Category: Uncategorized

This captures so much of New York City attitudes. (Via FIP)

As part of my day job, I went to Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs party the other night.

Woman donates $10,000 to Barack Obama’s Presidential Inaugural Committee using her American Express with the understanding that she’ll get a damn good seat at the inauguration. (I’m not going to question her judgment for the time being.)

Because of massive security screw-ups throughout the day (which I guess the media saw no need to report at the time), she didn’t get anywhere near the event. She requests a refund.

I think we all know the bipartisan answer to the question, “Hey Mr. Politician, can I have my damn money back?” If you’re a little slow on the uptake, the answer is, “Hahahaha. You’re funny. Now how much are planning to give for re-election?”

So she totally pulls a credit-card chargeback. Amex’s response? “No problem. Here’s your ten grand. We’ll deal with those punks down at PIC.”

Now here’s where I question her judgment.

But after it appeared she would be getting a refund this month, Blessman wrote in an email to the Sleuth, “The PIC did what was honorable and acted in a way consistent with the values we personally know the Obamas hold.”

As the WaPo’s Sleuth points out, the PIC had nothing to do with her getting her money back. But whatever. Good to see that American Express will stand up for you even if — nay, especially if — you’re a gullible idiot.

In honor of St. Patrick’s day, a gift from the Muppets.

According to this highly suspect figure in a Tribune piece, the average price of a home sold in Detroit last December was $7,500. That’s right $7,500, not $75,000.

Which got me to thinking. Why not just buy the whole damn city? Sure, I’d have to put up with the Grade A idiot class of politicians that wander the increasingly vacant streets of Detroit, but once I own the city, I’d could BE one of those Grade A idiots. (Okay, maybe I’d have to get indicted for something, first.)

I kid, I kid. I couldn’t afford the whole city. But here’s the thing. Assuming those prices were realistic and assuming the wife and I are planning to spend $500,000 or so on a 2-bedroom in Brooklyn (likely to be under 1,000 square feet), we could buy 66.6 houses in Detroit. And that’s not factoring in the ridiculous maintenance fees, property taxes and co-op board retards we’d have to deal with in Brooklyn. I’ve been looking for outdoor space. Hell, I could have 66 backyards. I could start my own company and, instead of renting or buying office space, I just move everyone there and give them a house! Or, assuming permission from my wife, I could go Mormon. Get me 65 more wives.

Ladies and gentleman, Welcome to Wheatonia. The official food is barbecue, the official drink bourbon. Enjoy it.

Two thugs killed an Ecuadorean immigrant and city officials were just on the news letting us all know that, god damn it, they’re not going to stand for hatred, for cowardice, for racism and homophobia. Oddly enough, they didn’t mention murder. As if beating a person to death with a bat were a lesser crime than hating the dude because they thought he was a gay Mexican. They’re facing second-degree murder charges and assault as a hate crime.

Indeed, just a few years ago writer-director-actress Adrienne Shelly was murdered in her apartment by an Ecuadorean immigrant, who apparently wasn’t guilty of harboring hatred in his heart.

But the end result is still the same. People were robbed of their lives. Families were robbed of someone they love. Should one murderer be punished any less because he didn’t shout out a few racial slurs before taking a life?

Twenty-five years for manslaughter for beating and choking a woman to death–and no outrage from the city council.

In the world of “hate crimes,” the answer to that question is yes.

Really.