I continue to be surprised by some of the attributes of the blogosphere. On Sunday, as usual, I headed over to the American Legion Post to hang out with the Usual Suspects. Ken, my bodyguard and Anal Cruise Director was not in attendance, as he was home with a nasty cold. Obviously he hadn’t properly sterilized his innards with Georgia “wine”.

However, a minute or two after I occupied my usual seat at the bar, Dave, another of the Usual Suspects, said, “So, how is Kelley’s boy doing?” I was initially stumped by the question. Kelley? What Kelley do we both know? I then realized that Dave was asking about Kelley of Suburban Blight and that he was referring to her post about her boy’s recent bout with a malady that resulted in his hospitalization and more than a few tense moments for Kelley.

I told him that, at that point, the little guy seemed to be improving (he’s fine now), but I spent the next few minutes thinking about how much larger the cyber-neighborhood is than we often realize.

I like it.

This is the Village Voice picture Velociman referred to.

Brought to you by the Sensitive Left.

Today I finally picked up the photos I took at the Blogtoberfest with the disposable camera I bought in Helen. The film had 27 exposures, and I think I remember taking about 10 pictures. The next thing I knew (after a bit of Georgia “wine”), the little window on the top of the camera showed “0”. As such, I had no idea what the hell was on that film.

After picking the prints at CVS, I flipped on the interior light in the car so I could see what I (or someone else, for all I know) thought worthy of a photograph. Truth be told, I was hoping for one or two pictures that would permit me to exact a bit of revenge or a bit of beer money in the form of a payoff for not posting them.

They are the shittiest pictures I have ever seen.

I definitely cannot quit my day gig to be a photographer. Even before the Georgia “wine,” (albeit on Saturday morning, when I was still a little ragged around the edges), my finger found its way to the front of the farookin’ lens of the camera, leaving me with pictures of the center of Helen, Georgia along with my middle finger.

It was downhill from there. The post-dinner, drunken brawl cocktail party, indoor pictures are all a lovely battleship gray, because I (or someone else, for all I know) failed to press the little button on the front of the camera to turn on Mr. Flash.

I was particularly disappointed to see that the only picture of V-man I have (other than the one capturing his Whitey Ford delivery of a half a damned sponge ball) is a photo of the left half of his face, which would be the half that looks like Al Gore. Bummer.

I do, however, have pictures of the other guy getting a pedicure (and a manicure), but others have already posted virtually the same pictures.

Tomorrow I will flip through them again to see whether any are worth scanning and posting, but I doubt it, dammit.

Therefore, next year, in addition to bringing Ken, my bodyguard, I might also have to bring a photographer who drinks nothing stronger than water and whose assignment it will be to get the goods on this guy.

Ansel Adams I am not.

A California Blogger, tallglassofmilk, voted early in California, which turned out to be a good thing, because it was then that she learned that someone had registered her as a democrat at an address where she has never lived. She reports that the person in the Los Angeles Registrar’s Office was not particularly interested in getting to the bottom of the fraud, but rather seemed only interested in whether the Blogger had voted.

The “good news” is that she was advised that if on Election Day someone shows up and tries to vote under her name, the person will be arrested. I certainly hope so.

Folks, if our faith in the system is to survive, this crap has got to stop. I would favor a federal law stiffening the penalties for voter fraud (e.g. by making jail time a certainty) and vigorous enforcement of the law.

I know. Each side will complain that the other side is not enforcing the law, but we had best remember that it is the System and our faith in that holds this country together, and that is more important than anything, including which guy gets elected.

When the Man Comes Around
Watch and listen. (Download may take a few, but it’s worth it.)

N.B. Bush haters Kerry supporters, save yourself the download time. There’s nothing for you here.

Via SondraK

Kate’s dad passed away Wednesday. Katespot is a regular read of many Garden Staters. You might want to stop by to share a kind word or two.

OK, so I made a little mistake.

“Thanks” to Evilwhiteguy who laid in wait to take this picture and also to Rob, who was also enough of a rat bastard to post it.

I’ll see both of you shithooks next year.

The State Attorney General’s Office ruled today that Daryl Brooks, a convicted sex offender, who is currently on probation after having served four years in prison for a sex offense, is eligible to run for a seat in New Jersey’s twelfth congressional district. This is so, even though under New Jersey law, as a probationer, Mr. Brooks cannot vote in New Jersey, and because he is not a registered voter, he would not be permitted to run for a state office.

By contrast, the U.S. Constitution provides that in order to run for congress, one must be 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years and must live in the state from which he or she is elected. According to the State Attorney General’s Office, Mr. Brooks satisfies those criteria and, therefore, he can run for congress.

Mr. Brooks is running as the Green Party candidate.

Until today, I had thought that the Green Party nominated only environmentalists for public office. Then again, I suppose that being a tree-hugger and a kiddy flasher (or a congressman, for that matter) are not mutually exclusive.

You preferred Bush’s statements 89% of the time You preferred Kerry’s statements 11% of the time Voting purely on the issues you should vote Bush Who would you vote for if you voted on the issues? Find out now!

Lifted from here.

Governor McGreevey, who has promised to leave office on November 15, a little more than three weeks from now, has already left us with plenty to remember him by (e.g. the taxpayer-funded family reunion in Ireland, the helicopter rides, the trip to Puerto Rico funded by bad guys, the billboard thing, his association with corrupt fundraisers, the “Machiavellian” thing, and his appointment of his boyfriend Golan Cipel as Chief of Homeland Security.)

Yesterday, he made seventy-four direct appointments and re-appointments to various state commissions. While each of these commissions has been given a specific role to play in the state government, some of them have considerable clout and influence on very important matters in the state.

For example the Commission on Higher Education has the following responsibilities (scroll to 18A:3B-14):

a. Statewide planning for higher education including research on higher education issues and the development of a comprehensive master plan, including, but not limited to, the establishment of new institutions, closure of existing institutions, and consolidation of institutions, which plan shall be long-range in nature and regularly revised and updated. … The commission may require from institutions of higher education such reports or other information as may be necessary to enable the commission to perform its duties;

b. advocacy on behalf of higher education including informing the public of the needs and accomplishments of higher education in New Jersey;

c. making recommendations to the Governor and Legislature on higher education initiatives and incentive programs of Statewide significance;

d. final administrative decisions over institutional licensure and university status giving due consideration to the accreditation status of the institution. …

e. adopting a code of ethics applicable to institutions of higher education;

f. final administrative decisions over new academic programs that go beyond the programmatic mission of the institution and final administrative decisions over a change in the programmatic mission of an institution. …

g. reviewing requests for State support from the institutions in relation to the mission of the institution and Statewide goals and proposing a coordinated budget policy statement to the Governor and Legislature;

h. communicating with the State Board of Education and Commissioner of Education to advance public education at all levels including articulation between the public schools and higher education community;

i. applying for and accepting grants from the federal government, or any agency thereof, or grants, gifts or other contributions from any foundation, corporation, association or individual, and complying with the terms, conditions and limitations thereof, for the purpose of advancing higher education. Any money so received may be expended by the commission upon warrant of the director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Department of the Treasury on vouchers certified by the executive director of the commission;

j. acting as the lead agency of communication with the federal government concerning higher education issues…
…

l. exercising any other power or responsibility necessary in order to carry out the provisions of this act; and

m. consulting with the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority on student assistance matters.

(emphasis mine)

I readily admit that I am not familiar with the appointees. They may well have been appointed for legitimate reasons, and they may be eminently qualified for their positions (although the Golan Cipel appointment doesn’t exactly inspire confidence). It’s just that, given everything that Governor McGreevey has already laid on us, I wish he would go on vacation between now and November 15th and, at that time, just go away quietly and leave us alone.

Via Eugene at 28J.