Local Fun - Tree Lighting

For those in the holiday spirit, check out the tree lighting ceremony in downtown NB tonight.

http://www.newbrunswick.com/events/marketevents.asp

Get Involved in NB

Mark the 24th anniversary of the Block Club. Come enjoy hot spiced cider, fruit punch, desserts and holiday music at historic home "Wisteria Hall", built in 1889. 123 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ (corner of Suydam) 6 PM onward, Sat. 4th Dec. 2004.

Hosted by the Second Ward Neighborhoods Block Club/Crime Watch. Also in conjunction with the monthly George St. Food Co-op Pot Luck & friends.

Drop in with your friends, family or neighbors. Please bring a favorite easy-to-serve food item or non-alcoholic beverage to share. Supervised children are welcome. Volunteers still needed, please let us know if you can help.

The Bounty of the Land

As we sit down at the Thanksgiving table we are thankful for the bounty of the land that sustains us. The Minister of Things would like to suggest that we take a few minutes to think about where this great bounty comes from and what it means. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Food Without Fear
The Meatrix
Slow Food
National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture

Thanksgiving

The Minister of Things gives thanks for what he and his family have. It is so much.

There are 6.1 billion people upon the planet earth, and 4 billion of them live below the poverty line. They survive on less than $30 per month and 841 million of them suffer from chronic malnutrition.

Every 24 hours, 100,000 people die of starvation. 30,000 of them are children of 5 years and under. The third anniversary of September 11, the day on which the Twin Towers of New York were destroyed, has recently been observed. An immense commotion followed the attack. Every day, famine destroys 10 towers full of children.

- Frei Betto, (Brazil), undersecretary to President Lula of Brazil

The Uglification of New Brunswick #2 - Easton Ave.

Easton Avenue is the strip where generations of Rutgers students have scammed on the opposite sex, consumed services from hair cuts to bicycle repair, and eaten at cherished hangouts such as Thomas Sweets, Stuff Yer Face and Evelyn's. It is one of the few remaining cute areas of the city and it is the well known hub of student life. Here it is, familiar and beloved to all who have passed through The Banks, Easton Avenue:




Now, imagine that you work for Rutgers University and you are in charge of facilities maintenance. You need a site, basically a big industrial storage hangar and yard, to store your vans and trucks and other sundry equipment. Now, given that New Brunswick is an old city teeming with abandoned out of the way industrial properties, where would you site your facility? If you said right in the heart of the Easton Avenue strip, you are correct!





Brought to you by Rutgers Facilities Maintainence, this stultifying bank of garage doors and fence takes up the equivalent of FOUR or FIVE store fronts, cutting the prime block of the Easton strip into two little islands. It makes this center of human activity immensely ugly and reminds all New Brunswick denizens, in case we ever forget, that the University and the City couldn't care less about us.

It also has the effect of stymieing investment. Some thoughtful developer spent the extra money to make these redeveloped townhouses on Easton attractive and in character with the rest of the area:





They were repaid for their efforts in beautification by having this built right across the street:





Do you think that this developer will go through the effort and expense to make things nice the next time he builds in New Brunswick?

If this still seems to you like a perfectly sensible thing to do, report to the Rutgers University Administration where your new job as a facilities planner awaits you!

Where are our leaders?

We just lost a knock down drag out brawl with the Republicans for control of this country and control of the future direction of Western civilization. And after getting spanked by a bunch of lying Republican hypocrites hell bent on undoing the enlightenment, what does the Democratic establishment do? They elect a new leader whose first news headline is "New Senate Dems leader seeks cooperation."

What the hell! If this is the major headline coming from the Democratic party on November 16, 2004, then the Minister of Things Needs a new party.

What Would Jesus...I mean, Homer, Do?

So what happens when the Bush revolution finally succeeds? What would life in Jesusland be like for the average beer swilling Joe? Well, let's check in with him. From Jim Hightower's blog, via abundancetrek, we check in with Homer J. Simpson:

Dear President Bush,

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from you, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination...end of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev.15: 19-24). The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev.1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev.21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them (Lev. 24:10-16)? Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws (Lev. 20:14)?

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan,

Homer J. Simpson

The New McCarthyism

What is McCarthyism? Sen. Joseph McCarthy was the head of a right wing movement in the post WWII era that began by purging communist sympathizers in sensitive government positions. It turned into a vast right wing conspiracy persecuting and purging leftists, liberals, books, artists, actors, followed by all Democrats, all political opponents, and anyone from any quarter that disagreed with them. They systematically eroded civil liberties and subverted the FBI, the CIA, and countless branches of government and other public institutions into instruments for framing, intimidating, silencing and destroying any political opponents from the right or left.

The difference between politics and McCarthyism is the systematic corruption and use of the non-partisan machinery of government to silence and persecute those who disagree with you. It is what separates democracies from non-democracies.

Why do I bring this up now?

Bush plans to purge disloyal at CIA
Bush corrupts scientific advisory boards
Bush purges FBI
Bush to non-profit organizations: watch your mouth
Bush Admin threatens to fire staff for telling truth on Medicare Bill costs
Bush seeking to gag or punish social service organizations that challenge the party line
Gore accuses Bush of using 9-11 as pretext to consolidate power
Bush allies lead purge of Democrats from lobbying firms
Bush erodes civil liberties
Etcetera

Banana Republic

Is New Jersey a Banana Republic or what? In less than 3 years the gubernatorial succession has been:

Christine Todd Whitman, Donald DiFrancesco, John Bennett, Richard Codey, James McGreevey, and today, Richard Codey again. What is going on, you might ask? I think it has a little to do with this:

As lawmakers ride the gravy train, state's residents pay the freight.

How a dozen men control New Jersey politics.

How can we all be so numb to something so outrageous?

Pizza is Healthy

MOT reader RU Red State was not pleased with the F the South tirade I linked to below. In response he posted the following comment:

You see the cancer rate in NJ? Who is the dumb F%#&?

I won't touch the second question (although I feel confident we are less dumb than them), but I have seen the cancer rate in NJ and it is among the worst in the country. Perhaps in a future post we can discuss why attorneys general from the Northeast have resorted to suing industrial polluters from the Midwest for sullying our air quality.

*Hint: It has something to do with the fact that wind primarily blows West to East*

But the Minister of Things is not too concerned since he looks at broader health statistics and knows that, overall, he and his are better off in Pizzaland than in the South. According to the United Health Foundation, in overall health NJ ranks 17th most healthy out of 50. The bottom 10? North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, West Virginia, Georgia, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana.

Whither New Brunswick?

A few MOT readers have pointed out that some of the Brunswick redevelopment projects aren’t so bad, so perhaps the Minister of Things shouldn't be so negative. I agree that some are actually quite nice. But, does that mean I shouldn't be negative?

Let's be generous and say only 1 out of 2 new revitalization efforts are horrible eyesores, should I consider that to be OK? The Minister of Things gives his most vehement NO! There is NO MORE ROOM in our city to be wasted on neighborhood destroying monstrosities. Each one is a crime perpetrated on the character and vitality of the city that we will likely have to live with for the rest of our lives.

Good stewardship of the city is not a little bonus to be rewarded with a gold star. It is something to be demanded 100% of the time. I wouldn't applaud a doctor because some of his patient interactions didn't result in malpractice, and I won't give those responsible for the redevelopment of New Brunswick a pass either just because they only mess things up most of the time.

The Uglification of New Brunswick

Although many cities, so I've heard, engage in beautification projects, New Brunswick's town fathers seem to be primarily engaged in uglifying this once attractive colonial city. So, without further ado, welcome to our new weekly feature: The Uglification of New Brunswick. Here we will chronicle New Brunswick's worst planning decisions, biggest eyesores, and general trend toward making things as ugly as possible. We will debut a new uglification project each Friday.

In addition to marveling at the ugliness, we will try to go beyond stone throwing to provide some commentary on why bad planning and design is harmful to our beloved city and what can be done about it.

Our debut feature is a building on the corner of French and Patterson Streets. But before we get to the uglification project itself, for comparison purposes lets examine what a (relatively) nice city street, exactly one block away looks like:



Note the shops with windows and doors at street level. The antique stores have placed items for sale on the sidewalk to catch business from the pedestrian traffic. Although not visible in this photo, there were actually quite a few people buzzing around the stores and cafes. Now we move one block towards downtown to view the subject of today's feature, brought to you courtesy of Robert Wood Johnson Hospital:



Shortly after we took this the man in the photo shot himself due to depression. We just managed to get away before the building's evil aura overcame us as well. The poor guy's body is probably still there, undisturbed, since no one walks on this part of the street if they can avoid it.

Having driven all the human beings away, the hospital obviously felt bad and put up these fake little people so it wouldn't seem so lonely:



All's well that ends well!

Thanks to Piz and RS for help with this feature.

F the South

The Minister of Things tries to maintain certain standards on this site, so he limits himself to only saying the F word once or twice in a post. He also tries keep the dialogue civil. But, this doesn't mean he can't link to a site with no such inhibitions. If anyone still hasn't quite gotten gist of Northeastern feelings toward the Red State conservatives right now, click below. I think the point will be clear.

www.fuckthesouth.com

Election Reform

Today's Progress Report has a worthwhile piece on all of the significant problems that remain in our electoral system. They cover hacking electronic voting machines, lack of paper trails, missing ballots, extra votes, long lines, unfair challenges and provisional ballots.

Its a good piece, but it completely misses the the paramount issue: The people who run the elections, the election referees so to speak, are partisan members of one of the two parties and are elected or appointed, often by the very same people contesting in the election. Think about that for a second. Could there be any better recipe for voter fraud? No other Western democracy does this. It's putting the fox in charge of the hen house. It's like putting Enron in charge of our energy policy. It is the root of all of the above mentioned problems and no one is even talking about reforming it.

You keep your values, we'll keep our money

The Daily Howler (via Atrios) has a fun rant on which states are the givers and receivers when it comes Federal funding. Some states pay more in taxes to the Federal Government than they receive in Federal spending, and some take more than they pay. The high irony is that there is a direct relationship between the amount of whining your state does about big government and how firmly on the Federal dole you are. The majority of the Blue States are net contributors, and the majority of the Red States are net freeloaders.

The Howler does a fine job in playing out all of the angles in this delicious irony and I recommend the article.

As an added bonus, guess which state is the chief dupe when it comes to subsidizing the Red State welfare queens:

If you guessed that it's right here in the heart of Pizzaland, you are correct! In 2003, New Jersey led all suckers receiving only 57 cents in federal spending for every dollar submitted in taxes. Doesn't it make you feel good to know that you are subsidizing the Red Staters in their pursuit of "moral values?" Its almost like brushing up against the divine. Maybe if we give them enough of our sinful tax money some of those moral values will rub off on us.

Thanks to Team Fluffy for the link. Click here for the complete list of states from the Tax Foundation.

1) New Jersey: 57 cents
2) New Hampshire: 64 cents
3) Connecticut: 65 cents
4) Minnesota: 70 cents
5) Nevada: 70 cents
6) Illinois: 73 cents
7) California: 78 cents
8) Massachusetts: 78 cents
9) New York: 80 cents
10) Colorado: 80 cents

More Values: we're #2

Much has been made of the fact that in the Presidential election exit polls more people chose moral values than any other issue as the most important thing in deciding how they would vote. 22% said moral values was their main reason. This includes Iraq, terrorism, economy, etc. It's a bit misleading though. Although the poll divided them into two issues, Iraq and terrorism are actually the same issue. If you accepted George Bush's version of the world, you called it terrorism, since Iraq is the center of the war on terror. If you bought John Kerry's vision of the world, you see Iraq as being central to your opposition to Bush, and not part of the war on terror. So you called it Iraq. Opposite sides of the same coin.

19% of people said terrorism was their top issue.
86% of those who said terrorism voted for Bush.

15% of people said Iraq was their top issue.
74% of those who said Iraq voted for Kerry.

Conclusion: More people bought into Bush's view of the war on terror than Kerry's.

Regardless, the category "moral values", which should actually be called "narrow knee-jerk White Evangelical moral values" would have come in a distant second to the combined Iraq/terrorism category at 34%.

Are we this desperate?

We progressives are a bit down, but are we this desperate? Thanks to SDG for the link.

Marry an American

"Moral Values"

The election day exit poll showed that 22% of voters said that "moral values" was the biggest concern influencing their vote. How fucking stupid is that? Everyone who voted was voting their moral values! My biggest concern was Iraq. Why? I believe in peace and justice and that starting wars for no good reason is immoral. Does that make me a moral values voter? Not according to this poll.

"Moral values" came in higher than any other issue including Iraq, terrorism, the economy, or healthcare. Of course, those voters citing moral values were overwhelmingly Evangelical Christian and Bush voters. And, of course, we all know that "moral values" in this case means anti-abortion and anti-gay.

Leave it to American politics and media to reduce the moral sentiments of an entire nation to being anti-abortion and anti-gay.

Christian Politics

Christian politics has been getting a beating out here in Pizzaland. So The Minister of Things thought it apropos to remind us that the Southern brand of pro-military, pro-big business, abortion-related-myopia Christian politics isn't the only game in town. I now direct you to the writings of a REAL Minister with some counterpoint. Say hello to the Christian Left (excerpted from http://www.abundancetrek.com/blog):

People on the right will so easily assert that I hate America because I actually believe that much of our foreign policy and much of our domestic policy is wrong. I don't hate America. I don't love America either. I love Americans. I love Republicans and I love Democrats and I love Independents. I love Red Sox fans and Yankee fans. I don't love France, but I love the French people. I don't love Iraq but I love Iraqis.

I have to admit, however, that while I don't hate America, I do not believe in America either. I believe in God. I believe in love. I believe in truth. I have no reason to believe in America, a nation with many good qualities and all too many bad qualities. Some will call me unpatriotic. That's so meaningless to me. My loyalty is to all humanity and not just American humanity or the humans who agree with America's policies.

America is simply a place, a place where many people live. I happen to live here and I like living here. I'm sure I could like living somewhere else, too. Although at this point in my life, I think I'd rather be here. I'm simply saying that being an American is simply not that important to me and I don't think it should be. Humanity is important. Life is important. This planet is important. God is important. Love is important. Truth is important.

I'm glad the Red Sox won the World Series but it really doesn't matter that much even though it seemed like it did a week ago or so.

Maybe this election has cured me of a need to believe in America. Kerry's concession speech revealed that he believes in America. I don't. I hope America begins to correct itself. That would be good for all humanity and for the planet. I even dare to believe that this will happen. Not because I believe in America but because I believe in God, in love, in truth, in the basic goodness of humanity which is made in the image of God.

The Minister of Things offers a hearty amen!

Tax hooey from the GOP

Word is that one of the Republican priorities for Bush's second term will be replacing our current progressive income tax with a "flat tax." For the uninitiated, a flat tax is where everyone pays the same rate regardless of your income. We currently have a progressive income tax. In a nutshell, the progressive tax system taxes those who can afford to pay more at a higher rate. The more you make, the higher your tax rate.

The rationale for the progressive tax is that it is more fair to people who aren't rich - the less money you have, the more important each dollar of it is. If you are just scraping by, any additional loss of income cuts into your basic needs like food and shelter. As you get richer, higher taxes may only mean that you may have to put off upgrading the hot tub on your yacht for another year.

The Republicans are pushing up hill on the flat tax. Many people understand that losing 15% of one's income to taxes doesn't hurt as much for a rich guy as it does for someone a few rungs down the ladder. And, in absolute terms a flat tax would result in the middle class paying more, and the rich paying less, than they do now.

Now the GOP has shifted to a new theme: a flat tax is simpler. Our current tax code is so complicated and so filled with loopholes and perverse incentives that the whole thing needs to be scrapped and replaced with one simple flat tax where everyone pays the same exact rate. Just figuring the current tax code out, they say, is a burden to society and one of the reasons so many people evade taxes.

Now, where does The Minister of Things stand on this? Well, given that most major US corporations have their own lobbyist-edited chapters in the tax code, and that you get tax incentives to buy an environment-despoiling Hummer over a nice efficient wagon, and there are countless loopholes that shift the tax burden off the wealthy and onto average people, I'm all for scrapping the whole thing.

But here's the catch, scrapping all the loopholes and creating a flat tax are two completely different things. We could just as easily scrap the loopholes and nonsense, but keep the progressive tax part of it. There is no reason simplifying the tax code and ending the loopholes has to result in a flat tax.

In fact, the least complicated part of the current tax code is the progressive part where you find your income on the nice little table to see what bracket you're in and how much you owe. The whole debate is just a ruse to hide the real purpose of the flat tax, shifting more of the tax burden off of the wealthy.

So, out with the old progressive tax and in with the new flat tax. But the Hummer, the Enron chapter of the tax code, the off-shore tax shelters, the armies of lobbyists? That stuff all stays. Guaranteed.

Damn Times

Contributors to the New York Times Op-Ed pages are obviously mining The Minister of Things for new ideas. See my post of November 5 "Hope for the future?" Can't they come up with their own material?

How Hispanics Voted Republican

BC 21 - Rutgers 10

My beloved Scarlet Knights lost at Boston College (#25 AP) in a fairly close game this Saturday. Two years ago I would watch my Knights get blown out big and say: gee, I wish we could just cut the margin a little. Last year we just got blown out and I'd say: gee, I just wish we could play in close games where we had a chance to win. Now I say: Fuck!!! I hate losing close games. Goddamnit!

Progress, I guess.

Guestblogger Piz

Today the Minister of Things offers up guestblogger "Piz". Be gentle:

Roger Cohen has an interesting piece on the implications of the current situation with Yasir Arafat and how it may impact other relations in the Middle East - particularly the current debacle in Iraq.

With Yasir Arafat scouting out a permanent site at the great campground beyond the sun, several new questions arise in the desert. What will Mahmoud Abbas do as interim leader of the Palestinian Authority, and how will Arafat's hope of being buried in Jerusalem impact Israeli politics? Will Ariel Sharon and the Israeli Hawks force him to his birthland of Egypt? It's an opportunity for a monumental act of statesmanship and diplomacy on the part of Israel. Will the Palestinians opt for a less totalitarian leader with the wisdom to forge a compromise with the western Infidels or will generations of Palestinian and Israeli children continue to play in the same sandbox of blood and explosions?

Arafat's death is an incredible opportunity in the quest for a functional Arab-American diplomacy. I just hope the next few weeks bring a pragmatic, Gandhi-inspired leader. It's a window of opportunity gift wrapped for the Bush administration in it's critical first hundred days to set the diplomatic agenda for the next four years, or perhaps for the length of the life of Arafat's successor.

I'm really confused on which way it'll go...

More ties that bind

Mystictrek (who has a recomended spiritual blog) in his comment on "The real ties that bind" thread below notes that the problem is not the Red States; it’s the Gray States (Confederate States). And what are those ties that bind the Red States together? More food for thought:


Credit to Kevin Drum and Ken Layne

Pizza anyone?

Who speaks for us?

Daily Show, November 3, 2004 -

John Stewart: If (terrorism and fear of gay people) are the two major issues concerning voters, why would New York City, which really has the most significant gay population in the country, and has already had the most significant terrorist attack in the country, vote overwhelmingly for Kerry?

Stephen Colbert, Daily Show Correspondent: Here's the thing John, we in New York are too close to the terrorism and gay people. Only the Red States, with the advantage of a safe distance, can take in the whole picture and clearly see what we should do about those issues. And so, on behalf of everyone living the Blue States, I'd like to thank the Red States for saving us...from ourselves.

Bookmark this

Everyone be sure to bookmark the Minister of Things. I will be making frequent posts about topics important to you and me! And your input is always very welcome.

The real ties that bind

Although I am very sypathetic to those who want to secede from the Red States, I don't think anyone has quite gotten the divisions right. Though I got a good laugh out of it, I don't want to become part of Canada as Barry Ritholtz suggests (Jesusland and Canada).



And in fact, although I like visiting, I don't feel too much affinity for Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, or the upper Midwest.

I propose the creation of Pizzaland, composed of territories within the former USA that have good pizza. The exact borders will be a legitimate point of discussion. But for now, the rough outlines of Pizzaland include everything from Massachusetts to Maryland. Obviously, how far west Pizzaland goes will also be a hot topic. Especially for those living in Pittsburgh.

Hope for the future?

Many of my friends and colleagues have found solace in the mantra that the future will be bright for Democrats because demographic trends are with us. As noted early and often by Ruy Teixeira, natural Democratic constituencies such as minorities and youth are growing, while the Republican base of white evangelicals and older voters is shrinking or stagnating. Will good things come to liberals who wait?

Well, after reviewing the exit polls this year I'm not so sure that a passive strategy will do it for progressives. Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in this country, soon to be the majority in many Southwestern states. They voted in record numbers this year, but Bush got 9% more of the Hispanic vote than he did in 2000. Did Karl Rove succeed in driving the gay marriage wedge into the Hispanic vote? That isn't clear right now, and it isn't clear that any long-term conservative strategy to woo Hispanic voters on social issues will succeed to any significant degree. But we know that the Republican strategists know as much as Ruy Teixeira about demographic trends and its safe to say they aren't planning to sit back let their majority slip away.

Secession

To think, all this time we thought we won the civil war... Amidst all of the "what do we do now" talk, all of my friends are consumed by the thought of secession. A nice peaceful well-to-do country of blue states in the northeast. It just shows the depths of liberal depression and psychological distress that the only positive and comforting thought we can come up with is seceding from the Union.

Would be kinda nice to keep our tax money though.

Red States

Fuck the Red States. Fuck em. Thats all I got to say man.