Chapter 98: July 2009 – December 2009
“Good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from poor judgement”
– Dr. Kerr L. White (but also attributed to Mark Twain and several others)
“Jesse,” the President sighed disappointingly, “what were you thinking?”
“I erroneously
had assumed the references would not be printed because of my
racial bond with [1] him,” Jackson answered. The two’s pic-phone e-chat the previous day had been inconclusive, so Jackson visited the Wellstone family home in Minneapolis. KNN’s D. Carlton Lemon’s shocking exposé needed to be addressed with kid gloves, lest Republicans use it as fodder for their calls to reverse the past nine years of work.
“Jesse, I think it’d be a good idea for everyone if you…went on vacation for a while.”
“Banishment, huh?”
“No, no, you’ll just be shying away from the limelight for a little while, just until things blow over.”
“I’m not running away from this like some coward.”
“You’d be putting your pride on hold for a few days,” Wellstone said more aggressively, “If you don’t you can kiss the Rainbow Coalition goodbye, and neither you nor me want that!”
The President rubbed the back of his neck and leaned back in his chair in frustration. “Jesse, did you know that when your comments came out, I didn’t even ask if it was some kind of scam? Because I knew it wasn’t. Even if the comments came from a less reputable source like that Teresa Strasser tabloid report, I still wouldn’t have asked. Because I know it’s true. You say those kind of things all the time. It’s only now finally caught up to you.”
“If you’re trying to make me feel better about this, please just stop now.”
“Jesse, Bill Dedman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and investigative reporter for Newsday, wants to follow up on the allegations. Jim Paratore, that media tech wiz guy, he’s offering reward money for any audio or visual archive footage of you saying other things like that. If you don’t admit to this, Colonel Sanders style, and then lay low until the next news story come about, this media circus will only get uglier.”
“And what about you?” Asked the former President.
“What about me?”
“What will you be doing while I’m off in self-exile.”
“I’ll be reaching out to the Jewish community. I’ll do my best to convince them to continue to support me?”
“Why would you have to do that?”
“Because many Jewish leaders are calling me an ‘Uncle Tom,’ a ‘self-hating Jew,’ and a ‘meshugenah,’ even, just for staying in your corner during all this. You have got to help me out here, and apologize.”
“Alright, alright.” The President sighed, “You’re right. I’ve burned a really big bridge here. How can I help?”
– Roberta Gillespie’s Watershed: An Assessment of The Wellstone White House, Princeton University Press, 2016
Jackson’s hurtful comments strained race relations, and led to many political analysts questioning the viability of the ‘Black-Jewish entente’ that had been a prominent part of the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections. The decades-long trend of Black Antisemitism became a subject of much public debate, while many aspects of Jackson’s administration came under scrutiny, with Republicans and even Jewish Democrats questioning if any of his actions in office purposely favored African-Americans over Jewish-Americans.
Interestingly, certain members of the Republican populist right, such as the controversial (and allegedly anti-Semitic) THN pundit, journalist, former National Review columnist, and two-time Goetz endorser Joseph Sobran, actually came to the former President’s defense. In the wake of such neo-hippie-like individuals praising him for “speaking the truth,” Jesse Jackson Sr. allegedly remarked, “Dear God, those aren’t the people I want having my back. Sweet Jesus, what have I done?”
– Billie Lofi’s The Wellstone Way: The Life of a Passionate Progressive, University of Minnesota Press, first edition, 2017
...While the controversy over the former President’s comments dominated the news cycle, on Capitol Hill, the Senate Judiciary Committee continued on with the planned Supreme Court hearings unimpeded. However, even here, some Republicans did not hold back on their criticism of Jackson’s alleged comments.
For example, US Senator Stan Jones (R-MT), a member of the upper chamber’s Judiciary Committee, asked Denny Chin “In your judgment, and in your experience, do you consider controversial, inciting, or polarizing comments, like the former President’s recent comments, to be enough disqualify someone from serving or running for public office?”
The comment backfired, as Chin replied with “No, but if I did, you wouldn’t have anything to worry about, Mr. Jones – you aren’t up for re-election until 2012, so you’d have plenty of time to think up something.”
Both Jones and Chin were reprimanded for the exchange, though more Senators admonished the former for the “out of line” query, as US Senator Orrin Hatch (R-NE) put it...
– Linda Greenhouse and Morton J. Horwitz’s Sustaining Liberty: The Supreme Court Under Our Current Chief Justice, Sunrise Publishing, 2020
JACKSON EXPRESSES “DEEP REGRET” FOR PAST COMMENTS
…The Reverend and former President Jesse Jackson
acknowledged tonight that he had used “hurtful” language in a private conversation.
Appearing at a synagogue here in New York City, Jackson
sought to put to rest a controversy that has dogged him for several days now.
“It was not done in the spirit of meanness,” he told an overflow crowd in the synagogue, Temple Adath Yershurum. “However innocent and unintended, it was wrong.” [2]
– The New York Times, 7/12/2009
FINE: “Wellstone and Jackson want to move on but can’t. The damage has been done, the can of worms has been opened. Relations between Blacks and Jews have been historically contentious, and now it is out in the open.
WILLIAMS: “I wouldn’t say they were damaged now by Jackson’s comments. They were always strained behind closed doors under his Presidency.”
FINE: “So it was an open secret of sorts.”
WILLIAMS: “Yes, but now the President and former President will have to work very hard to repair the long-standing damage. I think that will be the only way that the Democrats will have a fighting chance in the midterms next year.”
– CBS News, round-table discussion, 7/13/2009
...In Poland, much like with the rest of Europe overall, first-trimester abortion is legal, though there are some restrictions – albeit, restrictions that are much less severe than those found in Vatican City, Andorra, Monaco and Bulgaria. When it comes to late-term abortions, however, Europe has varying degrees of restrictions. Countries strongly observant of the Catholic religion are the most stringent.
Because of this religious connection, conservative Catholics voiced outrage when conscientious objection to abortion by doctors was made illegal in no longer allowed in Germany on July 10, 2009. Pope Patrick I lead the criticism with a speech given on July 14, in which the church leader condemned the German government’s “assault on the sanctity” of human life. However, Patrick also criticized a wider range of topics in the speech as well. “
In many parts of the world, the family is under siege," Pope Patrick I
said. “It is opposed by an anti-life mentality as is seen in contraception, abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. It is scorned and banalised by pornography, desecrated by fornication and adultery, mocked by homosexuality, sabotaged by irregular unions and cut in two by divorce”
[3]
The Pope’s comments sparked controversy of its own, with religious figures and leaders worldwide either commending or criticizing his stance. For instance, the Archbishop of Warsaw noted that, “even in places like Germany and Poland, abortion is legal, but access is still limited and is not at all a guarantee. …I think Pope Patrick needs to study the real-world dynamics a little better.”…
[snip] …Abortion was made legal in Italy in 1990, but the current national law still allows health professionals to refuse to perform an abortion as “conscientious objectors,” which has the practical effect of restricting abortion access…
– Mathias Le Bossé and Robert C. Ostergren’s The Europeans: A Geography of People, Culture, and Environment, Guilford Press, 2011
ONTECH POLL: 65% of Americans Approve of Supreme Court Nominee Denny Chin
– Gallup, 7/15/2009
THE DONGTAN DAYS OF SUMMER: The Story Behind China’s Eco-City Vision Being Delayed
…China has pushed back the opening date of its planned eco-city mega-project “Dongtan” to 2015, after months of construction delays related to funding and political realities.
Pitched as a showcase ultra-green city to be ready and functioning in time for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, Dongtan was an ambitious joint project involving multinational engineering firm Arup and Chinese developers. Engineering firms began being contracted for the city’s development in 2005, in response to the increase in Shanghai’s population over the years. Approved by then-Premier Bo Xilai, the idea for the planned city was treated as if it could very well be a
futuristic model for low-rise suburbs to accommodate spillover from supercities and house China’s emerging middle class. The project touted ‘zero emissions’ as one of its main selling points, and recycled waste was included in the myriad renewable energy systems planned for Dongtan.
Four years later and the spectacle of the groundbreaking has subsided, and the bustling construction sites have quieted down. China’s
longest bridge and tunnel now connects the wetlands building site and its looming wind turbines to Pudong, in outer Shanghai, but the trucks and machinery do not use them are often as they used to.
[4]
According to reports, the engineers and architects behind the incomplete buildings blame China’s new Premier for their financial shortfalls pausing construction. Last year, Premier Yang decided to redirect funds from Dongtan to anti-poverty programs in his effort to distance himself from Bo. The former Premier’s stunning and sudden fall from grace two years ago also frightened away many sponsors, worsening payment problems. Meanwhile, China’s top-down government system means that there is little that Shanghai and provincial politicians can do to move construction along.
For now, Dongtan, a promised eco-city on the island of Chongming in Shanghai, China, standing only half-built, will remain so until the PRC’s government allots the city more funds to cover construction costs, material transportation costs, and laborer wages...
– Time Magazine, July 2009 issue
“Mr. Chin has a good head on his shoulders, and his while his ideology and interpretation of the Constitution is too extreme for me to vote yea on his confirmation, I acknowledge his credentials, I respect his character, and I wish him the best of luck in the final vote count.”
– US Senator Don Stenberg (R-NE), 7/19/2009
MALCOLM X TO GIVE SPEECH FOR JORDAN AT KFC SUMMIT IN JERUSALEM
…X became involved in Middle Eastern affairs in the 1960s. In the 1980s, X praised Colonel Sanders for his long-lasting work in the area, after being initially skeptical that the annual Chicken Dinner Summits would improve regional relations. “The accolades were pretty ironic given that X would criticize the Colonel for pretty much anything back in the 1960s and early 1970s,” says The Colonel’s grandson, businessman Harland Sanders III. …The praise was not limited to one Republican leader, though, as X later lauded President Dinger’s efforts, in the immediate aftermath of the Second Korean War, to minimize discrimination against Former Northerners in the new nation of United Korea, and to confront anti-Asian attacks back home in the US.
…X increased his involvement in community organizing in the Middle East in the 1990s, starting with serving as an unofficial advisor to regional leaders outside of the CDSiJs before working up to national leaders of Muslim countries – most notably Jordan, along with Lebanon and Oman to lesser extents – by the end of the decade. X sought to encourage the monarchs of Jordan and Oman not only to continued participation in the summits, but to also commit to more effective social justice measures to improve civil liberties in their respective countries…
…In his old age, X is seemingly embracing The Colonel’s notion to “always be more for things than against things”…
– The New York Times, 7/20/2009
…Disney’s Newt was released on July 21, 2009. While not as popular as the two films it found itself sandwiched between in the Disney lineup of theatrically released films, it still gave us some good acting from William Shatner, Merryl Streep, Jason Patrick, Sarah Silverman, Carl Weathers, Bob Peterson, John Ratzenburg, and Jim Cummings. Not that very well-remembered today, this quaint story about a pair of newts – a guy and a girl who can’t stand one another – trying to find others like them in order to save their species. With underlying themes of destiny and fate, the film argues that, with perseverance and support from those around you, one can break free from the kind of life others want them to have. Directed by Gary Rydstrom, written by Rydstrom and Leslie Caveny, and produced by Richard Hollander, the film was considered by Disney to be a “modest” box office success and received generally favorable reviews from critics and audiences. In short the film wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as great as other recent films like The Lion King and Treasure Planet…
– film review video “Rick Reviews: Newt,” uploaded to ourvids.co.usa, 2/2/2021
…On July 23, the US Senate confirmed Denny Chin for the Supreme Court seat by a vote of 61-43, with the sole Independent (Angus King of Maine) and four Republicans (Bill Weld of Massachusetts, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Thomas Kean Jr. of New Jersey and Lyle Hillyard of Utah) siding with the Democrats, and with one Republican (David Marriott of Utah) abstaining. He was sworn in a week later…
– Linda Greenhouse and Morton J. Horwitz’s Sustaining Liberty: The Supreme Court Under Our Current Chief Justice, Sunrise Publishing, 2020
SUPREME COURT COMPOSITION ON
JULY 30, 2009
Chief Justice (since July 2, 2001): Alan Cedric Page (D-MN, liberal) – succeeded Frank M. Johnson – appointee: J. Jackson
Associate Justice Seat 1 (since March 10, 1999): Larry Dean Thompson (R-GA, conservative) – succeeded Leon Higginbotham – appointee: Dinger
Associate Justice Seat 2 (since May 14, 2000): Emilio Miller Garza (R-TX, conservative) – succeeded Edward H. Levi – appointee: Dinger
Associate Justice Seat 3 (since April 3, 2008): Aida M. Delgado-Colon (D-PR, liberal) – succeeded Joseph Tyree Sneed III – appointee: J. Jackson
Associate Justice Seat 4 (since June 23, 1974): William Joseph Nealon Jr. (D-PA, liberal) – succeeded William O. Douglas – appointee: Mondale
Associate Justice Seat 5 (since November 16, 1971): Sylvia Bacon (R-PO, centrist) – succeeded John M. Harlan II – appointee: Sanders
Associate Justice Seat 6 (since May 10, 2002): Michael Joseph Sandel (D-CT, liberal) – succeeded Herb Fogel – appointee: J. Jackson
Associate Justice Seat 7 (since July 28, 2009): Check Kong “Denny” Chin (D-CA, liberal) – succeeded Miles W. Lord – appointee: Wellstone
Associate Justice Seat 8 (since October 1990): Mary Murphy Schroeder (D-CO, liberal) – succeeded William Brennan – appointee: Bellamy
– thesupremecourt.co.usa/court_compositions/by_date/7_30_2009
They met up again, quite serendipitously, at the Idlewild Airport in New York City.
“Where are you heading?” asked Donald but adding “I’ve got to get to a shooting location in Florida.”
His ex-wife quickly replied, “I just interviewed a retiring NFL player.”
“Who?”
“Some guy named Pat Tillman.”
“Never heard of him. Must be retiring because he’s a loser.”
Rolling her eyes, she noted “His fractured his leg, badly.”
“See?”
“Better way to leave the field than how you did.”
Donald scowled at the reminder of his career-ending altercation with the Houston Astros pitcher still serving as the Commissioner of Baseball. “Easy there, at least I didn’t break my frickin’ leg.”
She groaned aloud and began walking away, “Don’t forget next week is your week with our youngest – you remember Richie, don’t you, the angsty 16-year-old?”
Not catching the snarky sarcasm, he replied, “Sure, sure. But hey,” he began to walk with her, “You didn’t hear about the movie I’m making.”
“I’ll watch the making-of feature on its Micro-LD.”
“Oh, come on, don’t be like that. I’m trying to be nice here.”
“You’re doing as well as you did in the MLB,” she continued on into the food court.
“Oh, you know what? I was going to ask you if you wanted to be in the movie, but now I might take the offer off the table.”
Curious, his ex-wife slowed her walk, allowing Donald to finally catch up. “Curious. You seemed to run a lot better in that movie of yours.”
“Camera tricks are amazing. I can show you on the set, you know.”
“Why would you want me in it. Oh wait, is this because of my new job? You know, two of the main news co-anchors at THN?”
“It’s more than that,” he took a step back. “It’s just, I’ve got to tell ya, after all these years, you’ve held up pretty good.”
“Was that supposed to be a compliment?” She restarted her pace, walking past the row of diminutive fast-food outlets flanking the one side of the food court.
“You’re still hot, that’s all I’m saying!”
“You’ve said plenty.”
“Come on,” Donald then spotted a pizza shop to their left, “Listen, can’t we talk about this over a slice?” He then quickly added “I’m buyin’!”
The ex-wife stopped a turned around to face him. “Really? You’re going to try to get me to strut around in front of a camera in exchange for pizza? You really think that would work?”
“Maybe. Would it kill you or me to try?”
Rolling her eyes again, she agreed to the free meal. Both ordered plain cheese, with Donald saying, “They use topping to cover up cheese patches, that’s how they get you.”
“I remember, you told me on our first date.”
“I did? I mean, oh yeah, I did, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you were charming back then.”
“I’m still charming,” Donald whined.
“Subjectively,” she added.
They then collected their order, and as they both grabbed some utensils, and Donald caught her blush and smile slightly. “Heh, I see you picked up at least one good habit from me. You’re going to eat your slices with a fork and knife, too, huh?’
“Well,” she conceded, “after SARS, your germaphobia stopped looking so crazy to me. You were almost prophetic on that front.”
“See? It wasn’t all bad.”
“It wasn’t mostly good, either.”
Then they collected their drinks. As they sat down into a booth, Donald sat beside her instead of across from her; she inched away, but otherwise did not address another classic example of his awkward ways of interacting with people.
Donald continued, “Every couple goes through rough patches, hon. It all depends on how they handle them.”
“I suppose. But you did f*ck up. Royally.”
Deflecting the comment, he said “speaking of royalty – ”
“Please, don’t mention your ex-wife!”
“Which one? The one before you? The one after you – the royal one? Ericka Cruz? Or Oksana Fedorova?”
“Who were those last two again?”
“Beats me. I was married to them for such a short time I hardly got to know them – I think three months in ’02 with Cruz, and about a year, ’05 or ’06, with Oksana.”
“You’ve been busy.”
“And lonely.”
“Lonely, huh?”
“Lonelier than an ethnic dude in Wyoming.”
To this, she actually let out a bit of a snicker, to which Donald smiled and began to chuckle.
“Hehe! After all this time, I can still make you laugh! I miss your laugh. Do you miss me?”
She conceded, “only on occasion.”
He smiled, “I can work with that.”
[pic:
imgur.com/SRvVYUi.png ]
Above: Donald and Sarah spotted eating pizza together at Idlewild Airport, NYC, c. August 5, 2009
– Kate Bohner’s The Art of The Don: The Unofficial Biography of Donald Trump, Times Books, 2017 edition
EUNICE KENNEDY-SHRIVER PASSES AWAY AT 88
…the decades-long pro-life progressive who was an early supporter of UHC and disability rights legislation was surrounded by friends and family during her final days… The firebrand feminist served in the US Senate from 1962 to 2001 and ran for the Democratic nomination for President in 1988, after declining to run in 1972, 1980 and 1984…
– The Washington Post, 8/11/2009
“…former FBI Director Robert F. Kennedy spoke at the invitation-only Requiem Mass held for his older sister here at the St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church in Hyannis. Sources close to the invitees have told us that the former Director delivered a stirring eulogy, one fitting for the beloved champion of feminist causes and defender of the disabled and the unborn. …Eunice Kennedy-Shriver’s other surviving brother, her younger brother and media mogul Ted Kennedy, was in attendance despite his own ailing health. In the past year, Mr. Ted Kennedy has had several grueling operations to combat a brain tumor and has been afflicted with seizures as well…”
– WNEV-TV News 7, independent TV station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, US; 8/14/2009 broadcast
KENNETH BACON, FORMER US SECRETARY OF STATE, IS DEAD AT 64
…Bacon was a former leading figure in the humanitarian organization Refugees International, and also had previously worked, in advisory and unofficial diplomatic functions, for the Presidencies of Jack Kemp, Carol Bellamy, and Lee Iacocca. Despite spending years of his career working as a columnist and journalist, often being critical of “wasteful military spending,” Bacon served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, a position considered to unofficially be the “public face” of said department, from 1991 to 1993...
– The New York Times, 8/15/2009
The New New York Files, often shortened to
The NNY Files or
TNNYF, and aired and marketed in Canada as
Tales from New New York, is a spinoff of the long-running American TV series Futurama. TNNYF is an anthology series, with each episode focusing on minor side characters, creatures, planets, and other locations found in the Futurama series, but expanded upon in order to “flesh them out,” as put by series creator Matt Groening. The series also depicts the early lives of the major characters of Futurama prior to the start of the series, as well as presenting a collection of non-sequitor shorts in some episodes that the writers “failed to expand into full episodes,” as Groening put it. The series began airing on August 16, 2009, almost exactly 15 after Futurama began airing; Groening explained in a 2009 interview that “the delay” in TNNYF’s developed was because “it’s only now that we the manpower to pull it off.” With a less frequent release schedule than Futurama’s, TNNYF has received praised by audiences and given decent reviews by critics.
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 2011
LARGEST-EVER ANIMALS-ONLY OVERPASS BRIDGE OPENS IN WYOMING
…Animals-only highway overpasses have proven over the years to reduce traffic accidents caused by wandering animals. These sprawled-out structures that blend into the area’s natural elements help animals migrate above and over busy roads without interacting with the human activity on the pavement below. This is the largest one in the US, passing over the four lanes of US Route 26 that pass through Wyoming. The “nature overpass” is sprinkled with elements such as rocks, bushes, logs, shrubbery and small boulders to extend the local animals’ natural habitat across the bridge and increase the speed at which wildlife adjusts to using the bridge instead of taking their chances on the road. Typically, members of the wildlife may take up to two or even five years for the shift to fully occur, but recent trends suggest that the more common they are found, the sooner animals adjust to them. In the past five years, the average length of time between overpass opening and complete local wildlife acceptance has shortened by as much as 30%, according to the Environmental Protection Agency…
– knn.co.usa, 8/18/2009
…and in political news, President Wellstone continued to meet with Jewish-American community leaders to amend relations between Jewish and African-American communities…
– CBS Evening News, 8/19/2009
…According to sources close to both musicians, rapper Vanilla Ice and rock-and-roll legend Elvis Presley plan release a collaboration album next month. …The two singer-songwriters began work on the album after lead singer Freddie Mercury of Queen publicly accused Ice of being “an unoriginal bore” for allegedly “ripping off” the music of Queen and other performers…
– thehollywoodreporter.co.usa, 8/21/2009
As Governor, Grammer also sought out an answer for what to do with the Salton Sea. Grammer visited the region in 2008 and found it to be a tragic site. With the backdrop of a breathtaking mountain range, he was shocked by the extent of dead animals and abandoned communities covered the artificial lake’s receding shoreline.
Accidently brought into existence in 1905 in a Colorado River water inflow effort gone awry, the large artificial sea in southern California was a popular place for the US military to conduct parachute training and testing after World War Two until the 1970s. The 1950s saw resort towns pop up along its shores, the most famous one being the Bombay Beach resort town. However, the mishandling of water apportionment over the decades had led to the sea’s waters slowly receding in a minor reflection of United Turkestan’s Aral Sea, creating an environmental disaster. Years of pollution from agricultural runoff had raised the Salton Sean’s salinity. In what has become a common and iconic image of the area, dead fish began washing up on beaches, creating noxious olfactory experiences that drove away the tourists and killed the local economy deader than the stinky fish. Worse, as the receding waters left the sea bed exposed to wind, toxic dust increased the risk of asthma and respiratory complications for the locals, brought on by particulate matter swept up into the air from the former shores of the Salton Sea and unintentionally breathed in by the people of Imperial County.
“As more of the sea dries, tens of thousands of silty shoreline is exposed,” explained Wendy Russell, the state’s inaugural Interior Secretary and the former Mayor of Palm Springs, a resort town less than thirty miles northwest of the dying lake, during Grammer’s first visit to the area. “And with it, the exposure of long-dormant, now-banned pesticides like DDT and other contaminants, that then get blown off to population centers by the wind.”
“Dear God, can’t anything be done about this?” the Governor asked.
“Poor air quality, habitat losses, human health risks, choking dust, and dying birds and fish do not appeal to prospective homeowners,” Russell shook her head. “It is problematic, but restoration would likely be our best course of action.”
“Then restoration efforts must be taken.”
Russell nodded, “We can’t let it be retaken by Mother Nature because the level of kicked-up toxic soil would be disastrous for living beings all across this whole region. And because the sea has no natural outlet, we have to prevent it from being used for waste storage.”
“So we’ll work with Nevada’s Governor to move this toxic soil out of our state and into theirs.” The Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository is a radioactive waste storage facility in Nevada, set up in 1981, in the aftermath of the Trojan Tower Disaster of 1979, so that the federal government finally had a place to dispose of toxic waste.
“A small wetland project on the Torrez Martinez Tribal Land at the north of the valley may work. If it does, it may serve as a starting point or a springboard for more restoration projects,” opined Russell.
Grammer visited the Salton Sea again in early 2009, and lamented his administration’s failure to better address the growing crisis. He reportedly told his aides, “I think more movies could be made here. We could restore this place, renew its recreation opportunities, and foster economic development. It’s a beautiful place and it’s worth saving. Especially since it’ll be a huge public health disaster if we don’t.” Grammer soon formed a special Land Restoration Commission to discuss long-term, medium-range, and immediate goals. Grammer himself was more interested in the more immediate measures, figuring that local residents would not have the patience to wait for the fruits of a ten-year project. “I know I wouldn’t,” he reportedly told Secretary Russell.
The commission suggested establishing greenways and parks to rebuild the coast, town renewal efforts on the north end and “clean” lithium mining and geothermal energy projects on the south end. These medium-range goals would capitalize on both the scenic vistas and the deposits of minerals that are key ingredients in the production of lar phones and other modern electronic devices.
“We could bring back speedboat racing to the area and set up some solar panel farms maybe,” the Governor opined.
During one meeting with Governor Grammer in 2009, one commissioner questioned if redevelopment even be worth it in regards to it being economically sustainable, in the wake of health concerns. Grammer answered with “We’ll clear the waste away, then we’ll open the mineral mines, and
then we’ll allow more people to begin moving in.” Grammer envisioned the re-establishing of working town in the area, of a working-class community for the geothermal production nearby, but a working-class community with a higher-class scenic view. And of improvements to the region becoming noticeable within the next five years. Grammer admitted, “Too idealistic? Maybe. But if we aim for an ‘A’ we could get a ‘B,’ and that’s a lot better than the ‘F’ we’ve got now.”
“There’s just one major problem with this,” Russell noted about the governor’s proposed five-year remove-redevelop-reopen plan.
“What’s that,” Governor Grammer asked.
“Geothermal energy extraction has been linked to earthquakes.”
Grammer thought for a moment, and politely attempted to brush off the concern by noting the size of the region’s proposed production and mining operation. “And, well, besides, we’re already on the San Andreas Fault. Earthquakes are already an expected part of the California experience. So the trick is to build houses that stand up to the ground-rattling. So…let’s not let anyone build any high-rises near the Salton Sea, shall we?”
[pic:
imgur.com/pB0BEgd.png ]
Pictured: An aerial view of the Salton Sea
The earthquakes and the Salton Sea, however, were only part of a bigger problem concerning California’s environmental and fiscal conditions. Red Tide along the coast and forest fires in the north had made for a state government that needed bigger rainy-day fund, but Grammar had lowered taxes with the promise to not raise them again. Instead of using the Treasury Department’s already-depleted funds to pay for the toxic soil removal, Grammer turned to the private sector, offering tax breaks to contractors who were willing to work for low salaries and commission to cart away the soil and invest in energy production. A similar scheme had played out successfully for Grammer’s efforts to improve the state’s maglev and subway train transportation systems, allowing businesses to invest in maintenance and advertising to make up for the cost of repairs, updates and renovations...
– Miriam Pawel’s The Golden State Under Governor Grammar, Doubleday, 2021
…And earlier tonight in South Africa, incumbent President Keorapetse Kgositsile of the ANC won election to a full term over challenger Narend Singh of the Inkatha Freedom Party. Singh was an early favorite to win due to President Kgositsile receiving criticism for pardoning former President Buthelezi, but managed to assemble what has proven to be a winning coalition of anti-IFP voters…
– BBC News, 25/8/2009 broadcast
Performers Who Have Portrayed Doctor Who:
In Television
1963-1966: 1) William Hartnell
1966-1969: 2) Patrick Troughton
1969-1974: 3) Jon Pertwee
1974-1981: 4) Richard Keith Johnson
1981-1988: 5) Sir Michael John Gambon
1988-1989: 6) Sir Sean Connery
1989-1999: 7) Pierce Brosnan
1999-2002: 8) Hugh Grant
2002-2012: 9) James Edward Fleet
2012-2015: 10) Richard Ellef Ayoade
2015-2020: 11) Sir Rowan Atkinson
2020-present: 12) Hayley Atwell
In Film
1965: Peter Cushing
1966: Peter Cushing
1987: Sir Michael John Gambon and Sir Sean Connery
2020: Sir Rowan Atkinson and Hayley Atwell
– mediarchives.co.usa
FORMER PRESIDENT DINGER ENDORSES “40% GOALPOST” BILL
– The Des Moines Register, 8/29/2009
BIG VALLEY JAMBOREE CROWD BREAKS FESTIVAL’S ATTENDANCE RECORD
…the festivities were held later than usual due to a necessary postponement. The venue’s grounds required repairs after a major thunderstorm that Camrose experienced this summer significantly damaged grandstands and stages. Attention to these renovations many have contributed to this year’s crowd size, as more people learned of the annual fundraising event through news coverage of the repairs…
– calgaryherald.co.can, 1/9/2009 e-article
The Sweathogs (TV series) is an ABC TV series that serves as a sequel to the 1976-1981 TV series “Welcome Back, Kotter” and to the 2009 film of the same name. It aired on September 3, 2009 and concluded on June 3, 2012.
SYNOPSIS
Immediately following the events of the 2009 movie, the four main characters – Juan Epstein, Freddie Washington, Vinnie Barbarino and Arnold Horshack, a.k.a. “The Sweathogs” – decide to permanently move to New York City. Washington begins teaching Gym at a local college, Horshack becomes the remedial class teacher after Epstein is promoted to VP, and Vinnie settles for working as the school nurse and janitor, though he does fill in for Washington from time to time. A visual gag in the pilot hints that Woodman is rolling over in his grave upon it becoming official that “Sweathogs now control the school,” and throughout the series horror movie clichés played for laughs suggest that his spirit intermittently haunts the school in malevolent and benevolent ways. As the series progresses, Vinnie’s perverted undertones are exaggerated to make the character a humorous critique of jock stereotypes
[S1].
Along with improving the learning experience for the students of the school, the Sweathogs also help their families adjust to life in NYC. Washington, through his struggles to balance the responsibilities of teacher, father and husband, becomes the new levelheaded character, with new characters in the form of Washington’s wife Vernajean Williams (played by Vernee Watson-Johnson, who portrayed the same character in the film and original series), Horschack’s wife Mary, and Epstein’s longtime girlfriend all doing their best to keep the Sweathogs out of trouble.
CAST
The actors portraying Washington, Epstein, Horshack and Barbarian all reprised their roles and were part of the regular cast. New characters included Debralee Scott as Rosalee “Hotsi” Totsi; Helaine Lembeck as Judy Hingswiggle; Stephen Shortridge as Beau De LaBarre (her first film role in roughly twenty years); Susan Lanier (b. 1947) as Bambi, Vinnie Barbarino’s wife; Charles Fleischer as Carvelli, a former student of James Buchanan High School who is now an ex-convict and the shop teacher at the school, and serves mainly as a developed rival on the show; Melonie Haller as Angie Grabowski; Aquarius Bates as Maybelline Swanson, Epstein’s Teacher Assistant; and Angel Demapan as Yasmina Washington, Freddie Washington’s daughter, a high school senior in the first season and a college student afterward.
Actors Jamie Farr and Gabe Kaplan agreed to play recurring roles, though the latter appears in only 20% of the episodes, while the former appears in 60% of the episodes.
PRODUCTION, RELEASE AND RESPOSE
A wide variety of writers worked on the series, with at least one episode being written or co-written by Fran Drescher (comedienne), Bud York in (co-writer for The John Amos Show), Susan Harris (creator of Soap, Benson, and The Golden Girls), Seth MacFarlane (create of Larry and Steve), Gabe Kaplan, and several other recurring writers.
The show has been praised for its self-aware humor, clever fourth-wall breaks, and successful running gags. After ratings dropped during the third season as the main stars began looking to other projects, the show was wrapped up and ended in season 3 with a two-part finale. The finale included a scene where a large number of Mr. Kotter’s infamous anecdotal relatives finally show up to prove that at least some of them were, in fact, real the whole time.
– clickopedia.co.usa/The_Sweathogs_(TV_series)
[S1] note: think Old Man Herbert from Family Guy, but younger, more ego-driven, more pathetic and much dumber
“…And in political news, businessman and former U.S. Congressman Dave Ramsey today announced that he is running for the Republican nomination for Governor of Tennessee…”
– WCLE (1570 AM) Tennessee radio, 9/7/2009 broadcast
Title: SAIL THROUGH MOUNTAINS
Performers: Elvis Presley with Vanilla Ice
Producer: Rick Hall
Record label: FAME Studios and Sony Music
Released: September 19, 2009
Genre: soft rock, country rock, rap rock, hip hop, doo-wop
REVIEW AVERAGE: 4.8-out-of-5
REVIEWS:
REVIEW 1:
I think the review average is inflated by the hype. I mean, this is Elvis – he could release the audio of his next colonoscopy as an album and it would be a hit single. 2-out-of-5.
REVIEW 2:
This was… decent. Certainly buoyed by Elvis, but serviceable. Though honestly, sometimes, the music styling of the two singers don’t mix that well IMO. 3-out-of-5.
REVIEW 3:
IT’s been interesting watching these two musicians mature and change over the years. Ice spending time with Elvis has made the King kind of rub off on him. V.I.’s music is getting more conservative in regards to subject matter. For American flags waving in the background of his music videos, lyrics with more religious reference; an overall more gospel kind of sound. This has got to be Ice’s cleanest album. 5-out-of-5.
- - -
REPLY 1 to REVIEW 3:
Clean is putting it lightly – he sounds almost neutered. I miss his more aggressive works.
REVIEW 4:
I’m surprised by how well these two perform together. Their voices really compliment each other. The result is this heavy lean into “Christian rap” on Vanilla’s side, and a lean to more hip hop styles on Elvis’s side. 5-out-of-5.
- - -
REPLY 1 to REVIEW 4:
I’m still surprised that Christian Rap is even a thing! I think this collab will make it more mainstream. I’m not sure how to feel about that.
– albumreviews.co.usa, a public music review site, 2009 post
…with China’s work on Dongtan being put on hold indefinitely, the Shimizu Corporation saw an opportunity to beat the PRC at its own game. As one of the largest general contracting firm for various architectural and civil engineering projects in Japan, Shimizu was able to propose several “megaprojects” to citywide and national officials during the late 2000s decade. These proposals included a sustainable city on the edge of Tokyo Bay, an artificial botanical island built with redistributed matter from the seabed, and a second and larger underwater/underground tunnel across Tokyo Bay to compliment Japan’s Aqua-Line.
City officials in Tokyo signed off on the latter two megaprojects, as they were less ambitious and, in the city government’s view, less likely to fall to the same variables that had stalled construction on Dongtan. Construction began on Green Spiral Island, the botanical island project, in September 2009. Tokyo residents hoped the projects would lower unemployment, environmentalists hoped it would come to serve as an inspiration for future humanity-biosphere co-existence endeavors, and wealthier investors predicted that these and other urban redevelopment projects would raise Japan’s chances of being selected to host the Summer or Winter Olympic Games in the near future. All the while, many (but not all) political officials sought to keep an eye out for yakuza syndicates trying to make themselves involved in the construction and labor aspects of these projects…
– Alec Dubro and David E. Kaplan’s Yakuza: Japan’s Criminal Underworld, University of California Press, 2021 edition
TINO DE ANGELIS, THE MAN BEHIND THE SALAD OIL RECESSION, DIES AT 94
…Anthony “Tino” De Angelis, the former commodities trader often described as the man who single-handedly crashed the US’s national economy in 1963, passed away today at the age of 94. De Angelis dealt in vegetable oil futures worldwide during the early 1960s, and ultimately swindled 51 banks out of more than $180million, or roughly $1.5billion in today’s money, in an ultimately-unsuccessful effort to corner the soybean oil market. The bombshell expose covering the investigation of the fraud, De Angelis’ arrest, and the revelations over it results in stocks crashing, and pulled the nation into a minor recession that many say contributed to President Lyndon Johnson losing re-election less than a year later.
The “Salad Oil Slicker” was sentenced to 25 years in prison in June 1964, but was released on bail in 1977, after serving for 12 years and seven months. During that time, De Angelis lost weight to improve his physical health and wrote an autobiography that was published in 1974. De Angelis was initially very popular among the prisoners, as the media had described him as “one of the greatest tricksters in American history,” as the Times reported in 1964. However, he had to be relocated to another prison in 1971, after his fellow prisoners discovered that he had been serving as a snitch for the warden for over six months, resulting in an attempt on his life. In the next prison, De Angelis reportedly kept a low profile.
After being released from prison, De Angelis attempted to return to commodities and stock trading, but could only find work in managing livestock transportation, “kept in charge but kept away from the till” as he later put it; when the economy entered recession in 1978, De Angelis famously told a Times reporter “I swear, I didn’t do it this time!”
In his later years, De Angelis served as a supervisor on several episodes of true-crime TV shows, with his name being credited on three episodes of Law and Order and five episodes of NCIS: New Jersey, but was not consulted for the 1979 Steve McQueen movie about “his recession,” or for the 2001 remake, leading to him criticizing both films and the way he was depicted in both
According to his nephew Joey, “Uncle Tino” died peacefully in his sleep from natural causes at his home in Bayonne, New Jersey. He is survived by several relatives, including two ex-wives, three children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
– The New York Times, 9/26/2009
…On September 29, another issue arose out from the pacific in the form of an 8.1 earthquake, which triggered a massive tsunami that hit Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga with waves measuring as tall as 46 feet. American Samoa’s freshwater systems and electrical power generators were damaged. Applying what he had learned watching President Jackson handle Hurricane Katrina in 2005, President Wellstone declared a major disaster for thru dependent territory, allotting emergency federal funds to be used for rescue and clean-up efforts, and public health operations such as sending new generators and medical equipment to American Samoan hospitals. Samoa and Tongo gratefully accepted WELLSTONE’S offers to loan them assistance as well. The Overwhelming Disaster Emergency Response Coordination Agency (ODERCA) logistics teams oversaw basic needs being sent out with the assistance of the US Army Corps of Engineers and the US National Guard.
In a rare moment of praising “the tax-and-spend Democrats,” as he often put it, Governor Harley Davidson Brown (R-ID) praised Wellstone’s use of the USACE on September 30. However, any possible attempts to win over other conservative Republicans were impeded on October 3rd, when the President took the opportunity to compliment his predecessor, saying that Jackson’s handling of Katrina helped prepare himself for these kind of emergency situations. The comment was meant to try and improve Jackson’s popularity, as the “one of the good ones” scandal was still fresh in the public’s minds; it instead was viewed as “pandering” by individuals such as Allan Dershowitz, a prominent lawyer and a friend of former Speaker McMaster. Dershowitz created some controversy of his own on October 4th, when he called Wellstone a “traitor to our people” over the President’s refusal to more harshly denounce the former President...
– Roberta Gillespie’s Watershed: An Assessment of The Wellstone White House, Princeton University Press, 2016
…The 1970s, 1908s, and 1990s were also dominated by the NHL’s rivalry with the World Hockey Association (WHA). Initially struggling to compete against the larger NHL, the WHA benefited from successfully recruiting athletes fleeing from communist countries during the late 1970s, allowing the WHA to survive the financial shortfalls of the US economy entering recession in 1978, a development that financial hurt the NHL. When the Iron Curtain fell in the 1980s, culminating in the Soviet Union collapsing in 1984, ex-pats from Russia and Eastern Europe preferred the WHA due to its pro-immigrant player reputation in recent years, making the WHA the most successful NHL challenger ever.
The tide began to turn in the NHL’s favor at the dawn of the 1990s, however, with many “America First”-minded businessmen and individuals such as President Lee Iacocca strongly supporting the NHL’s various financial development and recruitment improvement efforts. After years of declining popularity and mounting financial problems, combined with the loss of many star players to the NHL and contract arguments between players and managers, the WHA’s fate was sealed in 2002, when the global SARS pandemic financial impacted the WHA worse than the NHL. The WHA ceased operations in 2004…
…By the time of the 2009-2010 NHL season, which began on October 1, 2009 and ended on June 9, 2010, the NHL was close to eclipsing the NFL to become the fourth-wealthiest professional sports league in the world by revenue. They ultimately failed to do so, but they did come close to it nevertheless…
– forward/introduction section of John Chi-Kit Wong’s Lords of The Rinks, University of Toronto Press, 2005
List of Stanley Cup champions
[snip]
1975: Montreal Canadiens
1976: Philadelphia Flyers
1977: Montreal Canadiens
1978: Montreal Canadiens
1979: Montreal Canadiens
1980: Philadelphia Flyers
1981: New York Islanders
1982: New York Islanders
1983: New York Islanders
1984: New York Islanders
1985: New York Islanders
1986: Calgary Flames
1987: Montreal Canadiens
1988: Edmonton Oilers
1989: Edmonton Oilers
1990: Edmonton Oilers
1991: Boston Bruins
1992: Pittsburgh Penguins
1993: Minnesota North Stars
1994: Pittsburgh Penguins
1995: Pittsburgh Penguins
1996: Chicago Blackhawks
1997: Montreal Canadiens
1998: New Jersey Devils
1999: Detroit Red Wings
2000: Colorado Avalanches
2001: Anaheim Mighty Ducks
2002: Edmonton Oilers
2003: New Jersey Devils
2004: New Jersey Devils
2005: Edmonton Oilers
2006: Montreal Canadiens
2007: Seattle Seals
2008: Boston Snowflakes
2009: Detroit Red Wings
– clickopedia.co.usa
IOC Session No. 121
Date: October 2, 2009
Location: Turin, Italy
Subject 1 of 1: Bidding For Hosting The 8/5/2016-8/21/2016 (or XXXI) Summer Olympics
Inspection teams evaluated candidate cities based on accommodations, environmental impact, past hosting experiences, financing capabilities, legal issues, local public opinion, safety and security standards, transportation feasibility, infrastructure, and the newest high-ranking criteria, sanitation procedures. New Delhi, India withdrew the day before the session, as their prospects remained dim over the city’s negative reputation still being connected to its poor handling of the 2002-2004 SARS pandemic and more recent corruption scandals. Rio de Janiero, the initial frontrunner, experienced similar concerns, along with its location and other inhibiting factors. Ahead of the fifth round, Baku withdrew; its votes, and Rio de Janiero’s votes, were split almost evenly between Prague and New York City.
Results:
New York City, United States – 21 (Round 1) – 25 (Round 2) – 28 (Round 3) – 28 (Round 4) – 52 (Round 5)
Prague, Czechoslovakia – 20 (Round 1) – 24 (Round 2) – 26 (Round 3) – 26 (Round 4) – 51 (Round 5)
Rio de Janiero, Brazil – 22 (Round 1) – 23 (Round 2) – 24 (Round 3) – 24 (Round 4)
Baku, Azerbaijan – 12 (Round 1) – 13 (Round 2) – 20 (Round 3) – 25 (Round 4) (withdrew ahead of Round 5)
Tokyo, Japan – 17 (Round 1) – 11 (Round 2) – 5 (Round 3)
Madrid, Spain – 6 (Round 1) – 7 (Round 2)
Nairobi, Kenya – 5 (Round 1)
End Result: New York City won on the fifth round
– aldaver.co.usa/votes.html
“Why are we going to spend all this money on some elitist sports show nobody watches instead of spending that money where it’s needed? Do you not know how high the rent is in this city?!”
– politician Jimmy McMillan of New York City, 10/4/2009
…On October 7, 2009, the US Deputy Trade Representative and Mexico’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism signed the US-Mexico Trade Promotion Agreement, slashing tariffs even further in order to encourage domestic consumption and employment in Mexico. The agreement also served as a prelude to further US investment into Mexico’s electronics commerce and telecommunications industries. While privately critical of labor in Mexico, Wellstone believed strengthening US-Mexico relations would have a positive effect of Mexico’s workforce and encourage stronger labor rights south of the border.
Meanwhile, in D.C., the Democrats in congress passed the Federal Buildings And Grounds Improvement Act, which established additional public-sector “civilian” federal employee occupations in regards to landscaping, maintenance, security, and other aspects of maintaining locations belong…
– Billie Lofi’s The Wellstone Way: The Life of a Passionate Progressive, University of Minnesota Press, first edition, 2017
SENATOR KENNEDY-ROOSEVELT INTRODUCES DISABILITY RIGHTS BILL
…the calls for a landmark bill to assist and protect Disabled Americans have risen in recent weeks, arguably sparked by the death of disability rights advocate and former US Senator Eunice Kennedy-Shriver, an aunt of Kennedy-Roosevelt…
– The Washington Post, 10/11/2009
JONES: So now let’s finish this up with your latest project, The Krusty The Clown Show, a live-action spinoff of Life In Heck And Other Fun Places.
GROENING: Yeah, it’s been a long time coming, this one.
JONES: Indeed! L.I.H. went off the air over 15 years ago.
GROENING: But it still has a strong cult following.
JONES: So is this, like, a cash grab or something?
GROENING: All shows are cash grabs. It’s just that the good ones don’t feel like cash grabs. We’re hoping The Krusty The Clown Show be will a real good one.
JONES: Well, Life In Heck didn’t feel like a cash grab either. Does that mean the rumors ontech are true, that a L.I.H. reboot is in the works?
GROENING: We’ll see how things go with Krusty first.
JONES: Well, personally I have a high amount of confidence in you, but what about audiences more familiar with Futurama than with L.I.H.? Will many even remember the cynical, chain-smoking, inappropriate, womanizing children’s entertainer Krusty the Clown from a TV show from the early 1990s?
GROENING: I will admit, it does seem like a gamble. Especially since that side character was a cartoon, and this is going to be live-action. Voice actor Dan Castellaneta’s also going to be doing his first major on-screen TV role, but, you know, I think that work in our favor. Because having it focus on cult favorite in a new format can re-introduce the character to a whole new generation in a brand new way. He’ll still be the same Krusty, but people are going to see more depth, more of who he is.
JONES: Yes, and you can use more technology and referential humor in it too, because, uh, if I recall accurately, the show takes place in the present, and years after the events of L.I.H. ended.
GROENING: That’s correct, Krusty has moved to L.A. to host his own talk show for a more adult audience, but he will keeps resorting to the same old childish antics and publicity stunts that made his old show so successful. Lots of meta jokes, too. Krusty will be looking for love, and struggling to break from his addictions in the more serious episodes, but mostly, he’ll be trying to win over viewers with comical schemes. Most of the time. We also plan to have lots of celebrity cameos, as he’ll be trying to, like, persuade or downright kidnap guest stars for his show. Sort of a major running gag.
JONES: Fascinating; and when will it premier again?
GROENING: Sometime next year.
JONES: I can’t wait!
– usarightnow.co.usa, 10/16/2009 interview
LOCAL MAN WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES APPREHEND AFTER “CONCERNING” ACTIVITY
…In accordance with the California Mental Health Protection Act signed into law by Governor Brown in 1996
[5], a one Edward P. Phillips, 63, formerly of Corydon, Indiana
[6], has been “retained” for involuntarily mental health examination with permission from at least one family member. The retention occurred less than 48 hours after Phillips made violent threats in front of several witnesses at a public diner, whose owner described Phillips’ behavior as being “concerning and unnerving…he didn’t seem right.”…
– The Sacramento Union, 10/21/2009
…Even as the House Minority Leader, former Speaker McMaster could still confer regularly with GOP Senate leaders and do his best to try and win over conservative Democrats to break from their party line. Congressional Republicans also did their part to oppose the Wellstone administration, scrutinizing opposition legislation, calling for deregulation of multiple aspects of the government, questing circuit court decisions influenced by justices appointed by Wellstone and Jackson, and strongly lambasting executive orders…
[snip]
…Furthermore, calls for the deceptively-entitled Middle Class Tax Relief Act and the Nation Defense Reform Act became rallying points for the GOP as 2009 wound down, but without the votes, both proposed laws were ultimately struck down by the majority Democrats before the end of October. However, this may in fact had been what McMaster wanted, as their rejections created fodder for the Republican party’s 2010 strategy…
– Roberta Gillespie’s Watershed: An Assessment of The Wellstone White House, Princeton University Press, 2016
RABBI OF AMERICA’S LARGEST SYNAGOGUE “FORGIVES” JESSE JACKSON; Accepts July Apology, Re-Endorses The Rainbow Coalition
– The Chicago Tribune, 10/25/2009
FEEDING THE FUTURE: Why Automated Farming Is On The Rise
[pic:
imgur.com/c8fWFTS.png ]
We have come a long way from automatic sprinklers. With a world population of roughly 7 billion people and rising, more analysts and businessmen are coming to agree with the notion that agricultural modernization is a must. Providing sustenance means improving farming systems, and this need, combined with technological developments, is the impetus behind farming becoming increasingly automated in recent years. Major food producers such as Perdue and Tyson are adopting computer automation and robotics to increase food production and availability, with smaller producers and farms following suit, and Kansas, a state at the forefront of “agritech” innovation, is at the center of it...
[snip]
…For more urban areas, indoor farming and vertical farming is on the rise as well. For example, Chicago’s Mayor Larry Wintersmith has recently greenlit plans for a high-rise in the south side of the city that will feature a 30-story façade of various vegetable running up and down the south side of the building exterior, in a project meant to demonstrate how crowded population centers can still contribute to growing their own foodstuffs.
There is also something to be said about the rise in “Concierge” jobs. Essentially, these are jobs in which robots do the physical work while human beings are the “faces” of it. A sort of go-between between robot-cautious customers and the new machinery. These occupations, along with farming mechanization overall, exploded under President Jesse Jackson’s Agriculture Secretary, the progressive Jim McGovern…
– National Geographic, October 2009 issue
“…In the Garden state, incumbent New Jersey Governor Joe Louis Clark, a Democrat, successfully ran for a full term. Running against controversial right-wing Republican challenger Steve Lonegan, Clark, the state’s first African-American Governor, won by a margin of roughly 14%. Clark’s running mate was state senator Peter Benson Carlisle. …Governor Joe Louis Clark ascended from the Lieutenant Governorship in January of this year after New Jersey Governor Richard Codey resigned from office to join the Wellstone administration. Prior to entering elective politics, Joe Louis Clark was an educator, serving as the Principal of Eastside High in the 1980s and as a Superintendent in the 1990s…”
– CBS Evening News, 11/3/2009 broadcast
DEMOCRATS TAKE BACK GOVERNOR’S MANSION BY A HAIR
…Les Steckel (D) defeated Virgil Goode Jr. (R) with a plurality, winning by a margin of roughly 1.5%, and with the conservative independent candidate Harry Russell “Russ” Potts Jr. underperforming, but still pulling in roughly 3.7% of the vote... Steckel will be sworn in on January 16, 2010…
– The Richmond Times-Dispatch, 11/3/2009
HAMBERG RE-ELECTED IN LANDSLIDE
…incumbent Meg Hamberg (the nominee of the Democratic, Liberal, and Working Families parties) has defeated Richard Parsons (the nominee of the Republican, Conservative, and Liberty parties) and Robert “Naked Cowboy” Burck (the nominee of the Independence party) by a whopping 40% margin. Mayor Hamberg received 67.1% of the vote, while Parsons received 26.4% and Burck received 5.6%, with the remaining .9% going to the several remaining independent and third-party candidates on the ballot. The most likely cause for the election blowout was the city winning the 2016 Summer Olympics earlier this year, and for the Mayor’s improving of subway sanitation quality, along with Parsons performing poorly in the penultimate pre-election debate. …Due to a 2006 city law establishing a limit of two terms per mayor, this will be Hamberg’s last term…
– The New York Times, 11/3/2009
ALBANY MAYOR RE-ELECTED IN LANDSLIDE
…progressive firebrand Dr. Alice Green won a third term over her Republican opponent with over 80% of the vote…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 11/3/2009
Mayors of
ALBANY (New York)
1942-1983: 72) Erastus Corning 2nd (D, 1909-1983) – former insurance salesperson; previously served in the state assembly and state senate; born into wealthy family with many political connections; Frank Salisbury Harris served as acting mayor during his military service (1944-1945) during WWII; unsuccessfully ran for Lieutenant Governor in 1946; city’s longest-serving mayor, having served for over 41 years; oversaw political patronage machine; died in office from poor health at the age of 73
1941: Benjamin R. Hoff (R) and Morris Zuckerman (American Labor)
1945: Harold J. Murphy (R)
1949: Charles E. Walsh (R), Beryl Beach (Liberal) and Morris Zuckerman (Unity)
1953: Thomas E. Mulligan Jr. (R) and Scott K. Gray Jr. (American Labor)
1957: Edward J. Ray (R)
1961: Robert K. Hudnut (R)
1965: Jacob Olshansky (R)
1969: Albert S. Hartheimer (R), Joseph L. Kennedy (Conservative) and Edward Carhart (Liberal)
1973: Carl E. Touhey (R) and Vincent D. Bytner (Citizens)
1977: Howard C. Nolan (Liberal, b. 1932), E. Michael Ruberti (R), Kevin E. Kellogg (Workers’) and Christopher Lewis (Labor)
1981: Carl E. Touhey (R) and Fred Dusenbury (Citizens)
1983-2001: 73) Thomas Michael “Tom” Whalen III (D, 1934-2019) – ascended due to being Common Council President; focused on financial reform and improving the city’s image and bond rating; resigned to take a seat on a federal circuit court
1985: Louis M. Russo (R)
1989: Senley E. Jack (R)
1993: Gerald David "Jerry" Jennings (Liberal, b. 1948) and Phil Spiro (R)
1997: John J. McEneny (Liberal, b. 1943), Elizabeth J. Pearson (Green) and Joseph P. Sullivan (R, 1937-2019)
2001-2002: 74) Harold L. Joyce (D) – ascended due to being Common Council President; lost primary race six weeks after entering office in a stunning upset
2002-2014: 75) Dr. Alice Green (D, b. circa mid-1940s) – city’s first female mayor and city’s first African-American mayor; former social worker, political activist, city council member, and vice-chair of the NY chapter of the Jackson’00 campaign; backed prison reform, criminal justice, and social justice reform; endorsed by the Green party due to her pro-environment policies; established term limits; term-limited; later unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House in 2014; currently works in academia and as a public speaker
2001: Harold L. Joyce (D (write-in)) and Joseph P. Sullivan (R)
2005: Archie L. Goodbee Jr. (Liberal) and Paul Latimer (R)
2009: Nathan Lebron (R)
2014-present: 76) Patricia Fahy (D) – city’s second female mayor; former President of the city School Board and former common council member; previously served as an Associate Commissioner for the state Department of Labor; incumbent
2013: Theodore J. Danz Jr. (R, b. 1947) and Theresa Portelli (Green)
2017: Carolyn McLaughlin (Liberal), Frank Commisso Jr. (R) and Bryan J. Jimenez (Green)
– clickopedia.co.usa, 7/4/2021
BUFFALO MAYOR ELECTION RESULTS: Mickey Kearns (D) Defeats Two Challengers With Ease
– The New York Times, side article, 11/3/2009
Mayors of
BUFFALO (New York)
1/1/1958-12/31/1965: 56) Frank Albert Sedita (D, 1907-1975) – former attorney; previously served as a city court judge; promoted urban development projects; won re-election in 1961 due to the initial popularity of the Cuba War; lost re-election
1957: Chester A. Kowal (R) and Elmer Lux (I)
1961: Bernard Kurtz (R), Victor Manz (Liberal) and Peter Carr (People’s)
1/1/1966-9/28/1966: 57) Chester A. Kowal (R, 1904-1966) – previously served as city comptroller from 1951 to 1957; aggressively supported efforts to reign in wasteful spending; died in his sleep at the age of 62 from undisclosed causes
1965: Frank Albert Sedita (D), Jimmy Griffin (Conservative) and F. James Kane (Liberal)
9/28/1966-12/31/1969: 58) Stanley M. “Stan” Makowski (D, 1923-1977) – son of Polish immigrants; previously served on the common council; selected by the common council to complete Kowal’s term; lost bid for a full term and returned to serving on the common council
1/1/1970-5/2/1975: 59) Frank Albert Sedita (D, 1907-1975) – almost considered not running for a second term due to waning energy; supporters convinced him to complete his term and then retire amid declining health in late 1973 and again in 1974; died in office at the age of 67 from undisclosed causes
1969: Roland Benzow (R), John A. Westra (Conservative) and Ambrose I. Lane (Liberal)
1973: Alfreda Slominski (R, b. 1929), Stewart M. Levy (Conservative) and Chester Gorski (Liberal, 1906-1975)
5/2/1975-3/3/1977: 60) Stanley M. “Stan” Makowski (D, 1923-1977) – selected by the common council to complete Sedita’s term; died in office at the age of 53 from pneumonia a few weeks after the Great Blizzard of 1977 swept harsh winds and several feet of snow onto the city, during and after which he participated in emergency relief efforts
3/3/1977-12/31/1977: 61) Wilbur P. Trammell (D) – former city court judge; selected by the common council to complete Sedita’s term; lost last-minute bid for the Democratic nomination for a full term and retired
1/1/1978-12/31/1997: 62) Arthur O. Eve (D, b. 1933) – city’s first African-American mayor; previously served in the state assembly from 1967 to 1977; progressive; supported education reform; city’s longest-serving mayor; retired to successfully run for a U.S. House seat in 1998
1977: John J. Phelan (R), Patrick W. Giagnacova (Liberal) and Ira Liebowitz (Labor)
1981: Jimmy Griffin (R) and Joseph G. Giambra (Liberal) and Khushro Ghandi (Labor)
1985: Donald L. Tuchiarelli (R) and Alfred T. “Al” Coppola (Liberal)
1989: Carol Siwek (R) and William B. “Bill” Hoyt Jr. (Liberal, 1937-1992)
1993: Richard A. Grimm III (R), Eugene M. Fahey (Conservative, b. 1951) and Nicholas C. Constantino (Liberal)
1/1/1998-12/31/2001: James Donald “Jimmy” Griffin (R, 1929-2008) – previously served on the common council from 1962 to 1965, in the state senate from 1967 to 1997; ran for mayor in 1965, 1977, 1981, and 1989; campaigned as a moderate but supported conservative policies during his tenure; vocally opposed abortion; lost re-election in a landslide; city’s most recent GOP mayor
1997: George K. Arthur (D, 1934-2020), Dennis T. Gorski (Liberal, 1944-2021) and Sharon Caetano (Conservative)
1/1/2002-12/31/2009: William B. “Sam” Hoyt III (D, b. 1962) – previously served in the state assembly from 1992 to 2001; was known for being an ardent fighter for education, especially remote learning during the SARS pandemic; term-limited after the common council established term limits in 1999; unsuccessfully ran for Governor in 2014; currently served in the state senate
2001: Jimmy Griffin (R), Kevin P. Gaughan (Conservative, b. 1954), Anthony M. Masiello (Liberal, b. 1947) and Judith Einach (Green)
2005: Kevin J. Helfer (R), Beverley A. Gray (Liberal) and James Pitts (Independent)
1/1/2010-12/31/2017: Michael P. “Mickey” Kearns (D, b. 1969/1970) – served on the common council from 2006 to 2009; moderate; term-limited
2009: Bernie Tolbert (R) and Steve Calvaneso (Liberal)
2013: Sergio R. Rodriguez (R, b. 1981)
1/1/2018-present: Betty Jean Grant (D, b. circa 1970/1971) – city’s first female Mayor and city’s second African-American mayor; previously served on the city council from 1997 to 2005, in the state assembly from 2005 to 2011, and in the state senate from 2011 to 2017; currently focused on improving education and business development; incumbent
2017: Anita L. Howard (R) and Terrence A. Robinson (Green)
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
MANCHESTER ELECTS ITS FIRST-EVER FEMALE MAYOR
… Jane Ellen Beaulieu, considered by some to be a “rising star” in the Democratic Party, will succeed incumbent Mayor Gatsas, who retired to run for the US Senate next year…
– The New Hampshire Union Leader, 11/3/2009
List of Mayors of
MANCHESTER (New Hampshire)
1962-1964: 42) John C. Mongan (R, 1925-2013) – won in an upset with 51.2% of the vote, despite it being a year favorable to Democrats in general and the city being overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning, due to voter fatigue (Mongan’s predecessor, Josephat T. Benoit (D, 1900-1976) had been the city’s Democratic mayor for 16 years); lost re-election by a margin of 1%
1961: Roger Brassard (D)
1964-1966: 43) Roland S. Vallee (D, 1929-1997) – former city alderperson, businessperson, and building owner; known as “the singing mayor” due to being a former nightclub signer known for having a baritone voice; strongly supported President Lyndon Johnson; lost re-election amid allegations that he had manipulated lower tax assessments on his own personally-owned buildings
1963: John C. Morgan (R)
1966-1972: 44) Paul M. Martel (R) – former city alderperson; strongly supported President Harland Sanders; re-elected in 1967 and 1969 by comfortable margins, but waffled on responding to the Ms. Arkansas Scandal and subsequent “Ark Wave” in 1970; lost re-election
1965: Roland S. Vallee (D)
1967: William McCarthy (D)
1969: George Morrissette (D)
1972-1978: 45) Sylvio Dupuis (D) – former optometrist; strongly supported President Walter Mondale; retired to successfully run for a US House seat in 1978
1971: Paul M. Martel (R) and Angela Lafond (Liberal)
1973: Gerald Carmen (R)
1975: Frank Wageman (R), Norman Gauthier (Conservative) and Lloyd Basinow (Moderate)
1978-1982: 46) George Lacourse (R) – former city alderperson; won election and re-election by narrow margins each time due to the city’s growing Democratic-leaning population; often clashed with the Democratic-majority “Board of Aldermen”; lost re-nomination in an upset over his handling of the 1978 economic downturn
1977: Alphonse Bledeau (D)
1979: Robert F. Shaw (D) and Henry Naro (Conservative)
1982-1984: 47) Emile Dorilas Beaulieu Jr. (D, 1931-2016) – Catholic; moderate former business owner; previously served in the state House from 1973 to 1974 and as the city’s welfare commissioner from 1974 to 1981; was criticized for his spending record; lost re-election in an upset
1981: Richard Jacobs (R)
1984-1986: 48) Robert F. Shaw (R, 1934-2020) – former gas station owner; lost re-election by a narrow margin
1983: Emile Beaulieu (D)
1986-1988: 49) Emile Beaulieu (D) – former mayor; was strongly anti-abortion; lost re-election after raising property taxes to pay for redeveloping the city’s downtown business district
1985: Robert F. Shaw (R)
1988-2000: 50) Raymond Joseph Wieczorek (R, b. 1928) – US military veteran of the Korean War; former insurance agent/salesman and United Way chairman; former director and president of the Manchester Scholarship Foundation from 1973 to 1976 and previously served on the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority from 1984 to 1988; previously served as the chairperson of the city’s Republican Party chapter from 1980 to 1982; developed the city’s airport, mill yard, and civic center; increased the size of the city’s police force and increased police protection for areas dealing with crime; converted the city budget from a calendar year to a fiscal year; was so popular in 1997 that no Democrat ran against him; retired due to exhaustion
1987: Emile Beaulieu (D) and Peter Poirier (Liberal)
1989: Sylvio L. Dupuis (D, b. 1934) and Fernand “Fern” Gelinas (Liberal)
1991: John J. McDonough (D) and Leona Dykstra (Liberal)
1993: Robert H. Dennis (D)
1995: Robert A. Baines (D, b. 1946)
1997: Robert A. Howe (Libertarian), Thomas Colantuono (Conservative) and Richard H. Girard (I)
2000-2006: 51) Robert F. Shaw (D) – former mayor; switched parties in 1997, and his 1999 political opponent, who was also a former mayor, switched parties in 1991; supported public safety and education reform; improved the city’s waste disposal process by upgrading sewer and water systems, but was better known for clashing with many of the Jesse Jackson administration’s progressive policies; lost re-nomination in an upset and, after failing to file to run as in Independent ahead of filing deadlines, subsequently retired from public life
1999: Emile Dorilas Beaulieu Jr. (R) and Joseph Kelly Levassuer (Conservative)
2001: Carlos Gonzalez (R)
2003: Frank C. Guinta (R, b. 1970) and Jeff Kassel (I)
2006-2010: 52) Theodore “Ted” Gatsas (R, b. 1950) – city’s first Greek-American mayor; previously served as a state alderman from 2000 to 2005; best known for cutting taxes, supporting school vouchers and vocational schooling, and hosting a call-in radio/podcast program to interact directly and regularly with city residents; retired amid high approval ratings to successfully run for a US Senate seat
2005: Bobby Stephen (D) and Caitlin Curran (I)
2007: Mark E. Roy (D), Thomas “Tom” Donovan (I) and Richard N. Komi (Working Families)
2010-2020: 53) Jane Ellen Beaulieu (D, b. 1954) – city’s first female mayor; former businessperson and political organizer; previously served as a Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from the “Hillsborough 17” district from 2004 to 2010; Catholic; moderate; daughter of a former mayor; supported bipartisan efforts to improve transportation, social programs, and incentives for local business development; won the 2017 after two recount; retired to successfully run for a state senate seat in 2020 after unsuccessfully running for a US House seat in 2018
2009: Frank Christopher Guinta (R, b. 1970)
2011: Glenn “R. J.” Ouellette (R) and Christopher J. “Chris” Herbert (Working Families)
2013: Ketherine Gatsas (R)
2015: Thomas H. DeBlois (R, b. 1945) and Patrick J. Arnold (Working Families)
2017: Jim Rubens (R), Joshua D. Dallaire (Working Families) and Alibaba Shaikh (I)
2020-present: 54) Victoria Sullivan (R) – city’s second female mayor; former moderate Democrat; former business owner; previously served as a city alderperson from 2014 to 2020; 2019 victory credited to voter fatigue and backlash to slowly rising tax rates; incumbent
2019: Joyce Craig (D/Working Families) and Tammy Simmons (Conservative)
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
CHAMPS: Phillies Return To Glory With 27th World Series Title
…their first World Series win since 1981…
– The Star-Ledger, New Jersey newspaper, 11/4/2009
Commissioners of Baseball:
1920-1944: 1) Kenesaw Mountain Landis
1945-1951: 2) Happy Chandler
1951-1965: 3) Ford Frick
1965-1968: 4) Eugene M. Zuckert
1969-1987: 5) Bowie Kuhn
1987-1992: 6) Lee Iacocca
1992-1994: 7) Yogi Berra
1994-present: 8) George W. Bush
– MLB.co.usa/history/commissioners/list, c. 2009
WHY COULDN’T WE NAME THIS DECADE?
…Written and phonetically pronounced in a variety of ways, the past ten years have an identity crisis of sorts. The decade sandwiched between the 1990s and the 2010s is referred to by an assortment of terms that often differ from place to place. For example, the 2000s decade is most commonly referred to as the “double ohs” or as the “oh-ohs” in Canada. In Britain, the “2000s” are called the “Noughties,” the “Aughties,” the “Oughties,” or the “Aughts.” …A contributing factor to this linguistic shortcoming is the fact that there is no universal census on decade-related terminology. …Even this decade’s spelling was not uniform, as it was written as “the 2000s,” “the ’00s,” or, to distinguish it from the 21st century, “the 2000s decade,” which was spoken as “the two-thousands decade”…
– newsweek.co.usa, 11/11/2009
MCCARTNEY: “I Still Ask John Lennon For Help Writing Songs”
[7]
…the former Beatles band member admits that he maintains contact with the ex-bandmate/former Prime Minister John Lennon and ex-bandmate Ringo Starr, saying in a BBC2 interview “I talk to him about a bit I’m struggling with, and sometimes we’ll break the whole thing down and start it all up again from scratch.” McCartney continued, “I’ll VidCall him at wherever he is, but, uh, it can be harder to play bits out with him on some days than on others. He likes to travel around a lot nowadays, you know. At least twice I’ve called him up in the morning at one place, and just a few hours later, he’ll have travelled a continent or half-continent away and is too busy dancing with [John Lennon’s wife] Lyn or whatever to really focus on what I’m playing so I’ll just call back later. He’s got a lot of energy for a 69-year-old. I mean, I’m no spring chicken myself, but I know when to take it down a notch. John doesn’t. I’m not sure if that’s a bad or good thing. Guess it depends on the time of day, I guess.”
– The Daily Express, UK newspaper, 16/11/2009
NO END IN SIGHT FOR SINGLE-FAMILY HOME BUILDING MOVEMENT
…Ever since the country was hit by months-long waves of emergency shutdowns and quarantines in 2002 and early 2003, centurions and Gen-X-ers have been moving out of the crowded cities and taking up residence in “the American countryside,” bringing new neighboring to the people of rural, suburban-rural and suburban communities across the United States.
Most of these movers, especially those who are endeavoring to start families of their own, see home-buying as being overall better than renting. “It costs more up front, but it’s worth the investment in the long run,” says one former Bostonian who has bought her own Cape Cod-style house in suburban-rural Barrington, New Hampshire. “I think the shutdowns made a lot of people reprioritize what kind of homes they want to live in. I mean, if something like that were to happen again,” the young woman and her fiancé furiously knocks on wood, “We’d rather have some elbow room, maybe even a decent-sized backyard to exercise in, than be stuck in some cramped flat.”
The ability of these Americans to just up and relocate is due to the advance of communication technology, which has allowed people to e-commute to work, or remote-work. Through VidCalls and doc-sharing tools employees can maintain contact with employers, customers and clients and interact with them in real-time from the comfort of their own homes – a technological ability that boomed during the SARS Pandemic. According to the US Department of Labor, the total number of e-commuters, or remote workers, at the height of the pandemic shutdowns (December 2002) was 3.5 million. While that number has since dropped considerably, it has not dropped below 2.1 million, which is still above the under 1.0 million remote workers reported prior to the pandemic. Thus, remote work has become an aspect of the American employment landscape. “One that is most likely to stick around for a good long while” says another Barrington Resident, who works remotely as a Content Writer and Editor for a marketing company headquartered in his former hometown of New York City.
Since 2002, many homebuilders have become more focused on single-family plots in a movement that has picked up the moniker “eco-sprawling,” an environmentally-conscious form of developing suburban communities near business centers without disrupting the area’s natural beauty.
One such housing development close to Albany, New York is New Schenectady, a “planned community” project funded by several wealthy environmentally-conscious New Yorkers and endorsed by Vice President Bob Ross. “I sometimes feel like I live in The Shire,” comments one new homeowner. Indeed, the homes almost seem to blend in to the landscape with the use of round design and “eco-centric” architecture.
The exodus of younger generations from urban centers was also experienced in places such as France, Italy and the UK, with hundreds of urban residents fleeing from dense apartments and condominiums for more open areas – and lower costs of living – found nearby. For example, according to the US Postal Service, roughly 150,000 New Yorkers made change of address requests between February 2002 and February 2004, with many of these people relocating to New Jersey and Connecticut during and after the SARS pandemic (though, according to a recent inquiry, roughly 30% of those residents ended up moving back to NYC by the end of 2008)...
– Business Monthly magazine, November 2009 issue
IT’S MCTEER BY A HAIR
…the Prime Minister led her party to a narrow majority victory over Opposition Leader Jim Prentice of the Progressive Conservative Party, which gained 21 seats. The Maple Party lost seats, partially to due controversies concerning its national leader, Andre Boisclair. All three prominent minor parties that hold seats in parliament – the Quebec Party, led by Louise Harel; the Organized Grassroots Party, led by Maude Barlow; and the Green Party, led by Frank de Jong – lost seats as well…
– The Vancouver Sun, Canadian newspaper, 11/23/2009
…Ahead on the 2009 UN GCD Conference in Brussels, Belgium, Niger became the last country of undisputed independent status ratify the UN’s Convention on The Rights of the Child, an international treaty often referred to as the CRC or the UN CRC for short.
[8] First signed in 1989, with the Convention defining a child as being any human being under the age of 18, the international human rights treaty aimed to clarify the specifics of child rights, such age the “age of majority,” and the civil, social, economic/political, health and cultural rights of children. The treaty also included protocols addressing children in military conflicts, and attacking the production and distribution of children, child prostitution and child pornography; the implementation of these latter protocols was heavily encouraged by UN Secretary-General Carol Bellamy (1996-2006) and her successor, Kofi Annan… [snip] …The US ratified the CRC in 1992 under President Bellamy... with the ratification by Niger, every country on Earth except for unrecognized nations not have signed onto it, even rival major rival nations of debated independence status such as both China and Taiwan.
[9]
[snip]
…The 2009 Conference also discussed the progress being made on the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Global Climate Disruption (or UNFCGCD, for short) and on the Kiev protocol of 1995-1996. Task Forces and GCD experts reported progress had slowed, with many industrialized nations – China and Russia in particular – falling behind scheduled “emission weaning” dates. The economic report blamed the recent sluggishness on the “upper echelons of the social classes,” noting that, typically, one millionaire’s private jet produced more emissions than one hundred layman gas-powered pickup trucks. Subsequent criticisms ontech toward wealthy lavishness led to ontech petitions and boycotts. Hoping to improve their customers’ reputations and their won business model in the process, private jet manufacturers Dassault and Cessna announced by the year of 2009 that they would begin designing more “economically conscious” modes of high-end transportation…
– Ramesh Thakur’s The United Nations, Peace And Security, Cambridge University Press, 2020 edition
WELLSTONE BACKS AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES BILL IN IMPASSIONED SPEECH
[pic:
imgur.com/JwJgV6m.png ]
Pictured: President Wellstone, giving his endorsement to the proposed Kennedy-Roosevelt–Kerrey Bill, points out to “the people here and the people out there” who would benefit from the bill’s passage.
– The Washington Post, 12/1/2009
HOUSE VOTES DOWN “40% GOALPOST” BILL
..voting on almost partisan lines, the bill was struck down 236-to-205. The bill called for a Constitutional Amendment that would establish a second election, or “runoff election,” between the top two vote receivers of a Presidential election if no candidates received more than 40% of the vote…
– The New York Times, 12/5/2009
SUPREME COURT RULES SPORTS BETTING DOES NOT VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION
After months of delay, the Supreme Court decided to hand down opinions on a major ruling concerning sports betting. In a 6-3 majority decision (with Justices Thompson, Bacon and Garza dissenting), Justice Nealon today struck down a 1982 federal law that tightly regulated sports betting at the state level over its apparent confliction with the 10th Amendment, which allows for states’ rights. In the Wilson v. NCAA case, a federal appeals court said that Colorado could not legalize sports betting due to it affecting residents of states other than Colorado. The court has ruled against the appeals court in this decades-old case on the grounds of the initial law requiring states to request federal permission to legalize sports betting violated the Constitution’s provisions that limit federal government’s ability to regulate such activities at the state level.
Supporters of legalizing sports betting are voicing support for the decision, calling it “a preservation of the freedom of expression” despite the decision not focusing on that aspect of the controversy of legalizing sports betting. Opponents of the ruling are voicing concerning that the allure of betting will lead to “a horrid and harmful impact on communities and families, weakened by a vice that the federal government should have the right to protect the people from,” as one prominent technetter put in ontech. Other dissenting voices have expressed fear that the decision will “open up the floodgates, and lead to legalized sports betting being legal in all 50 states in less than that many years,” or that it will “destroy the very moral fiber of our country”
[10]. More libertarian Republicans, however, are celebrating the decision, ignoring the fact that three Republican-appointed Associate Justices voted against the majority ruling. Prominent members of the “hedgehog” wing of the GOP are dismissing , such as Congressman Doug Wead (R-AZ), lauded the Supreme Court in general and noted that “Americans are a strong people who are capable of self-control.”
[snip]
…Despite President Wellstone shying away from the court case, some ontech conspiracy theories claim that the court purposely delayed their opinions and ruling announcement in order to minimize its impact on the elections held in November…
– The Washington Post, 12/10/2009
TED KENNEDY, CO-FOUNDER OF MEDIA EMPIRE, DIES AT 77
Sacramento, CA – Edward Moore “Ted” Kennedy Sr., who with Ted Turner co-founded Turner-Kennedy Broadcasting, Inc. and the TV news juggernaut KNN, passed away earlier today after a nearly-two-years-long battle with declining health relating to a brain tumor. Kennedy, a relative of the Massachusetts-based Kennedy political family, was surrounded by his wife and children during his final moments. Ted Turner, a business partner and close friend of Ted Kennedy, said that the passing “marks the end of a great chapter in American television and the end of a great man”…
– The Boston Globe, 12/14/2009
The conspiracy theories peddled out by anti-Wellstone activists on radio and ontech were as expected. Despite Christmas being openly celebrated at the Wellstone White House, with America’s first Jewish President even explicitly wishing “Merry Christmas” in a “Seasons’ Greetings” video downloaded to the official White House netsite and shared on the popular video-sharing site Ourvids.co.can (despite it being a Canada-based netsite, many Americans visit it due to globalization trends making for uniform netsite compatibility across borders), false claims persisted.
Lou Dobbs of The Herring Network, for instance, stated on December 15, “Teddy Roosevelt once banned Christmas trees in the White House because of alleged ‘environmental concerns.’
[11] It is highly possible that Wellstone will use this precedence to ban all the Christmas decorations and replace them with Jewish decorations.” This line of attack was nonsensical, given that Wellstone had already participated in Jewish traditions in the days prior, as Hanukkah 2009 had lasted from December 11 to December 19, culminating with the annual White House Hanukkah Party
[12]. (Sidebar: in a goodwill gesture meant to aid peace efforts overseas, Walter Mondale became the first US President to officially recognize Hanukkah in December 1977, by participating in a menorah-lighting ceremony in Lafayette Park. Kemp became the first President to host a menorah-lighting ceremony inside of the White House itself, doing so in December 1987; the first official White House Hanukkah Party was held four years later, in December 1991, under President Bellamy
[13].)
On December 16, Rush Limbaugh chastised Wellstone on his radio show for often using the term “Judeo-Christian heritage,” even though that very terminology was first used by Lee Iacocca in December 1993. A President lionized by all factions of the Republican party, most media outlets were quick to condemn Limbaugh for the hypocrisy.
Fortunately for the festivities, First Lady Wellstone ignored the furor of the fringe and went forward with letting in reporters to document the Christmas preparations. Keeping with tradition established under Ladybird Johnson
[14], the crystal chandelier of the Blue Room was removed to make room for the 19-foot-tall tree donated by the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA)
[15] and decorated with traditional tinsel and ornaments like it is every year
[14]. The President, meanwhile, filled the grounds with dozens of trees that were meticulously cared for and replanted afterward. Wellstone did not “break with tradition by opening up” the White House, as every modern US President had done so. Wellstone’s first seasonal celebrations as President aimed to show that Christmas “is not just for Christian, because the idea of this holiday season is to be good to each other and to call for peace on Earth and goodwill towards all people everywhere,” as the President put it.
Wellstone also said, in a private meeting with the White House staff, that the modern message of the holiday season was to find “commonalities, shared goals, dreams, aspirations and forms of love with people across the religious spectrum. To understand and double down on the importance of family, of sharing the joy and the feeling of this special time of the year, when hope runs high and, in the dark of winter, the future can look brighter than ever before, because we reach out to those we know and love. We seek out hope, we seek out joy, and we hold onto that sense of hope and joy for as long as we can because hope and joy are stronger than despair and sadness. They are stronger that what ails the human condition. And when we have that feeling, that feeling of wellness, of family, of joy, we, as naturally social creatures, want to spread and share the laughter and the mirth. That’s what matters during this time of year, more so than the decorations or by the name or names of our respective faiths. My friends, a toast – not to labels, but to love and to life.”
– Roberta Gillespie’s Watershed: An Assessment of The Wellstone White House, Princeton University Press, 2016
…The culture of the 2000s went from several phases. The decade began with the Y2K Aesthetic Movement that had developed as the 1990s had come to a close. Originating in the U.K. before spreading out to the rest of the Western world, “YAM,” also known as the “bubble” aesthetic influenced architecture and the music scene until being eclipsed in 2002 by the rise in mask-punk, an offshoot of heavy metal and razor rock that “made the best of a bad situation” (the global SARS pandemic of the early Aughties) by making masks a fashion statement. Some fans of mask-punk credit this music scene with contributing to the global effort truncate SARS infection rates.
Throughout the decade, the country music scene experience a trend of collaborative works somewhat reminiscent of “The Scene That Celebrates Itself,” which was a prominent phenomenon during the early-to-mid 1990s. As technology allowed more musicians and artists to personally connect, communicate, and collaborate through the wonders of the technet, bands and individuals worked on several projects together, with arguably the most notable of these endeavors being the 2009 album jointly made by Elvis Presley and Vanilla Ice.
The entertainment industry responded to the SARS pandemic, national efforts at police precinct reform and the Marstronaut Mission in two ways – with optimism and with pessimism. Many films, songs, and TV shows were either uplifting and optimistic efforts to keep spirits high during the pandemic, or were bleak works that fed into the fear of the unknown and explored the effects of isolation on the mind, influencing horror movies in the latter half of the decade. Several films won awards for examining racial relations under America’s first Black President, and for exploring the uncomfortable world of police brutality. Most prominently, however, was the international response to humanity landing on the planet Mars in 2003. By 2006, franchises dealing with outer space dominated popular culture, leading to three Star Wars TV shows, renewed interest in Star Trek and Dr. Who, and a film adaptation of John Carter of Mars and other materials…
[pic:
imgur.com/nwubUGa.png ]
Above: a collage of some of the many aspects of the decade’s cultural eras, from the Y2K “bubble” aesthetics (from 2000 to 2002, and again, but to a lesser extent, from 2004 to 2010), to the “mask-punk” era of 2002-2005, to the rise in tech-centric cultural aspects in the post-SARS half of the decade.
[snip]
…International diplomatic cooperation was at a historic high in the early half of the decade, as heads of state and distinguished virologists from around the world worked to combat the SARS pandemic…
– clickopedia.co.usa/The_2000s_(decade)/popular_culture
1967 (I): Green Bay Packers (NFL)
1968 (II): Green Bay Packers (NFL)
1969 (III): New York Jets (AFL)
1970 (IV): Kansas City Chiefs (AFL)
1971 (V): Dallas Cowboys (NFC)
1972 (VI): Dallas Cowboys (NFC)
1973 (VII): Miami Dolphins (AFC)
1974 (VIII): Oakland Raiders (AFC)
1975 (IX): Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC)
1976 (X): Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC)
1977 (XI): Minnesota Vikings (NFC)
1978 (XII): Dallas Cowboys (NFC)
1979 (XIII): Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC)
1980 (XIV): Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC)
1981 (XV): Houston Oilers (AFC)
1982 (XVI): San Francisco 49ers (NFC)
1983 (XVII): Washington Redskins (NFC)
1984 (XVIII): Cincinnati Bengals (AFC)
1985 (XIX): Philadelphia Eagles (NFC)
1986 (XX): Chicago Bears (NFC)
1987 (XXI): New England Patriots (AFC)
1988 (XXII): New York Giants (NFC)
1989 (XXIII): Minnesota Vikings (NFC)
1990 (XXIV): Denver Broncos (AFC)
1991 (XXV): Buffalo Bills (AFC)
1992 (XXVI): New York Giants (NFC)
1993 (XXVII): New York Giants (NFC)
1994 (XXVIII): New York Giants (NFC)
1995 (XXIX): San Diego Chargers (AFC)
1996 (XXX): Minnesota Vikings (NFC)
1997 (XXXI): Denver Broncos (AFC)
1998 (XXXII): Carolina Panthers (NFC)
1999 (XXXIII): Seattle Seahawks (NFC)
2000 (XXXIV): Minnesota Vikings (NFC)
2001 (XXXV): Baltimore Ravens (AFC)
2002 (XXXVI): Atlanta Falcons (NFC)
2003 (XXXVII): Tampa Bay Buccaneers (AFC)
2004 (XXXVIII): Denver Broncos (AFC)
2005 (XXXIX): Louisville Stallions (AFC)
2006 (XL): Tennessee Titans (AFC)
2007 (XLI): Washington Warriors (NFC)
2008 (XLII): Louisville Stallions (AFC)
2009 (XLIII): Detroit Lions (NFC)
– NFLstatistics.co.usa/Super_Bowl/winners [16]
SOURCE(S)/NOTE(S)
[1] Italicized line pulled from here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/frenzy/jackson.htm
[2] The italicized parts were pulled from here:
https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/27/us/jackson-admits-saying-hymie-and-apologizes-at-a-synagogue.html
[3] The bits in italics here are from this OTL article:
https://www.smh.com.au/world/cardinals-speech-upsets-university-20030523-gdgt3t.html
[4] Italicized bits were pulled from this OTL article here:
https://chinadialogue.net/en/cities/7934-why-eco-cities-fail/
[5] As mentioned in chapter 74
[6] Real person, mentioned in this article:
www.articles.latimes.com/1989-07-20/local/me-5001_1_business-associates : “STUDIO SHOOTING BLAMED ON BUSINESS DEAL…The man who burst through a Lorimar Studios gate and emptied a shotgun into a sound stage before taking his own life had gone to the Culver City lot to confront “Dallas” television star Ken Kercheval, his foil in a bitter dispute over a popcorn business, police said Wednesday. Edward P. Phillips, 43, formerly of Corydon, Ind., apparently blamed Kercheval, who acquired full ownership of the popcorn company last year, for cheating him out of the business and causing his marriage to fail, investigators and associates said. Hoping to confront Kercheval, Phillips came to Los Angeles on Monday and drove to the Culver City lot in a rented truck Tuesday evening, police said. Unable to talk his way past a guard, he rammed through the gate, set fire to the truck and opened fire on the sound stage where ‘Dallas’ is filmed. When police closed in, Phillips turned the gun on himself. He died from a single blast to the chest. The sound stage was empty and no other injuries were reported.” (I meant to, but then forgot to, include this in the 1989 chapter. I could edit it back in, but I do like this actor, so I decided not to bump him off ITTL)
[7] OTL headline! (really!):
https://www.truehollywoodtalk.com/paul-mccartney-i-still-ask-john-lennon-for-help-writing-songs/ (11/13/2020)
[8] OTL thing:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Child
[9] In OTL, China and Taiwan both ratified it, but the US has not!
[10] Passage closely based on description found here:
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/supreme-court-rules-for-sports-betting
[11] Story found here!:
https://foresthistory.org/president-bans-christmas-tree/
[12] A real thing!:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Hanukkah_Party
[13] In OTL, Carter recognized Hanukkah in 1979, Clinton hosted the first menorah-lighting ceremony to be performed at the White House in 1993, and Bush held the first official White House Hanukkah Party in 2001; Ibid.
[14] With a First Lady Jackie Kennedy, the OTL tradition of giving the main tree a specific motif is never established!
[15] This is an OTL thing!
[16] The 1982, 1983, 2004 and 2006 winners were previously mentioned in the chapters covering those years. Louisville, Kentucky grew large enough to acquire the St. Louis team in 1992.
The next chapter’s E.T.A.: New Year’s Eve, at the very latest.
[pic:
imgur.com/vWPD4Q1.png ]
From my family to all of yours… Merry Holidays, Everybody!
(Don’t ask about our tree, just…don’t ask…
)
Nice update. I wonder how Argentina looks in this timeline. I think it was briefly adressed with the Falklands War.
Argentina was last mentioned back in Chapter 92 (February 2007), so I'll mention that country again in an update in the next chapter (early 2010). Thanks for asking!
