Same-sex marriage, backdoor to immigration fraud?

Check this out. The Obama Administration clearly isn't doing enough to attract illegal aliens to these United States, so now they've added "married to" (or "thinking about being married to") a person of the same sex as yet another reason to cancel deportation proceedings.

Henry Velandia is a Venezuelan national who moved to Princeton, NJ while appearing in a Univision TV series. He overstayed his visa, which makes him ineligible for a Green Card. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) caught up to him, and initiated deportation hearings.

But then there was a "catch."

Last year Mr. Velandia took a ride to Connecticut to "marry" a fellow named Joshua Vandiver and suddenly he was a cause celebre among the intelligensia. Because even though he broke the law, Henry Velandia was being unjustly deported! ICE picked on him because he is gay!

As always when it comes to "gay rights," there are no rules. There are only rainbows. And unicorns. And of course sympathetic bureaucrats who drag their feet until their bosses can see which way the political winds are blowing.

Two weeks ago, citing waning Obama Administration support for the Defense of Marriage Act, ICE changed their tune. "Pursuing Mr. Velandia's deportation is not an enforcement priority at this time." And just like that the judge dropped the charges. Henry Velandia's get-out-of-jail-free card arrived in yesterday's mail.

Well whaddya know. When it comes to "Love, Illegal Alien Style," boy-meets-girl is totally passe. ICE is on to all the fake bride scams and they put every traditionally married immigrant couple through the ringer. But now, thanks to "gay marriage," the backdoor to Green Card Nirvana is wide open again.

So starting next month, when every Juan, Jose, and Hector in the Tri-State Area hotfoots it over to New York to get hitched to the bracero of his dreams, don't say I didn't warn you.

Posted at 14:16 by Chris Wysocki   [/immigration]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Has Fred Upton seen the light?

The venerable 100 watt light bulb just might get a reprieve. Congressman Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is finally going to make good on his promise to hold hearings on repealing the idiotic incandescent bulb ban he championed in 2007.

It only took millions of Americans shining a spotlight on his stupidity for Upton to get his butt in gear.

Upton has come under increased pressure in recent weeks, sources say, after failing to follow up on a promise he made after assuming the committee chairmanship that he would hold hearings on reversing the ban. After months of paralysis - and with the ban just six months from going into effect on January 1 - outrage was building among his own Republican committee colleagues and conservative activists, including a national petition campaign, FreeOurLight.org, sponsored by the influential Competitive Enterprise Institute.

Well, good.

Repeal of the ban is widely popular among House republicans. In the Senate, the catchily-named BULB Act (Better Use of Light Bulbs), sponsored by Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), is currently wending its way through committee.

Let's get a move on folks, time's a wastin'.

Posted at 10:04 by Chris Wysocki   [/agw]   Comments | Perm Link |
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While we're talking about polls, more than half of NJ residents are "confused"

The latest Bloomberg poll shows more than half of New Jersey's residents are, if you're being polite, confused.

So, the guy who said he'd cut spending and tame the unions actually cut spending and tamed the unions. And for that the populace is ungrateful?

BigFurHat, who never minces words, calls these dissatisfied folks "imbeciles."

To be fair to some New Jersey residents, they aren't newly stupid. A majority in that poll have been stupid for a very long time. I am fascinated by the mouthbreathers who listened to Christie campaign and detail EXACTLY what he was going to do if elected, and now that he is doing it, the people who were once excited by this alternative to the irresponsible ways of the past democrat, and corrupt, governors are perplexed and angry. This is serious stupid. This is "we need a test to be able to vote" stupid.

Yup.

There's an old saying, God must love stupid people because he made so damned many of them. But why Lord, why did such a large percentage of them end up in New Jersey? Wisconsin was full?

Posted at 22:26 by Chris Wysocki   [/news]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Poll finds that most Catholic New Yorkers don't understand Catholicism

A new Quinnipiac University poll shows that New Yorkers overwhelmingly approve of the job Governor Andrew Cuomo is doing.

Fascinating. You know what this means? It means that 62 percent (and probably more) of New York State's Catholics do not understand Catholicism.

Andrew Cuomo is pro infanticide abortion.

Andrew Cuomo championed same-sex "marriage."

Both of which are of course anathema to Catholic doctrine.

Andrew Cuomo is not exactly a Catholic role model, and to believe otherwise is scandalous.

Archbishop Dolan, you have your work cut out for you. Some remedial CCD classes in every parish might be a good place to start. And then a reminder that the Sacrament of Confession brings true joy and peace.

(Via Memeorandum.)

Posted at 11:19 by Chris Wysocki   [/news]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Chris Christie signs public employee benefits overhaul into law

It's official. Governor Chris Christie signed into law legislation which sets the parameters of public employee health and pension benefits. The unions can no longer take advantage of each individual municipality and school district in a race to grab the biggest piece of the pie.

And remember, he did it by working with the Democrats to get what he wanted. He even made it look like it was their idea.

You know what this means, right?

Chris Christie is 2 for 3 on the WyBlog Christie For President Checklist!

He cut the budget.

Now he's tamed the unions.

Isn't it time Chris Christie punched some hippies?

Posted at 15:48 by Chris Wysocki   [/nj_politics]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Why I'm dumping Firefox for Google Chrome

Two words: Auto Update.

Two more words: Forced Reboot.

Last night I was in the middle of working at home on my pc. I had Firefox running in the background but it wasn't any of the windows I was focused on.

Suddenly my ssh sessions and Excel spreadsheet vanished. No warning, no recovery.

Yeah, that made me happy.

I control my pc, not Mozilla. I decide when my software should be updated.

And I damn well control when my pc reboots. I don't need some high and mighty browser vendor yanking my work out from under me just because it's convenient for them.

So buh-bye Firefox.

Posted at 12:59 by Chris Wysocki   [/tech]   Comments | Perm Link |
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There's white-collar crime and then there is White-Collar Crime

When Chris Christie was our U.S. Attorney he made his bones prosecuting political corruption. He was pretty good at it too, going 130 for 130 in the conviction department. After President Obama appointed Paul Fishman to succeed Christie the office began to de-emphasize corruption cases. (The cynic in me says that's because most of the guys Christie convicted were Democrats…) Instead Mr. Fishman has decided to take his office in a new direction: securities fraud and other white-collar crimes.

Which is good, nobody here is a fan of securities fraud. Although, you know, political corruption in the Garden State hasn't exactly been eradicated. And what if political corruption crossed paths with white-collar crime, on a scale that exceeds Mr. Fishman's definition of "large-scale" by an order or two of magnitude? What then?

Alas some white-collar crime goes unpunished.

As to white-collar crime, what about the one type of white-collar crime that goes entirely unpunished? For an accounting fraud of $567 million, Enron's executives went to jail, and its head guy died there. For an accounting fraud ten times that size, the two Democrat hacks who headed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Franklin Raines and Jamie Gorelick, walked away with a combined taxpayer-funded payout of $116.4 million. Fannie and Freddie are two of the largest businesses in America, but they're exempt from SEC disclosure rules and Sarbanes-Oxley "corporate governance" burdens, and so in 2008, unlike Enron, WorldCom or any of the other reviled private-sector bogeymen, they came close to taking down the entire global economy. Yes, yes, I know two wrongs don't make a right (unless you're Jamie Gorelick), but what then is the point of the SEC?

And what then is the point of the U.S. Attorney's office having "a very distinct emphasis on large-scale white-collar fraud cases" when they are not the least bit interested in prosecuting the one case which certainly had "a very disruptive impact on the markets in New Jersey?"

Yeah, I know, that's a dumb question.

Posted at 17:13 by Chris Wysocki   [/democrats]   Comments | Perm Link |
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It's a pity they both can't lose: NJ econuts are at war - with each other

Break out the popcorn folks, we've got ourselves a cat fight! The leaders of New Jersey's two biggest environmental groups are fighting mad — at each other.

Once best friends, [Jeff] Tittel and [David] Pringle now act like bitter enemies, and their spat threatens to divide the environmental movement at a critical time.

Good. Every minute they spend fighting each other is one less minute they can use toward foisting more idiotic regulations on us.

So, why are they fighting? Chris Christie! Pringle wants to work with the governor, Tittel reflexively loathes all Republicans. And since Christie won't bow down and french-kiss Mother Gaia whenever he commands it, Tittel is cheesed off at Pringle for selling out.

Ross Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University, calls out the real issue here:

"It tells you a lot about how the leaders of so many of these interest groups are driven by their own egos."

Say it isn't so! The ecowarriors are benignly altruistic, aren't they? Putting Mother Nature first, but for the good of mankind, they just can't be in it for self-aggrandizement! That would be so, hypocritical. Oh but then you read about how Al Gore has morphed environmentalism into population control and you gotta wonder, are these guys for real?

Because I'm not interested in dying for Gaia. I'm pretty sure you're not down with that idea either. So like I said, the longer Chris Christie can keep the econuts off balance, the better it is for people like you and me.

Posted at 15:59 by Chris Wysocki   [/nj_politics]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Oh great, Green Power will screw up the electrical grid and make our clocks run fast

Starting next month the clock on your oven will probably be wrong. No, it won't be broken, but the electric current it relies on to count the minutes will start deviating from the tried and true standard of 60 cycles per second.

Those corrections take effort, and the amount of effort needed is growing more complex every day. Which seems counter-intuitive because he power grid has run at 60 cycles per second for more than 80 years. They should know how to keep it that way by now! So what changed?

Green power, that's what. It's a whole different kettle of fish than the older, legacy (aka fossil fuel, nuclear, or hydro-electric) systems. And there's more and more of it being connected to the grid every day.

In the future, more use of renewable energy from the sun and wind will mean more variations in frequency on the grid. Solar and wind power can drop off the grid with momentary changes in weather. Correcting those deviations is expensive and requires instant backup power to be always at the ready.

Hmmm, so does that mean all this new-fangled green energy stuff is less reliable? Why yes, yes it does.

Hence the need to test the effects of allowing the frequency to fluctuate.

Great. It'll be interesting. We're all guinea pigs now. They're gonna mess with our clocks! What could possibly go wrong?

I guess it's time to break out those sundials again. They'll be more accurate than the alarm clock next to my bed. And best of all they're powered by a kind of renewable energy which thankfully isn't dependent on the power grid. Yet.

That's green energy for you. Less reliable, more expensive, and a potential cause of nationwide inconvenience. What's not to like?

UPDATE 25 Jun 2011 20:22:
Cross-posted at Right Wing News.

Posted at 19:35 by Chris Wysocki   [/tech]   Comments | Perm Link |
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What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder

The State of New York has turned its back on God.

Weak men, unable to resist the intense pressure of mob opinion, have shredded one of the foundations of Western Civilization and put themselves above Him.

Late Friday evening the NY state legislature redefined marriage, into nothingness.

Four RINOs joined the atheist Democrats in subverting 6,000 years of Judeo-Christian tradition. They tossed it aside like yesterday's rubbish in order to curry favor with the practitioners of deviancy.

Archbishop Dolan was eloquent, yet restrained in his condemnation:

But His Excellency is no match for the forces behind National Buggery Week, which culminates on Sunday with an X-rated parade that in light of this vote will most certaily rise to a level of debauchery unsuitable for anyone with young children or a weak stomach.

And politicians will fall over themselves to be seen marching in it. For such is the allure of sin that the Prince of Darkness finds all too many men who are eager to sup at his table.

May God have mercy on their souls.

Posted at 00:12 by Chris Wysocki   [/rants]   Comments | Perm Link |
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A toast to 3 years of The Daley Gator

Two guys who I've never met in person but I nonetheless consider to be "friends" are celebrating their third blogoversary! Yes it's true, The Daley Gator turns 3.

They're one of my daily "must reads," always interesting and never dull.

So let's raise a glass to Doug and Ed who are kicking off a week-long celebration of all things blogtastic. It promises to be chock-full of fun!

Blog Long, And Prosper!

Posted at 22:27 by Chris Wysocki   [/misc]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Padma Lakshmi presents Halfway to One Million Hits!

A little past 3:15 PM this afternoon the Sitemeter rolled over 500,000 hits. Yee-haw! I'm halfway to a million, although that whole "in a year" thing remains elusive.

How elusive? Sometimes I think I'm a freakin' mushroom. I emailed Mr. Million Hits last night about Chris Christie's bitch-slap of the public employee unions. So, who does he link? The New York Times. Because yeah, they need the hits.

Anyway for my Real Friends, and you know who you are, please enjoy these pictures of Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi as my thanks for your loyal patronage. You guys (and gals) are great. Really. Your friendship is truly appreciated.

Now if I could only get Padma to whip up a delightful celebratory meal for our enjoyment…

Who's with me?

I'll bring the dessert!

Posted at 15:52 by Chris Wysocki   [/misc]   Comments | Perm Link |
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According to the Greenies epic flooding is good for the environment, people be damned

The epic flooding in the Midwest, now affecting the town of Minot, North Dakota, is a disaster of massive proportions. Or is it?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seems to believe the floods are "very beneficial."

Greg Pavelka, a wildlife biologist with the Corps of Engineers in Yankton, SD, [defended the destruction, stating] that this event will leave the river in a "much more natural state than it has seen in decades," describing the epic flooding as a "prolonged headache for small towns and farmers along its path, but a boon for endangered species." He went on to say, "The former function of the river is being restored in this one-year event. In the short term, it could be detrimental, but in the long term it could be very beneficial."

This is Official United States Government Policy. They don't give a shit about people, just "endangered species." Why? Because the people experiencing this "prolonged headache" are just a bunch of flyover country rednecks anyway. You'll notice that it's never the ivory tower prognosticators who are sacrificed on the alter of environmentalism; it's always the poor schlub who's just trying to get by and take care of his family.

Floods in Malibu are a Crime Against Humanity. Floods in North Dakota are a boon for endangered species.

Read the whole thing, then tell me that the inmates are not running the asylum.

Posted at 11:51 by Chris Wysocki   [/agw]   Comments | Perm Link |
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New Jersey enacts significant limits to collective bargaining by public workers

Historic. There really is no other word for it. Today the New Jersey State Assembly passed historic legislation limiting the ability of public workers to collectively bargain for their health and pension benefits.

The measure already passed the State Senate on Monday. Governor Chris Christie is expected to sign it this evening.

Unlike their fleebagger compatriots in Wisconsin, New Jersey Democrats stepped up and worked with Governor Christie and the Republicans to get the job done. They put the needs of everyone above the demands of the unions.

This is a huge political victory for Chris Christie. Huge. He pulled off a truly bipartisan deal to bring skyrocketing public employee benefit costs back down to earth. The unions huffed and they puffed but in the end the people (and sanity) prevailed.

UPDATE 24 JUN 2011 08:42:
Linked by Theo Spark. And a "Recommended Read" at Pundit and Pundette. Thanks!

In an appearance on The Today Show this morning Governor Christie praised Democrats Steve Sweeney and Shelia Oliver for their leadership on this contentious issue. And he announced he'll sign the legislation in a special ceremony early next week.

UPDATE 24 JUN 2011 09:35:
There's a Memeorandum thread now. Am I in it? Is the Pope Jewish? Sometimes I don't know why I bother…

UPDATE 24 JUN 2011 21:32:
Linked by The TrogloPundit, who feels my Memeorandum pain. Thanks Bud.

Posted at 22:04 by Chris Wysocki   [/nj_politics]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Yes New Jersey, it's time to declare Obamacare "null and void"

The Tenth Amendment used to mean something. If NJ Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose has her way it could regain some of its lost stature. She has introduced legislation (A4155) to join ongoing efforts in 12 other states which would nullify the federal government's unconstitutional Obamacare mandates.

Yes folks, Obamacare really is unconstitutional. Just ask constitutional scholar Randy Barnett who was the original voice in the wilderness railing against the individual mandate back in 2009. Funny thing though, courts keep agreeing with him. And his notion of Ninth and Tenth Amendment limits on federal power are now considered mainstream.

One of the mockers is terrorist-sympathizing Rutgers law professor Frank Askin. There is no progressive shibboleth to which his knee will not jerk. And true to form he exercises his keen legal mind to opine on the issue of nullification:

"What kind of Lunacy?"

Well Mr. Askin, it's the kind of lunacy our Founding Fathers would have applauded. Unlike, for example, your particular brand of lunacy which imparts Miranda and Geneva Convention rights to foreign citizens who are engaged in waging war on these Unites States.

Or perhaps you meant the lunacy of Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver who refuses to even consider McHose's bill. North Dakota considered it, and their governor recently signed a nullification measure into law. Unsurprisingly the sky did not fall and the citizens of that state remain free to go about their business as they please.

Ah but Askin (and Oliver) fall back on "the Supremacy Clause," a tired old argument which says anthing Congress does automatically supercedes any state or local statutes. Unfortunately for them Professor Barnett has effectively torpedoed that line of reasoning via the Enumerated Powers clause. And of course those pesky Ninth and Tenth Amendments.

Otherwise James Madison wrote Federalist #45 for naught.

Posted at 21:08 by Chris Wysocki   [/obamacare]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Because when I think "guy who should run for president" I think of George Pataki

Really, I do. In the same sense that when I think "guy who should be Salma Hayek's second husband" I think — me!

As in, Not. Gonna. Happen.

But then I read John Hawkins' interview with the former New York governor and it hit me; By George I think this Pataki fellow is on to something!

I dare any conservative to articulate a better explanation of the dangers inherent in Obamanomics.

That's not to say I'm sold on Pataki 2012. He might be a fiscal hawk, and indeed he's quoted in the interview praising Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. But like Daniels, Pataki is squishy on steroids when it comes to other conservative hot-button issues like abortion, gun control, and health care. While governor in NY he instituted "Pataki-Care" which is really RomneyCare lite. As I recall it covers unmarried children up to age 29. That isn't exactly a "stand on your damn two feet" approach to adulthood.

And back in 2000 he signed the strictest gun control legislation in the nation, a bill championed by uber-liberal nutjob Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy. Her crusade to make a criminal out of every gun owner found a sympathetic ear in George Pataki. There's nothing to indicate his views on the Second Amendment have "evolved."

But the real deal-breaker for me is his stance on infanticide abortion. He's for it. As a fellow Catholic I cannot understand how he reconciles his faith with legalized murder.

So here's my advice to George Pataki, sit on the sidelines and endorse another fiscal conservative with broader appeal because you are never going to be president. But like Donald Trump and Ron Paul you can work quite effectively to steer the national conversation on fiscal responsibility in the right direction.

Posted at 09:28 by Chris Wysocki   [/election]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Girls will be boys and boys will be girls at Sussex County Vo-Tech graduation

Decorum is for weenies. Proper dress? That's so discriminatory! So when students graduate from the Sussex County Technical School shirts and ties for the boys are out. As are dresses for girls. Thanks to the ACLU of New Jersey anything goes. Because gender is so outdated!

One girl, one girl, objected to the requirement that she wear a dress. Really, I can see how that could cramp her style. A girl in a dress is a crime against humanity. According to her mother (shouldn't that be "Parent 1?") it's "old fashioned."

So, the ACLU rushes to the rescue, and dress codes be damned! Rules are for chumps, and when "Lola" gets her first job they'll be on speed-dial ready to pounce if the guidelines for Business Casual don't include skirts for boys.

It really is a mixed up muddled up shook up world.

Posted at 22:49 by Chris Wysocki   [/education]   Comments | Perm Link |
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NJEA don't know much about history...

Yesterday the NJEA staged what they labeled "The Second Battle of Trenton." Members of the state teachers union marched across the Calhoon Street Bridge into downtown Trenton as part of a vast public employees protest circus against having to pay more for their pension and health benefits.

Led by Revolutionary War re-enactors, the teachers likened their odyssey to Washington crossing the Delaware before engaging the British.

Except as every fourth grader should know, there already was a "Second Battle of Trenton," which Washington fought near the Assunpink Creek in 1777.

Then there's that whole reason for the Revolutionary War in the first place thing — citizens rebelling against onerous taxation. Here we have well-heeled union fatcats marching in support of higher taxation and not one of them even bothers to acknowledge the irony.

So, with apologies to Sam Cooke, here's an anthem for the next NJEA protest march.

After which they can launch into a rousing rendition of Send in the Clowns.

Oh wait, don't bother, they're here.

Posted at 11:28 by Chris Wysocki   [/education]   Comments | Perm Link |
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On Twitter nobody knows if the president is a dog

Boldly going where Anthony Weiner has gone before, President Obama will personally take to Twitter, regularly tweeting to his adoring fans as part of his 2012 re-election bid.

And how will we know when the tweet is in fact from our Dear Leader himself? It'll be signed "-BO."

Anyone here remember the name of the First Dog? Yup, it's Bo!

Coincidence? I report, you decide. But remember, on the Internet nobody knows you're a dog.

And the dog would probably be doing a better job.

Posted at 09:09 by Chris Wysocki   [/obama_watch]   Comments | Perm Link |
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NAACP: Making NJ public workers pay more for health care is racist

Has the NAACP jumped the shark yet? To them everything is racist.

Now it's asking public employee unions to contribute more toward their health insurance that is the moral equivalent of cross burning:

Crying "racism" has now officially lost all meaning.

UPDATE 21 JUN 2011 09:12:
Linked by Theo Spark and Larwyn.

Thanks!

UPDATE 24 JUN 2011 16:32:
Also linked by The Blog Prof!

Posted at 13:12 by Chris Wysocki   [/nj_politics]   Comments | Perm Link |
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All the Right People Are Communing in The Conservatory

Little Miss Attila and Dan Collins are living proof that sane people can be found even in the leftiest of enclaves. She's from California, he hails from The People's Republic of Vermont. They're two great bloggers who've teamed up to launch Conservative Commune aka The Conservatory.

It's not just another blog though, it's a place for right-minded folks to engage in commerce. And blog.

They blogrolled me so you know they've got good taste!

Seriously though, it sounds like a really good idea, right wing commerce for right wing communities. Check it out.

Posted at 12:40 by Chris Wysocki   [/misc]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Maybe NBC meant to say "One Nation Under Golf"

I didn't see NBC's opening montage for the US Open golf championship but I caught Dan Hicks' "apology" for an apparent screwup with the Pledge of Allegiance.

So naturally I was curious. It turns out the words "indivisible" and "under God" were left on the cutting room floor. Twice.

Lame. But typical.

We began our coverage of this final round just about three hours ago. When we did, it was our intent to begin our coverage of this US Open championship with a feature that captured the patriotism of our national championship, held in our nation's capital for the third time. Regrettably, a portion of the Pledge of Allegiance that was in that feature was edited out. It was not done to upset anyone, and we'd like to apologize to those of you who were offended by it.

Some "apology," eh? They're not apologizing for mangling the Pledge of Allegiance; they don't even acknowledge which words were left out or that their edit matches the Harry Reid version. Nope, but if we were offended, they're sorry.

I'm glad they cleared that up.

NBC = Natural Born Communists.

Posted at 10:05 by Chris Wysocki   [/media]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Hide The Decline? Meet Fudge The Rising Sea Levels

The resemblance between Climate Change and Actual Science took another hit today. Sea levels might be rising, or since the researchers are doctoring the data, they might not.

The University of Colorado's Sea Level Research Group decided in May to add 0.3 millimeters -- or about the thickness of a fingernail -- every year to its actual measurements of sea levels, sparking criticism from experts who called it an attempt to exaggerate the effects of global warming.

Make that GloBULL Warming. They say that their fudge factor is needed because the land is rising too.

Steve Nerem, the director of the widely relied-upon research center, told FoxNews.com that his group added the 0.3 millimeters per year to the actual sea level measurements because land masses, still rebounding from the ice age, are rising and increasing the amount of water that oceans can hold.

But the land rising and the oceans getting bigger is a good thing, isn't it? The (possibly) rising sea stays hemmed in by bigger and bigger shores!

Plus, seeing as how we're probably entering into a mini ice age the land might "rebound" even more!

Hide the decline. Hide the rise. I always thought that when the data didn't match the science it was time for new science. Silly me. Global Warming isn't science, it's religion.

Posted at 15:35 by Chris Wysocki   [/agw]   Comments | Perm Link |
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NJ Democrats join Chris Christie in bucking the public employee unions

Democrats and Republicans worked together yesterday to finally break the public employee unions' death grip on the taxpayers' wallets. Yes you read that correctly, rather than emulating their Wisconsin fleebagger counterparts, some NJ Democrats stood up for what was right.

The goal? Limit collective bargaining by public employee unions by establishing state-wide pension and benefit formulas. Everyone, even cops and firemen, will have to pay for their health benefits. And the lopsided union-friendly arbitration system will be dumped on the ash heap of history too.

Gov. Chris Christie praised the measure Thursday at the annual conference of the New Jersey Association of Counties meeting in Atlantic City. "New Jersey is setting a model for dealing with these problems in an honest, forthright and bipartisan way," he boasted.

Unfortunately, quite a few democrats remain committed to their union constituency. One fellow likened Gov. Chris Christie and his newfound allies to Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Yes, really.

Dude, when you've lost Tom Moran you've lost the war. Grow up, OK?

As I read Moran's editorial in the Ledger this morning I kept thinking how surreal it seemed. Here's an adamantly pro-union guy, writing for one of the most liberal papers in the country, and he's echoing the Tea Party.

How clueless are the union leaders? This clueless:

"Have we dealt with this situation well?" asked Vince Giordano, the political operative for the state's teachers union. "Yes, without question."

You got crushed Vince. Your angry rhetoric is falling on deaf ears now. You collect $421,615 in salary and $128,508 in deferred compensation on the backs of the teachers and you call me greedy for wanting to save a few bucks on my property taxes? I'm thinking clueless doesn't begin to cover it.

Assuming his coalition holds Chris Christie's star just got a whole lot brighter. The momentum is certainly on his side. Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver is on board, even as other powerful democrats are breaking out the long knives. Quite frankly I'm impressed. I didn't think she had the guts to stand up to bullies like Joe Cryan (D-Union) and Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth). But she did.

The full State Senate, and then the Assembly vote on the bill next week. The taxpayers are keeping their fingers crossed. This really could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Posted at 11:10 by Chris Wysocki   [/nj_politics]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Anthony Weiner will resign from Congress to pursue a career as mayor of his own pants

He waited for his wife to get home from her business trip, and she sealed his fate when she walked into the house and immediately cut his balls off.

Rep. Anthony Weiner will resign from Congress.

So he won't be mayor of New York City. Heck after this, he's unlikely to still even be mayor of his own pants.

Anyone want to take bets on where Weiner pops up next? MSNBC political analyst? Debate partner with Elliot Spitzer at CNN? Or underwear model for Abercrombie and Fitch?

Posted at 10:43 by Chris Wysocki   [/democrats]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Can New Jersey copy Wisconsin's takedown of the public employee unions?

In Wisconsin the public employee unions and their Democratic Party toadies went all in, and lost. The State Supreme Court struck down a county judge's silly injunction yesterday, making Republican Governor Scott Walker's plan to curb the excesses of their gold-plated benefits packages the official law of the land.

Now the battle moves to New Jersey where Governor Chris Christie has struck a deal with State Senate President Steve Sweeney to raise pension and benefit contribution rates on a sliding scale. Even better, unlike in Wisconsin the plan does not exempt police and firefighters unions. That's great news because the benefits they currently enjoy aren't merely "Cadillac Plans," they're so lavish I'd call them Lamborghini Plans. And that's on top of a pay scale which is the highest in the nation.

Unfortunately the unions have a friend in State Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver. She remains committed to the status quo, working to water down the proposal by insisting on a 3 year sunset provision. That is, we'll curb benefits until 2014, but then it's off to the races again.

Yet even that "compromise", which Sweeney was eager to embrace, has the unions boiling mad.

They're gearing up for a fight. A big fight.

Public employees are planning a raucous protest in Trenton on Thursday (June 16), when the legislation will receive a public hearing. They are asking demonstrators to drive around the city at the speed limit — and not a mile more — to create traffic headaches and prevent lawmakers and staffers from getting to the Capitol.

OK, maybe not such a big fight considering that driving the speed limit is, you know, the law. But that "raucous" part worries me, seeing as how their buddies in Wisconsin effectively shut down the state capitol for weeks with sit-ins and protest marches. New Jersey union goons aren't exactly squeamish when it comes to brass-knuckles tactics so who knows what else they've got planned.

On the other hand the unions already played the raucous protest card last year and Gov. Christie was unmoved. He didn't back down then and I'm virtually certain he won't blink now either.

The unemployment rate remains above 9%. That's a whole lotta folks who'll have trouble mustering sympathy for a bunch of whiny bureaucrats demanding the right to keep picking our pockets. Save your breath guys, and remember that you're lucky you still have a job.

Posted at 10:33 by Chris Wysocki   [/nj_politics]   Comments | Perm Link |
Technorati Tags: NJ-Politics Wisconsin Scott-Walker unions Chris-Christie Steve-Sweeney Sheila-Oliver   |   Tweet

Just in time for Fathers Day, the anatomically correct Anthony Weiner action figure

Now you too can get in on all the hot #Weinergate action with the anatomically correct Anthony Weiner action figure! Retailing for $49.95 the doll features a "flexible appendage" so everyone can play with Anthony Weiner's wiener.

Once he's locked and loaded a large blue sticker near his groin says "Tweet This."

Is this a great country or what?

UPDATE 14 Jun 2011 20:07:
Awarded Funniest Link of the Day by The Laughing Conservative.

Thanks!

UPDATE 15 Jun 2011 08:58:
Also linked by Theo Spark!

Posted at 12:55 by Chris Wysocki   [/odds_n_ends]   Comments | Perm Link |
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A feminist's reaction to #Weinergate - Women should run the world

In the wake of Anthony Weiner's meltdown my favorite feminist is cheerleading for the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

The obvious sexism aside, let's run with the idea, OK? Because there is a remarkable woman who is ready, willing, and able to serve as Leader of the Free World.

Her election as president would be an inspiration to us all.

That is what my feminist friend meant by elect more women, isn't it?

Posted at 14:18 by Chris Wysocki   [/feminists]   Comments | Perm Link |
Technorati Tags: Feminists #Weinergate PunditMom Sarah-Palin election 2012   |   Tweet

Will they call it "Snooki's Law?" - saving NJ from the scourge of underage tanning

Having solved all of New Jersey's other problems the Nanny Staters in our legislature are turning their attention to … underage tanning.

I love that part — even if they have their parents' permission — it's everything that's wrong with government rolled up into 7 words.

The government knows what's best for our children, and they really don't give a shit what we think. They'll dictate what our children eat, what they wear, where they go, and most assuredly what they are expected to think. No aspect of our childrens' lives will be left to chance, because what if some parent somewhere makes the "wrong" choice?

The bill also requires salon operators to post signs warning minors to stay away.

I think there are signs posted at every government office warning common sense to stay away.

Posted at 09:20 by Chris Wysocki   [/news]   Comments | Perm Link |
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I've got the tithing to the goddess of environmentalism blues

A group of six hundred Americans lost their jobs last week, another blip in the nation's dismal unemployment statistics. What makes these particular job losses noteworthy however is that the layoffs were entirely preventable, having been orchestrated by machinations of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The sagging economy didn't put these 600 people out of work, government regulation did. The product they created remains in high demand. In fact the supply of this product is shrinking even as prices are rising. But that's the Obama Administration plan; they want higher prices amid crippling shortages. Why? Because the product is electricity and the goal is to make it so expensive that millions of us will freeze in the dark.

To save the planet of course.

It's a double-whammy coming on the heels of their offshore oil drilling bans. Gas prices now top $4 per gallon, halfway to the $8 per gallon they say is the ideal price point. Exxon-Mobil just located another 700 million barrels in the Gulf of Mexico. Yet Obama will keep it tantalizingly out of our reach, presumably until Hugo Chavez is ready to help the Cubans extract it.

Next up on their energy source elimination hit list? Clean, dependable natural gas. The anti-fracking doomsayers are ready to rumble, loaded with specious allegations of drinking water laced with toxic waste, even as EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson slipped up and admitted it was all a bunch of horsehockey. Oops, we can't let facts interfere with the religion of environmentalism! Fracking sounds scary, so it's gotta be bad!

So what does Obama say will replace fossil fuels? Renewable energy! He'll even tax some rich guy into penury to subsidize putting solar cells on your roof. Isn't that swell? Maybe, if you don't plan on using any electricty at night.

UPDATE 13 Jun 2011 16:08:
Linked at The Lonely Conservative. Thanks!

Posted at 11:12 by Chris Wysocki   [/agw]   Comments | Perm Link |
Technorati Tags: coal jobs environment EPA   |   Tweet

It's not Skynet but Obama has indeed created The Rise Of The Machines

"Refreshing candor" from The New York Times:

American workers aren't getting more expensive due to higher wages; they're being priced out of the market because of regulatory uncertainty. Today's progressive caucus trial balloon is tomorrow's 2,000 page indecipherable patchwork of hastily enacted legislation chock-full of unforeseen gotchas.

Businesses can't plan for that.

Machines are expensive, yes — but at least management has some clue about just how expensive. A "known known," if you will. You, on the other hand, have become a "known unknown." And that's the kind of expense management just can't afford these days.

Advantage: Machines!

But you don't have to worry. The Democrats have a plan to raise taxes so high that businesses won't be able to afford any new machines either.

What'll happen when the robots become self-aware and start demanding to collect from unemployment? Who's got a plan for that?

Posted at 12:35 by Chris Wysocki   [/economy]   Comments | Perm Link |
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It's come to this: Mike Bloomberg has to say, "I've never taken a picture of my junk"

With all the problems we face it's good to know the press is focused like a laser on the important questions:

In light of the Twitter sexting scandal surrounding Rep. Anthony Weiner, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was asked Thursday whether he has ever taken a picture of himself.

Dear God, please let him say "no."

"I've never taken a picture of myself," Bloomberg said.

Of course he hasn't. Because really, Mike Bloomberg is rich enough to have someone else (Annie Liebowitz perhaps?) take the pictures for him.

"But I think, look, this country has a lot of problems. Time to get back to work and focus on what's really important to the country," Bloomberg said.

Yeah, we certainly have better things to worry about. But you wanna bet that Alec Baldwin is begging Ms. Liebowitz to let him dig through her collection of negatives? You know, just to be sure.

UPDATE 10 Jun 2011 08:56:
Linked by Theo Spark. Thanks!

Posted at 21:27 by Chris Wysocki   [/news]   Comments | Perm Link |
Technorati Tags: Andrew-Weiner #weinergate Mike-Bloomberg   |   Tweet

Wi-Fi in the park

The city that brought us Saturday in the Park and Shakespeare in the Park and Sunday in the Park with George now offers Free Wi-Fi in the Park.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson today announced a five-year initiative to provide free Wi-Fi service at 26 locations in 20 New York City parks across the five boroughs. Starting today, AT&T Wi-Fi is available free of charge to any users at Battery Bosque in Battery Park, the north-end playground in Joyce Kilmer Park in the Bronx, and around the recreation center at Thomas Jefferson Park in East Harlem, with 23 additional park locations to follow this summer.

And when they say "free," they mean free. There's no cost to use it, and the taxpayers aren't footing the bill either.

How cool is that?

Posted at 17:19 by Chris Wysocki   [/tech]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Is the Internet broken? Nope, it's just World IPv6 Day

To hear some doomsayers tell it, if we don't all convert to IPv6 (and in the process buy all new computers, software, and networking gear) the Internet will crash and burn later this year. Why? Because IPv4 has run out of addresses.

Yeah, it's time for another Wy Tech Talk. Sorry, but it's my birthday and someone decided to rain on my parade by declaring it World IPv6 Day so I'm grumpy. IPv6, for those of you who don't know, is The Future according to various and sundry international standards bodies who meet in exotic locales to argue in French over whether or not the UN should have a backdoor into every American's web browser.

IP (which stands for "Internet Protocol") is the magic which runs the internet. We currently use IPv4 and it seems to work just fine. Otherwise you wouldn't be reading this.

But the folks who assign IPv4 addresses say they have no more left to give out. Every PC (and server and internet-connected device) needs an IP address, and now that there are no more left some people won't be able to surf the web.

It's sort of like when the phone company runs out of numbers so they move your town into a new area code that nobody recognizes as a local call. Except IANA (The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) says now they're out of area codes too.

So in the great tradition of international consensus, legions of UN bureaucrats along with a plethora of "stakeholders", got together a dozen or so years ago to come up with A Plan. And they devised a plan that only a masochist could love: Scrap IPv4 completely and make every internet user in the universe change to IPv6.

Everyone gets a new IP address! And has to purchase new equipment too. Going back to that phone company analogy, imagine having to buy all new phones when you're assigned to a new area code. Yeah, that would suck.

IPv6 sucks more.

But the Big Lie is that we have to convert, that there is no alternative because we are totally out of IPv4 internet addresses.

Except, we're not totally out. There are millions of IPv4 addresses sitting unused, locked away in corporate and governmental networks. And fully one eighth of the potential IPv4 addresses aren't even currently usable due to how some equipment manufacturers interpreted an example diagrammed in an early textbook on IP networking. Supposedly the technical problems associated with fixing that mistake are harder than forcing everyone to switch to IPv6.

One thing we could do is let the free market decide. As IPv4 addresses become scarce they become more valuable. Companies who are sitting on thousands of addresses could potentially reap a nice profit by selling them, and the folks who need to connect new PCs should be willing to pay for the privilege, right?

Wrong! The rules established by the international internet cabal expressly forbid the selling of IPv4 addresses. In fact, if they find out you did sell your addresses they "delist" them from the core internet routers. That's the equivalent of disconnecting your phone number because you switched long distance companies. People who try to reach you are turned away, and you can't connect to anywhere else.

Ah but at it's heart the internet is run by a bunch of socialists. And they hate the idea that someone might be willing to pay more for better service. To them it means the people who don't pay are somehow "disenfranchised" even though they are still getting the same service they've gotten all along. Hence the mantra of "Net Neutrality."

That isn't to say the socialists don't like the idea of us paying for our IP addresses. Oh no sirree. They just want us to pay them. With IPv6 everyone rents their address for an annual fee, payable to one of those UN standards bodies. Yes, it's the dreaded Internet Tax and it's totally outside the jurisdiction of any of our elected representatives.

Naturally, in keeping with the egalitarian notion of wealth redistribution, the rental fees are higher in developed nations (especially the U.S.) than they are in the third world. Because that's fair.

So, does the Obama Administration care about any of this? Nah, they're too busy hiring RIAA lawyers to rewrite copyright regulations in order to make it illegal for us to embed YouTube videos in our blogs. Not that the Republicans are any better informed; quite the contrary as the GOP is equally gung-go to cede control of the internet to Hollywood.

So it's Hollywood or the UN, and either way we're screwed. Happy World IPv6 Day!

Posted at 12:41 by Chris Wysocki   [/tech]   Comments | Perm Link |
Technorati Tags: IPv6 IPv4 ARIN IANA   |   Tweet

Obama priorities: daily golf lesson, yes; daily economic briefings, no

There's always room in Barry's schedule for golf. In fact, golf seems to be his answer to any thorny problem.

So it comes as no surprise that when it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty of governing, like say the President's Daily Economic Briefing, Barack Obama is AWOL.

But it's OK, he gets a one-pager 2 or 3 times a week. Which he presumably reads, maybe while he's on the crapper in between the front and back nine.

Yup, by ignoring the bad economic news Barry is adding another plate to the smorgasbord of fail.

It's almost as if, having tired of being the president, Barack Obama is already auditioning for his next role — upstaging Jimmy Carter as The Most Abnoxious Ex-President Ever. You just know he'd be perfect at it!

(Via Memeorandum)

Posted at 12:30 by Chris Wysocki   [/obama_watch]   Comments | Perm Link |
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New Jersey (sorta) divests its State Run Media

On the plus side, Chris Christie realizes that public broadcasting "should have ended with the Soviet Union."

But rather than sell it off to the highest bidder, he's giving it away to another PBS outlet.

Making good on last year's promise to get the state out of the TV business, Gov. Chris Christie yesterday unveiled a five-year agreement with WNET Channel 13 to operate the state's TV network. Christie also announced the state will sell the network's radio licenses to WHYY in Philadelphia and New York Public Radio in New York for almost $5 million in cash and in-kind contributions.

Meet the New NJN, same as the old NJN. The only difference is it'll be called NJTV, and the taxpayers won't be directly subsidizing it. We'll still be a conduit for a couple million bucks in federal money headed to "a new subsidiary" of WNET though.

About $4.7 million in revenue that currently supports NJN will go to the new subsidiary. Included in that is the state's $2.2 million Corporation for Public Broadcasting grant, which must be used for programming costs.

So, we get $5 million up front, and we're still on the hook for $4.7 million a year? Such a deal!

I hope we got a nice tote bag too!

They did promise to continue providing "New Jersey centric" coverage.

For starters, they're replacing the NJN nightly newscast with "Charlie Rose," so things are certainly headed in the left right direction.

Still, various opponents of the deal question the quality of journalism that would be produced on such a trimmed-down staff.

Which is what they get for sticking with the PBS model rather than thinking outside the box.

You know what I think Christie should have done?

If he's gonna give it away, why not give it away to Andrew Breitbart? Real Journalism, on a shoestring.

That would, with certitude, be epic.

Posted at 10:31 by Chris Wysocki   [/media]   Comments | Perm Link |
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#WeinerGate denouement, no morals equals no shame

The live Twitter stream was even more entertaining than the crocodile tears press conference. Of course Anthony Weiner sent those lewd photos. Of course he engaged in "inappropriate" online relationships. And, of course he has no plans to resign.

He's a Liberal. Liberals have no morals; to them everything is relative. But without morals there can be no shame. Alas, without shame where is the need to resign in disgrace?

In the middle of "apologizing" (for what? getting caught?) Congressman Anthony Weiner announced his re-election bid. If that doesn't tell us all we need to know about his moral compass, nothing will.

Sadly the voters of NY-9 probably will re-elect him. In Liberal-land It's OK to degrade and humiliate women so long as you protect their right to murder their unborn children. That's the one absolute in a morass of liberal feminist equivocation.

In the end the whole charade was just so gosh-darned predictable. The only thing missing is Weiner's wife begging for personal privacy on the arm of Oprah Winfrey. Maybe she can go on The View instead.

Posted at 17:58 by Chris Wysocki   [/democrats]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Great moments in Google Bait, The Syphilitic Camel Edition

If you go to Google and type in "syphilitic camel," this post of mine currently ranks number one.

How do I know this?

Because for some reason lots and lots of people are going to Google this morning and typing in "syphilitic camel." Then they click the link.

Why? I'm not sure. Maybe it's due to Instapundit's reaction to a post by Allahpundit on the Tea Party saying they'll back Mitt Romney if he is the GOP nominee. Apparently, some of the lefty blogs are yucking it up, thinking we're not serious.

Listen carefully. Of course we'll support him. It's the "Syphilitic Camel Rule." Anyone But Barry.

I'd hijacked the line when everybody was talking about Mike Huckabee jumping in, but yeah, it applies to Romney or gack! Jon Huntsman too.

I know some of my more libertarian-leaning friends might not agree. That's OK. They have a lower tolerance for pain than I do.

In my defense, this lawn sign's been making the rounds:

Any questions?

UPDATE 07 Jun 2011 09:01:
TrogloPundit brings the yucks.

And from the comments pjMom says, "Own that syphilitic camel." Own it? The way my day job is going these days, I think I am it.

Posted at 13:30 by Chris Wysocki   [/misc]   Comments | Perm Link |
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NJ public workers continue their rush to retirement

Back in February the state of New Jersey estimated 20,000 public workers might retire this year, the largest number in decades. Why? "Uncertainty" about Gov. Chris Christie's plans for making them pay for their gold-plated benefit packages.

And the floodgates have opened! So far already more than 15,000 government employees have opted to take the money and run.

The steady rise in retirements comes amid economic uncertainty, with changes in pension and health benefits for public employees remaining at the top of the state's political agenda. As a result, an increasing number of the more than 500,000 state and municipal employees are choosing to retire rather than risk having their benefits cut by legislators.

Good grief! We have five hundred thousand government employees? In a state with only 8.7 million people? Pennsylvania, with 12.4 million residents and something like 6 times our land mass, gets by with about 350,000 public workers.

So, is New Jersey overstaffed? I'd say "yes."

But, sniff, with so many people leaving their cushy public jobs, the folks left behind are sad.

"This is very destructive and indicates a low level of morale that workers are leaving jobs in this bad economy," said Hetty Rosenstein, president of the Communication Workers of America, which represents about 40,000 state workers.

Repeat after me Ms. Rosenstein: the unemployment rate is 9.1% (thanks in no small part to that Obama fellow you and your union buddies helped put into office). So if you guys don't like your jobs anymore? I'm sure I can find an unemployed taxpayer or 3 who'll jump at the chance to take your place.

Posted at 10:09 by Chris Wysocki   [/nj_politics]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Judge approves "Gaydar" test for softball team roster

U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour ruled yesterday that a "gay softball league" can limit the number of hetero- or bi-sexuals on their rosters.

Three bi-sexual men were kicked out of the Gay Softball World Series for not being "gay enough." The North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association has an official rule which prohibits more than two heterosexuals per team.

The men sued, claiming discrimination.

They lost.

Really? Since when? That's pretty much what courts have been doing for decades, isn't it?

Actually though, I like this ruling. Why? Because it enhances liberty. The Gay World Series ought to be able to decide who plays (and who doesn't). If they want to restrict their membership to left-handed, one-eyed bald gay guys, that's nobody's business but theirs.

Who's with me? Because even though there's common sense on display here I think we're veering into dangerous territory.

In fact, let's propose an experiment. Suppose I was to start a "straight softball league." No more than two gay guys per team. Who here thinks that'll pass Constitutional muster?

Yeah, me neither.

It's only designated minority groups who can discriminate with abandon. They're free to institute "purity tests" that could never be condoned by polite society if the tables were turned and they were the oppressees instead of the oppressors.

I mean, it isn't like these black bi-sexual dudes wanted to hit the pool at a whitesgay-only swim club. That would be illegal! The ACLU would sue! Wouldn't they?

Equality is a one-way street.

Posted at 14:55 by Chris Wysocki   [/news]   Comments | Perm Link |
Technorati Tags: homosexual gay-rights discrimination equality   |   Tweet

It's the first Friday in June so that means it's National Donut Day!

Back in 1938, during the depths of the Depression, the Chicago chapter of The Salvation Army cooked up a novel idea to raise funds. They decided to honor the men and women who handed out donuts to the troops during World War I by selling donuts.

National Donut Day was born!

Yum, donuts…

Everybody knows I'm a donut fiend. A sure-fire way to get me to attend your early morning meeting is to mention that there'll be donuts. Yes, I can be bribed!

Especially if a comely lass handles the donut deliveries.

Posted at 13:14 by Chris Wysocki   [/rule5]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Everyone can calm down now, Chris Christie paid for his helicopter ride

It wasn't quite a Barry and Michelle "date night" in NYC via Air Force One wreaking havoc with traffic and plane schedules so the First Couple could hold hands in Central Park.

Judging by the hullaballoo coming from the left it was worse.

Chris Christie hopped aboard a State Police helicopter so he could watch his son's baseball game. And then he flew back home in time to meet with some dudes from Iowa.

And suddenly he was the reincarnation of Marie Antoinette, or the robber barons, or Scrooge McDuck. The High Dudgeon was even higher than usual, to the point of ridiculing the governor's choice in private schools for his children.

Even after the State Police said Christie was "going their way," and the flight was essentially a training mission, the drumbeats for the governor's scalp continued unabated. There's even a Memeorandum thread!

Guess what whingers? Chris Christie just wrote a check for $2,251 to cover the cost of all his helicopter trips to date. And the State Republican Party kicked in another $919 bucks as payment for Tuesday night's flight back home.

And next time? He'll take the bus.

Now can we please get back to complaining about, and maybe fixing, a few of the Real Problems facing New Jersey? Like f'rinstance, how many of the helicopter haters are themselves state salary double (and triple) dippers, ostensibly performing 2 or 3 full-time jobs, and accumulating multiple pension credits to boot?

I'm thinking eliminating that sort of abuse would save us taxpayers a whole lot more than keeping Christie's helicopter in the garage ever could.

UPDATE 03 JUN 2011 09:25:
Linked by The Lonely Conservative. Thanks!

Posted at 15:30 by Chris Wysocki   [/nj_politics]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Life in NJ imitates The Sopranos: The William V. Musto Museum of Science and Trucking

In the HBO series The Sopranos Tony's lifelong dream was to build a Museum of Science and Trucking dedicated to his mobster father. On June 11^th in Union City, NJ the city fathers will unveil a museum in honor of their very own mobster patriarch, former Mayor William V. Musto.

Only in New Jersey!

Musto was convicted in 1982 on federal racketeering charges for helping the mob siphon off funds from an expansion project of the city's two high schools.

But in most of Hudson County corruption isn't exactly a character flaw, more like a badge of honor. And so current Union City Mayor Brian P. Stack, he of his own (relatively minor) ethics problems, created the William V. Musto Cultural Center out of an old library building.

The Cultural Center will house the Union City Museum of Art, the Union City Police Museum, the Union City Art Gallery & Concert Hall, the Union City Museum of History, as well as serve as a Senior Citizen Center.

But alas, no Museum of Trucking.

UPDATE 03 Jun 2011 09:40:
Linked by Theo Spark and The Classic Liberal.

Thanks!

Posted at 09:53 by Chris Wysocki   [/odds_n_ends]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Chris Christie, who is not running for president, will visit Iowa next month

Nope, Chris Christie is not running for president. He said so, again, after meeting yesterday with a group of influential Iowa GOP donors. They flew to NJ in an (apparently unsuccessful) attempt to persuade him to enter the race.

But riddle me this Batman. How many guys (or gals) who aren't running for president have scheduled high-profile trips to Iowa this summer?

Two other big-name Republicans who aren't running for president either (yet!) also plan to visit Iowa this summer. Rep. Michele Bachmann has all but declared her candidacy already, and Sarah Palin is giving the media fits as her multi-state bus tour bobs and weaves its way to New York, Massachusetts, and … Iowa.

If we take Chris Christie at his word that he's "not ready" to be president, can we perhaps, maybe, potentially see him running for Vice President? Is there a Palin / Christie, or Bachmann / Christie ticket in our future?

He'd certainly lend a whole lotta gravitas to either lady's presidential aspirations. And he still wouldn't be running for president.

Posted at 11:24 by Chris Wysocki   [/election]   Comments | Perm Link |
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