Better than I could've said it- drunken sailor edition

This is from Eugene Robinson's Friday column in the Washington Post, which my paper got around to printing today:

To say that George W. Bush spends money like a drunken sailor is to insult every gin-soaked patron of every dockside dive in every dubious port of call. If Bush gets his way, the cost of his wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will soon reach a mind-blowing $600 billion. Despite turning a budget surplus into a huge deficit, the man still hasn't met a tax cut he doesn't like. And when the Republicans were in charge of Congress, Bush might as well have signed their pork-stuffed spending bills with a one-word rubber stamp: "Whatever."

So for Bush to get religion on fiscal responsibility at this late date is, well, a joke. And for him to make his stand on a measure that would have provided health insurance to needy children is a punch line that hasn't left many Republicans laughing.

Hasn't left many voters laughing either. Certainly not any parents or children.

Bush's veto Wednesday of a bipartisan bill reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program was infuriatingly bad policy. An estimated 9 million children in this country are not covered by health insurance -- a circumstance that should shock the consciences of every American. Democrats and Republicans worked together to craft an expansion of an existing state-run program that would have provided coverage for about 4 million children who currently don't have it.

It was one of those art-of-the-possible compromises designed to advance the ball toward what has become a national goal. Health care is arguably the biggest domestic issue in the presidential contest and, while the candidates and the country may be all over the map in terms of comprehensive solutions, there's a pretty broad consensus that some way has to be found to ensure that children, at least, are covered.

Make that an extremely broad consensus: According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released this week, 72 percent of Americans supported the bill Bush vetoed.

72%. Wow.

Head stuck firmly where no information or sunlight will reach it- that's Teflon W! (Along with Rep. Jim Saxton, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, and Rep. Scott Garrett- Our Fair State's own who voted against the bill.)

My media-verse, updated

30 Rock is the funniest thing on TV.

Watch the 1st episode of this season. There's a part of that which is one of the funniest things I've ever seen on television. Ever. Including Soap.

"Clean Election" Debates for the 14th

The League of Women Voters is sponsoring the two Clean Election debates (required by the program):

On Oct. 10, there will be an hourlong debate among the 14th District Assembly candidates starting at 7 p.m. at Monroe Township High School Performing Arts Centre.

On Oct. 22, an hourlong debate will take place among 14th District Senatorial candidates followed immediately by a one-hour debate among 14th District Assembly candidates. This event will begin at 6 p.m. at Steinert High School in Hamilton.

Mark your calendars!

Out of touch Jim Saxton- again

Today's Times of Trenton had a nice juxtaposition on pg. A7. At the top of the page is an article about Jim Saxton voting against children's health insurance and the Democrats targeting him to change his vote: ( I can't find the article on NJ.com, but since it's an AP piece, here it is at the Home News Tribune.)

Rep. Jim Saxton, R-3rd Dist., cast one of 159 nay votes in the House on the bipartisan bill subsidizing health care for children and families. Though the measure passed with 265 votes, it's still 15 votes shy to override a presidential veto.
President Bush vetoed the bill Wednesday. A veto-override vote has not been scheduled.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee began running radio ads Monday targeting Saxton and seven others they view as vulnerable in the next election, hoping to spark voter ire and, ultimately, change their votes, said committee spokeswoman Carrie James.
...
"The Democrats are clearly using children and children's health care as a political tool as they gear up toward an election," (Saxton spokesperson Jeff) Hollendonner said. "It has been well-known for months President Bush would not accept something with such high spending."

Well, Bush wouldn't accept something that helps American children with such high spending; he's willing to shovel money at Iraq, though.

Oh, sorry, went off subject there. Anyway, back to my morning paper: at the bottom of pg. A7 is a Newhouse article about a survey done by the Rutgers Center for State Heatlth Policy: (here, from the Star Ledger:)

Concern about the availability of health insurance runs so deep that a majority of New Jerseyans would support a tax increase to guarantee benefits, a new survey revealed yesterday. Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), who is preparing legislation to provide universal health care coverage in the state, said he was greatly encouraged by the poll.
...
While it isn't clear Vitale's legislation will require tax increases, the Rutgers survey showed 57.1 percent would support some tax increase to ensure that everyone has health insurance they can't lose. It found 47.9 percent said they would accept an increase larger than $500 annually to fix the nagging social problem.

So, Rep. Jim Saxton, and Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, and Rep. Scott Garrett, your constituents here in Our Fair State are so concerned about health insurance they'd be willing to accept a tax increase to pay for it. Did'ja see that? Do you care about what Our Fair State's residents actually want before you vote, or are you just willing to fall into Bush Lockstep?

Cross-posted at Bluejersey

My media-verse for October

My media-verse is about to change drastically. Yesterday, I recieved my Amazon shipment with my new Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace and my new Voice of Crow, so there's my audio and literary media-verse for the next week right there.

Also, Top Chef ended last night (I didn't see it yet I was too tired to stay up I'll watch it tonight don't tell me who won lalala I can't hear you) so for TV viewing I'll stick with DVDs. We borrowed the British show Chef! and I do love it. Lenny Henry is great.

What's haunting your media-verse lately?

So this is Clean Elections?

GOP leader balks at signing Baroni letter Party faithful decries content as unethical and negative. From today's Times of Trenton:

Racquel Chiarella of Monroe considered herself a faithful Republican, so when she was asked to write a letter to the editors of several newspapers in support of state Senate candidate Bill Baroni, she was more than happy to oblige.
But when Baroni's staffers sent her a form letter to sign that was critical of Democratic Senate candidate Seema Singh, Chiarella not only refused, but resigned her leadership position with the Monroe GOP committee.
"Bill Baroni is about running clean campaigns and I felt that this letter was unethical and so negative that I wouldn't sign it," Chiarella said. "If it had just been a letter supporting (Baroni), I would have signed it without a problem, but because it was attacking his opponent and I don't even know if the issues it raised are legitimate, I could not put my name on it."
Chiarella said she was originally contacted by Baroni staffer Arnaz Ali, who said the campaign was looking for a Monroe resident to sign a letter in favor of the Republican. The instructions accompanying the letter asked Chiarella to send a copy to four newspapers.

Form letters-to-the-editor are pretty common in campaigns, but who would write one so unethical that even the party faithful wouldn't sign it? Well, of course, it was all done by an overzealous young staffer (according to Baroni spokeswoman Stacy Schuste). Isn't it always some young staffer?

Ads

Seen a lot of ads on cable TV recently pro-Ellen Karcher and anti-Jennifer Beck. 'S nice to know that the Dems take the 12th seriously in this election.

I've seen Jennifer Beck at town halls and such a couple of times, and honestly- even if I wasn't a die-hard Ellen Karcher fan, I'd be anti-Beck. She spent no time doing anything other than spewing the NJ Republican line. She struck me as someone who has no idea what she wants to do for Our Fair State, just someone who wants to get elected to a higher office. That's a lousy recipe for a State Senator; it was a lousy recipe for an Assemblycritter too.

Go Ellen!

You know they all pretend

The new, very cool video from the Foo Fighters

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle The Whole Earth Center Way

Princeton's Whole Earth Center organic grocery store is undergoing a huge expansion. In keeping with their main philosophy, they set a goal for themselves to divert 75% of the project's waste from landfills. So, now that they're almost done, did they make that goal?

They've beat it, and by far. As of now, they've recycled or reused more than 93% of the constrution waste and byproduct.

It's a great little (soon to be bigger) store. I first found out about it as a way to buy local grass-fed beef from Simply Grazin' farms, and now I can't walk out of the store with fewer than three grocery bags full. They have signs over some of their organic produce telling where it's from and miles to market. They have a bakery and a big bulk foods section- bring your own containers and bags, please!

Princeton Business Journal did a big article on them and the expansion this week. Check it out, then check them out: 360 Nassau St. (near the corner of Harrison St.) Princeton.

(Cross-posted at sfoodblog)

Arr!

Ahoy, mateys! It's International Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Avast, if ye need some help, there be a book fer ya:

I would look awesome as an anime monkey

I was bartending at a catered function recently, when two young-teenage girls came up to me and handed me this drawing. "We thing you would look awesome as this animal," said the artist.

"Thank you, I think." I said, then thanked them profusely for the drawing, telling them how good it is.

Later in the evening, when we were cleaning up, I discovered that a coworker of mine had also been presented with a drawing in the same way- hers looked like an anime giraffe.

That was proof positive to me that the girls were right about this being a cool animal for me to be, because my tall, thin coworker really did resemble an anime giraffe.

Six years ago today

It was a clear, sunny, beautiful day. I was taking my oldest to the second day of preschool when I heard the news of a plane hitting the first tower on the radio. I went home and turned on the TV, just in time to see the second plane hit.

I remember having to explain to my three-year-old, walking that fine line between truth and too much information. When she asked if we were going to be ok, her father and I reasured her over and over that we would be fine- the whole time having no idea if we would be fine, or if the country would ever be "ok" again.

That whole, awful day, I wondered what the survivors told the three-year-old kids of the victims. They would never be fine again.

Every time George Bush whips out his 9/11 card for partisan political gain, I think of three thousand people who he dishonors... and their now nine-year-old kids.

Michael Jackson has died

No, not that Michael Jackson, the other one:

Mr. Jackson especially loved Belgian brews, which his books “The Great Beers of Belgium” and “The World Guide to Beer” introduced to many export markets, including the United States.
By identifying beers by their flavors and styles, and by pairing them with particular foods and dishes, he also gave impetus to the North American microbrewery movement.
His television documentary series, “The Beer Hunter,” a title that popularized his nickname, was filmed around the world and shown in 15 countries.
Mr. Jackson was a beer critic for more than 30 years, writing in newspapers and gastronomic magazines, holding seminars, giving speeches and appearing on talk shows. His many books about beer and whiskeys were published in 18 languages.

We have his book Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, and it has always been a useful reference for us. His work in promoting and writing about good beer and whiskies was a strong voice for quality. He will be missed.

(cross-posted at sfoodblog)

Back from vacation

Thanks to folks who stopped by during my long hiatus from posting. We were gone quite a while.

Excellent vacation. Hiked, tie-dyed, waded in waterfalls, watched sunsets, drank a lot, laughed a lot, laughed some more, won some poker and played a lot of games.

Now, I'm completely off the anti-caffeine wagon. Gotta get back up there.

Starting, um, tomorrow I think. Or maybe Wednesday. Possibly Thursday.

Every once in a while,

...Dr. Science is exactly right about something:

Q: What is the deal with corn? Submitted by Scott W. Short from Canton, MO

A: Indeed, what is the deal with corn? There's too much already in storage so prices are low, yet every year we plant zillions of acres and then whine if the yields don't break new records. Planting and harvesting are extremely energy intensive, it demands large amounts of water and corn's so-called value added use as ethanol is a farce because it takes more energy to plant, harvest and process corn than it yields as a fuel. So what, indeed is the deal with corn? Our nation's agribusiness is addicted to it. And like any addict, they'll go to any lengths to deny or justify the addiction. As long as we're all willing to enable the addict, it's pure insanity to think anything will change.

Put to good use

Michael Vick jerseys are being put to good use at an Atlanta area humane society.

As Jeri Smith-Ready says, "Somehow the thought of his name and number being repeatedly soaked in dog urine just warms the cockles of my heart." Amen.

Caffeine

I'm cutting back on caffeine.

This is hard.

I went from 2-4 cups a day down to one. I've past the part with the headaches; luckily I only got a few, probably since I cut down gradually.

What's getting me now is the tiredness. I still get the mid-afternoon sleepys, but now I can't just toss back a cup of coffee or tea. I have to try to walk around, get active, whatever- and that helps but not so well.

The other day I had no tea in the morning, so when the mid-afternoon sleepy hit me, I got a cup of coffee.

Starbucks coffee. Good coffee. Powerful coffee. All bow to the awesomeness that is coffee.

I was so awake for the rest of the afternoon and day; awake like I never felt when I was downing coffee on a regular basis. I discovered that once I'd reduced my dependency on the drug, using it again gave me the full potential. (Something most relapsing addicts know, I'm sure.)

Now that I've been reminded of the real thing, I have to avoid getting hooked again. Unfortunately it'll be mid-afternoon soon, and I just hope I don't get too sleepy...

Friday Cat Blogging- Big Cat Falls edition

Obviously, they're not my cats.

We headed to the Philadelphia Zoo yesterday, the kids and I. We were very lucky on the timing, because the new Amur Tiger cubs were having their public debut! We were ushered in to the exhibit in small groups, so as not to startle or upset the cubs and the new mama. The cubs, for their part, couldn't have cared less that there were humans on the other side of the glass; they had fun just splashing and playing with each other and periodically tackling Mom.

We love the Philly Zoo; close by and small enough to see everything in one day trip. Right now is a great time to visit; in the fall, the three African Elephants will be gone to their new home, so not only are there new tiger cubs, but it's your last chance to see the elephants.

Blue Jersey is awarded grant

Congrats to the best blog about New Jersey Politics.

Numbered

Summer is almost over; the end is in sight.

Last night I was considering when I would take the kids to the zoo, and I realized that I have exactly two chances left before school starts. I hope the weather cooperates on those days.

We still have one real, true and much-anticipated vacation coming up this summer. We have relatives coming to visit, too; summer's not over just yet. What I'm realizing is that we've done much less hiking, canoeing, backyard camping and day-tripping than we'd like to have done, and few chances left in the hot season. It's a little sad to think about it.

I guess I get this way every year about this time. I love when the corn, tomatoes and peaches are all in- but it's a fleeting time that means school, fall and more busy-ness are just around the corner.

Enjoy what's left of the dog days of summer. They're numbered.

My Media-verse

*Rob has challenged folks to list what's been in their media-verse lately. I'll give it a go. It's late summer and I'm clearly not into anything heavy or serious right now:

Books:

Of course, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows leads the list. First I read it, then I listened to the Listening Library version. I was very happy with it. I'm listening to Eragon right now, as read by Gerard Doyle. I have a Playaway of it from the library, and I'm not enjoying it too much; I think it's the Playaway's fault- the sound quality sucks. Am waiting for A Thousand Splendid Suns at the library, and watiting for Voice of Crow to be published.

Graphic Novels:

I am reading the Y-the Last Man books. Since there are only nine compilations of those and I need a Brian K. Vaughan fix, I'm wolfing down Ex Machina too. Catching up on my Sin City as well- I haven't seen the movie yet, and plan to read most of the books first. (I can't believe I have Graphic Novels as a separate section. I blame you, Rob. I do.)

Print media:

Newsweek had a great article on the Global Warming denial machine. There's a lot of money going into confusing the public about what's actually true and what's trumped up. I read the Times of Trenton every day- or at least, go through it if I don't have a lot of time to read it. Speaking of not having enough time, I'm a little behind on my National Geographic right now.

Movies:

Finally watched Clerks 2 this past weekend and it was fun, although as full of plot holes and awkward segues as the original. I caught the Devil Wears Prada on cable this last weekend and it was awful. I read the book a few years ago and it was entertaining, but they butchered it here. (Her boyfriend works in restaurants and complains about her hours? Not believable at all.) Am on the waiting list for 300 at the library; I've borrowed Volver twice and not been able to watch it either time. I'm hoping to finagle a babysitter to see the new Bourne movie.

TV:

Morning: I've switched from Today to American Morning on CNN. I only get to watch a few minutes in the morning, and I've decided I prefer some actual news to infotainment. Primetime: we always catch Olberman if we can. Love Top Chef. Love Mythbusters. We've watched two episodes of Mad Men and I've decided that's enough- I simply don't care what happens to anyone on the show, so why bother? Strangely, I do watch this show, and I can't explain why- I just keep watching.

Music:

Very little music, it seems. I've been listening to audiobooks and am out of the loop for music. I have WXPN on right now, but it's background noise really.

So I guess that's it. What's in your Media-verse right now?

Embarrased

Like most voters in Our Fair State, I didn't declare a party when I registered to vote. I remained an independent until recently, when I finally declared as a Democrat to vote in a primary.

Right now, I'm so embarrased that I ever did that; I don't want to be called a Democrat. Not when they pull shit like this:

Senate Democrats reluctantly agreed to pass a bill Friday night that would update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA. The House planned to consider the measure Saturday after rejecting a Democratic alternative.
Bush is demanding passage before Congress' planned summer vacation, scheduled to begin this weekend.
The president praised senators for acting "to give our intelligence professionals the legal tools and authority they need to keep America safe. I appreciate the hard work they did to find common ground to pass this critical bill. Today, the House of Representatives has an opportunity to consider that bill, pass it and send it to me for my signature."

Bush said I want it passed before vacation, and the Senate Democrats rolled over and said, well, ok, if we must, but we'll do it reluctantly. I guess that makes it better, huh?

The Senate Bill requires:
Initial approval by Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
FISA court review within 120 days. The final Democratic plan had called for court review to begin immediately and concluded within a month after the surveillance started.
The law to expire in six months to give Congress time to craft a more comprehensive plan.

So, in other words, Bush gets his blank check on eavesdropping for six months of his remaining seventeen in office.

On the good side, some Democrats weren't cowering:

Before the vote, Democrats excoriated the GOP plan, which Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-West Virginia, said "provides a weak and practically nonexistent court review."
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, angrily chastised his colleagues for bending to the administration's will.
"The day we start deferring to someone who's not a member of this body ... is a sad day for the U.S. Senate," Feingold said. "We make the policy -- not the executive branch."
Likewise, civil liberties advocates said they were outraged that Democratic-led Senate would side with the White House.
"We're hugely disappointed with the Democrats," said Caroline Fredrickson, legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union. "The idea they let themselves be manipulated into accepting the White House proposal, certainly taking a great deal of it, when they're in control -- it's mind-boggling."

Mind-boggling, indeed. I was hoping to hold on so I could vote in the presidential primary, but I don't know how long I can stay a Democrat, if I have to hold my nose every time I say it.

Didja file yet?

Don't forget, the Homestead rebate app needs to be filed by 8/15/2007. You can file online.

East Windsor gets the decision

Late last week, the the state Supreme Court ruled on the Twin Rivers case , upholding the homeowner association's rights to limit political signs and other types of ordinarily protected "free" speech:

In a ruling that could have implications far beyond New Jersey, the State Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the right of homeowners’ associations to restrict the posting of political signs and other forms of constitutionally protected speech, as long as the restrictions are not “unreasonable or oppressive.”
“We conclude that in balancing plaintiffs’ expressional rights against the association’s private property rights, the association’s policies do not violate the free-speech and right-of-assembly clauses of the New Jersey Constitution,” the court ruled unanimously.
...
Like many big developments around the country, Twin Rivers is run by a homeowners’ board, and some residents there objected to the restrictions on the political signs as well as restrictions on the use of community rooms for meetings and the publication of dissenting views in the homeowners’ association newspaper.
A state judge supported the association’s contention, ruling that people who moved to the development were aware of the rules and had to abide by them. But last year a state appeals court reversed that ruling, finding that residents of Twin Rivers were entitled by the State Constitution to express themselves as they wished.
The Supreme Court on Thursday reinstated the trial court’s decision.
The ruling could affect about 1.3 million New Jersey residents — nearly 40 percent of all private homeowners — and more than 50 million people around the country whose homes are part of an association.

Blue Jersey has got Ed Barocas, ACLU-NJ Legal Director, commenting on the case.

A solar power player

Our Fair State is second to California in our solar energy production, but tough days are ahead for that all imporant state rebate:

So far, government rebates — financed by $6-a-year charge to residential ratepayers and a higher charge to businesses — have been the basis for solar's growth in New Jersey. But with a lengthy waiting list for rebates, officials are searching for less expensive ways to expand the state's solar energy initiative.
...

The state's solar program started in 2001 with six homeowners installing panels that capture the sun's rays and turn them into electricity. Since then the program has grown to over 2,300 installations on homes, businesses, houses of worship and schools, generating about 38 megawatts of electricity — enough energy to power about 4,500 homes. During that period, about 100 solar-related companies have sprouted up.
Some in the industry fear a state Board of Public Utility proposal, which tries to encourage more private investment and move away from direct government subsidies, has serious flaws that may slow or even halt the state's progress in a competitive solar energy marketplace.

(Let's hear it for the fact that we're second to sunny California in production- and beat Arizona! Can I get a Woo-hoo?)

Unfortunately the rebates, which are very generous and have been a great incentive to go solar, are expensive for the taxpayer at large. Moving toward private investment is a good idea, but as Mark Warner, CEO of SunFarm Network, asks about the BPU plan: "Are they going to get it right or are they going to get it wrong?"

They're expected to vote on the plan Aug. 1st, so they have very little time to finish putting it together. It's a sure bet that everyone will be unhappy with some aspect of the new solar plan, but it makes sense to try to move away from an entirely taxpayer-funded rebate.

Brewing fun

We're more than halfway through the bottling process of a batch of beer- the bottles are sanitized, the priming malt added, the beer is in the bottling bucket- and we go to sanitize the bottle caps.

I don't have enough caps. Dammit. Andrew's on the run right now to pick up some more.

The only good thing about this is, since he's already on the way there, I called Brewer's Apprentice and placed an order for ingredients for another batch. He'll pick it up while there and we can get the fermenter full again; keep replenishing the empty basement homebrew stash.

This batch is an American pale ale (our version of an ESB, but with American hops and yeast) and now we're making a porter.

Hey, it's too hot to go hiking or even walk the dog, we've got to do something this weekend, why not brew?

Well, duh.

Corzine's motorcade told to cut speed:

A panel that studied Gov. Jon Corzine's State Police protection detail after he was gravely injured in a motor vehicle accident said yesterday the motorcade should not drive at excessive speeds or use emergency lights unless there is a specific threat.

No kidding!

Finished it

I'm holding true to that promise not to say anything about the book.

But it's hard to keep that promise.

The Waiting

It's not here yet. I checked when I got up.

So, I made breakfast and put it in the oven. Now I'm on the computer waiting for both breakfast and my package to be delivered.

Just checked- it's still not here.

Amazon said they sent it, so it should be here soon. Just like so many people (most of them under 15 years of age, but certainly not all) I'll be on media blackout until I finish the Harry Potter book. I'm taking no chances of accidentally tripping over a spoiler.

I checked again. It's still not here.

I was hoping to get some reading done before my oldest wakes up and asks for the book; I guess we should have ordered more than one copy for the three people in this house who want to read it. We made a strict family rule about not saying one single thing about the book until we've all read it.

I just thought I heard a truck, but it's still not here.

I promise to honor that strict family rule here on the blog and give not one detail. I'll be back when I'm finished reading.

Maybe I'll go check on breakfast. Or make some coffee.

Or sit in the living room to wait for the UPS guy to show up.

Wha... huh?

The Republican council members in Hamilton want to put a referrendum on the ballot to ask township residents if they want to spend the alloted $4.1 million to buy Klockner Woods.

The Republican council members posing the question have fought the purchase of the land since taking office in 2006, but have agreed to abide by the people's vote.
"I think the voters have already spoken loud and clear that they don't want the land at the price," said Council President Dave Kenny, referring to the 2005 election, when the purchase was a major campaign topic. "The mayor has said the people support the purchase, so let's ask the people."
Mayor Glen D. Gilmore, who championed the purchase of the land after receiving a petition signed by neighbors of the woods asking for its preservation, said he also would abide by the referendum, but doing so might be complicated.
"I would be glad to let the people of the township decide whether or not they think Klockner Woods should be preserved," Gilmore said. "At this point we are under court order to move forward with the preservation so if the community decides we should not preserve these woods I imagine what we would need to do is complete the preservation as ordered and then put the land up for sale."

That's right, there is a court order! Oh, yeah! (council members smack their foreheads as if remembering they could've had a V8.) "Complicated" is an understatement. So putting this on the ballot now is what, simple political posturing?

BTW, the price is no longer $4.1 million- It's over $4.6 million, because of the interest that's accruing while you continue to bicker. Be honest about what you're spending here.

Insuring for Civil Unions

We've heard a lot about the failure of civil unions in Our Fair State, not surprising since all separate-but-equals eventually are proven only to separate and not to be equal. So, it was refreshing to get a notice with an insurance renewal notice that Endorsement FE-6854: Civil Union endorsement will be added to my policy, replacing the word "spouse" with "spuse or party to a civil union considered valid under the laws of the state shown in our policy records as your state of residence" as well as redefining "relative" to include parties to a civil union.

A small bright spot, anyway.

Alone

Darkman wouldn't go up the stairs this morning. Usually, when we leave the house for a while, we put the dogs in our room (so no more cherished stuffed animals get their faces eaten off.) I tried to get Darkman to go up without grabbing his collar and dragging him, but he wouldn't go; he was wating for Blackjack to go first. Blackjack always went first.

Last night, Blackjack became ill rather quickly. When we realized he was in pain we called the vet and headed to Red Bank Vet Hospital, but we didn’t make it; he died in the car. We have theories, but we’re not sure what it was, and we’ll never know.

Darkman will never really understand. He'll have to get used to going first, now that he's alone.

Freezing summer

Today the air-conditioner guy came to where I work to fix the air conditioner. It was early, 9:30ish, before it was even warm out. While the air conditioner was off, two of the people I work with were terribly hot. One got fans and aimed them directly on where we were working (which is to say, on ME) because the oppressive heat was bothering her so much.

Ice cold, I left the area, finding duties in another room to occupy me.

A little while later when I had come back, a co-worker commented he felt cold. Relieved that it wasn't just me, I shut off the fan that was still blasting on us, and checked the thermostat.

It was sixty-eight degrees.


That's the temperature my heat gets set for in the winter!

Why does the world have to be refrigerated six months of the year? Why when I wear summer clothes anywhere do I feel like I must bring a sweater? Why??

I'm not asking to sweat. I'm asking for mid-seventies temperatures indoors.

Hamilton looking into solar

Hamilton mayor Glenn Gilmore is considering solar for township buildings:

Gilmore's plan involves soliciting solar power firms to install the solar panels, then sell the generated power to the township for a specified length of time, generally from 10 to 25 years.
"Solar panels could help us significantly reduce our electric costs, while also helping us to be more environmentally responsible," Gilmore said. "We're looking at not only cutting our energy costs, but also at cutting harmful emissions we as a municipality generate."
Gilmore estimated the township could save as much as 10 percent off the township's nearly $1 million per year energy bill by finding a solar provider willing to enter into the "purchase power agreement."

Good luck finding a solar provider willing to do that!

Resign

Speaking for the 79% of us who disapprove of Bush's 'performance' as president, Keith Olberman, once again, says it best:



(hat tip On Our Radar)

A new low

Quinnipiac released a new poll this morning which puts Bush's approval rating in Our Fair State at 21%:

Voters say 76 - 18 percent that the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction.
They disapprove 75 - 21 percent of the way President Bush is handling the war and say 57 - 38 percent that Congress should set a deadline to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq.
"President Bush's approval rating has hit an all time low of just 21 percent - lower than we've ever measured for a President in any state or national poll," Richards said.

Lowest approval rating for any president ever. Now, that's something to be proud of; you have to really work to get that low. Bear in mind also that the poll was taken from June 26- July 2nd; so the commutation of Scooter Libby's sentence doesn't even factor in here.

(cross-posted at Blanton's and Ashton's)

Vote for Springfield NJ

USA today has the voting up for the Simpsons premiere: vote here.

(Springfield, PA didn't even field an entry. What's up with that?)

Blogger in the State House

Great article about Jay Lassiter, Blue Jersey's state house correspondent.

Quick note from New Hampshire

I love lake livin'. (And, apparently, alliteration.)

Takin' a little break

I'll be back soon.

Closin' the loophole

The state senate voted unanimously to close the loophole allowing smoking on casnio gaming floors. Woo-hoo!

The vote came 18 months after the Senate approved a statewide smoking ban that exempted casino gaming floors and cigar bars. State Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, said the original ban unfairly left out the health interests of casino employees.
“Thousands of workers each and every day are exposed to second-hand smoke,” Vitale said. “Why should thousands of casino workers be subject to cancer and emphysema?”
Said co-sponsor Sen. John Adler, D-Camden: “We're doing the right thing for public health. It's overdue. A year and a half late, but better late than not at all.”

It's nice to know that the state senate doesn't consider casino employees to be second-class citizens. Now, let's see if the Assembly follows suit...

Locally grown

The Times of Trenton food editor Susan Sprauge Yeske had a great article yesterday about Central Jersey farmers markets. She included a list of some local favorites, which I condensed here and added a few:

Trenton Farmers Market, 9 a.m. -6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays at 960 Spruce St., Lawrence.
Lawrenceville Farmers Market, Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the parking lot of Lawrenceville Fuel, 16 Gordon Ave., Lawrenceville.
West Windsor Community Farmers Market, Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Vaughn Drive lot of Princeton Junction Train Station.
Sergeantsville Farmers Market -- 8:30 a.m.-noon Saturdays on the township green on Route 604 Rosemont-Ringoes Road in Delaware Township
Liberty Village Premium Outlets Farmers Market -- 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays at Liberty Village Shopping Center, off Route 12, Flemington.
Toms River Farmers Market -- Wednesdays, 12-6, Ruddy Park.
Burlington County Farmers Market -- 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the former Winner Farm at Hartford and Centerton roads, Moorestown.
Freehold Farmers Market -- 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays at The American Hotel, 18 E. Main St., Freehold.
Hopewell Community Market, 2-7 p.m. Wednesdays near the train station, off Greenwood Avenue in Hopewell Borough.
Montgomery Farmers Market -- 12:30-6:30 p.m. Thursdays beginning June 28 behind the Red Oak Diner at Routes 206 and 518.
Capital City Market -- 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays beginning July 12 at East State Street between Warren and Broad streets
Russo's at Buckley Plaza -- 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays, Buckley Plaza, Route 130, Hamilton

Some of these, such as the Trenton Farmer's Market, have rules about only selling what you grow- but there's no guarantee for the rest. There are "farmer's markets" and roadside stands where you can see the employees unloading fruit and veggies out of the same boxes they get at Shop-Rite, so be careful. Don't be afraid to ask where the produce is grown. If you want Jersey Fresh, speak up.

(cross-posted at sfoodblog)

Good luck Springfield!

Springfield NJ wants to host a premiere of the new Simpsons movie:

The Springfield that cartoon characters Homer and Marge Simpson call home bears little resemblance to the Springfield nestled between the Rahway River and the Watchung Mountains -- or the more than 70 other Springfields scattered across the country.
But one of the nation's Springfields will host the première of the first "Simpsons" movie July 26, and residents of the Union County community hope it is theirs.
Cameras were rolling yesterday in front of Town Hall for the final scenes of a video that, if picked, will clinch the honor. Fourteen Springfields are known to be in the running (New Jersey's other Springfield, in Burlington County, did not enter), with each community required to create a three- to five-minute video showing its "Simpsons spirit."
...
As she prepped residents yesterday for a scene in which they would be the crowd at a rock concert, (producer Robin) Cornelison exhorted, "Tell your friends, tell your friends' friends, tell your friends' friends' friends, to vote for Springfield, New Jersey."

Good Luck!

Why does this not surprise me?

Nothing is ever easy, is it?

Closing Fort Monmouth: Costs double from $780 million to $1.5 billion (Asbury Park Press)

The cost of closing Fort Monmouth has ballooned from $780 million to nearly $1.5 billion in the two years since a federal commission voted to shutter the 90-year-old Army post, according to the Army's fiscal year 2008 budget request.
The rise in cost is driven by a 571 percent jump in the price of moving the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School to West Point, N.Y., and an 85 percent increase in the price of military construction at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, according to Army budget figures.
The nine-member federal Base Realignment and Closure commission voted in August 2005 to close the fort and transfer most of its research mission to Aberdeen by 2011.
The Pentagon blames the cost increases on factors such as inflation and changes requested by the Army, but two former members of the BRAC commission said the panel members may not have voted to close the fort had they known how much it was really going to cost.
"I think it would have changed the commission's vote," said former BRAC commissioner Philip Coyle, who voted against the proposal to close Fort Monmouth. "People would have said, "What is the point?' "

Would knowing the true cost have changed the closing of the base? I doubt it. Fort Monmouth has been on the chopping block so many times that the ax was bound to fall. Maybe it would have delayed it until the next round- maybe.

Moving to Robbinsville

A petition with nearly 1500 signatures has been filed to change the name of Washington Township (Mercer County) to Robbinsville Township. The measure will be on the November ballot and if passes, will be a legally binding name change.

(Lewis, who got the petition) Koushel said the identity problem in Washington Township causes confusion in everything from school closings and athletic competitions to attracting new businesses to the community.
Koushel pointed to the fact that in 2003 the school board opted to name the new $50 million high school Robbinsville High School, rather than using the traditional and less-recognizable Washington Township. The decision followed an overwhelming community response supporting the "Robbinsville High School" name.
"We don't owe any allegiance to (the name) Washington Township," said Koushel. "I mean Washington never slept here."
On top of the name identity problem, there is added confusion because most of the township lives in the 08691 ZIP code, which is listed as Trenton.

Changing the name of this town, officially, to Robbinsville township is long overdue. I don't think that automatically fixes the zip code problem, though; West Windsor has been struggling with that one for a long time, too.

Love it here

Our Fair State's image is improving, even among our own residents. What's not to love?

Busy, busy

End of school year (field trips and parties galore)
End of soccer season
End of swimming season
End of ballet (rehearsal & recital)
Birthday parites galore
RE
Going on vacation soon
And, oh yeah, work.

Am tired. So tired.

And it's only Wednesday.

Swim safely!

The swimming bans in four shore towns have been lifted after tests showed the water meets state standards. The beaches were shut as a precaution after a spillage from a sewer treatment plant. Rep. Frank Pallone plans to introduce legislation to require sewage treatment facilities to have alarms so accidental discharges are immediately stopped.

Dear Hollywood Directors,

Hold the friggin' camera still.

I understand that a hand-held camera gives your movie more of an art-house feel, and judicious use of it during, say, a long chase sequence gives us the adrenaline rush of following our main character through the paces. Unfortunately, however, I just sat through an otherwise amazing film that I would have loved and raved about except for the fact that I spend half the movie noticing the camera work and feeling vaugely motion-sick. The hand-held camera is terribly, terribly overused now and unfortunately often so shakey that it looks like you strapped the camera to a poorly trained seal.

Excellent camera work should be like excellent make-up: it's so good you don't notice it.

There are devices that might help you; they're called a tri-pod or a camera dolly. I'm sure they're still in use in some movies. Please, find out what they are and start using them again.

What shall we do with all this useless beauty?

The Ft. Monmouth re-use plan probably won't be ready by the December deadline, fears the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority, the organization dedicated to redevelopment at the base.

NOT a blue moon after all!

Yesterday evening on All Things Considered, they shattered the idea that tonight's full moon is a blue moon. The next blue moon will be in May 2008- the third full moon in a season that contains four.


See, we all thought that a "blue" moon was the second full moon in a calendar month, something that only happens rather rarely. This is a mistake, perpetuated by a Sky and Telescope article over sixty years ago. Give the NPR article a listen to hear the details.

Property Tax "reform" goes on and on and on...

Gov. Corzine slammed the plan to devote the whole penny of last year's sales tax increase to property tax relief: "It's just money in one pocket versus another.... It does little to protect whether we will keep in place the rebates."

I don't want a ridiculous, gimmicky rebate check right before election day! I want the penny increase in sales taxes to go directly to municipal governments in the form of increased school aid and increased funding to towns, so they don't have to raise my taxes sky-high to afford decent schools and services.

This is the story of how we begin to remember

Never let us forget that we are the land of the free only because we are the home of the brave.

Sargent Sameer Rateb, Absecon
Specialist Eric Palacios River, Atlantic City
1st Lt. Ashley L. Henderson Huff, Belle Mead
Specialist Alain Kamolvathin, Blairstown
Specialist Christopher Duffy, Brick
Specialist Marc Seiden, Brigantine
Specialist Ryan Baker, Browns Mills
Specialist Philip Spakosky, Browns Mills
Sergeant Frank Carvill, Carlstadt
Lance Coporal Michael Schwarz, Carlstadt
Lance corporal Bincent Sullivan, Chatham
Major John Spahr, Cherry Hill
Pvt 1st Class Stephen Benish, Clark
Lance Corporal Harry Swain IV, Cumerland
2nd LT Seth Dvorin, East Brunswick
Captain James Gurbisz, Eatontonw
Specialist Kyle Griffin, Emerson
Specialist Simeon Hunte, Essex
1st Lt. Dennis Zilinski, Freehold
Airman 1st class Carl Jerome Ware Jr., Glassboro
Corporal Marc Ryan, Gloucester City
Private Eric Wilkus, Hamilton
Corporal Michael Edward Curtin, Howell
Specialist Marlon Jackson, Jersey City
Sergeant 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, Linden
Specialist Anthony Dixon, Lindenwold
Sergeant Micheal Hullender, Little Falls
Sergeant Matthew Fenton, Little Ferry
Staff Sergeant Vincenzo Romeo, Lodi
Sergeant Bryan Freeman, Lumberton
Specialist David Mahlenbrock, Maple Shade
Sergeant Ryan Doltz, Mine Hill
Staff Sergeant Anthony Goodwin, Mt. Holly
Specialist Narson Bertil Sullivan, North Brunswick
Sergeant Stephen Sherman, Neptune
Sergeant Humberto F. Timoteo, Newark
Specialist Yoe M. Aneiros, Newark
Pvt 1st Class Joe Baines, Newark
2nd Lt. J.T. Wroblewski, Oak Ridge
Pvt. 1st Class Bruce Miller Jr., Orange
Captain Michael Yury Tarlavsky, Passaic
Specialist Gil Mercado, Patterson
Sergeant Michael Egan, Pennsauken
Specialist Adam Froehlich, Pine Hill
Corporal Sean Kelly, Pitman
Staff Sergeant Edward Karolasz, Powder Springs
Pvt. 1st Class Min-su Choi, River Vale
Pvt. 1st Class Miguel Marcial III, Secaucus
Pvt. 1st Class Ryan Christensen, Spring Lake Heights
Pvt. 1st Class Donald Brown, Succasunna
Pvt. 1st Class Vincent Frassetto, Toms River
Corporal Thomas Saba, Toms River
Sergeant Alan Sherman, Wanamassa
Staff Sergeant Stephen Sutherland, West Deptford
Lance Corporal Brian Parrello, West Milford
Staff Sergeant Terry Wayne Hemingway, Willingboro

In memory, and in gratitude.

(NJ Iraq casualty list from icasualties.com)

Native American Arts Festival

The Powhatan Renape Nation is having its American Indian Arts Festival this Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, Sunday, & Monday May 26, 27 & 28.

Great way to spend an afternoon this holiday weekend. Drive safely, folks.

Tagged

I was tagged by Nordette, the Jersey Goddess, for the Eight Random Things meme. I need eight random facts about myself that you probably don't know, then I must tag eight of you to follow up as well. Hmm....

• I hate slugs. I really, really do. When I was a kid I brought in the dog's food dish from the back yard and it had a couple slugs in it; I thought they were snakes, and I was really upset. I can handle snakes much better now, but I still can't take slugs. I love my garden, however, and that makes things difficult.


• I'm allergic to kiwis. The fruit, not people from New Zealand.


• My first hair cut by a professional was when I was 28 years old. My mother always cut my hair when I was young, and through college and after I drafted friends, boyfriends and my husband to trim the back for me.


• My own mother once said about me "You're not just frugal, you're cheap." Bet you figured that out after the haircut item, didn't you?


• I took two semesters of Chinese in college. I remember almost no characters, but I can still understand greetings when I hear them.


• I don't have the patience for Monopoly anymore. I used to play it constantly with a friend when I was 11 or 12, so maybe I've burned out on it. I can play long involved games- we ran the same D&D campaign for almost eight years- but just not Monopoly.


• My husband is my best friend.


• I've lived in three different counties in New Jersey, four towns total, and I'm not leaving. I can't imagine living somewhere else. I didn't pick to live here- it's just where I was born- but I love it for all its faults. Sometimes I am fiercely loyal to things I didn't originally want or I just got stuck with, and maybe Jersey falls into that category, but I am fiercely loyal to it.

Now the harder part- tagging eight folks to meme.

• Rob S. Laughing at the pieces indeed!


• Janet When you have time to blog again, no hurry.


• Tata Do you meme, Princess Tata?


• Andrew Never has time to blog anymore, but still.


• DJ Rix Has been putting up some great poetry lately.


• VeeganMD is back on a new page.


• *Rob or Brenda Or maybe both!


• Greg! Back from the deep?

I will be not offended if you cannot or choose not to participate. I must say it was more fun and a little harder than I expected.

I get searches- Carla Katz take two

I made a flippant comment in the Blue Jersey news round up today about a Jon Corzine-Carla Katz item being in the news:

Joe Cryan and Tom Wilson are having a shouting match over financial issues and private email between the Gov and Carla Katz, with Wilson threatening to sue to release the correspondence and Cryan criticizing Wilson's tirade: "Mr Wilson is doing nothing better than engaging in political voyeurism." Sorry- maybe I should have put this in the same category with American Idol that I dismissed earlier; let's call it "Gossipy non-news."

Non-news, indeed. I got over 600 hits yesterday on this blog, mostly from Google searches on the name Carla Katz or Carla Katz photo.

Six Hundred.

Tom Wilson may be engaging in political voyeurism, but it looks like a lot more of us are engaged in simple voyeurism. A NY Times article about the money involved in the relationship is the spark for all this interest, of course. People still want to know about the woman to whom Corzine gave all that money.

An ethics panel cleared the gov of any allegations that union negotiations were affected by the old relationship. Katz and Corzine stopped dating a long time ago; he has been seeing someone else for years now.

There's nothing to see here folks; move along...

Violets are blue

One more casualty of global warming: our State Flower, the blue meadow violet, may disappear by the end of the century. Many wild flowers will be endangered; 17 other state flowers are threatened, according to a report by the National Wildlife Federation.

Drive Safely this holiday weekend

Governor Corzine's seat belt public service announcement, just in time for Memorial Day Weekend.

(hat tip jmelli)

Mercer County Supports Our Troops

I forgot to post this last week, sorry! The donation drive continues through Memorial Day:

"The small comforts of home have become luxury items for our military personnel serving overseas," said Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes, who announced the supply drive on Friday (5/11). The project is part of Operation Open Arms, which is run by the non-profit American Recreational Military Services.
...
The county government will accept supplies at several locations, including the Mercer County McDade Administration Building, 640 South Broad St., Trenton; the Mercer County Connection office, 953 Route 33, Hamilton; the county clerk's office, Mercer County Criminal Courthouse, 175 South Broad St., Trenton; and all 10 branches of the Mercer County Library System.
The items needed most include: insect repellent and wipes; lip balm; small packs of cotton swabs; razors; eye drops; powdered drink mixes; white or green socks; protein bars; mouthwash; granola and cereal bars; sugar-free items; hard candies, chewing gum and mints; batteries; tissues; baby powder; shaving cream; toilet paper; deodorant; feminine products; cookies; microwave popcorn; coffee and tea packets; over-the-counter medications; small cereal boxes; snack foods; and nuts.
The drive will end on Memorial Day, May 28. For more information, call Sharyse Porter at (609) 278-7193.

ARMS has other drop-off sites throughout Central NJ, if these aren't local to you.

We should end this war now. But since we can't, at least we can support our men and women fighting it. Please help out if you can.

Zach Braff Can't Sing

...but the man does love North Jersey.



hat tip to Shabe

I think it's worth more

The natural beauty of Our Fair State is worth about $20 billion, according to a study by the University of Vermont along with state officials. The study puts a dollar amount on natural land in order to make it easier to weigh environmental benefits while making policy decisions:

The goal of the study, one author said, is to give policymakers a better way of weighing environmental benefits as they judge regulations, building projects and other decisions.
"It's no longer a question of economy versus environment," said William Mates, an economist at the state Department of Environmental Protection. "It's really, if you want to call it that, economy versus economy. It's a question of what balance of natural capital versus physical [development] is going to be appropriate."

The most valuable areas: the Pine Barrens and the shore.

The Healing Power of Bob Barker

Sick as hell, I have been.

It started Tuesday; now with several days of antibiotics and lots of missed work, I am feeling better. I have to get from "better" to "good" by tomorrow; I can't miss any more work.

What do you do when you're home sick? Well, you get some sleep. You take ibuprofen and drink extra fluids. You take naps. You lie on the couch. And, when you're unable to focus your eyes and mind enough to read (I couldn't until yesterday), you watch TV; far, far too much daytime TV. No matter what, you watch The Price is Right.

This is the stay-home-sick-from-work/school plan I've followed since childhood. And I've always gotten better.

I firmly believe Bob Barker has healing powers. There's something about sitting on the couch with your box of tissues and stale glass of water watching people drastically underestimate the retail prices of furniture they'd never buy that always makes me feel better.

Maybe it's the simple comfort of the sameness of it all; the show hasn't changed much in the last thirty years. They must've spent a lot on that Showcase Showdown wheel back in the 70s or 80s, since they still use the very same one. Most of the sets and games are all the same, and the prizes haven't changed much either. I didn't see Rice-a-roni this week, but I bet it was there. Even though the voice has changed over the years, the trademark "Come on down!" still elicits shrieks of joy from the faithful in the audience.

I'm sure you've heard Bob Barker is retiring. Apparently CBS plans to replace him; I wonder if they will revamp the show completely or just try to drop another host in his place. I won't know until the next time I'm home sick, since I have no patience or time for game shows or daytime TV unless I'm stuck on the couch.

Bob, I'll miss you. Next time I'm under the weather and you're not there anymore, I'm sure I'll hear your voice telling me the Actual Retail Price in my feverish dreams. I hope I can still get well without you.

And, thanks for reminding us. I did spay or neuter my pets.

Exploding waves

Beachgoers at Surf City shouldn't worry about being blown up any more. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed their clean-up, removing all the WW I era munitions that were dumped with dredged sand on the beach. Over 1,000 pieces were found.

More NJ soldiers killed in Iraq

Army Sgt. Sameer A.M. Rateb, 22, of Brigantine

Staff Sgt. Vincenzo Romeo, 23, from Lodi

Read a good book lately?

I have and I have to recommend it heartily. I just read the first two books in the graphic novels of the comic books Y-the last man.

It's one of the best comic books I've ever read.

Now, I'm not a regular comic book junkie. I've read things Rob S. has recommended and several popular series like The Crow, but I'm by no means an aficionado. I'm usually a text-print book reader.

But I have to tell you, this is amazing. The story is astonishingly good and the art is too. Do yourself a favor and seek it out, from the beginning.

When I finish with this, a new book just came in the mail for me to start: The Last Three Miles, which only just became available. You know the author from his opinion mill.

Tell it to her Tuesday- Speed of Lightning, Roar of Thunder edition

Janet's Tell it to me Tuesday series continues today with the question Who would make your best underdogs list of all time?

Obviously, our hero here is tops of my list. And now I have the theme song (as done by the Butthole Surfers) stuck in my head. Thanks, Janet. Guess I should go add that to Rob's earworms list next.

Now it's time to list some big underdogs:

The Philadelphia Eagles: They've been the underdog in two superbowls: 2004 and 1980. 1980 they got roundly trounced but 2004 was so close it hurt.

Silence of the Lambs: Who expected this to take the oscar from JFK and Bugsy, which took the Golden Globe? Thriller/Horror usually had no chance, and then this one took the best actor/best actress/best picture trifecta. Creepy as hell, too.

Willie McCoy (Slim): He refused to believe that you don't mess around with Jim.

There are a bunch more, I'm sure. Have fun with it!

Book Sale

Need some used books cheap- or want to find treasures to resell on ebay? Two Mercer County Library book sales this weekend:

Hightstown is having a huge sale to coincide with the townwide garage sale on Saturday.

West Windsor branch library is having a book sale through Sunday.

Quote of the day

From the Star-Ledger article, McGreevey's life journey is taking a spiritual turn
Ex-governor enrolls in Episcopal seminary :

Richard Codey, who succeeded McGreevey as governor, said he was surprised by his predecessor's latest endeavor.
"Just when you thought it couldn't get any wackier in New Jersey politics, it did."

I love Dick Codey. Did I tell you that lately?

(hat tip to PoliticsNJ.com)

Mushrooms in Princeton

The New Jersey Mycological Association is having a foray to find the morels of spring this Sunday morining at 10AM at the woods of the Institute of Advanced Studies near the Princeton Waterworks. They have experts who can identify different 'shrooms so you don't have to worry about your finds.

I can't go! I'm so upset- I would love to do this. The details and more info are at the link above; make sure to check it out.

(cross-posted at sfoodblog)

The Hightstown story that won't go away

The mayor of Hightstown was continuing his media rounds, on Bill O'Reilly (needless to say, I didn't see him) and a cover story on yesterday's Times of Trenton, to talk about the town's immigration policy. Tomorrow, there will be a press conference in this little Mercer County town with the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey and Hispanic Directors Association of New Jersey where they support mayor Bob Patten.

Patten continues to insist that the response has been mostly positive. I hope he's right.

Not gonna happen

It was nice to read the articles of impeachment for Dick Chenney.

Thanks for the idea, Rep. Kucinich. I'm sorry that it's not gonna happen.

(And thanks for the link, OTTami.)

Happy Birthday

Their birthdays are all in the spring, April and May sometime, but we've long since forgotten exactly when- or in one case, never knew exactly. So, years ago, we decided on May 1st, all cats age one year.

Happy Birthday.


Cooper in the sun - age 14

Gypsy, who really has green eyes -age 15



Alaska avoiding having her picture taken- Age 13

Pathetic #2

Did Earth Day get you choked up? Or, did you see Al Gore's documentary and realize the impact humans make on our planet? How about Time magazine's cover story on environmental change? The wonderful Frontline on the politics of climate change?

Maybe I was the only one. Apparently, we don't care enough to bother to pull the newspaper out of the garbage can on a regular basis:

20 years later, state's recycling effort wanes

New Jersey in 1987 became the first state to require mandatory recycling, and over the next 10 years recycled an average 67.1 percent of the glass, metal, plastic and paper that used to wind up in garbage dumps.
But on the 20th anniversary of Gov. Thomas Kean signing the re cycling bill into law, New Jersey is no longer considered a recycling leader. No more than 34.3 percent of the recyclable materials are being separated from regular trash.
Former Gov. Jim Florio, who guided recycling efforts during the early years, addressed the change in the numbers during an event yesterday in Trenton marking the anniversary.
"It is troubling to see a reduction in the commitment to recycling," he said. "It leads to air and water pollution and global warming, and leads to a reduction in job opportunities. We should take today's event as a recommitment to recycling."

With all the publicity given toward climate change, it looked like (most reasonable) people were finally starting to accept that humans do change their environment. I guess not here in Jersey.

Cm'on folks, this one is easy.

Immigration debate heats up Central Jersey

A couple of weeks ago, the Washington Post ran an article on how some cities are adopting a don't-ask policy on immigration status. Residents can access city services, including calling the police, without fear of immigration status questions or problems. The small central Jersey borough of Hightstown was a frame for this story:

In the aftermath of a series of raids in 2004, the town council in this historic borough of 5,300 -- transformed in recent years by an influx of at least 1,300 Latin Americans -- unanimously approved a sort of immigrant bill of rights.
Joining a growing list of cities enacting a no-questions-asked policy on immigration status, Hightstown now allows its undocumented residents to officially interact with local police and access city services without fear of being reported to federal authorities.
It has opened new lines of communication here, officials say. One illegal immigrant at the complex where the raids were staged called on the police recently to help place a family member in alcohol rehabilitation; others have reported domestic abuse, extortion, theft and other crimes. Some are calling the town's pro-immigrant mayor for advice on City Hall weddings and landlord troubles. Hightstown has
added services aimed at immigrants, including free bilingual computer classes last month. Noting the shift, one Spanish-language newspaper recently dubbed Hightstown the "Paradise Town" of New Jersey.

The backlash was swift.

From the Windsor-Hights Herald, the local paper to Hightstown:

That includes, among dozens of e-mails, one with the headshots of Mayor Bob Patten and the members of the Borough Council, calling them "deranged and dangerous" and asking readers to report their activity to federal immigration officials.
...
"One wonders ... how your elected officials can uphold their oath when they disregard enforcement of immigration laws," reads one e-mail from a writer who said he learned of the story from MSNBC," read one e-mail. (sic) "It seems that you have taken the less responsible path and in so doing have created a safe house for everyone who sneaks into this country for whatever reason, including terrorism."

Intermixed with the notes calling Hightstown a city of criminals which should declare itself an independent country free of US law, however, came emails and calls in support of Hightstown's policies, including from people wishing they had similar policies in their states.

The resolution didn't really change much about how borough police business was handled:

The Borough Council in March 2005 unanimously approved a resolution committing the borough to restoring trust and confidence Latinos have in borough police while taking ICE officials to task for allegedly identifying themselves as police officers during a raid. It specifically states that immigrants should have the "confidence to contact and interact with local police without fear of immigration consequences."
"When we passed that resolution, it did a fabulous job in letting the members of our community know that they would be treated fairly and justly and equally," the mayor said this week. "It created confidence that they can interact with police and interact with our government they can report crime."
Police Chief James Eufemia said this week that the resolution served to educate members of the Hispanic community that their citizenship was never an issue when they needed police. But he acknowledged, "That was their biggest fear."
"As a matter of course, we didn't do that prior to the resolution or after the resolution," he said. Citizenship issues can become part of the process if someone arrested can't produce identification, he explained.

Without such a policy, the illegal population were often successfully targeted as victims by criminals. Crimes went unreported and predators remained free of prosecution. If people know the authorities will help them and not treat them as criminals, they're more likely to report thefts and violent crimes. The police can do their jobs and pursue the truly dangerous.

The face of the town has changed somewhat in the last ten years: there are more Hispanic-themed businesses & restaurants, more places where Spanish is spoken, more classes at the library and local churches for English as a Second Language. None of this is a negative to me; I'm happy and proud to be in a community which cares for its own, no matter where they came from. I'm not alone in that, but it's pretty clear that there are two sides to this story, even in a heavily-Democratic little Central Jersey town.

(cross-posted at Blue Jersey)

Do you have an extra $3317?

Our Fair State (or should I say Our Broke State?) is $33.7 billion in debt, the fourth-worst of the fifty states. That's $3,317 for every person- so I need over $13K for my family of four.

New Jersey has been among the nation's five most indebted states since 1998, when public officials borrowed to pay for everything from public employee pensions and school construction to business incentive grants and the state's annual operating expenses.
With about $3 billion allocated to repaying the debt each year, state Treasurer Brad Abelow and Gov. Jon Corzine have said the state's credit card is maxed out. They are considering leasing operating rights to the New Jersey Turnpike, the State Lottery or some other high-profile state asset to pay down the debt so that they can borrow the additional billions of dollars needed for school building, highways and open-space acquisition.
...
The increase in state debt last year, $800 million, was the smallest since 2001, the report shows. While New Jersey was taking a breather, Massachusetts piled on $2.5 billion in new debt, pushing it past New Jersey on the list of top debtors.

Corzine has made some financial improvement in Our Fair State; at least our rate of borrowing has slowed.

Hey, it's something.

Pathetic

13.9% of voters showed up for school board elections this year:

Voter turnout was down from last year in some local districts. And statewide, only about 13.9 percent of voters took part in this year's election -- casting a total of 674,709 votes -- as compared to last year's 15.7 percent turnout, according to the state Department of Education.
That's "not terribly good," said Mike Yaple, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association. Those statistics represent a small but not insignificant drop in participation this year, he said.
While larger elections always generate a greater voter turnout, the stakes are high in school district elections, said Yaple.
"Usually, more than half the average property tax bill goes to pay for schools, and the vote can really impact the quality of education in a town," he said. "Quality schools can have quite an effect on property values in a community."

But, it was rainy, and maybe there was somethin' good on TV, so folks decided to stay home instead. They'll save their opinions for when they get their property tax bills, I guess.

Pathetic.

Lazy Linkin' Thursday

Drinking Liberally has a new chapter as of May 2... in Pennsauken!

State Senator Ellen Karcher has a discussion of clean elections, ethics issues and even a full time-legislature.

Steve Kornacki waxes poetic about the Accidental Governor, who I just wish I could vote for someday. And, yes, describing a Jersey politician as having "a house in West Orange, two kids, a standing Saturday-night movie date with his wife, an addiction to basketball—and an admirable aversion to traditional grandstanding" is waxing poetic.

School Elections Today!

Across Our Fair State, voters will flock to the polls to voice their opinion on school board members, budgets, and specific quesitons.

Actually, that's a lie. Voters will flock to file their taxes, which are due tonight. A dedicated few will vote, far, far too few, fifteen or sixteen percent of voters if we're lucky. Everyone will reserve the right to complain about the results, however.

Polls are to be open from 5-9PM today, but many are open earlier and may even be open now. Check with your individual school district's web site. The flooding experienced in many parts of the state shouldn't make a difference; however, Manville and Bound Brook did have to postpone their elections.

Make your voice heard.

Good luck and get well, Sean

Gloucester County resident Sean McQuade was shot in the face in yesterday's horrific shooting at Virginia Tech. He is in critical condition after surgery at a hospital in Virginia. Our thoughts are with him and his family.

UPDATE 10:26 A.M.: CNN reports that Matthew La Porte, a student from Dumont, New Jersey was also among the victims. I cannot possibly imagine what his family is going through right now. May they someday find peace.

UPDATE AGAIN: The victim list from New Jersey is:

Matthew La Porte, 20, of Dumont
Julia Pryde, 23, of Middletown
Michael Pohle, 23, of Raritan Township

Our hearts go out to their families.

Help for flood victims in North Central Jersey

(I stole this post completely from nathanrudy at Blue Jersey. I think he not only wouldn't mind, but would be glad for more folks to see it. -SGR)

Just saw this in the Courier News today about the flooding in Bound Brook, Manville, South Bound Brook and some of the other towns along the Raritan River.
A lot of folks are homeless due to the flooding, or have lost all their belongings for good or for at least a little while. They really need some help, and Blue Jersey seems like a good place to go.

BRIDGEWATER - The American Red Cross, Somerset County Division, helping victims of today's floods, is requesting donations of the following items: clean towels, blankets and socks, baby food and baby formula, diapers, new personal care
items, and sanitary products. However, clothing will not be accepted.
Donations should be taken to the Food Bank Network, Building 9E, Easy Street (off Chimney Rock Road). Contact Marie Scannell at (732) 560-1813 with questions or for directions.

The flooding is really bad, though not as bad as with Hurricane Floyd. I drive through this area in my commute every day, and could not get through. Every crossing from Green Brook to west of Somerville was closed down, so it's pretty serious.

If you can help, please do.

Major Storm Developments

The Star-Ledger just posted a list of updated storm news.

Survey

Blue Jersey is doing a survey of its readers. If you haven't visited, stop on by and say what you think.