Crazy Californians Fight Over Paper Hats

From the Los Angeles Times:

Protesters descended Tuesday on Condit Elementary School in Claremont, tersely arguing over the construction-paper pilgrim and Native American costumes worn by kindergartners at a decades-old Thanksgiving tradition. Police were called to the school when tensions rose.

Officers also were monitoring Claremont Unified Supt. David Cash’s home after he received hate mail and told police that he feared for his safety.

So what gives?

For four decades, children at Condit and Mountain View elementary schools have taken annual turns dressing up and visiting each other to share a Thanksgiving feast. Controversy erupted after district officials last week decided to eliminate the Native American and pilgrim costumes from this year’s event after some parents complained that they were demeaning and stereotypical. Other parents were infuriated by the district’s modifications of the event, saying that administrators had bowed to political correctness.

 Now the children can learn another interesting historical lesson, the one about how, in the early 21st century, people were so bitterly and mindlessly divided over petty politics and cultural battles that they fought over construction paper costumes worn by children. What a thrilling era.

Christmas Music, Love or Hate?

I’m thinking about columnizing on Christmas music.

What are your favorites? What do you loathe? Is there too much of it or not enough? Do you wear earplugs to the mall? How does music fit or not fit into your traditions?

Just curious.

Snow More Bragging for Bud Light

Bud Light is losing its world title, to a Chinese lager called “Snow.” From The Guardian:

The self-styled king of beers has been toppled by a drink that most Budweiser lovers have never heard of: Snow.

The ascension of Snow, which is expected to outsell world leader Bud Light this year, is due to the growing thirst of Chinese drinkers for beer.

While beer consumption is on the wane in developed markets such as the UK, the Chinese have been developing a taste for home-grown lagers and there is plenty of scope for growth in a country with more than 1.3 billion inhabitants.

 I feel somewhat responsible, having not consumed a Bud Light in years. Although, really, who cares? Let the Bud-owning Belgians and SABMIller, Snow’smaker, battle it out. Eventually, they’ll all merge to form Beeratron or Beercon or InBuzz or whatever.

Tired of the battling big boys? Here’s a list of Iowa breweries.

Yepsen a Saluki?

The dean of Iowa’s political journalistas, The Des Moines Register’s David Yepsen, is among three finalists for a job at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. From the Daily Egyptian (the college paper):

Paul Simon described his public policy institute as a “do tank,” not a think tank.

The three candidates in the search for a new director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, whose names were released Wednesday, said this idea was the basis of the position’s appeal.

John Jackson, director of the committee in charge of the search, said the candidates the committee recommended are: Bill Freivogel, director of the School of Journalism; Arthur Turner, deputy majority leader in the Illinois House; and David Yepsen, chief political correspondent for the Des Moines Register.

The university president, interim chancellor and interim provost will select which of the candidates will take the post, Jackson said.

Interim Director Matt Baughman said he hopes to have a new director in place early in 2009.

A Saluki, by the way, is the school’s nickname. It’s a breed of dog that traces its origins back to the Middle East thousands of years ago. What? I just thought you might be wondering.

DMR — Mari Breaks Chet’s Smoking Law

After being seen smoking by a Des Moines Register reporter in a state-owned vehicle (a “workplace” under the statewide smoking ban) Mari Culver owns up:

Iowa’s first lady admitted today that she smoked in a state-owned vehicle, breaking a law that her husband signed with fanfare in April.

The law bans smoking in most workplaces, including employers’ vehicles. It specifically bans smoking in government-owned cars.

Mari Culver released a statement today acknowledging the misstep. “Like many Iowans, I have struggled to quit smoking. I successfully quit last year, but unfortunately started again a few months ago,” she wrote. “I did smoke in a state vehicle, which I regret, and I promise that it will not happen again.”

Culver’s admission came a day after a Des Moines Register reporter noticed her openly smoking in a Chevrolet Tahoe that the state provides to her family.

Ouch. But the law’s the law, and it applies to everyone. It’s fair game.

Still, there’s a part of me that feels bad for the crap she’s going to take for this. I can throw snark at politicians all day long. They ask for it. But Mari Culver didn’t run for anything.

Oh well, at least Republicans can smile again.

How I lost 20 Minutes

Reading a Slate article on mail carriers who hide mail to avoid delivering it.

Reading a Micheal Kinsley column urging us to let Obama smoke, for God’s sake.

Finding out what Nanobamas are.

Eating a Butterfinger.

Now, you try it.

Michelle O Taps Iowan as Chief of Staff

From the Washington Post:

Incoming first lady Michelle Obama has tapped Jackie Norris, President-elect Barack Obama’s Iowa state director to be her chief of staff. Norris, a high school government and history teacher and long-time Iowa Democrat, was former vice president Al Gore’s Iowa political director in the 2000 presidential campaign and was finance director for former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack in 1998.

Norris is half of one of Iowa’s premier political couples. Her husband is Iowa political honcho John Norris, who was Sen. John Kerry’s state director during Kerry’s 2004 presidential run and had been Vilsack’s chief of staff. John Norris also ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2002.

Who Will ‘He’ Be?

The Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission has offered its top job to its first choice. But who could the new executive director be? It is “he.” From this morning’s Gazette:

After 30 minutes in closed session, the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission voted last night to offer its first-choice candidate the position of executive director.

That person, acknowledged in the group only by the “he” pronoun, wasn’t identified. The two male finalists for the position are Karl Cassell, executive director of Jane Boyd Community House, and JohnPaul Chaisson-Cardenas of Seattle.

City Attorney Jim Flitz said any public organization would need to vote in open session on a motion to extend an offer to its first-choice candidate for a position – it does not, however, have to reveal that candidate’s identity.

If the commission’s first choice does not accept the position, the offer will then be extended to its secondchoice and third-choice candidates, respectively.

Other finalists are Kay Johansen, a Cedar Rapids attorney; Michelle McMurray, a five-year Cedar Rapids civil rights investigator; and Omaha, Neb., attorney Judith Wells.

I understand what they’re trying to do, and I sympathize, but with just three candidates, this seems sort of odd. I hope “he” takes the job and rights the commission’s ship.

At least the commission’s interview process was largely open, unlike the Cedar Rapids School Board’s super-double-secret superintendent search.

The district’s crackerjack search firm, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates of Glenview, Ill., has recommended that a superintendent be hired with no public input. You’ve got to love taxpayer-funded consultants who want to shut the door on taxpayers. 

There’s still a chance the school board will open interviews with finalists. I hope they choose openness.

New Senate GOP Team Springs into Action

So who’s the first target of the newly minted Iowa Senate Republican leadership team? Who is the first entrenched interest group to feel the steely wrath of its march back to the majority?

Why, it’s edgy teenagers.

From the desk of Minority Whip Steve Kettering, R-Lake View:

Minority Whip Questions State Funded Ads
JEL ads have negative effect on Iowa towns

DES MOINES – Today Senate Minority Whip Steve Kettering (R-Lake View) sent a letter to the Iowa Public Health Department Director, Thomas Newton requesting a response to a series of billboard advertisements paid for by the Just Eliminate Lies campaign. Below is the letter.

Wednesday November 19, 2008

Dear Director Newton,

I was dismayed upon learning that an organization, your Department supports financially, recently put up billboards near my hometown of Lake View. The billboards, paid for by JEL, are potentially hurtful to my community and the citizens that I represent.

As you may know, Lake View is a small community that relies on a strong tourist economy to prime our economic pump. While JEL is attempting to push a message through the use of shock value that tobacco kills, I am concerned the only shock that will come of this is a decrease in our tourist economy.

We can all agree that keeping kids from smoking is a positive action, I do however, question the means in which JEL is pushing this message. By advertising in an irresponsible manner this organization and the Department of Public Health could be hurting more citizens of Iowa than it helps.

I am urging you to contact the leaders of JEL and request that they remove this advertisement and apologize to the community of Lake View. This type of shock advertising has no place in Iowa and I am further disappointed that taxpayer money was potentially utilized for this project.

Please feel free to contact me regarding this request.

JEL stands for Just Eliminate Lies and is essentially a group of teenage anti-tobacco crusaders whose efforts are bankrolled by the state Department of Public Health. The group’s latest ad campaign tries to “shock” us by pointing out that tobacco-related death rates are roughly equivalent to wiping out whole small towns. It’s caused a minor stir and generated publicity, which, of course, would be in the dictionary definition of `advertising.’

I’m sure the crazy, newfangled notion that tobacco kills people has prompted many would-be tourists to make an abrupt, screeching U-turn and hightail it right out of Lake View. Everything would have been fine if it wasn’t for those meddling kids, and their dog, Scooby Doo.

Last year, Republicans complained about health department ads that pushed for the controversial indoor smoking ban. Imagine, health officials against smoking! The ads probably got more attention and airplay because of the GOP complaints.

So JEL ads are generating buzz and the smoking ban that the health department pushed for in ads last year passed. Huh. Maybe, instead of attacking it, Republicans should hire IDPH to produce the party’s campaign ads in 2010. Just a thought.

Every time a bell rings…

…the Iowa Lottery gets two bucks. From the lottery:

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Iowa Lottery is celebrating the classic movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” starring Jimmy Stewart and Iowa’s own Donna Reed with a new instant-scratch game and a contest that gives you the chance to win prizes by giving your best impression of the holiday film’s lead characters.

The lottery has partnered with the Donna Reed Foundation in Denison in issuing the $2 “It’s A Wonderful Life” scratch game and organizing a George and Mary Bailey look-alike contest.

Iowa Lottery Acting CEO Ken Brickman said that the lottery is proud to recognize one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed actors and celebrate a holiday classic.

“Donna Reed and ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ continue to be enduring icons that symbolize not only Iowa, but American values and traditions,” he said. “We’re proud to bring this holiday fun to our state.”

 Remember, no man is a failure who has friends…or who wins up to $10,000 instantly! Just don’t let that forgetful Uncle Willy take your winning ticket to lottery headquarters. Might lose it.

Is it just me, or does a lottery ticket commemorating a movie that depicts how character, generosity and friendship are more important than money seem a little odd? Maybe a game in which players can win enough cash to last them “From Here to Eternity” will be next.

Oh well, the state makes some much-needed revenue, the Donna Reed Foundation gets some good publicity and Iowans get to have more lottery “fun.” Who am I to complain?

The tickets will be available at your local lottery retailer, including The Emporium in Pottersville. And remember, you can’t become “the richest man in town” if you don’t play!