This Year's Model

Gay Pride in New York

The Empire State Building’s pre-scheduled rainbow light display honoring NYC Pride Week becomes that much more meaningful in light of the state’s legalization of same-sex marriage. But, hey, sometimes a rainbow is just a rainbow.

Immediately following, Neil Patrick Harris and his partner David Burtka proposed to each other — and they both said yes.

So, New York passed Gay Mariage just so Doogie Howser could get married? I'd like to think it's more complicated than that.

I only know two things - The wedding industry just went bananas, knowing that no expense will be spared for about 10% of their business.

And the other thing, divorce lawyers in New York will be at the Mercedes dealerships all day Saturday. "Yes, Garry, all the options. And the Tru-Coat."

And, for the record, Iowa beat them to it by about three years, so, like, you know?

War on Wal-Mart

Who's afraid of Wal-Mart, and why? You're against cheaper groceries? There might be a little more under the cheap veneer of the protests.

I give you Reason magazine's Nick Gillespie peeling off that surface, and figuring out who doesn't want to allow their neighbors to have a choice.

Banned Ground Zero Mosque Ad

NBC and CBS are refusing to air this anti-Ground Zero mosque ad from the National Republican Trust PAC. For some reason folks find it vulgar, racist, fearmongering garbage; "a nauseating embarrassment." It's like they want the terrorists to win?

But you know, I'd prefer to make that choice myself, as banning things never seems to sit well. Seems like something the Taliban would do? Meanwhile, I think that both sides of this argument are dicks. You can't be for the mosque without looking like a wimpy vegan Birkenstock douche. You can't be against the mosque without being a vulgar, racist, Republican. So, it's a no win.

Enjoy!

Cuomo Running

Andrew M. Cuomo Announces Candidacy for Governor of New York

Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo of New York announced that he was running for governor in a video on his Web site. The announcement is available at andrewcuomo.com.

Oh, hey, it looks like it's time for Blasphemes' Vocabulary Booster Shot for Saturday Morning! Today's word is Oligarchy.

An oligarchy (from Greek ὀλιγαρχία, oligarkhía) is a form of government in which power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, military might, or religious hegemony. The word oligarchy is from the Greek words "ὀλίγος" (olígos), "a few" and the verb "ἄρχω" , "to rule, to govern, to command".

Such states are often controlled by politically powerful families whose children are heavily conditioned and mentored to be heirs of the power of the oligarchy.

Oligarchies have been tyrannical throughout history, being completely reliant on public servitude to exist. Although Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as a synonym for rule by the rich, for which the exact term is plutocracy, oligarchy is not always a rule by wealth, as oligarchs can simply be a privileged group. Some city-states from ancient Greece were oligarchies. The combination of the words plutocracy and oligarchy make the word plutarchy.

Sunday Comics: Week in Review

Ah, we've finally come to the end of the week.

There was an election. It wasn't definitive, so there's a power grab going on, afterward. And speaking of things going on in Europe...
Looks like the Greek bailout is going to put the entire idea of a European Union into jeopardy. The "I don't want to work" and "give me a check" riots have killed at least 3 people. Insanity and the Welfare State. But don't wag your finger of shame too hard at the E.U. The U.S. has Illinois, California and New York on the the bail out fences as well. California was even considering a complete 'do over' and just giving the state back to the Federal government. Maybe Greece will just be a new part of Germany? ...er, again?
Every time Mr. Obama yells at BP, I know that gas prices are going to go up. Funny that he doesn't understand this?
American-wanna-be-a-Taliban in New York Times Square, luckily, failed. How much involvement or training he actually got is anyone's guess. Again, and luckily, it wasn't much.
And the exposure of exactly how weak the Patriot Act, the NSA, the CIA, the FBI and all the other so-called leaders we have... apparently their best weapon is Luck. That's not good enough to stop the next one, but for now, it's all we got. Oh, and two heroes, one an Immigrant who LOVES his new home who called it in.
See you next week, folks.

Heroes and Villains

The villain of the NY attempted-SUV-bomb (and have you noticed, every single time it's written or said, they always mention the SUV?) was a naturalized citizen who was living the 'Dream' then defaulted on his mortgage and got all pissed, went to Pakistan - they held him at the door and said, "uh sure... right, so you want to be a terrorist? Uh, go home and blow something up to prove it! Then you can join the club, kay, bye."

So he did. He went to the Home Depot, like any American would - bought some non-explosive manure, some fireworks, and a propane tank. Somehow he found parking in Times Square. He forgot to turn on the propane tank, but something in there was on fire. And he failed. Lucky for us! Can you imagine the carnage of the theater going tourists who would have stampeded like a heard of buffalo to be the first to put the car bomb on their Facebook page? Do you!?

So why did traitor to his country Faisal Shahzad fail? Aliou Niasse. A Senagalese Muslim immigrant who works as a photograph vendor on Times Square

Aliou Niasse, who sells framed photographs of New York, said that he was the first to spot the car containing the bomb, which pulled up right in front of his cart on the corner of 45th street and Broadway next to the Marriott hotel.

“I didn’t see the car pull up or notice the driver because I was busy with customers. But when I looked up I saw that smoke appeared to be coming from the car. This would have been around 6.30pm.”

“I thought I should call 911, but my English is not very good and I had no credit left on my phone, so I walked over to Lance, who has the T-shirt stall next to mine, and told him. He said we shouldn’t call 911. Immediately he alerted a police officer near by,” said Mr Niasse, who is originally from Senegal and who has been a vendor in Times Square for about eight years.

Don't forget, for every Villain, there are fifty Heroes who DO love the U.S.A. And right now, we got very lucky that Shahzad was about as effective as a Scooby Doo bad guy. Next time, we will not be so lucky. Hopefully, with encouragement, great people like Aliou will continue to defend his new country and help his countrymen defeat our enemies - foreign and domestic.

Aliou Niasse, I think YOU should be given the Congressional Medal of Honor, and are my HERO of the Week! Salaam alaykum!

Take that with a grain of... oh.

Bill A10129, introduced in the New York state assembly, "Prohibits the use of salt by restaurants in the preparation of food by restaurants."

The penalties for the use of salt while cooking food are totally proportionate and reasonable:

$1,000 a pinch? $1,000 a grain?

Oh, bankrupt totalitarian Nanny State, how do I loathe the? Let me count the ways?

First, salt is actually critical to human survival. It is the only mineral that humans eat, or need to eat, in order for their cells to function.

Second, the idea that salt is some kind of toxin is not correct. However, our current system of government has labeled Salt and CO2 toxins and poisons.

Third, this ban does not appear to tax the salt shakers on the restaurant table, only the ones in the back of the house near the food? It seems to only ban salt used during preparation and not consumption. Which makes this bill completely useless. BTW, if any Blasphemes readers have ever done any cooking for themselves, you know that salt is an essential part of cooking - and also baking. Cookies, waffles in addition to steak and Jambalaya require some salt in it's preparation. I've even used salt in salads to separate the water from the lettuce. I've even heard of a pinch of salt in coffee to give it an unexpected perk.

Fourth, the same government that is taxing salt in an effort to 'save us' still is allowing aluminum hydroxide and yellow prussiate of soda (sodium ferrocyanide)that are in salt packets. There are still massive subsidies for the creation of corn and soy products - while there are minuscule or zero subsidies for fresh fruit or vegetables. (not that anyone would eat them anyway.)

Fifth, law is termed, "salt in any form." So, this would mean no prepared foods that already contain salt can ever be used in any dish? Cheese, any smoked or cured meats, baked goods, any ready-made condiments, anything pickled, just about anything canned, most imported foods, any meats or poultry that have been plumped or brined, any sodas that contain sodium... shall I continue?

I can go on, but the absurdity that someone actually took the time to conceive and put this idea on paper astounds me. I'm guessing the folks who are desperately looking for new tax revenues and ways to gouge, nickel-and-dime their populace are running out of ideas. Or, they simply don't want any restaurants to operate in the State of New York - or even more malicious, they don't want anyone to live in New York? No, I don't mean killing people off by halting the salt flow - but by making food so bland that people will be willing to move to, gasp, New Jersey.