Mapleberry Blog

Remember that booming economy we were promised?

Thanks to Bush administration cheerleading (or was it arm-twisting?), the SCLM did try to convince us that the economy was on a huge upswing, but the numbers are bringing all but the most loyal acolytes back down to earth.

(via WaPo)

America's shoppers had a tight grip on their pocketbooks and wallets in June, dropping sales at the nation's retailers by 1.1 percent. It was the largest decline in 16 months.

The buying retreat, reported Wednesday by the Commerce Department, came after shoppers had splurged in May. In that month, they pushed merchants' sales up by a strong 1.4 percent, a showing that was even better than first estimated a month ago.

Bad weather and the lingering effects of high energy prices were blamed for the pullback, economists said. Another possible factor: a slowdown in the growth of the nation's payrolls in June. The economy added a net 112,000 jobs last month, less than half of the amount that economists had forecast.

The 1.1 percent drop in retail sales was the largest since February 2003, when sales fell by the same amount. June's decline was shaper than the 0.7 percent drop that some economists were predicting.

Safer?

Dubya is still speechifying that he saved us from the horrible threat that Saddam Hussein posed. And it's still bullshit (or BUllSHit, as some bumperstickers have it). We could have made ourselves safer by really pursuing al-Quaeda in Afghanistan, but instead we're now swimming in more dangerous waters than at any time since 9/11. Juan Cole analyzes this nicely.

' The dictator in Iraq had the "capability of producing weapons of mass murder. And now, the dictator is a threat to nobody, and the American people are safer." '

Bush must think we are a nation of retards if he believes we will buy this language of Saddam having the "capability" to produce weapons of mass destruction. All countries have the "capability." The point is that Iraq had given up its WMD programs and destroyed the stockpiles. The US was not in any danger from Iraq, and so cannot be safer because it was invaded.

Worse, the American invasion of Iraq is a major recruitment poster for al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda's message was that the Americans are coming to Muslim lands. 'They will invade your countries, expropriate your property, rape your women, and humiliate your men,' al-Qaeda screams. What does Bush do? He proves al-Qaeda right. More angry young Arab men are ready to fight the United States now than ever before. Bush is less popular than Bin Laden in most Muslim countries according to polls.

This sounds like a really BAD old Private Eye movie
(via PoliticsNJ)

KUSHNER CHARGED

Federal prosecutors are prosecuting developer Charles Kushner, a major fundraiser for Gov. James E. McGreevey and other Democratic candidates, on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of a federal investigation and interstate promotion of prostitution. Kushner is accused of hiring a call girl to have sex with a cooperating witness and videotaping the encounter in an effort to blackmail witness.

The AP was in town on Saturday
Link:

N.J. Same-Sex Couples Register for Domestic Partnerships on First Day of Law

By Krista Larson Associated Press Writer
Published: Jul 10, 2004



MAPLEWOOD, N.J. (AP) - Hundreds of same-sex couples gathered to register domestic partnerships on Saturday, the first day of a new law in New Jersey that gives gay partners some of the same rights as married couples.

More than 200 people attended a morning ceremony marking the law going into effect. Many arrived hours early, sitting on the municipal building's steps or on lawn chairs while filling out domestic partnership applications.

"This is a very great day in New Jersey's civil rights history," said Mayor Fred Profeta. "The civil rights achieved today are very important - don't anyone doubt that."

Some 40 applications, which attest to the signers being domestic partners, had been handed out as of 9:30 a.m. After completing the paperwork, couples planned to draw numbers to determine their place in a line to receive notarization.

Cathy Schenone arrived at 7:30 a.m. with her partner, Michele Tollefson, 46.

"It kind of validates that we've been together 10 years and deserve the same rights as everyone else," said Schenone, 40, of Wanaque.

The domestic partnership law, passed in January, grants some legal rights to registered couples, including the ability to make medical decisions for each other.

It allows partners to have some joint rights in filing state taxes, to be exempt from state inheritance taxes in the case of a partner's death and to extend the benefits given to state employees to cover domestic partners.

The law also covers unmarried heterosexual couples ages 62 and older. It does not legalize gay marriage and offers far fewer rights than those given to heterosexual married couples.

Many attending the ceremony wore buttons reading "The next step: marriage equality."

Schenone said she was pleased with the new law because she can be added to her partner's health insurance policy.

"There really are some great benefits to it," Schenone said. "Hopefully it will lead to marriage."

New Jersey is the fifth state in the nation to officially recognize same-sex coupling. In April, Maine's governor signed a bill creating domestic partnerships there.

Domestic partner benefits have been granted in California and Hawaii. Vermont has approved civil unions and Massachusetts recently legalized same-sex marriage.

Catholic and conservative groups have raised objections to the New Jersey law, but so far no lawsuits have been filed to block it, said Patrick DeAlmeida, a deputy state Attorney General.

Maplewood was one of several municipalities with large gay populations that planned to open offices this weekend; most other towns didn't plan to start registering couples until Monday.

The South Orange clerk's office was opening at 12:01 a.m. Saturday to register couples.

"We know it's an important event and something crucial in the history of the country and we wanted to add our blessings to it," said South Orange Mayor William Calabrese.

Couples must bring government-issued identification and show proof of shared financial assets to a municipal registrar's office. There is no waiting period.

AP-ES-07-10-04 1054EDT

Busy Busy

Work and volunteer committments have been keeping my blogging light the last few days. I hope to get something going later ... but never fear, I'm still here.

You still have time
to go to MapleWoodstock, today from noon to 9 PM. The weather's great to hang outdoors and listen to some great bands. So go! Memorial Park, just back of the Maplewood train station. The tentative line-up:

Stage One
Noon - Background CD's Art Gartenlaub
12:30 - Warmup Band TBA
1:05 - 3rd Gear
1:45 - Mood Ring
2:30 - Bill Ware Band
3:15 - 13 Scotland Road
4:00 - The Nodes
4:45 - Jim Daves
5:45 - Walk the Dog
6:35 - Hardware Blues Band
7:00 - MonkeyWorks
7:50 - Primitive Soul
8:15 - Nightmares
8:50 - JAM with Everyone who can stay/play……Tune TBD

Stage Two
1:35 - Everyday People
2:10 - Ray Leone
2:55 - Madison
3:40 - Doo Woppers
4:25 - Wogbledoe
5:15 - Mark Abrahams Band
6:10 - Easy Rider and the Cruisers
7:30 - FELT

See you there!