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By Hank
ITHACA, NY–According to an upstate New York paper, “a candidate for state Senate announced that people should vote for her because she’s a woman.”
Pamela Mackesey of Ithaca is a Tompkins County legislator and a Democratic candidate for the 53rd District Senate seat occupied by George H. Winner Jr., R-Elmira. Winner is not seeking re-election.
During a stop at Elmira College, which was a women’s school when it was founded in 1855, Mackesey pointed out that while women are active in the voting booth, they are less visible when it comes to running for office.
“In 2010, 84 percent of the members of the state Senate are men. No woman has ever represented our district in the 90 years since women’s suffrage,” Mackesey said.
“I think it’s time we changed that…”
At a stop in Ithaca, Mackesey repeated her plea for the woman’s vote and went on to imply that women were naturally more honest than men:
“Cleaning up Albany seems like child’s play compared to what we women have already achieved,” Mackesey told an audience at the Ithaca Commons.
“I’m not saying that having more women in the Senate would lead to ethics reform, but no woman there is under indictment. I’m not saying more women would deliver an one-time budget, but three men in a room is, well, three men in a room,” she quipped.
By Hank
In this case, it’s “Fried” day and that means…this:
state fairs are a hotbed of culinary experimentation. The latest headline maker comes from the Texas State Fair, where one man plans to unleash the craziness that is Fried Beer upon the world.
It’s really quite simple. Ravioli-ish pockets of dough are filled with Guiness and then deep fried. Judging by the below video, the beer just spills out onto the plate after the first bite.
Seems like a waste of good Guinness to me but, hey, whatever floats your boat.
By Hank
Want your bagel sliced? That will cost you extra in New York State
If you’ve noticed your morning bagel run is costing a little bit more these days, you can thank New York State tax officials.
The cash-strapped state is now enforcing an obscure sales tax provision, which says whole bagels sold for takeout are not subject to sales tax, but “sliced or prepared bagels” are, along with whole bagels eaten in the store….
Kenneth Greene, who owns 33 Bruegger’s Bagel stores in New York State, found out the hard way that he was not in compliance with the law. After an audit, state officials sent him a bill and demanded that Greene begin collecting those bagel taxes.
Something about this isn’t kosher.
By Hank
New York Post:
The Islamic cleric who wants to build a mosque two blocks from Ground Zero once claimed in a jaw-dropping speech that the United States has killed more innocent civilians than al Qaeda.
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf’s remarks five years ago have set off a fresh firestorm of controversy, dumping fuel on the already combustible debate surrounding the estimated $100 million Islamic cultural center, and infuriating mosque opponents, who are fighting to have it moved far from the site of the 9/11 attacks.
“We tend to forget, in the West, that the United States has more Muslim blood on its hands than al Qaeda has on its hands of innocent non-Muslims,” Rauf said in 2005.
“You may remember that the US-led sanctions against Iraq led to the death of over half a million Iraqi children. This has been documented by the United Nations.”
First off, maybe they have the right to build their little terrorist training Islamic Cultural center in downtown Manhattan to poke a finger in the eye of the victims of the attack and the rest of the nation but even before this latest news it was a jerk move. And the politicians who refuse to at least acknowledge that fact are also jerks.
Second, this latest news tends to support the opponents of the project. Rauf’s comments aren’t just critical of the United States’ involvement in middle eastern wars. He’s attacking the country even for using sanctions in lieu of wars.
Basically, Rauf is saying we’re worse than the terrorists.
And then, to make matters even worse, we have a White House that sent this anti-U.S. imam on a taxpayer-funded trip to the Middle East.
I suppose President Obama can say that the imam is “just some guy from the neighborhood.”
By Hank
ITHACA, NY–The administrators of a Facebook page set up to support Ithaca Police Officer Bryan Bangs are accusing Mayor Carolyn Peterson and other city officials of attempting to suppress the group’s free speech rights. Police officials are denying the accusation.
Bangs was cleared by a Tompkins County Grand Jury in July of wrongdoing in the shooting death of Shawn Greenwood. The Grand Jury found that Bangs acted in self-defense while trying to arrest Greenwood, a convicted felon, under a warrant. Later that month, Bangs’ house was torched in an apparent arson. No one has yet been charged in that fire.
On Friday (August 6), the Facebook site’s administrators posted that “the Mayor of Ithaca as well as certain police officials are currently attempting to silence and censor our support of a member of their law enforcement agency.”
No further details are given. The site also accuses the Mayor, a Democrat, of prejudging the case early on:
In the last several months, Mayor Peterson attended the funeral of a repeatedly convicted felon who was shot and killed by a police officer after striking another officer with his vehicle while resisting arrest when the police attempted to serve him a search warrant during a suspected drug deal. Mayor Peterson then attended a public forum and clapped while individuals called the officer who fired the shots a racist and a murderer.
The accusations have touched off a storm of controversy about the website with many posters to the page calling for the Mayor to resign. The story has spread beyond the city, as two upstate television stations have reported on the allegations.
Mayor Peterson is not quoted in either television report.
However, Deputy Police Chief John Barber reportedly told both stations that the city was not trying to shut down the site.
Instead, according to Barber, Ithaca officials simply wanted the site revamped to clarify it was not sponsored by the city.
As of Monday (August 10), the site specifies that it “is NOT a Government page, and is not run by or authorized by any government agency.”
By Winston
That means Sam Adams Summer Ale for me. And a rare appearance here on Federal Review. So, some quick hits.
Maxine Waters: Based on what I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like she did anything wrong. Certainly considering that Tom Daschle was majority leader and his wife was a lobbyist for, I think, Boeing. Come one. She arranged a meeting. the bank got a bailout – just like all the other ones. Big deal. Maybe there’s more. But based on what I know now, getting Maxine Waters on this while she continues to be one of the dimmest bulbs in Congress, is like getting Al Capone on tax evasion.
Stimulus: So, how do you stimulate economic activity in a way that encourages continued economic activity? Is it by taking money from taxpayers, laundering it through Congress and its scattered interests, and then spend it? Or leave it with the people so they can use it to make economic decisions untainted by politics? I’d take the latter. And better yet, eliminate the corporate income tax. It will encourage more companies to base in the U.S. and conduct their operations here. There’s a jobs bill for you.
Amending the 14th Amendment: Just plain dumb, dumb, dumb idea. If you are born here, you are a citizen. I’m good with that. If you don’t want illegal immigrants showing up pregnant, build a fence.
Philadelphia Eagles: Mike and Mike say they’ll be 8-8 without McNabb and Westbrook. I agree. The margin of error here is 4. They could be 4-12 or 12-4 too.
President Obama: Doesn’t want to give Republicans the car keys because he’s steering the ship of state so well (sorry for mixing metaphors). Same old same old. Obama, once inspiring, now clearly has nothing new to say. The weak economy is not his departing economic advisor’s fault. Its the fault of those taking/refusing advise by continuing to pummel the economy on a nationalizing binge worthy of Hugo Chavez.
Same Sex Marriage: Not for me. But, there should be a method for giving other couples the same rights and penalties (equitable distribution, community property, taxes, divorce court) as the rest of us.
California Judge on Same Sex Marriage: Dude, gay or straight you can get married to someone of the opposite sex. No discrimination there. Regardless of whether you think it should be legal, finding a “right” to same sex marriage in the Constitution, especially in the face of the will of the people expressed clearly in a plebiscite, makes a mockery of the notion of a Constitution as constituting anything.
BP and the Lockerbie bomber: Well, in the exercise of its foreign policy, the UK decided to let him go. And that helped BP get a contract. A successful BP is in the UK’s national interest. Perhaps principle should trump the naitonal interest, but let’s not be so surprised that the UK, like other countries, conducts its foreign policy to serve its own interests. Still, I wouldn’t have let the bastard out. Die in misery in prison where you belong.
American Idol: Kara Dioguardi was too freaking annoying and self-important. Simon was honest, brutally, and gone. Now Jennifer Lopez and Steve Tyler will join the Dawg? I’d prefer Harry Connick on the panel.
BP Oil spill: Much ado.
Mandela’s Legacy: I recently say Eastwood’s Invictus. Good movie. I don’t know if the portrayal of Mandela was accurate, but if this is who he becomes for history, then a fantastic role model and someone to revere.
Youth in Revolt: Pleasant picture. Worthwhile. Portia Doubleday = cute.
Music: How can I easily understand the translation of a guitar chord to a piano chord. Say, Em on guitar is easily transposed to a piano how? Start on E, play minor 3rd, major 5th? Or what? Is there some shorthand theory here so I don’t need to figure out all the specific notes?
Mowing Grass: It’s a great respite from the standard worries of the day. Unless it’s 100 degrees and 100% humidity. Enjoy my weeds, neighbors.
Friday Night Lights: Best show on TV. Not as cloyingly look-at-me as Mad Men. And how does Landry get the hot chicks? Or if you are Coach Taylor, how does Lance get the hot chicks?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 on the Desktop: Impressive and a pleasant experience. Based on Fedora 13, so go try it.
iTunes: We need a version for Linux. Come on Steve Jobs, a little help here.
Tax Holiday: I’d go get an iPhone 4 this weekend, but I’d have to pay tax on it and I don’t want to wait in line with all those buying their tax free Macbook Pros. Hey Gov. Perdue, how bout a year long sales tax holiday. You can call it a “stimulus”. That is, if you have time to think about such things between meetings with your lawyers.
Federal Review: Got no idea if I care about continuing this. Will welcome suggestions.
By Hank
Today is International Beer Day.
International Beer Day is a Glorious August 5th Celebration of Beer, taking place at pubs, clubs, bars and breweries all over the world.
That’s right, folks. Come this August 5th, Makers, Lovers and Sellers of beer all around the globe now have another reason to raise their frosty mugs. Along with hundreds of bars, restaurants, pubs and breweries worldwide, we have declared the aforementioned International Beer Day!
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The purpose of IBD is threefold:
1) To gather with friends and enjoy the deliciousness that is beer.
2) To celebrate the dedicated men and women who brew and serve our beer.
3) To bring the world together under the united banner of beer by celebrating the beers of all nations and cultures together on this one remarkable day.
International Beer Day is our chance to let the breweries and bars of the world know how much we appreciate them, all while participating in one of the activities ever — drinking beer! Perhaps even more than the beverage itself, International Beer Day is about celebrating the establishments who produce it, sell it and give folks a place to enjoy it.
So raise your glass on August 5th to celebrate these heroes behind each tasty brew. Cheers, and Happy International Beer Day!
You could have fooled me. I always assumed it was March 17.
Oh well…drink up everybody!
By Hank
Judge Vaughn Walker’s opinion and order striking down California’s ban on gay marriage can be found here.
I’m a big believer in states’ rights in this area. I think states should be able to legalize gay marriage within their borders through the legislative or electoral process. I also think they should be able to regulate and, in some cases, ban gay marriages, just as they can ban marriages between adults and minors and between incestuous couples.
Judge Walker, however, was clearly more interested from the beginning in creating a right that directly benefited himself and others of his bent. As National Review notes, under Walker’s decision:
[In effect, (e)]verything that plaintiffs’ “experts” say is beyond dispute. E.g.: “[T]he evidence shows beyond any doubt that parents’ genders are irrelevant to children’s developmental outcomes.” “The evidence shows conclusively that moral and religious views form the only basis for a belief that same-sex couples are different from opposite-sex couples.” (I would have thought that it’s equally clear that “moral and religious views form the only basis for a belief” that the laws against murder should protect all persons.)
Judge Walker makes little or no reference to the fact that nearly all of plaintiffs’ “experts” are political activists for gay causes and that many or most are in same-sex relationships. They’re just neutral experts. In the same way that Walker is just a neutral judge.
The case will next go the notoriously left-wing Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and, hopefully, thereafter to the U.S. Supreme Court. We can only hope that President Obama hasn’t had a chance to add a few more Elena Kagans to the high court before then.
By Hank
I had a busy couple of weeks and so I couldn’t update the site for a while. I’ll try to get back to more regular blogging soon and I’m hoping the other guys will be able to follow suit (hint hint).
In the meantime, comes some truly important news, the Dutch have invented the world’s strongest beer :
The new beer, which has been dubbed as “Start the Future”, was created by Nijboer’s Almere-based brewery, ‘t Koelschip (The Refrigerated Ship), and it comes in a one-third litre bottle costing 35 euros….
Nijboer said he developed the new brew, which is 60 percent alcohol by volume [120 proof--Hank], to keep up with Scottish outfits that were also pushing the boundaries of beer’s alcohol content.
His previous record-holder, a beer called Oblix was 90 proof or 45 percent alcohol by volume, and it was eclipsed by a Scottish beer, dubbed “The End of History”, that reached 55 percent.
Have a good weekend!
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