Godliness
Commentary is pretty good on knowing our American history. I always did well on American history courses. Extremist Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, Jr. said on the just revealed recording that he wants the country to return to godliness. I am trying to figure out when was the godliness period of American history. During the slavery era? During the Jim Crow years? I mean, we added “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance in the 1950s, but that didn’t make us godlier. I don’t know what the nut job justice is talking about or referencing. Oh, well.
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The featured photo is the roof redo from a couple of houses down the street in the aftermath of the May 16 storm. I mentioned a few weeks ago that a big arse tree fell on those two houses.
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MAGA GOP extremists were all over the map yesterday when the Hunter Biden verdict was announced. You would think that MAGA world would be happy that President Joe Biden’s son was convicted in an election year just a few months before an election. Nope. MAGA world couldn’t put their talking points on one page, I guess.
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The H-Town City Controller is delaying the deal with the H-Town firefighters. I wonder if the controller has an exit strategy. Maybe his exit strategy is on the lines of the one he had when he first announced for H-Town mayor a couple of years ago. See this from the Chron:
City Council approval for Houston’s $1.5 billion settlement deal with the firefighters union may face further delay as Controller Chris Hollins, who pumped the brakes on the deal last week, raised additional questions about the agreement.
Mayor John Whitmire first put the agreement on the council agenda a week ago, but members could not vote on it because the controller, Houston’s independently elected watchdog, had not certified the funds were available – a necessary step before the council can approve any financial commitments by the city. Hollins said his office received the draft less than two days prior and had not completed a financial review.
On Monday, Hollins sent Whitmire a 10-page inquiry with 44 questions about the deal, covering topics from base pay increases and drug testing requirements to discipline procedures and negotiation concessions. Without satisfactory answers, Hollins said he would not certify the proposal.
“My job is transparency and accountability,” the controller told the Chronicle. “I wouldn’t be doing my job in the way that Houstonians have elected me to do if I move forward with this before getting the answer to these questions.”
Whitmire responded to Hollins’ inquiry Tuesday evening, but only to five of the controller’s questions seeking confirmation about the cost of the settlement and other financial commitments. The mayor said these are the only questions relevant to the certification of the agenda item.
“All administrative work of the city government is under the sole control of the Mayor, which includes negotiations and settlements with our unions,” Whitmire said in a written letter to the controller. “Any suggestion that there could have been a better deal is speculative and uninformed.”
City Attorney Arturo Michel added that the only part of the deal Hollins needs to consider is the $6.5 million promised to the union for its legal expenses. This is because the backpay will be covered by a bond, and the pay raises under the collective bargaining agreement concern a public policy issue outside the controller’s jurisdiction, according to the city attorney.
Here is the entire Chron read: Houston leaders spar over possible delays to firefighter deal approval (houstonchronicle.com).
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Oh, no! See this from an online story:
The Nathan’s Fourth of July hot dog eating contest no longer cuts the mustard for all-time eating great Joey Chestnut.
The 16-time winner of the contest, including every year since 2016, will not be competing at this year’s contest, according to Major League Eating. And it’s all over his decision to endorse vegan hot dogs instead of Nathan’s.
“We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” Major League Eating said in a statement.
Nathan’s, the venerable Coney Island hot dog brand, has long required eaters not to endorse a rival brand if they are going to compete in the country’s most famous eating contest.
“MLE and Nathan’s went to great lengths in recent months to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day,” Major League Eating said in a statement. “For nearly two decades we have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions. However, it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship.”
Chestnut is endorsing the Impossible brand, the popular purveyor of vegan burgers, hot dogs and sausages, according to the New York Post, which was first to report the news of Chestnut not competing.
And this from the Today website:
There’s less than one month until the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, but fans will have to stomach a major shakeup to the competition. Sixteen-time winner Joey Chestnut will not be competing in the Coney Island competition this year.
The decision comes after Chestnut allegedly partnered with a competing brand to Nathan’s Famous. TODAY.com reached out to Chestnut via email but did not immediately hear back from his team.
Despite rumors that Chestnut was banned from the competition, Major League Eating (MLE) confirmed to TODAY.com that’s not the case.
“There is no ban,” Richard Shea, co-founder of Major League Eating, tells TODAY.com. “Major League Eating wants him there. The fans want him there. Nathan’s wants him there.”
In a statement provided to TODAY.com, MLE said “We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.”
The statement continued: “MLE and Nathan’s went to great lengths in recent months to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day. For nearly two decades we have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions. However, it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship.”
Come on dude! You can’t enter a Nathan’s sponsored event while shilling for a plant-based competitor. Nope.
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The team won last night, and Ryan Pressly actually picked up a save. We wrap up the roadie in San Francsico this afternoon.
