kelly may be reading over LawHawk's shoulder]


FYI - I am currently in Texas picking up my new puppy and spending the afternoon eating Fletcher's Corny Dogs at the State Fair of Texas. I will be responding sporadically, but please feel free to change the subject Commentarama-style!
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Saturday, September 22, 2012

Quotes of the Week

What would you think tax returns, cheerleaders, and the Three Stooges have in common? Well, I'll tell ya'.... Here are a few quotes from this week that just have to make you laugh:

On Taxes -

Censured reprobate US Rep. Charles Rangel thought he would put his 2-cents in about Romney's May 2012 statement that 47% of our citizens do not pay taxes with his own official statement on his House.gov website. I have linked to the entire statement, but here are two quotes that are just laughable knowing the source:
"Before he judges other people about paying federal income taxes, Gov. Romney should come clean about the tax returns he's hiding from voters."
Oh, and this -
"[Mr. Romney] has absolutely no moral authority to accuse nearly half of the American people of being irresponsible and freeloaders".
He actually used the term "moral authority". This from the man who was censured by the House in December 2010 for among other thing, failing to pay his income taxes. Well, okay, in all fairness to Rep. Rangel, he did not say that Romney said that 47% of our citizens FAIL to pay taxes like he does. He just said that Romney was wrong to say that 47% DON'T pay taxes.

On cheerleaders -

Current Vice President Joseph Biden landed safely (no pedestrians maimed or killed) at Newport High School in New Hampshire this week to talk (inexplicably) to some high school atheletes about who knows what. Good Ol' Joe scanned the crowd and asked which sports were represented. After all the regular team sports were accounted for, a group of cheerleader shouted out their participation too. And this is how the man who is a breath away from being leader of the free world responded:
“Guess what, the cheerleaders in college are the best athletes in college. You think, I’m joking, they’re almost all gymnasts, the stuff they do on hard wood, it blows my mind.” [emphasis added]
As always, this was one of Joe's unscripted and a just plain WTH moment. Oh, I know, that's just Joe being the creepy Uncle Joe with whom young girls are scared to be alone.

And finally On The Three Stooges -
Here is a quote from a Three Stooges classic (Slippery Silk 1937) that I saw this morning that just seemed appropriate. [Yes, I watch the Three Stooges!]:
Man: "Is this work in competent hands?"
Curly: "Soitainly, we're all incompetent!"
It is almost as if they knew there would one day be an Obama Administration...
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Saturday, September 15, 2012

New York State of Mind[less] - Soda Wars Edition

So it finally happened this week. Mayor Doom...er...Bloomberg has gotten his way once again. Yes, this week, the New York City Board of Health voted to approve a ban on sugary drinks. Dubbed the "Soda War", it not only includes sugary sodas, but also tea and lemonade and pretty much any bottled soft drink containing more than 25 calories.

So here is how is supposed to work -
"Beginning March 12, [New York City] will prohibit restaurants, mobile food carts, delis and concessions at movie theaters, stadiums or arenas from selling sugary drinks in cups or containers larger than 16 ounces."

Here is what it won't do -
The ban does not include the following: sales in grocery stores, sugary fruit juices, dairy drinks, diet soda, unsweetened teas, multiple sales of 16oz sodas, or free refills in all the venues in which there is a ban. So, we will be able to go to McDonalds and Yankee Stadium and buy four 16oz Lemonades or get unlimited free refills, or to the organically-grown Whole Foods for a case of 64oz bottles of Coca-Cola or Pepsi. And included in the term "grocery stores" are the growing number of 7-Eleven stores, inventors of the Big Gulp and Super Big Gulp [see photo], opening all over the city.

Frankly, I do not have a problem with the City Health Department using taxpayer resources to warn the population on the dangers of too much sugar in sodas. We have a long and successful history of using public service announcements to inform and indoctrinate us to the evils of smoking, forest fires, littering, and to encourage the use of seat belts. But I really have a problem with this continued encroachment into our private choices. And if you think the Mayor Bloomberg will cease his campaign to fix us once his reign of terror ends, here is a quote from Bloomberg that should leave no doubt:
"I just spent roughly $600 million of my own money to try and stop the scourge of tobacco, and I'm looking for another cause"

I can't wait to find out what his next target will be. I'm thinking it will probably be mandatory daily calisthenics for all city dwellers, or a ban on sharp pointy objects or elevators. Using the stairs is so much healthier...
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Saturday, September 8, 2012

New York State of Mind - Police Blotter Edition

Let's see, where do I begin? It's been a tough couple of weeks for our local, state, and federal elected officials in New York. Investigations, indictments, arrests, and just plain old stupidity.

Local: Following up on my report on New York City's controversial "Stop and Frisk" policy. As I have reported in the past, Ray Kelly, our beloved Police Commissioner, has been spending much time defending his department. For a few years, the police have been showing a heavy presence in high crime areas by stopping and frisking people they observe may be carrying guns. Of course, the ACLU got their panties in a twist because as it turns out, most of the people the police stop and frisk are minorities - Black and Hispanic. And as you can well imagine the accusations of racism have been loud and proud. But recent reports shed some light on why Kelly and his police force are targeting certain neighborhoods and "minorities".

As reported in the the NY Post on September 6:

"Blacks and Hispanics account for 96 percent of city shooting victims...while comprising 86 percent of murder suspects and 94 percent of robbery suspects.

Just in case one may think that these statistics are skewed by the conservative Post, the NY Daily News went a step further and published colorful pie charts and graphs to support these findings which strangely do not appear in their online version for easy access...

Overall Population
33.3% White
28.6% Hispanic
22.8% Black

Victims - Murder Robbery Rape
Black - 64% - 33% - 41%
Hisp - 25% - 36% - 38%
White - 7% - 18% - 18%

Suspects - Murder Robbery Rape
Black - 55% - 70% - 54%
Hisp - 31% - 24% - 32%
White - 10% - 5% - 11%

Draw your own conclusions. I must point out that even though we have a large Asian population, once again they are not included in the statistics. I can only conclude that the incidences of crime among Asians is insignificant. They are not included as "minorities" in graduation and reading/math score statistics either...

Now moving on to crimes against the taxpayers -

State: It's been quite the month for our state legislators and not in a good way. For the past few years, New Yorkers have had a slew of our elected officials under investigation, indicted, or currently serving sentences for on various charges. But August 27, 2012 was a big banner day. On this day, the NY Post reported a "three-fer" on one page. Yes, we had three of our elected officials caught in one day (four if you count the alleged cover up):

1. Assemblyman Vito Lopez (D/Brooklyn), has been doing double duty as an Assemblyman for a valuable Brooklyn district since 1986 AND as the Assembly's Chief Serial Sexual Harasser. Who knew? Well, Sheldon Silver did. Sheldon "Shelly" Silver (D/Manhattan), head of the Assembly for years now, and THE most powerful man in Albany after Gov. Cuomo, paid secret taxpayer-funded hush money ($103,000) to a woman to cover up for his good buddy Lopez. It appears the the esteemed Assemblyman Lopez (I stress the "ass") has a long history of roaming hands and other parts. At first Ol' Shelly supported his friend, then he tried to urge him to resign, then he begged, conjoled, pleaded, and threatened him with official sanctions and rebukes. Shelly was doing anything to keep the heat (and local MSM) off of him during the DNC Convention for which he was to play a central role. Up until yesterday, our Attorney General went along with the powerful Shelly Silver and declined to investigate his involvement. The State Ethics panel also declined. However, a state court judge in the very red Staten Island didn't declined and decided that an investigation was in needed and ordered a Special Prosecutor to investigate.

2. State Senator Shirley Huntley (D/Queens) - As reported by the local news outlets - Sen. Huntley has been indicted for "conspiring in a scheme to use state grants to benefit associates in a nonprofit group she founded....Huntley had secured a $30,000 grant in 2006 for the group, which was formed to help parents work effectively with the New York City school system." Problem is that her group never actually used the money to "help" one parent.

3. State Assembly-member Naomi Rivera (D/Bronx)- Our State Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) "is looking into claims that the Bronx assemblywoman put two lovers on the public payroll and used her nonprofit as a personal piggy bank". Her publicly funded non-profit - the Bronx Council for Economic Development - has been allotted about $1.2 million taxpayer dollars to presumable fund activities for her non-profit However it looks like she was using the funds to pay, wine, and dine her boy toys. Now, if the two lovers were qualified to administer or develop programs then she chooses her lovers wisely. However from all accounts, her lovers are her "personal trainer" and a gym teacher already on a very lucrative payroll as a NY City school teacher. So the best she could have hoped for were better developed glutes. But, she comes by her alleged graft and nepotism honestly. Her father Jose Rivera was ousted as Bronx Dem leader in 2008 for doing pretty much the same thing minus the boy toys.

You see, our Legislators get what I call a "slush funds" - taxpayer dollars to pass out to worthy organizations that they wish to support. Unfortunately, the worthy organizations they wish to support are turning out to be non-profits that our Legislators set up to better the lives of their families and friends, and not to help better the lives of their constituents on bit.

Just so you do not think these are isolated events, here's a sampling going back to 2004:

Sen. Hiram Monserrate (D & R/Sing Sing) - 2 years for misappropriation of campaign funds
Sen. Carl Kruger (D/Sing Sing) - 7 years for bribery
Sen. Pedro Espada (D/Sing Sing) - convicted of stealing thousands of dollars
Sen. Larry Seabrook (D/soon to be Sing Sing)- recently found guilty of fraud and conspiracy; awaiting sentencing.
Sen. Joe Bruno (R/Sing Sing) convicted of bribery
and since the list is going way too long - Sen. Guy Velella, Ass. Clarence Norman, Ass. Diane Gordon, Ass. Brian McLoughlin, Ass. Anthony Seminerio - all found guilty of crimes against the tax payers of NY.

It has gotten so bad that I suggest that we just move the state capital from Albany to Sing Sing Prison in Ossining [see photo above] just to save the taxpayers time and money.

And finally, this is just a crime against humanity...

Federal: There is a saying (that I am making up now) that says "If you are a really stupid politician and have no sense of humor do NOT go on Stephen Colbert's Show!" This segment is an "interview" with Rep. Yvette Clarke (D/Brooklyn). I will assume that the "D" in this case stands for "dumb". Well judge for yourself starting at 01.40m...



Okay by now you are thinking to yourself "Wah???? This woman is voting on legislation that will effect my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness? How can this be?" Stop shuttering uncontrollably and remember that she will probably be re-elected! Okay, you can start shuttering again...

FYI - I am travelling today and will jump in as I can...
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Saturday, August 25, 2012

Fasten Your Seat Belts...well you know the rest.

Wow, the summer is almost over and the kids will be back in school soon, if they aren't already. Maybe it's time to take a step back and reflect on the last eight months. Let's see...

Since January, we've witnessed about 400 Republican debates (well, it seemed like it anyway), the rise of potential candidates, the fall of damaged candidates (though not enough of that - yes, Mr. Akins I mean you!) and 10's of millions of dollars spent. We have discussed, laughed, cried, screamed, and finally sighed with relief when the least damaged was left standing. So, now we have the the field set and Romney/Ryan go from "presumptive" to "official" candidates next week (barring weather complications). Believe it or not, NOW is when the real campaigning starts and the real money will be spent. As bad it has been leading up to now, it is about to get much, much worse. So, to steal phrase from All About Eve - "Fasten your seat belts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

In anticipation of the coming weeks, let's discuss what we hope to see, or not see, from our candidates (their spouses, their children, the media, etc.) in the weeks leading up Election Day on Nov. 2nd if you are Michelle Obama, and November 6th if you are the rest of the country.

Don't hold back because we know they won't...
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Saturday, August 18, 2012

More Fun with Liberal Logic

It comes under the title "More Fun with Conservative Logic" or "More Fun with Neo-Con Logic", Whatever the title, these clever lists of liberal logic are making the rounds on Facebook and are just begging for responses. Responses that I know the clever minds at Commentarama can provide with ripping success. You will notice as you peruse the list, that my wonderfully liberal FB "friends" who pride themselves in their intellect haven't even bothered to read their posts for mindless inaccuracies.[See #3]

But that aside, please feel to free to formulate a response to deflate their inaccuracies with wit and panache that I have come to expect from Commentarama-ians!

1). Clinton, who was banging Monica Lewinsky, had to be impeached according to the Constitution as written by Thomas Jefferson, who was banging Sally Hemings.

2). John Edwards, who had a love child with his mistress while his ailing wife lay dying, was pronounced unfit to hold elected office by Newt Gingrich,
who had a love child with his mistress while his ailing wife lay dying.

3). Willard Mitt Romney, who insists our southern border needs a wall and would have voted against The Dream Act chooses as his running mate Marco Rubio, who wrote the Dream Act and whose parents came to America illegally.

4). Romney says it wasn't worth going after bin Laden until he was dead, then it was.

5). "Al Gore should not have taken campaign donations from the Tobacco industry since his family raised tobacco, " said Bob Dole who took donations from the Tobacco industry after publicly stating there's no known scientific link between cigarette smoking and Lung Cancer.

6). Being gay or lesbian is a choice, but having a baby isn't.

7). Having more guns will produce less gun violence in the same way that building more highways produces less traffic jams. If every hormonal inner-city high-school student were armed with a gun, there would be far fewer school shootings.

8). Photo ID's that cost money to obtain ( for the certified birth certificate) in order to vote does not constitute a violation of the 24th Amendment whereas requiring a photo ID to purchase a handgun is the inevitable descent down the slippery slope to totalitarianism and the end of representative government in America.

9). It makes sense to outlaw abortion AND cancel welfare for unwed teenage Moms. This will produce less dependence on government.

10). It makes more sense to treat poor people in county hospitals and present them with bills they never can nor will pay than to include all Americans on a national health care insurance program.

11). Banks, oil companies, Wall St. etc. , are all capable of self-regulation in the same way that BP IS perfectly capable of filling out its own safety inspection reports.

12). Marketplace law always produces lower consumer prices, such as electric bills in California.

13). Rather than get poor returns on Social Security funds, it makes far more sense to privatize and invest those funds in the Stock Market - with companies such as Enron, J. P. Morgan, WorldCom, etc.

14). The more money rich people have the more money poor people have. This is not done through taxes - it's MAGIC!!
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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Something You May Have Missed...

With the Olympics, the missing tax returns, and BrAngelina's pending nuptials, did anyone notice that NASA has made us proud once again? On Monday morning at around 1:30am ET (or MSD 49269 15:00:01 LMST Mars time), a room full of scientists and engineers at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab in California were screaming like rabid Elvis fans after they successfully landed their newest Mars Exploration Rover named Curiosity on the surface of Mars. Freakin' Mars!! Curiosity, a rolling laboratory the size of a Chevy Volt (and infinitely more reliable), joins its sisters Spirit and Opportunity on Mars since January 2004, in our ongoing exploration of our solar system and beyond. The mission of the now six-year-old Curiosity project, is to "determine the landing site's habitability including the role of water, the study of the climate and the geology of Mars. It is also useful preparation for a future manned mission to Mars." - NASA Wikipedia page.

Now, for those youngsters among us who find space exploration as commonplace as a 1000+ cable channels or Iphone apps, this may be just another ho-hum NASA project among many. But for those of us who were around before cable television and wireless phone service (I know, can you imagine? How did we survive?), it still can take our breath away. Well, at least, it can take my breath away. Imagine the math and engineering skills it takes to calculate the trajectory and future landing site of an object the size, well, of ANY size, and managing to land that object within ten feet of its calculated landing site nine months later. Shouldn't we be just be a bit more excited about this?

You know something like this -







Or at least this -


I am not a scientist and my math skills are good enough to balance a check book that's in the same room, so I cannot fathom the science of all of this, but I know enough that we should be celebrating what NASA continues to achieved. So, everybody please take a moment and repeat after me...

YEA NASA!!!! YEA JET PROPULSION LAB TEAM!!! U-S-A!!! U-S-A!!

It is good to know that our scientists are still working hard to find what is out there, and it is even better to know that President Obama did not take personal credit for any of it...so far.

Just in case you are interested in learning more, here is the link to the NASA Mars Exploration website.
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Saturday, August 4, 2012

He's At It Again...


To be fair, he hasn't really stopped since January 2002. The "he" I'm talking about is Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the "it" is trying to micromanage our lives through legislation and "initiatives".

Right out of the gate in 2002, Mayor Mike set his agenda. First on his list was "improving" Mayor Rudy Guiliani's sensible ban on smoking in restaurants and work places. Former smoker Mayor Mike was not satisfied with controlling smoking in the work places and restaurants, so he doubled down and added bans on smoking in bars, beaches, public parks and all open public spaces. He has tried to ban smoking in private places too, but that is not working out so well.

Because not everyone smokes, Mayor Mike's next step was to ban transfats from our diet. It was obvious to him (as it should have been to us) that it was the fries at McDonald's that were our real enemy, so out the door transfats went. The result has been higher prices for fast fried foods, but our waistlines have not shrunk one bit.

Then came his war on salt and war on cupcakes. Yes, cupcakes. Apparently the only thing standing in the way of our children's health and Type 2 diabetes were those insidious cupcakes sold by school groups to "raise funds". "Raise funds" HAH! Raise blood sugar levels more like it. So, as you may have guessed by now, Mayor Mike banned all school fundraiser cupcake sales. Oh, we groused and moaned and wrote letters, but as we have learned in the last 10 1/2 years, Mayor Mike knows best.

But now, Mayor Mike may have finally overstepped big time. His new initiative Latch on New York is his latest attempt to micromanage our lives and the target this time is new mothers. Here is what the official NYC Health and Mental Hygiene website says:

Latch On NYC is a citywide initiative to support mothers who choose to breastfeed and limit practices that interfere with that choice. It involves both a hospital commitment to limit infant formula promotion and a public awareness campaign on the benefits of breast milk.

Yes, new mothers will no longer have to sole responsibility to decide whether to breastfeed or formula feed their newborn babies. According to our beloved mayor, new mothers are just too stupid and weak to decide these things for themselves, so he had to step in to help. This is how it will work.

Beginning September 1, area hospitals who sign on to this new initiative, will have to put baby formula under lock and key as if it were morphine or Oxycontin. If a new mother chooses to formula feed and has the misfortune of choosing the wrong hospital, she will have to change her mind or submit to a mandatory lecture and scolding from a maternity nurse. If this new mother still is selfish or stupid enough to insist on formula, she will then have to wait with her screaming, hungry newborn for this Nurse Ratchet to walk all the way to the dispensary, check out one portion of formula like its a class three narcotic, and take it back to the new mother. Then Nurse Ratchet must record the transaction in the permanent medical records like any other drug for the state to see. This transaction will happen EVERY TIME the new mother requests formula - lecture, scolding, dispensary, recording.

Now I know what your are thinking - fortunately for the nurses and the new mommies, babies only eat every two hours, right? I thought so, so let's do some math. The state has already mandated insurance companies must pay for a minimum of three day hospital stay for new mothers/babies with normal births. That's three days times 12 feedings a day...so that's....carry the one...yes, that's 36 times this little drama will have to play out if the new mother does not submit to the will of the state. Do you think anyone really did the math on this? And do you think any new mother who is already hopped up on hormones and a hungry infant, is going to not feel the pressure?

There are many reasons why a new mother chooses to use formula and, in fact, there is no scientific proof that breastfeeding is any better than formula. But now Mike wants to stress out the most stress out segment of our population - new mothers. But as we know, science and stuff don't really matter because Mayor Mike has spoken.

514 days left and counting...
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Saturday, July 28, 2012

Just Some Olympic Fun...

I take it from comments yesterday that there are not many Olympic Games watchers among us. Now, I'm not an avid watcher, but there are sports that I like to watch - shooting, dressage, archery etc. Unfortunately these are the same sports that get about 2 minutes of airtime.

Well, since Mitt Romney was responsible for saving the 2002 US Olympics in Utah and it's a lazy summer afternoon, let's discuss what would make us more excited AND make the Games worth watching.

Question: If you were head of the Olympic Committee, what sport or combination of sports would you add to the competition to liven it up, or at least compel you to watch?

One "Rule": You can only use "Naked Women's Beach Volleyball" if you can add something to make it interesting for women too...


***Olympic 2012 Fun Fact #1: For the first time in Olympic history, there are more female athletes than male athletes.

***Olympic 2012 Fun Fact #2: The Romneys have a horse in the Dressage competition. Of course, they are being criticized for it because they are rich and out of touch.
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Saturday, July 21, 2012

Question: Our Civil Liberties vs. Our Protection

Let me start by saying that this is only tangentially about the shooting in Aurora Colorado because we do not have enough information to even speculate about the shooter's state of mental health.

That being said, I believe in protecting our civil liberties as much as the next guy, unless the "next guy" happens to be Eric Holder or Janet Napolitano, BUT... maybe we need to revisit how we deal with the rights of those with clinically diagnosed mental illnesses. Just this week, a young woman was stabbed just a few blocks from where I live by a homeless man who was "off his meds". The random stabbing happened at 10am as this woman was on her way to work. Fortunately, this young woman will recover physically, but what are we left with? By all accounts, this man was lost in a system that knew he needed to be medicated, but was unwilling or unable to administer his medication.

This scenario happens at an alarming rate in NYC - mentally ill homeless person commits a random act of sometimes fatal violence. Usually it is some innocent victim pushed into the path of a fast-moving subway train. Why? Because our mental healthcare system cannot help them or get them off the street until they ask for help or commit a crime. The state or the family must wait until someone has been grievously harmed and even then, they get sent to a jail rather than to a facility that can control their mental illness. The targets can be strangers, family, or friends, but the problem is almost always the same. Someone who needed help could not get it because they did not want it and/or could not be forced to get it. Once a person reaches the age of majority, society is helpless to protect themselves against the violently mentally ill because a person of legal age cannot be coerced to take prescribed medications or be institutionalize against their will for more than 72 hours in most cases.

What should we do? I do not have an answer, but we cannot hide from the problem either. I understand that we never want to go back to the "Snakepit" days where people were institutionalize or force-fed drugs for being "odd", or "uncooperative", or "gay", or "unwilling to bend to the will of the husband" but somehow we must, as a society, try to locate that bright line that protects society from unreasonable danger, but helps those get access to the medication or treatment they need to function and monitored them enough so that they actually TAKE their medication or even that their medication is effective.

Maybe there is no bright line that can satisfy our need for liberty and need for reasonable protection. Life and death can be random, so maybe the best we can do is just be a little bit more aware of those around us and encourage those who need help to seek it.

So, let me know what you think...
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Saturday, July 14, 2012

New York State of Mind

So I was going to write about what I did on my vacation and show photos of me at the beach, me at the pool, me at the bar, but, well, no one really wants to see that. So let's talk about what happened while I was away. Apparently I can't leave NYC without all heck breaking loose...

STRIKE! - Not the baseball kind, but the union kind - It was blazing hot while I was away. And just in time for the really, really hot weather, the ConEd (gas/electric) workers went on strike or more accurately were locked out by management. They've been out for about three weeks now. As you can guess, it's not about the poor wages or benefits or anything that one would think would drive workers to the picket lines. It's about...well who knows. ConEd says it wants to eliminate the pension and wage structures for new hires, require workers to contribute more to their healthcare, more flexibility in hard times, and, the real sticking point, require 7 days notice before a strike. The 8500 workers say that "[t]hey want to cut medical, they want to cut our pension, they want to cut our wages,”.

Unlike our 2005 transit strike that shut down all public transport and the city for three days, the electricity is still flowing and, as long as the electricity works, no one can even tell there IS a strike. But, much like the transit strike, the ConEd workers are getting no sympathy or support from the citizens of NYC either.

CRIME IN THE CITY - While I was away, the murder/crime rate jumped dramatically - a whopping 10% over last year. On July 4th, nineteen people were shot and four were killed. Three of those four people were gunned down in a hail of 64 bullets fired from an AK-47 into a crowd and reportedly over a girl. The fact that only 3 were killed is kind of a miracle.

All of this comes on the heels of massive protests about NYC's aggressive "stop & frisk" policy. As I've explained before, our Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has come under fire (no pun intended) for his long standing aggressive policing practices of having beat cops stop people acting suspiciously and frisking them for guns and other stuff. The results have brought the crime rate down about 300% in the last 20 years and last year alone took over 700 guns away from criminals. Logically, they have targeted high crime areas which also happens to be high minority areas and now cries of racism have ensued. To his great credit, Kelly has not backed down AT ALL. This week he publicly rebuked community leaders for staging loud protests to voice their outrage against the police department, but continue to be deafeningly silent that their children are being gunned down daily in the streets...
"Ninety-six percent of our shooting victims are people of color, yet these community leaders are not speaking out about that,” he said. “I'd like to see some political outcry... I want them to be outraged that a 3-year-old child is shot on the streets."
In response, Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams said he protests all the time and challenged Kelly to come walk the beat with him without any protection. Kelly responded, no thanks, he has been doing that for 40 years already. And, as you might imagine, Al Sharpton responded with...continued silence...which is kind of amazing, if you think about it. Oh, it shouldn't surprise you that Councilman Williams was arrested earlier this year protesting with the Occupy Wall Street bunch. So yes, he does protest a lot, but just not about children being slaughtered on their stoops.

CRIME NOT IN THE CITY - I can't leave the topic of crime and murder without saying something about Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel. He may be on to something with his brilliant way of handling the ever-rising murder rate in his tottlin' town. Rather than actually try and slow down the murder rate with aggressive policing tactics like NYC's Ray Kelly, Mayor Rahm has decided to take the kinder, gentler approach, This week he softly admonished (some would say, "begged") the would-be murderers to take to the alleyways -
We've got two gangbangers, one standing next to a kid. Get away from that kid. Take your stuff away to the alley. Don't touch the children of the city of Chicago. Don't get near them. And it is about values. As I said then, Scott, who raised you? How were you raised? And I don't buy this case where people say they don't have values. They do have values. They have the wrong values. Don't come near the kids -- don't touch them.
Not your typical "Don't commit murder or we'll fry you" approach, but a gentler "take it inside, so we can't see it happening" approach. I am sure that will work out just fine, and if Ray Kelly weren't such a brutal, mean guy, he could have done it that way too.

And on a final note - As you may or may not remember, NY had its Congressional Primary on June 26th and at the time I reported that Charlie Rangel won his 4-way primary pretty handily by over 2000 votes. Well, three weeks later, and after major challenges and numerous recounts, it has finally been ruled that Ol' Charlie did win afterall, but by only 800 votes and not without accusations of voter suppression and the like. But that's not the real story here. It's really about the NYC Board of Elections and their credibility gap. Let me explain why.

Four years ago, our city switched from those old-fashioned manual lever-type voting booths (you know, the kind that my Grandmother voted in 50 years ago) to a new, expensive electronic computer voting system. The new system allows for more accurate votes and speeder tallies. However, even though these new electronic voting systems can download the votes directly onto a thumb drive that can be plugged directly into the main system to be counted, our BOE refuses to change with the times. Instead, they have decided to stick with the old system of manually counting all of the votes, recording the counts on little slips of of paper that are then transported by police squad car to a main voting station and re-entered manually at the main voting station. In a perfect example of oxymoronic government efficiency, what could take just hours, continues to take days and sometimes weeks. The rest of the state has moved on, but, citing some quirk in the city laws or something, the NYC BOE says they cannot change the way the counting/recording of votes is done because chaos would ensue and it would bring on the "End Times". Okay, I made that last part up, but after their June debacle, it is coming down to a real crisis with the looming national elections. They must embrace the new technology or the entire Board shouild be replaced. The Board has one more chance to get it right with our local Primary in September, or something will happen maybe. Where's Eric Holder and his voter suppression crusade when we need him?

Next week - The crime and lack of punishment for the lying cheaters at top tier Stuyvesant High School and other pressing issues...

Addendum: Happy Bastille Day!! Viva La France - Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite!
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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Gone Fishin' Open Thread

I will be on vacation for the next week, so let's open up the floor for comments on anything you want to discuss. I will try jump in between wine coolers and hikes in the woods. See you next Saturday! I wish everyone a very Happy 4th of July!

Oh, did you know that our President will be spending it in France...
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Saturday, June 23, 2012

What Would Miss Manners Say?

I know that the last thing you want to think about on a beautiful Summer day is Barack Obama, but I've been following the Obama/Biden campaign trail via Twitter. I must say, it is quite entertaining. The panic is growing if the constant stream of donation pleas from @BarackObama and @JoeBiden are any indication. It was reported this week that the Obama campaign isn’t bringing in the multi-millions like they did in 2008 and in May they spent more than they took in. Why does that sound so familiar – spending more than you take in? I can’t put my finger on it right now, but will come to me.

Well, anyway, apparently things have gotten so bad that Obama/Biden 2012 fundraisers are resorting to begging potential donors for birthday money from Grandma. Or better yet, they have a place to sign up so wedding guests can donate to the Obama campaign in lieu of sending those selfish personal gifts like gift cards, china place settings, or sterling silver gravy boats. I guess because this is really, really important that Obama win, and that selfish personal stuff will just gather dust, or worse, be forgotten.

The Obama event registry
By Laura Wilson on June 22, 2012

Got a birthday, anniversary, or wedding coming up?

Let your friends know how important this election is to you—register with Obama 2012, and ask for a donation in lieu of a gift. It’s a great way to support the President on your big day. Plus, it’s a gift that we can all appreciate—and goes a lot further than a gravy bowl.

Setting up and sharing your registry page is easy—so get started today.

Frankly I wonder what Emily Post or Miss Manners would think. They both have been pretty adamant over the years that there should be no expectation of a gift with an invitation, and coercion shows a definite breach of etiquette and class. But these are desperate times that call for desperate measures and, as we've seen, etiquette and class have not been this Administration's forte. I mean, these are the same folks who thought giving an Ipod full of Obama's speeches was an appropriate official state gift for the Queen of England.

However, turnabout is fair play. Texan Jim Harrison felt so strongly about Barack Obama, that before he succumbed to cancer in February, he used his own obituary to request that, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to either the American Cancer Society or "ANYONE running against Barack Obama". Neither Emily Post nor Miss Manners have ever said that there was anything ill-mannered about a deathbed donation requests.

On a side note: It was reported in the Hollywood Reporter that the Hollywood stars that the Obama campaign has been using to front fundraising events are beginning worry about the fall out. Well, you have to admit that it probably does not look good to be crowing about $40,000 a plate dinners with Anna Wintour and Sarah Jessica Parker when the big campaign talking point is about the poor, overburdened, overstretched middle class. But then these are same middle class voters who don’t need their gravy boats…
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Saturday, June 16, 2012

I'm Angry and I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore

3/20/2010 Anti-Obamacare Rally
Washington, D.C.
You know, I am coming to the end of my patience and I may need the collective encouragement of all of the Commentarama-ians to talk me down from the ledge I am on. As the campaign rhetoric heats up, I am beginning to see a very clear pattern of how this election cycle is going to go and I do not think I can continue to keep a civil tongue in my head.

Let me start by saying that I have made no secret that I am a proud member of the Tea Party movement and have been since February 27, 2009 when I attended my first rally in City Hall Park in New York City. Since that day, I have attended many small to medium rallies sponsored by our local New York City Tea Party groups, and was in Washington for the very first 9/12 Rally on September 12, 2009 where it was reported that from 500 to 2,000,000 people attended. We all had different reasons for coming together, but mostly we knew (and still do) there was a coming fiscal disaster-train heading our way and we desperately wanted to slow that train down to minimize the damage.

We were mocked, called silly and stupid names, and became the butt of about every prurient joke the MSM et al. could throw at us. They mocked our collective ages, weight, I.Q.s, and costumes all in hopes of dissuading us and sending us running back to our Laz-y-boy recliners. Still we would not be dissuaded even when our Democrat Congressional leaders in the halls of the Congress and the MSM were telling us with great sincerity that we were all sad, misguided astro-turfers being led by unseen evil forces and would soon peter out (no pun intended) to be a unimportant footnote in history.

But then came the March 20, 2010 rally to protest the upcoming Congressional vote on Obamacare. That's when the first real cries of "racism" could be heard in earnest. The Congressional Black Caucus lead by Reps. Emanuel Cleaver, Andre Carson, and John Lewis accused us of hurling racial slurs and spitting at them with a little Rep. Barney Frank thrown in to hurl the cries of "homophobia". When asked to provide some kind of proof, they stood by their accusations steadfastly recounting flashbacks to yesteryears and imploring everyone to trust them. Even after the late Andrew Breitbart offered $250K for any video or photographic proof that would prove their accusations to be true, they could not find one shred of evidence in support. There are hours of video and audio footage from every conceivable angle of their walk through the teaming throngs of protesters [see photo above] as these heinous acts allegedly occurred. Hours of video and audio of the accusers and the accused, but not one moment of video or audio that could prove these accusations to be anything but false. Fortunately, we had learned early the ways of the MSM and collectively knew that we must maintain our own video record. A sad fact that I am almost certain that Reps. Cleaver, Carson, Lewis, and Frank had not been clever enough to foresee.

For the record, the following is the list of the Official Tea Party priorities from the “Contract From America“ published on April 14, 2010:
(1) Protect the Constitution;
(2) Reject Cap and Trade;
(3) Demand a Balanced Budget;
(4) Enact Fundamental Tax Reform;
(5) Restore Fiscal Responsibility and Constitutionally Limited Government in Washington;
(6) End Runaway Government Spending;
(7) Defund, Repeal, and Replace Government-run Health Care;
(8) Pass an ‘All-of-the-Above” Energy Policy;
(9) Stop the Pork;
(10) Stop the Tax Hikes
For three and half years now, I, and many that I know, have been called "racists" in every conceivable venue - on the floor of Congress (both houses), by the President, in the MSM, on liberal blogs, by liberal pundits and comedians, and in every manner of public social media, because we dare to speak out against the fiscal policies of our present Administration and just will not go away. Why, only this week, I was called a racist on Facebook because I am member of the Tea Party and, as the equation has been well established by now, Tea Party = "racist". It is sad when people are so blinded by their own ignorant hatred that they can brand an entire group of people by the actions of a very few. Judging an entire group because of the actions of few used to be called "bigotry", but now it's called...well, I still call it "bigotry" and I am going to double down and call it "self-righteous bigotry" at that. For the record, there was a statement made at a Arkansas Tea Party rally that was deemed racist. The person making the statement was publicly condemned and removed from their leadership position within hours of her statement.

But what finally put me on the ledge this week were these little tidbits! Where is the outrage and condemnation from those liberals who abhor hate-filled, violent images and rhetoric? Let's just say right off the bat, if either of these images were Obama-related, people would have lost their jobs, possibly have been jailed, or, at the very least would have been outed and humiliated into making a public apology...

First - Well, we've talked about this one:



Oh, I know, the HBO Props Department just happened to have a severed head of George W. Bush lying around in their "Stock Severed Heads" closet and thought it would be really cheeky to put it on a spike in a scene in their hit series "Game Of Thrones". It probably would have been one of those inside jokes that those in the Props Department could have quietly howled about for years. But they just had to brag about how clever they were in the "Special Features" section on the DVD. Oh, yes, HBO issued their stock apology (no doubt from their "Stock Apology" closet), but I want to know who is in charge of the Props Department and I want him or her outed and publicly condemned in full living color.

Oh, and then there is this:



Shocking, isn't it? I mean, perhaps Martin Bashir, currently with NBC News as a contributor for its Dateline program, and an afternoon anchor for MSNBC, should not be fantasizing about blowing up a bus especially a bus of a current US Presidential candidate and broadcasting that fantasy in full color video. I mean, he's British of Pakistani descent - that same Pakistan that protected Osama bin Laden, so, I am going to go out on limb and call Mr. Martin Bashir of MSNBC a terrorist. Well, I mean, why not? I've already been called a racist, an ignorant hillbilly, a moron, a Teabagger, a Rethuglican, so why not add "bigot" and "xenophobe" to the pile. Oh, yeah, I've been called those too.
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Saturday, June 9, 2012

Phew! What A Week!

What a week this has been. Events in Wisconsin this week just totally wore me out, so maybe we just need a little break this afternoon. I know what you were thinking, what could be more relaxing than watching puppies frolic, right? As a matter of fact, this is one of those interesting by-products of the internet age that is really kind of fun. There are actually websites where you can watch live video feeds of puppies sleeping and playing and doing all of those cute little puppy things that you didn't even know you wanted to watch. So get a glass or mug of your favorite beverage and watch the cuteness of it all.



Video streaming by Ustream
So, now that you are relaxed, please feel free to discuss whatever comes to mind...

Note: Sorry about the commercials and sometimes they give the puppies a break and go offline. But trust me, it's great.
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Saturday, June 2, 2012

New York State of Mind


What a week we’ve had in New York City. It is so scary here that I do not want to go outside anymore! I know, you think that it might be terrorist threats or crime, but it is worse. Smoking, salty snacks, sugary drinks, oh, my! Yes, Mayor Bloomberg is up to his old tricks again and our State Republican Senators have just gone off the rails, but before we get to that…

Sports: Well, forgetaboutit! After waiting almost forevah, the Mets finally have their first “No –Hitter” last night. Yea…

Local: Okay, let’s just get this out of the way. No doubt you have heard that Emperor….er… Mayor Benito Bloomberg has decided that it is his right and/or job to save us poor schmucks from ourselves. Now he is waging a war on large sugary beverages and the schmucks are not pleased. I think he just can’t help himself. First it was a smoking ban. Then it was his war on transfats in our French fries and salt content in our prepared foods, and now it’s Big Gulps. His new cause would ban the sale of any sugar-laden beverages over 16 ounces sold at any establishment that gets a grade from the NY Health Department. These “establishments” include local corner delis, restaurants, movie theatres, sports venues, and food carts and would include fountain drinks as well as bottled drinks. So, now that would mean no more liter bottles of Coke or Snapple, no salt on your popcorn, and none of that “butter flavor” either. The good news is that those establishments that are designated as grocery stores would be exempt. Of course, the irony is that the new 7-11’s cropping up all over the place – the inventors of the 64-ounce Big Gulp, Super Big Gulp and the Slurpee - would be exempt because they are designated as “grocery stores”.

But, on a positive note, Mayor Bloomberg did one good thing this week! He vetoed the City Council’s misguided “Living Wage” bill. The bill would have raised our local minimum wage from $7.25 to $10 an hour with benefits and $11.50 without benefits for any business that gets any city subsidies or tax breaks over $1million. The Council just does not get that one of the reasons we have so much empty commercial space in our city (and higher than average unemployment), is not because of the lack of businesses wanting to open. It is the high cost of doing business in the city that keeps potential businesses from opening.

But, then came the bike lanes. Yes, our Dept. of Transportation Commissioner Janet Sadik-Khan, one of the most loathed members of the Bloomberg Administration, decided that there should be less motor traffic and more bike traffic around our fair city. And to that, she has systematically shut down large swathes of New York City for the use of…well, no one knows exactly. To date, 250 miles of bike lanes have sprouted up like weeds around the city since 2008, but no one has been consulted. It has gotten so that you could go to sleep at night and without any warning, you could wake up to a new “Pedestrian Plaza” permanently closing down your street, or new bike lanes that block off parking. It’s a pedestrian’s nightmare. It has gotten so bad that the City Council had to pass a bill that the DOT now has to give a presentation to the Council and get Community Board approval before they can install or remove (hah!) any new bike lanes or pedestrian plazas. Let Freedom ring or at least walk down the street without getting hit by something...

The end is in sight though. Our Mayoral elections are coming up in November of 2013. With the newest round of “bans” from His Majesty, the collective “Enough!” has been shouted, and the countdown clock for the end of Bloomberg administration has begun to tick – 19 months to go and counting. But I have to go on record to say that the only thing I fear more than “Mayor Bloomberg” is a “Private Citizen Bloomberg”.

State - The State of New York made it to the top of yet another list! Yes, we rank #1 above all other states in population decline! Yea…oh, wait, maybe that is not a good list to lead, but according to the 2010 Census report, New York has lost 3.4 million residents in the last ten years. That accounts for the loss of about $45.6 billion in gross income. It could be related to the other list in which New York leads – Highest taxes of any other State! Some attribute the decline to seeking “better weather” since many of our citizens have moved to Florida. Of course, “more favorable taxes” are probably a better reason. For the record, California is second on the list losing their population to more favorable “climate” in Texas. I can personally attest to this since my brother whined a few years ago about all the “foreigners” moving into Texas. When I asked how he could tell, his response was “Well, all I see are California license plates everywhere!”.

And we’ve already discussed this early this week, but it bears repeating over and over. Perhaps our Republican State Senators should concentrate on ways to keep people in New York rather than introducing bills that would require full disclosure to comment on blogs – the “Internet Protection Act”. Just when you think that Republicans “get it” they go and do something that is just stupid.

In Memorium –

The man who invented the creamy center of the Oreo cookie passed away this week at the age of 76 in Toms River, New Jersey. Sam J. “Mr. Oreo” Porcello worked as the chief food scientist for Nabisco for 34 years and is credited with inventing the filling for the Oreo, the Double Stuf’ Oreo, chocolate-covered, and white chocolate-covered Oreos too. As a matter of fact, Mr. Porcello held five patents related to the Oreo cookie. Rest in Peace, Mr. Oreo and thank you for all the sweet and tasty treats. However, Mayor Bloomberg, mortal enemy to all fun and tasty foods, most likely will not send flowers…

And finally, it is worth noting this week marks the first anniversary of the beginning of the end Anthony Weiner's political career - One year ago this week, Anthony "The Weiner" Weiner decided to display his Wee Willie Winky on Twitter. After a newspaper's headline writer's field day, he resigned. Fast forward to today and he's pushing a baby carriage and having a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe he can get a talk show on MSNBC like Al Sharpton or CurrentTV like Eliot "Client #9" Spitzer. One thing is for sure, no one is knocking at his door just yet. Thank goodness his wife is so forgiving and still has a job.
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Saturday, May 19, 2012

New York State of Mind and the First Twitter President

It has been a very long time since I have updated you on the happenings in New York. It's not that nothing has been happening. It's just that so much is going on, it's hard to know where to start! So let's start at...

Sports: Okay, the New York Rangers are battling the New Jersey Devils for something or another in the Stanley Cup playoffs. That's hockey for you non-sports enthusiasts.

In other sports new so far - the Yankees suck; the Mets don't suck so much and in basketball news, Brooklyn is getting its first professional sports team since the Dodgers moved to L.A. in the '50's! The New Jersey Nets will shortly be the Brooklyn Nets.

Local: Two issues have been making the headlines in the past few months involving our long-standing Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. First, the AP reported a few months ago that our very competent Joint Terrorism Task Force headed by Commish Kelly may have been fighting terrorism for real by violating the rights of terrorists by monitoring and thwarting the plans of terrorists to plan and execute acts of terrorism in NYC. Imagine that! The task force is accused of monitoring activities in mosques and Islamic-related organizations, websites, followers and neighborhoods with dense Muslim populations in the tri-state area. So far they have thwarted several potential terrorist attacks on bridges, subways, and trains on our fair city. All done legally within the confines of all local, state and federal civil rights laws. But since it targets a single group, then that is bad according to the ACLU and Muslims in the city. Incidentally, the AP won their Pulitzer this year because of their reporting on this issue.

In addition to that, Commish Kelly has come under fire for our long-standing "Stop and Frisk" policing too. This is where the police can stop, question, and frisk anyone that they suspect is up to no good. Since they instituted this policy in early 1990's under the Guiliani administration, murders have declined by about 75% - over 2000 murders at the peak in the '80's to 410 as of 2009. But here is the problem as the New York ACLU et al. see it - 54% of the people stopped are young and black, 34% were Hispanic, and 9% were white and almost all of the stops were in the very high crime/high minority areas of the city. It is no matter that 64% of the violent crimes committed in the city are by young, black men. That must just be a big coinci-dink. Fortunately, Commissioner Kelly and most of the grateful population are not buying any of the outrage. Kelly admits there are problems that can be addressed and updated, however he adamantly defends the policy as highly effective and successful. Interestingly, even the black community, with the exception of the usual race-baiters like Big Al Sharpton, are siding overwhelmingly with Commissioner Kelly.

Federal: Well, there must be a snowball having a high time in a very hot place these days! The Congressional Primary in New York is on June 26 and Charlie Rangel may finally be in big trouble. Since he was elected to the House in the '70's, Ol' Charlie has gone virtually unchallenged, but not anymore. Because New York lost two Congressional District in the last census, District 15 has been expanded to include a large swathe of Hispanic voters in the Bronx. So, now Rangel is now being challenged by the other major minority group in New York - the Hispanics - who are running their own very popular candidates. Respected candidates without the baggage of censure to weigh them down and, surprise, they are leading. It has not helped that Rangel has not been seen in D.C. since February due to a "back injury". He refuses to concede that he may be in trouble, but stated recently that he may consider dropping out if the Dems can find a viable candidate that could defeat him. Of course that came after Obama declined to endorse him and Bill Clinton publicly endorsed his former aide who is running against Rangel. This is definitely a district to watch.

Other Stuff: And finally. I have just joined the Twitter-verse and I just had to follow our Twit-In-Chief. I just couldn't help myself, but for the record, Twitter is a huge waste of time. Maybe it's my age, but seriously, it's stupid, but it's here and not going away. Well, not unless there is a massive solar flare that knocks out all electricity or a giant asteroid hit. But now that I'm here, look what's up...

If you thought that Hollywood was the only place that the entertainment elite meet to pay homage to their favorite Man of the People.



Yes, Sarah Jessica Parker waxed poetic:
"This November's election will determine whether we get to keep moving forward, or if we're forced to go back to policies that ask people like my middle-class family in Ohio to carry the burden -- while people like me, who don't need tax breaks, get extra help."

Of course, it is the same backward policies that allowed an actress with third-rate acting ability and an even worse singing voice to become a very successful superstar of stage, screen, and television with multiple multi-million dollar residences and women who she can pay handsomely to bear her children so she doesn't have to disfigure herself and who can ask 50 of her other wealthy friends to pony up $46K without batting a eye-lash. Think of what $2.3 million dollars could do for some local arts/music program or how that money could help some other middle class family in Ohio! But, hey, that's just me.

And not all of Obama's Twitter followers are supporters. I thought this was pretty clever...



Next time: The long, long list of elected officials who are currently on trial or have been convicted of graft, greed, and embezzlement of public funds this month...
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Saturday, May 12, 2012

Question of the Day

Today is Graduation Day for many colleges and universities around the country including member of my family, which got me thinking about how much I would love to go back to school to study...something. So since I will otherwise occupied for the afternoon, here is question for you to ponder while I am away.

Question: If you could study anything at all with no thought of anything but pure intellectual pursuit, what field would you pursue? [+] Read More...

Saturday, May 5, 2012

What A Busy Day!

This is one of those days that has something for everyone to get excited about! Let’s see, it’s Cinco de Mayo – the day in 1862 that the state of Puebla in Mexico defeated the French Army and won independence from France! Okay, so it's really only celebrated in the US and in the state of Puebla in Mexico, but that is no reason to ignore it, so drink a cerveza de Corona and celebrate already! Then for you astro-nuts, there’s a Super Moon tonight – the moon will be 14% larger and brighter. As described by the LA Times, “at 11:34 ET, [the] full moon will reach perigee -- the closest point to Earth in its elliptical pattern …and only one minute later, the moon will line up with the Earth and the sun to become gloriously full.”

Oh, and just in case you missed it, Obama officially kicked off his Presidential Re-Election Campaign today! I know what you are thinking. You didn’t know that he had ever stopped campaigning, but be that as it may, it is now official. If you are really interested in getting involve, you can donate $3 and possibly win a chance to meet “The One” and maybe even George Clooney! Or...

Last, but certainly not least, the 138th Kentucky Derby will be run today at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Known for great hats, mint juleps, and some of the most beautiful horses in the world, the Run For The Roses kicks off the race for the Triple Crown. If possible, if one horse can win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness in Maryland, and the Belmont Stakes in NYC, then that horse will be crowned the greatest horse of its generation. It has only been won 11 times since 1919. The last horse to win was Affirmed in 1978.

The post positions for this year's Kentucky Derby are as follows:

1. Daddy Long Legs
2. Optimizer
3. Take Charge Indy
4. Union Rags
5. Dullahan
6. Bodemeister
7. Rousing Sermon
8. Creative Cause
9. Trinniberg
10. Daddy Nose Best
11. Alpha
12. Prospective
13. Went The Day Well
14. Hansen
15. Gemologist
16. El Padrino
17. Done Talking
18. Sabercat
19. I'll Have Another
20. Liaison
Info on the horses

Choose your horses. Post time is 5:24pm ET. The winner wins one of our famous invisible Commentarama T-shirts*!

*Subject to change without notice and availability**
**Subject to approval of "THe Management"***
***Only if the Boiler Room Elves are so inclined to make them.
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