Patterico's Pontifications

8/13/2008

L.A. City Council Requires Home Improvement Stores to Provide Shelter for Day Laborers

Filed under: General,Immigration — Patterico @ 10:10 pm



The Los Angeles Business Journal reports:

Major new home improvement stores opening in the city of Los Angeles may have to build shelters for day laborers under a City Council ordinance approved Wednesday.

Under the ordinance, proposed by Councilmembers Bernard Parks and Ed Reyes and passed unanimously, all proposed home improvement stores of more than 100,000 square feet would have to obtain a conditional use permit from the city. Most Home Depot, Lowe’s and other big box home improvement stores would meet this threshold.

Because when there’s a nuisance, the best thing to do is attract it.

Good job, guys.

Shockingly, the L.A. Times opposed the measure, although the editors too easily dismiss the principle that encouraging a nuisance brings more of the nuisance. Still, the paper’s alternative argument that this is an expensive and unfair burden for the stores makes good common sense.

Too bad the City Council members unanimously lack that trait.

Home-Cooking at the Beijing Olympics

Filed under: International,Sports — DRJ @ 8:46 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

I was raised in an era when the Soviet Union and China were considered the world’s greatest threats, but there are times to put prejudices aside. The spirit of the Olympics is one of those times.

Thus, I declined to post on the ridiculous episode in the Opening Ceremonies where a Politburo member of China’s ruling Communist Party replaced an average-looking child with a beautiful voice with a beautiful child and a lip-synced voice. Ditto when claims surfaced that some fireworks at the Opening Ceremonies were computer-generated fakes.

But now comes this Agence France-Presse report of multiple instances of questionable judging favoring Chinese athletes at the Olympic games.

I’m a sports fan. Home-cooking occurs in every sport and it’s a fact of sporting life, but it’s contrary to the Olympic spirit and it doesn’t seem to be an isolated incident. China is acting like those out-of-control parents that will do anything to see their children win a soccer or Little League game.

The Olympics has faced scandals with doping, gender testing, and even criminal charges arising from the judging at the 2002 Winter Olympic figure-skating competition.

When the IOC looks the other way at claims like these, it does so at its peril.

— DRJ

Democrat: Obama “Selected, Not Elected”

Filed under: 2008 Election — DRJ @ 5:47 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

The New York Observer printed a letter from Clinton bundler Ricki Lieberman who believes Hillary can still be the Democratic nominee in 2008. Here’s an excerpt from her email:

“The Democratic Party has no nominee. Its presumptive nominee was selected, not elected, and Mile High Stadium notwithstanding, delegates go to Denver to select the Democratic candidate who can win in November. We ask the Democratic Party to stop delegate intimidation and replacement, and to hold an open convention with a traditional nominating and roll call process such as was afforded Ted Kennedy in 1980 and even Howard Dean in 2004. If that happens, we are confident that Senator Clinton will be the nominee and the President of the United States. We are deeply fearful that to nominate Obama is to elect McCain.”

A roll call vote would be great fun. In the meantime, I’d like to hear more about how the Democratic Party is intimidating and replacing delegates.

— DRJ

The Greatest Olympian

Filed under: Sports — DRJ @ 1:28 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

While the AP wonders if Michael Phelps is the world’s Greatest Olympian (a Russian swimmer describes him as “just another person, but maybe from a different planet”), the New York Post wonders what he eats:

“Phelps lends a new spin to the phrase “Breakfast of Champions” by starting off his day by eating three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise.

He follows that up with two cups of coffee, a five-egg omelet, a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar and three chocolate-chip pancakes.

At lunch, Phelps gobbles up a pound of enriched pasta and two large ham and cheese sandwiches slathered with mayo on white bread – capping off the meal by chugging about 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks.

For dinner, Phelps really loads up on the carbs – what he needs to give him plenty of energy for his five-hours-a-day, six-days-a-week regimen – with a pound of pasta and an entire pizza.

He washes all that down with another 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks.”

That’s 12,000 calories a day, which is barely enough to last Phelps in a day that starts at 5 AM and includes hours of swimming.

— DRJ

Obama and 527 Groups

Filed under: 2008 Election,Terrorism — DRJ @ 1:05 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Despite past and current Obama campaign denials, the Huffington Post reports two sources indicate Barack Obama is softening on partisan attacks by liberal 527 groups:

“But on Monday two reports surfaced suggesting that a softening of Obama’s stance may already be taking place. Earlier in the day, Politico’s Ben Smith wrote that PowerPAC, a 501c4 that was initiating voter registration efforts primarily in the South and West, was planning to spend $10 million during the election. In the afternoon, FireDogLake’s Jane Hamsher reported that “a source close to the Obama campaign,” acknowledged their position on independent expenditures was changing.

“Despite actively discouraging donors from giving to groups like Progressive Media at one point, they are now taking the position that it’s nothing they have any control over,” Hamsher wrote.”

Tom Matzzie thinks using special interest groups to target constituencies is a good idea:

“Independent groups can talk to constituencies where the Obama campaign or the DNC aren’t credible messengers. The best example would be Working America and its reach into white working class communities,” said Tom Matzzie, who had headed the organization Progressive Media before starting a new group to target right wing financiers. “There are some groups that are ready to take more donations: Working America, VoteVets, the Choice groups and ACORN to name a few.”

In an amazing coincidence, Matzzie just started Accountable America that is primed to target GOP groups with actions that support Democratic candidates like Barack Obama.

— DRJ

How Embarrassing For The National Enquirer

Filed under: Buffoons,Miscellaneous — Justin Levine @ 1:31 am



[posted by Justin Levine]

After being decisively put in their place and called out for the ‘tabloid trash’ that they are by John Edwards, the National Enquirer continues to just dig its own grave even deeper

NOW, The ENQUIRER has uncovered more blockbuster information, including:

After Edwards confessed the affair to his wife, he restarted it, and was sexually involved with Rielle when she became pregnant.

Despite his denials, Edwards WAS aware that his former finance committee chairman, Fred Baron,  was funneling money to Rielle.

Experts are now calling for a federal investigation into Edwards’ use of campaign funds.

The ongoing ENQUIRER investigation has also confirmed that he has been with Rielle and the baby three times this year in California.

“John Edwards is still lying!” a close source told The ENQUIRER.

“He lied to his wife Elizabeth, he’s lying to Rielle and he lied all the way through his TV interview!”

For THE FULL STORY pick up this week’s ENQUIRER.

They are even quoting UNNAMED SOURCES!  Don’t these people have any journalistic integrity? Can you name me even one other paper that would have the chutzpah to do such a thing?? That proves you can’t believe them.

John Edwards gave a convincing denial, as these other sources will attest to.

That should be the end of it. Stop dragging his name through the mud!

– Justin Levine


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