Legalectric

(Really, it isn’t just that I’ve got this huge Discovery project to get done, or that there’s nothing to blog about, it’s not avoidance of the real, but I just don’t get it — it’s unavoidable marvel at the unreal)

Yes, I admitted freely that I thought a 4th Monday discussion about School Food was a big yawn, IN MY VIEW, that is… not something that I give the proverbial rodent’s rump about. But I trust that Kiffi, one of my favorite “Monday Go To Meeting” people, put together an excellent program!

Stolen from Northfield LWV site!

And I readily admit that I repeatedly gave Bongard rations of bovine excrement about his box of Little Debbies behind the seat of his long nose KW!

And YES, I did scoff at Julie Risser’s comment that criticizing treats at school is a very gutsy thing to do, and still yawn to think about it. But her letter did make “Letter of the Day at the STrib” (and we’ll see if the print the bitch queens in the State of the Union comments).

But … but… but… OK, OK, I admit it, I WAS WRONG!!! I must truly admit I am shocked and shaking my head at the bizarre off the wall response to Julie’s LTE. All this about donuts? Ho-Ho’s of the refined sugar variety? Why would someone get so wound up about this topic? I must also admit I’m no pop-culture maven, but this is a psychosis I do not understand, I cannot comprehend.

Here’s the worst, from, duh, THE KOOL AID REPORT:

Hello Government? Would you be my kidsâ?? parent?

Our kids are getting fat and contracting diabetes from the birthday treats their classmates distribute at school and the State should do ban the practice.

That is the conclusion of a heavily deluded woman by the name of Julie Risser of Edina.

A few excerpts:

Here’s hoping candidates for public office consider the costly and lethal fallout from diabetes stated in your Jan. 17 editorial; here’s hoping they get the need to “insist on habit-changing help from every public and private enterprise that can give it.”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have state policy that encouraged parents to drop the birthday treats and have children bring in their favorite book instead?

We could promote a love of literacy instead of contributing to a costly epidemic. It seems so logical; after all, education frequently competes for health care dollars.

My turn but, first, a question:

If kids have been bringing Tootsie Pops and cookies to school for years to celebrate their birthdays, why is it the problem of obesity and diabetes is a recent phenomenon?

Could it be because parents such as Julie Risser of Edina allow her children to sit on their asses playing video games for hours on end only to be followed by frying their brains on worthless television programs after dinner â?? which probably consists of high fat, low nutrition crap picked up at a drive through window because Julie and her overachieving husband both work full time to afford the mortgage on the larger-than-necessary-house and the toys needed to keep up appearances and therefore donâ??t have the time to cook a proper dinner for their ever-expanding children.

Or maybe itâ??s because Julie Risser and her overachieving husband ply their children with treats bathed in high fructose corn syrup to keep them happy and to assuage the guilt they suffer for having put the tykes into a kiddy mill â?? aka daycare center â?? so mommy could work full-time rather than raise their own kids.

Hereâ??s my suggestion â?? grab your fat-assed kid by the ear and shove him/her into the yard. Force them to actually run and play. Make the little urchin break a sweat. Running in a video game is not the same.

And for Godâ??s sake, raise your own damned kids. Stop looking to the government to act as the parent you wonâ??t be. Stop abdicating the responsibility you and your husband took on when he knocked you up.

Whatâ??s next, a government supplied monitor to hover over Johnny and Susie to make sure they do their homework. Lord knows it would free up more time you can spend â??finding yourself.â?:

Am I missing something here? Seems like some virulent pathology to me! WTF! Have another “fat pill.”

Below: Your brain on doughnuts

Food in our Schools is the topic of the 4th Monday Northfield League of Women Voters discussion, held Monday, January 23, at 7 p.m. in the meeting room at the Northfield Public Library.

Much ado about cupcakes…

Sorry, but in the cosmic realm of things, this is an issue that assuredly does not blow my dress up, and I’m not about to spend time on it. We’ve got a war going on, we’re overbuilding energy infrastructure to facilitate de facto deregulation, the government’s spying on us, and much as I hate the cold, we’re undeniably feeling and seeing the impacts of global warming. School food? I don’t think so. Yes, it makes sense to pay attention to this, but… I watch what my girls eat as much as the next mom: real shin bones from Huttel’s, a staple diet of lamb and rice, carrrots and apples for snacks. I agonized as I brought in the first package of hot dogs ever to grace my door to use for training, and continue to be hopelessly embarassed as I stand in the check out line. Ken will testify that she doesn’t often have a caprophagous grin! (I digress, I was looking for a link to caprophagous, ended up on Dave Barry’s blog and found this!)

And I have to admit, Julie’s got a point that it’s controversial — her phone rang yesterday and it’s Joe Soucheray and she’s on the air! But… SCHOOL FOOD? …yawn…

Sean Hayford O’Leary had this to say, with ambivalence and offering a suggestion:

Exactly — don’t get between me and my cupcake!

Running for office, assuming office, is asking people to believe in you, to believe in your vision, to believe in your principles and values — a compact with the people. And what if what you say isn’t who you are? What if you ascribe to Marxist theory (Groucho): “These are my principles. If you don’t like them, I have others!” What if you have strong moral standards for everyone, and different moral standards for yourself? Or if you believe that where it’s convenient or desired, the basic rules of conduct simply don’t apply? The impact ripples so far beyond Zimmerman. What does this mean for his supporters and for the Green Party?

Zimmerman indicted on four counts:

In the St.PPP: Former Minneapolis City Council member indicted

The indictment alleges that Zimmermann, a member of the city’s zoning committee, accepted $5,000 from the developer of the Chicago Commons condo and retail complex, who was seeking a change in zoning rules to allow more retail space.

It also alleges that twice in August of 2005, Zimmermann took $1,200 and $1,000 in cash from the same developer in exchange for help with any zoning issues that might arise in the development of a retail mall catering to the local Somali community.

The indictment also alleges that in October 2004, Zimmermann said he would sign off on some required papers for the newly constructed Franklin Station Townhomes development if that developer would build the retaining wall. When that developer declined, Zimmermann allegedly asked to be given the materials for free so he could build the wall himself.
…

If convicted, Zimmermann faces a maximum potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine on each count. U.S. Attorney Thomas Heffelfinger declined to say what sentence his office would recommend if Zimmermann is convicted.

In the STrib: Former Minneapolis City Council Member indicted for accepting cash

Remember Spot, the anonymous pooch in Edina? Here’s his “retiregeoffmichel” site (retiring him is obviously a good idea), and another too! He had this to say earlier and when I was off on a scenic tour of Iowa, so now that I’m fully recovered from officing at the Flying J, I relay this comment WITH PERMISSION. He claims his paws are not suited to the comment system I’ve got. Oh, pshaw…

Earlier when I’d objected to anonymous blogging, as I did in a recent post here, wishing the anonymous bloggers would just own their opinions, and Spot had this to say:

Oh, you think that Spot is a nom de tail? (plume, tail, get it?) Spot had intended to reveal his alter ego’s identity after he got started blogging, but people seem to be having a lot of fun with the dog persona, addressing email to Spotty, sending him dog pictures (ahem), etc. So, Spot will probably keep it up for a while.

There are many people who know Spot’s identity, or have figured it out. Your assignment, should you decide to accept it, is to find one of these people.

Spot is pretty careful with his facts; inferences, as a matter of opinion, are something else. Spot is also a useful literary device (and he means that in the most charitable scope of that term), because Spot can engage in conversation with his alter ego.

Competing for attention for a blog is difficult, and Spot is always reminded on those immortal words from Gilbert and Sullivan: He who’d make his fellow creatures wise should always guild the Philosophic Pill.

And after the Big Blois Blog Bluster and Blather he was quick to point out the differences between himself and MDE:

One very significant difference between MDE and me is that the facts that are referred to in Spot’s blog all come out of the newspaper or other public information sources like legislative proceedings, etc. Most of the time, these references are cited. Spot does not rely on confidential tipsters; he is way too far out of the loop to have any. Anyone, not only registered users, may comment on Spot’s blogs.

Incidentally, I do think that anonymous blogs with anonymous sources are bad. When the media, including a humble blogger, publish information from a confidential source, the media substitute their credibility for the source, saying, in effect, you can trust me and believe the source is accurate. That is why Judy Miller no longer works for the NYT.

There have been only a couple of times when readers forwarded information to Spot. In each and every case, it was to call his attention to something already in print.

Spot has never held a party or campaign position, nor acted as any kind of paid political consultant. Spot sees no reason to give up the pastoral life.

And later he bravely admits: “Spot spent his puphood in Iowa.”
and “PS. FYI, Spotty is gloriously unaltered.”

Oh well, altered, unaltered, that’s pretty non-responsive — I still regard anonymous blogging as utterly ball-less. As do my ball-busting bitches:

Feel free to discuss it with them! See Spot Run! Run Spot, Run!

And Spot, if YOU’RE not going to run, at least help cultivate a PROGRESSIVE, not just a yellow dog, District 41 candidate, someone who knows a thing or two about state issues! Sen. Geoff Michel has to go, but Andrew Borene is wrapped up in federal issues and isn’t talking about the state issues that would earn votes for state Senate. There’s plenty of state issues clamoring for attention. Maybe someone from the DFL can send him some issues cheat sheets? What has Michel done that’s so awful, and why vote for Borene? Pretty basic, let’s get down! A veteran inherently understands the meaning of “campaign.” Get to work! Now’s the time — we’ll see what he does!

Vote for me! I’m for EDUCATION! I’m for HEALTH CARE! I’m for JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!